How to Learn Chinese
Many people faced with the problem of how to learn Chinese
fly into a complete panic. The symbols look so strange to the Western eye, and
the words sound nothing like the languages we may be accustomed to. But there
are shortcuts to learning Chinese that will have even the most panic-stricken
student speaking the language in no time.
You can overcome the first stumbling block -- those
strange-looking but beautiful symbols -- by separating the act of speaking
Chinese from the act of reading it. Admittedly Chinese doesn't use the Western
alphabet, or technically, any alphabet at all – those symbols are called
characters, and there are thousands of them. But fortunately, many
English-speakers learn to speak basic Chinese without mastering Chinese
characters, because Chinese can be written in a Western alphabet (called
Pinyin). This definitely helps foreigners struggling with how to learn Chinese!
The second stumbling block -- the sound of Chinese words
themselves -- can be explained by realizing that Chinese is very dependent on
pitch and tone. For example, the sound "ma" said in a high-pitched
tone could mean "mother" -- in a different tone, it could mean
"horse." Thus, it's important that students concerned with how to learn Chinese approach the language in
a way that allows them to hear the words and phrases pronounced. Pimsleur Chinese
and Rocket Chinese are excellent programs for this reason; it helps you learn
the language in the fastest and most effective way possible.
When deciding how to learn Chinese, you must know which type
of Chinese you need to study. There are quite a few variations of Chinese;
whether these are dialects of a single language, or related but separate
languages (like French and Italian, for instance) is difficult to say. Two of
the most commonly used variants of Chinese are Mandarin (the standard language
of both the People's Republic of China and Taiwan), and Cantonese (more
commonly spoken in Hong Kong). But each variant is completely different from
the others, and a Cantonese-speaking person cannot be understood by a person
who speaks only Mandarin.
In addition to practicing with a good audio-based program
such as Rocket Chinese, it helps greatly to find a native speaker to chat with.
This is true when learning any foreign language, but it's an especially
important factor in how to learn Chinese. Have you ever heard someone pronounce
an unfamiliar name on the telephone, and failed to understand what they were
saying? This is because you can't see the movements of their mouth, lips, and
tongue as they produce the sounds. With so many Chinese words dependent upon
tone and the slightest variation of pronunciation, it helps so much to have a
native Chinese speaker to watch as well as hear.
You say you don't know any native Chinese speakers? I'll bet
you do! Is there a Chinese restaurant nearby? If its proprietors speak the
variant of Chinese you want to master, make them your new best friends, because
they'll definitely have input on how to learn Chinese! Is there a Civic
Association in your area? In all likelihood, there will be Chinese people
there. Look on the Internet for forums and meet-ups featuring Chinese language
and culture. And as a last resort, you can learn a great deal from watching
Chinese films.
Finally, practice, practice, practice! You'll
never sound like a native, but before you know it, you'll be able to carry on a
smooth, articulate conversation in your new language. And your friends will
never believe that only a few weeks ago, you had no idea how to learn Chinese!
View the Rocket Chinese review for more information about this recommended
Chinese (Mandarin) interactive language learning program...
You may also be interested in the following Rocket Language courses to help you learn a foreign language fast.
Rocket German
Rocket French
Rocket Japanese
Rocket Spanish
Rocket Italian
