With all the resources available on and offline, it\u2019s easy to teach yourself one of the world\u2019s most feared languages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A teacher is undoubtedly useful, especially for honing pronunciation. But much of the language can realistically be learned with a computer, an internet connection, and a handful of offline resources. Here\u2019s how.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pimsleur can really get you off the ground when it comes to starting off in the language. The method consist of a series of mp3 lessons which repeat vocabulary and sentences in progressively more difficult (but similar) situations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You may well tire of being told \u2018You are an American man, meeting a Chinese woman.\u2019 On the version I used, this American man asked the Chinese lady to dinner, but she refused. The rejection still hurts today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019ve heard a lot about Rosetta Stone, and I\u2019ve observed you can buy knock-off copies of their Mandarin programs in Big Movie. Their program works by teaching you words with visual cues only ( without English) so you\u2019re immersed and thinking in Mandarin from the start. Like Pimsleur, it seems a solid way to get a good grounding in Chinese,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One thing that makes Rosetta Stone stand apart, though, is the speech recognition technology. Chinese is a tricky language to pronounce, and you\u2019ll need some help before the locals can understand you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chinesepod is an internet based learning resource. It\u2019s designed for busy people, which is more or less everyone in Shanghai. It\u2019s also designed for smartphones, tablets and desktop learning. If you remember to download the mp3 lessons, you could be studying on the subway to work, backing up the vocab you\u2019ve learnt on their app, and filling in the gaps at home on your laptop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They also offering tutoring via Skype, though for those of us living in China, I\u2019m convinced it\u2019s better value to get a face-to-face tutor if time allows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While Pimsleur and Rosetta Stone will teach you the basics well, Chinesepod has lessons from beginner level up to advanced, meaning it can take you as far as you want to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Everyone thinks reading Chinese is difficult. It\u2019s an annoying misconception, because in reality mastering the basics of reading is no more difficult than communicating with a Shanghai taxi driver when you\u2019re drunk (if you can do that already, time to start reading).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are many books on the market that introduce the most common characters. This one is as good as any. Pick up a copy at Fuzhou Lu or look for one online. Once you have about 800 characters down, you\u2019ll be able to read simple children\u2019s books (you\u2019ll still have to look up a few characters on your phone-see below- but you\u2019ll be on your way to reading fluency).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Everyone thinks writing Chinese is difficult. They are wrong. Writing Chinese is almost impossible. Compared to the relaxing ease of just recognising characters, remembering their exact components and stroke orders is indeed a challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fortunately, for app-happy learners prepared to pay a modest monthly fee, the requisite hours of practise required to become confident in virtual brush strokes can be completed on your phone. Skritter allows you to practise and practise until you know a character like the back of your iPhone. You\u2019ll need to remember a character’s stroke order and correct tone before Skritter lets you move on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s possible to study Mandarin for years and still not be able to recognise tones ( I have personally proved this point). I wish I\u2019d found this app earlier. It tests you on recognising single or double tones until your ears become attuned. After a while with this app, you\u2019ll no longer need to ask your teacher, \u2018which tone is…\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are many Chinese-English dictionaries you can download to your phone. They are invaluable for everyone from the serious learner to someone who just needs to buy painkillers at the pharmacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For iPhone owners, I\u2019ve found the trainchinese dictionary to be helpful. For android aficionados, Hanping Chinese Dictionary ticks all the right boxes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"