Like most
languages, learning how to speak Chinese Mandarin can be accomplished
many ways. Whether it’s group courses, immersive cultural experiences,
computer-based lessons or online coursework, it’s really up to the
student to find a method that is most comfortable for him or her.
Learning
how to speak Chinese Mandarin is not difficult, but it does take time.
Like any foreign language, you have to be willing to put time and
effort into the process if you want to become fluent.
Following
is a comparison of the more popular ways of learning how to speak
Chinese Mandarin, along with the pros and cons for each. This should
help you make an informed choice regarding your own education.
Group courses
Many
students enjoy learning in a group environment. In many communities,
local colleges or private institutions offer basic or intermediate
Chinese courses. These classes can be a great way to learn the
language. However, you have to move at the pace of the average student
in the class, so if you’re a fast learner or get stuck on a particular
lesson, it’s easy to become frustrated. Plus, many students don’t feel
comfortable pronouncing words before a bunch of strangers and
pronunciation is very important when learning how to speak Chinese
Mandarin.
Immersive study
Of
course, learning the language in China is the best way to learn the
language. Living in the country immerses you in the language as well as
the culture. It is by far the best way to learn how to speak Chinese
Mandarin. That said, studying abroad can be out of the reach of many in
terms of budget and time away from home. Plus, immersive study can be a
sink or swim proposition. If you don’t adapt well, the stresses of
living in a country where everything is foreign to you, including the
language, can take its toll.
Textbooks
For most
languages, a textbook works well. Languages like French, Spanish and
German have a lot of commonalities with the English language. After
all, most English words have their roots in these languages as well as
Latin. Chinese is much more difficult to learn from a textbook because
you can’t discern the proper pronunciation. Also, sentence structures
can be difficult to learn from a book, because there’s no way to get
feedback. Audio textbooks can be of some help, but again, there’s no
give and take with an instructor.
Computer-aided learning
This is
one of the most familiar ways to learn any language. The CD or DVD
courses allow you to learn how to speak Chinese Mandarin in an
interactive fashion. Some courses even use your computer’s microphone
so you can match the pronunciation of each character. The main drawback
of these courses is that you don’t have a live instructor that you can
get feedback from or ask questions if you’re really stuck. These
features come in very handy when you’re trying to learn how to speak
Chinese Mandarin.
Online courses
Online
courses, such as Mando Mandarin (http://www.mandomandarin.com), allow
you to learn to how to speak Chinese Mandarin directly from a native
speaker, who serves as your instructor. You work at your own pace on a
one-on-one basis so you get feedback in real time. If you need to work
on particular skills, your instructor can help you. And there’s no
class waiting for you to get a specific pronunciation or rule down
before moving on. For most people, this is an ideal way to learn the
language , since you move at your own pace in the privacy of your own
home.
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Tags: chinese courses, chinese mandarin, commonalities, education group, english language, foreign language, french spanish, group courses, group environment, how to speak chinese, informed choice, learner, living in the country, private institutions, pronouncing words, pronunciation, pros and cons, stresses, textbook, textbooks