How Do Foreigners Learn Chinese: Listening, Speaking and Reading

It’s very common that foreigners learn Chinese language, but the methods interest foreigners and Chinese alike. After all, Chinese language is very hard to learn for normal people. Then what is the effective way for foreigners to learn Chinese? The editor, through long term understanding and conclusion, discovered that many foreigners pay attention to listening, speaking and reading.

1. Listening
Listening is known to everyone. Listening to dialogs, tapes and TV programs are most common ways. Of cause, if they study in China, it will be very common to listen to Chinese dialogs in real life. Perhaps nothing can be understood except for aching ears at the very beginning. But persistence will do the job for you. Progress will be made word by word and phrase by phrase. But still, if you set your goal too high, then it surely can be very painful and difficult.
There are some tricks to listening if you wish to have progress. Speaking, as another matter of fact, is also very important.
2. Speaking
Speaking, for foreigners, is very easy and common, for many Chinese are more than warm-hearted and friendly to help, correct and give suggestions.
There are many ways of speaking, pointless speaking and intentional speaking, for example. Pointless speaking is better for learning Chinese and training Chinese abilities, while intentional speaking requires more practice and is often mind-confining. Therefore, foreigners are encourage to speak more.
Confined by environment where there are no Chinese-speaking people, self-helping methods can be chosen by recording some dialog for self-practice.
3. Reading
As English coaching books for Chinese to learn English, there are Chinese coaching books for foreigners to learn Chinese, three levels of which should be noted:
1. Primary
This level is for foreigners whose Chinese ability is no better than a baby, or next to nothing. Sometimes they can speak thank you, sorry, then nothing else. It is better for foreigners at this level to start from Pinyin. After all, firm foundation leads to good results.
2. Middle
Foreigners at this level know something about Chinese but nothing profound, like elementary school students. They may intentionally enhance Chinese ability and literacy difficulties by reading story-telling books above middle level. Listening to Chinese songs will also be helpful, but not ambiguous ones by Jay Chou that only make it worse.
3. Advanced
Foreigners at this level are no different from Chinese, only with noticeable accents. Some even understand Chinese better than Chinese themselves. These foreigners may read some ancient Chinese articles and poems to taste the very cream of traditional Chinese culture, by which they not only improve Chinese ability but also build thick culture sediment.

Furthermore, Xinhua Dictionary is an indispensable tool to every level for better learning and mastering Chinese language, and also the best option for understanding Chinese idioms and vocabulary.

 

LINKS:

120 Most Hilarious Chinese<>English Translations You will Encounter in China.