5 tips for learning Chinese

Are you planning a trip to China? We’ll tell you the best ways to learn Chinese!

When you arrive in China, you’ll soon be surrounded by Chinese symbols that will be hard to decipher! And while you’ll never be totally lost in China (if you have a good grounding in English), it’s always a good idea to have some knowledge of the local language. In fact, it helps you integrate and immerse yourself in the culture. What’s more, locals are always delighted to hear a few words of Mandarin Chinese from tourists.

Chinese is the most complicated language in the world to learn, so it won’t be an easy task. Especially for us French speakers, who don’t have the same alphabet. But there are methods to help you learn the language, and Generation Voyage tells you all about them.

So whether you’re starting from scratch or already have some knowledge of Mandarin, here are 5 tips to help you learn Chinese and prepare for your future trip to China!

1. Take private lessons

Private lessons are the best way to learn Chinese. As we all know, Chinese is a complex language. Learning Chinese with a qualified teacher is one of the best ways to make progress. You’ll get lessons adapted to your level and objectives, personalized follow-up, answers to your questions and explanations to your misunderstandings.

Another advantage of private lessons is that they can be taken online, at a distance. This means you don’t have to travel, and you can fit your Chinese lessons into your schedule more easily, either at work or at home (during your lunch break or in the evening, for example). It’s also the best way to learn Chinese if you’re not self-taught.

This learning method comes at a price, but offers you support throughout your learning process. 1 hour of private Chinese lessons with Lingueo, for example, will cost you €60. We recommend that you take a course of at least 30 hours to acquire a first level of Chinese. This type of training can be paid for by your company or via your Compte Formation.

Other private tutoring platforms include :

• Les Petits Mandarins;
• Superprof;
• Kelprof;
• Your courses;
• Apprentus;
• Cned;
• Confucius Institute;
• I’m proposing.

2. Learn Chinese on an app

Using an app is another way to learn Mandarin Chinese. There are many apps to choose from, most of them free. Learning Chinese on an app lets you go at your own pace and adapts to your level.

Accessible at all times on your smartphone, take advantage of your half-hour subway ride in the morning and evening to learn new vocabulary words. Review the previous day’s lesson during your coffee break and do a few exercises before going to bed. By practicing daily, you’ll gradually see your level rise, as will your chances of speaking Chinese with locals on your trip to China.

We recommend you try out several of them to explore the different content and learning methods. Some even complement each other! Here are just a few:

• Les Petits Mandarins;
• Skritter;
• Learn Chinese – ChineseSkill;
• AnkiApp;
• Chinese Handwriting Recognize;
• Duolingo;
• Mondly.

3. Talking to Chinese people

Another excellent way to learn Chinese is to talk to native speakers. In fact, once you’ve acquired a certain level, talking to locals is one of the best ways to progress in Chinese. You’ll be able to have everyday conversations, learn new vocabulary and even catch up on expressions used by young people, for example. You may even meet Chinese people who want to learn French. You’ll be able to help each other and share your skills.

For this, there are apps that put you in touch with native speakers, free of charge. A bit like the German or Spanish pen pals you used to have in high school.

• Tandem;
• Hellotalk;
• Speaky;
• Meetup;
• Language exchange.

You can also use the couchsurfing platform, which lets you welcome foreigners into your home for one or more nights. It’s a great opportunity to exchange ideas in Chinese, and give a few tips on the must-do’s in your area.

4. Watch films and series in Chinese

One of our top tips for learning Chinese is to watch films and series in Chinese. If you’re a beginner, we advise you to put on the subtitles, as this will help you understand the film. But be aware that you’ll need a very good level before you’ll be able to remove the subtitles and understand the film in outline. The aim here is above all to accustom your ears to the different sounds, and to get used to the pronunciation and intonation of this language, which was unknown to you until recently.

To watch films and series, for example, you can use well-known platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime.

5. Learn Chinese with videos

Finally, to help you learn Chinese, you can also watch YouTube videos dedicated to learning Mandarin. These are lessons of no more than 15 minutes, to be watched and re-watched at your leisure. Here are a few examples of YouTube channels for a good introduction to Mandarin Chinese before you leave for China.

• Faguoren;
• Chinoistips;
• China and Learning Chinese – by Cédric BEAU.