{"id":111,"date":"2019-08-28T06:41:06","date_gmt":"2019-08-28T06:41:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shanghaistuff.com\/?p=111"},"modified":"2019-08-28T06:41:06","modified_gmt":"2019-08-28T06:41:06","slug":"where-to-study-chinese-online","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shanghailiving.com\/where-to-study-chinese-online\/","title":{"rendered":"Where to Study Chinese: Online"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Because sometimes moving to Asia just isn’t practical<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We all know how hard it is to get by in China without being able to speak the language. If you\u2019re busy working a 9-5 job, taking care of your kids, or still in school, it\u2019s often impossible to find some extra time to take an introductory Chinese course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fortunately enough, technology has now made the language more accessible to people around the world. Various applications allow people to listen to spoken Chinese, try writing the characters themselves, and practice their own speaking \u2013 all things a boring old textbook couldn\u2019t previously help you with. And what\u2019s more, you can learn at a time convenient to you, whilst you\u2019re on the subway or busy mooching off free Starbucks Wi-Fi (you know who you are\u2026)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this guide we\u2019ve broken down the best places to learn Chinese online, for learners at all levels:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chinese Pod<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Cost: Free for certain lessons, US$14 per month for basic functions, US$29 per month for all features.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chinese Pod is a service that\u2019s designed to be used on-the-go. It focuses on Mandarin that you\u2019d tend to use in every day life, like opening a bank account, or learning Chinese pick-up lines. All you need to do is choose what you want to know, download a short lesson, and you\u2019re ready to listen to it on the train on your way to work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They have over 3,000 lessons for every possible situation you can imagine (okay maybe not all of them\u2026wink wink) but the app is great for people who\u2019d like to learn specific topics and not waste any time learning stuff that\u2019s irrelevant. We definitely recommend it if you\u2019re running short on time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If this brief intro hasn\u2019t won you over, you can check out the cringy video on the front page of their website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

FluentU<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Cost: Free for basic functions; US$15 per month for full service; US$120 for a one-year plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

FluentU was initially created for Chinese specifically, although it now offers support for several other languages. Basically you learn Chinese through a series of carefully designed Youtube videos. It focuses on immersing the user in the language, and providing a real world context for what you\u2019re learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cool (or creepy) thing about the program is that it gets to learn more about you as you keep learning about the language, like how many words you already know and your various interests. It\u2019s even able to suggest content and examples based on what you\u2019ve watched already, giving you a super personalised experience. Nope, it\u2019s not some little Chinese dude following you around watch your back<\/em> \u2013 instead, it\u2019s programming the stuff it thinks you like into a built-in system. Fancy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Chairman’s Bao<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Price: US$10 per month, or US$80 on a one year plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you think \u201cThe Chairman\u2019s Bao\u201d sounds like a weird Chinese newspaper, then ding ding ding that\u2019s exactly what it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The paper has been simplified down for people learning Chinese at all levels. It has a built-in dictionary, a flashcard system, and even helps you learn how to write the characters. If you\u2019re just starting off, then this probably isn\u2019t the best of choices for you. For intermediate and advanced learners though, it\u2019s a great tool to practice reading Chinese characters, and also helps you to learn a bit more about the country by reading news.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Memrise<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Memrise is a pretty cool language learning app \u2013 much like Duolingo (which doesn\u2019t offer Chinese just yet. Bummer). The app helps you to learn the characters, and is generally a great way to build some Zhongwen vocab. Note: the videos of \u201cnative speakers\u201d who probably got paid a few kuai to stand there and say words out loud do tend to get pretty annoying after a while, and you can\u2019t skip past them sooo\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like Duolingo, Memrise runs on SRS software, which is fancy talk for saying it knows when you\u2019re likely to forget a word, and reminds you at precisely the right time to review it. This is definitely a great way to get started, and after all, it is free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ChineseSkill<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This is another one of those Duolingo\/Memrise type applications, tailored specifically for Chinese. It\u2019s game-based so it supposedly \u201cmakes learning Chinese fun.\u201d Yeah right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But in all seriousness this is also another great app to start off with, especially if you\u2019re struggling to get some motivation. You\u2019ll probably notice a lot of lay-over with Memrise since they\u2019re essentially the same thing, so just pick which ever one you like best and roll with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Skritter<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Skritter is without doubt one of the best apps out there to learn how to write Chinese characters specifically. It also runs on SRS software, and keeps stats so you can track your progress over a period of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before you pay the 15 buck subscription fee, it\u2019s best to ask yourself whether learning characters is really a priority for you. If it is, then this app definitely a great way to do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pleco<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Rounding off our list is Pleco, a must-download Dictionary app before you come to China. It\u2019s pretty much a cooler version of Google Translate, tailored specifically for the Chinese language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although it\u2019s primarily intended to be an online dictionary, we\u2019ve heard of a lot of people using Pleco to actually learn Chinese. There are various add-ons available – although some do get a bit pricy – that can teach you the stroke order for various characters, or the correct spoken pronounciation for tricky words. The flashcard add-on is also a great way to build vocabulary over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And there we have it. 7 great apps to begin learning a language spoken by over 1.3 billion people. It\u2019s not really as hard as it looks, and with a few months of dedication you could be well on your way to churning out that Chinese KTV song and impressing all your friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re looking to learn Chinese offline, feel free to check out some of our other guides.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Because sometimes moving to Asia just isn’t practical We all know how hard it is to get by in China without being able to speak the language. If you\u2019re busy working a 9-5 job, taking care of your kids, or still in school, it\u2019s often impossible to find some extra time to take an introductory … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhere to Study Chinese: Online - Shanghai Living<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/shanghailiving.com\/where-to-study-chinese-online\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Where to Study Chinese: Online - Shanghai Living\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Because sometimes moving to Asia just isn’t practical We all know how hard it is to get by in China without being able to speak the language. 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