Many people are intimidated at the thought of learning Mandarin. Just like learning other languages or even other subject, Mandarin learning must start with interest. With interest in Mandarin, Learning can be much easier if we understand and follow certain basics of mandarin learning.
Basics Of Mandarin Learning
Start first with recognizing the Chinese radicals. Radicals of Chinese characters not only give good hint to their meanings but also make it easier to remember the character. Learn Mandarin by identifying Chinese characters with their associated radicals will help learner to relate the characters with the right meaning.
Do not worry about the tones which may be difficulty for beginners. Simply get the right pronunciations of the characters without worrying too much about saying it in the right tone. As time goes by and with more practices, you will get to know which tone to use with the right context. Just understand the various tones and work them into your vocabulary, giving yourself ample time to perfect your tones later.
Learn Mandarin Systematically
Just like any other language, Mandarin can be learnt systematically. Start with short phrases such as good morning and good evening and progress to learning other commonly used greetings.
Another systematic aspect of Mandarin learning is the Chinese character. Chinese characters can be broken down by character components which give hint to the meaning of the character. In addition, many of them are phonetic components which give hint to the pronunciation of the character. Many times Chinese are able to pronounce a word even before actually learning its meaning. If you mix around long enough with Chinese speaking community, you will notice their interest in how to write the names of people, places and even items. One reason for that is to help them memorize the names. To the Chinese, if they know how to write the names, they would be able to build a good mental image about it commit to memory easily by association with the character components.
Learn Mandarin With Discipline
Learn Mandarin with good studying habit, such as dedicating a time and place for learning and memorizing. Use learning tools such as flashcards and electronic dictionary. Also make it a habit to learn Mandarin with different media anywhere and anytime. Always bring along with you a Chinese newspaper, magazine or book. In the evening or during weekend, watch Chinese language DVD movies that come with your native subtitles. If the movie proves interesting, watch it second time with Chinese subtitles.
Practice is mandatory for all language learning. Get into the habit of speaking your learned words with Chinese speaking people. Find a study partner and think aloud with him or her to get insight into the mandarin materials that you are reading or learning. Speak Chinese at Chinese food outlet and practice it as often as you can.
