I’ve spent the last five years studying Chinese and have lived in Taiwan for three years. Here’s a list of notes I’ve discovered while studying Traditional Chinese in Taipei. I’ve gone through lots of trial and error over the past few years. The number one trick to learning Chinese is:
Actually studying.
It takes a long time. Minimum of 1.5 years if you’re going through the US military’s intensive language program. So expect a minimum 2-year investment. Luckily it’s super doable. 加油！💪🏻
Remember your “Why”
A bit cheesy, but write down why you’re learning on a sticky note and put it on your wall by your computer so you can see it. The extra bit of motivation helps when you’re feeling tired. E.g., it might be “To talk to my in-laws,” “To get on a Taiwanese TV show,” or “To be able to talk to a delivery person on the phone without panicking.” Moving to a Mandarin Chinese-speaking country is a great way to be motivated, but it isn’t necessary to start. I started studying part-time in the USA for a few years before I ever ended up moving to Taipei.
Make time to learn Chinese. Do not “find” time
You already have time to study. I promise. The trick is to make time to study by blocking out time in your calendar, sticking to it, and/or getting accountability by joining a Mandarin Chinese study group or getting a Mandarin Chinese teacher. The other trick is to make your phone work for you and turn it into a distraction-free language-learning tool. I have two videos below showing how I do this.
Focus on Vocabulary
Focus on learning characters. Especially if you’re a beginner. You can noun yourself out of most situations. Do whatever it takes to learn 1000 of them. It gets much easier once you get to 1000 because you can listen to TV shows and podcasts to build more vocabulary. My general schedule looks like this:
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45-60 minutes in the morning going through flashcards of example sentences from Chinese lessons.
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A 1-hour lesson with my Mandarin Chinese teacher.
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Lunch and do normal work in the afternoon.
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Read 25 new words on Lingq.
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Do at least 15 minutes on Skritter.
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Finish all my Anki flashcards (I usually give myself one new card daily).
This sounds like a lot; however, I do a lot of this while sitting on the bus, or in a taxi, or lying on my couch. That’s because I’ve removed distractions from my phone.
Apps I use to learn Chinese
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Lingq (https://www.lingq.com/en/)
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This is my favorite for extra reading practice or if you’re doing language learning as a hobby. Very low barrier to entry. It focuses on reading stories and is generally a lot more “fun” than other apps.
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Anki (https://apps.ankiweb.net/)
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This is an absolute must for exams. However, the learning curve is pretty high. This is the best flashcard program in the world, but it is a bit complicated.
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Skritter (https://skritter.com)
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The best app in the world for practicing Chinese handwriting.
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Pimsleur (https://www.pimsleur.com)
Great to use if you want to learn some absolute basic phrases a few weeks before you visit somewhere on vacation. Pretty good for speaking.
Just keep going
Learning Chinese isn’t hard. It’s long. It’s easy to get discouraged. While it’s possible to learn by yourself, everyone I’ve seen succeed has done so with the help of a teacher. That’s why we put together Mandarin Mindset to make things easier.
