Learning and speaking Mandarin Chinese is very important in and out of China, or Chinese speaking countries. The world population of the Chinese people is about 1.3 billion and in a great way, they push and make up a big part of the economy. International and local business partnerships are on the rise and for any formidable agreements to be made, you must be a fluent Chinese speaker and a proficient writer.
Such business needs and social or political interactions make learning Chinese very important. The challenge faced by many is the fact that learning Chinese is difficult. This is why you should keep in mind the following tips and tricks:
1. Start with the simplified Chinese version
Learning Chinese is difficult. Children and adults learning Chinese struggle a lot and most international students have been reported to have dropped out of the classes. This has been attributed to the complexity of the characters used. In most cases, writing depends on reading and your reading is just as good as your writing.
Enroll your child in classes offering studies using the simplified Chinese characters first before taking on traditional Chinese classes that are more complicated. Let your child take baby steps. Start small and dive into the deep complex class once you are ready to swim and/or maneuver.
2. Invest in a tutor
Your child’s education is important. The world economy is shaping the kind of education your child takes and China being one of the leading world economies means that children living in Singapore and other Chinese countries must learn to speak and write in Chinese.
Get a qualified Chinese tutor in Singapore for PSLE, O-levels and your child’s A-level education. These classes are compulsory in most Singapore schools and despite the complexity, failing isn’t an option.
A one on one interaction between your child and the tutor helps in creating trust and better focus in the language. This will help to learn compared to group tutors or classrooms where the Chinese is taught once or twice a week and there isn’t a personalized focus on students.
3. Encourage speaking buddies
If you are fluent in Chinese and your child isn’t, try conversing with them in Chinese. You should also encourage your child or children to converse with friends and each other in Chinese rather than English or any other language. It is highly recommended that your child practices Chinese with a non-native speaker because there will be less embarrassment felt.It will also be harder to fall back into speaking English.
4. Music and TV-shows
Listening to Chinese music and watching Chinese TV shows helps in learning how to use phrases, pronunciation and remembering words. You may also try shows with subtitles. The repetitiveness of songs makes it easier to understand.
5. Learning phrases rather than vocabulary
The internet presents a big learning opportunity. However, you will find that most sites give vocabularies rather than phrases. Phrases make communication simpler.
6. Focus on weak points
Identify a learning weakness and exploit it. A good tutor will root-out such weaknesses then increase focus on the same. Learning will be easier and eventually, exams will be passed.
In conclusion, there are many tricks for learning Chinese but you must learn your child’s learning progress and habits, then put effort on the strategy promising the best results. Constant practice is important; you and your child should interact with Chinese speakers, spend less time on grammatical rules, keep track of intonation and have fun while studying.
Author Bio
Gregory Hunt is the best personal Chinese tutor Singapore has. He is very experienced, proficient in writing and is fluent in Chinese Mandarin and 10 other foreign languages. Learn more from him on his blog.