How to get better at Chinese after learning the basics?

China is one of the most linguistically diverse countries in the world. Chinese Mandarin is a language based on central Mandarin; however, according to the most recent Ethnologue census, the total number of languages spoken in China is 302. This is also the official language of the nation. 71 per cent of Chinese speak a dialect of Mandarin known as “Putonghua.” Although the presence of Mandarin is largely due to geography, namely the plains of northern China, the presence of Mandarin in Sichuan is largely due to a famine in the 12th century, which may have been attributed to the Black Death, depopulating the region and contributing to later settlement from north China. In China, more than 70 million people from 55 separate national minorities live. Though each minority group in China has its own spoken language, many minority groups lack a distinct written medium for their languages.

The truth is that practising is the best way to learn something new. It is believed that it takes at least 10,000 hours of practice to become an expert at anything! Alternatively, it is estimated that it could take anything around 20 hours of practising a month to from knowing nothing (that’s roughly 45 minutes per day for a month), to being decently pro. This is where the practice is essential. Learners may have a high level of competence in a specific field, however, learning a new skill or opting for a different field can be difficult as well as painful.

Perhaps this is why most people dislike the idea of practising – the more knowledgeable an individual, the more hesitant they are to try something new. Many people believe that knowing something is enough and that all they need to do is learn about it or talk about it to be able to do it well. However, learners must recognise the importance of practice to improve their language skills.

People spend countless hours learning Chinese through proper resources, right methodology – classroom lectures, watching videos, TV shows, films, having a conversation with native speakers, etcetera. And get a  good idea of how to apply it. However, they are not able to do so! This by far is the best way to understand, see and realize how learning a language is different from the application of the language.

As learners, you may have the ability and the intellect to quickly grasp concepts and ideas, but putting the language into practice, or executing it is a different ball game altogether. The reality is that we can’t; not until we practice, get feedback, refine our approach, and practice again. Learning something new means being clumsy at it initially, making mistakes, course-correcting, and trying again. It’s neither encouraging nor comfortable. Despite knowing the value and need of Chinese learning in their life, learners are unable to move past adversities. 

And many learners abandon their learning the moment they are challenged.

Acknowledging the importance of practice, making yourself accountable by practice is the only way to get better after learning the basics? True, it isn’t possible to practice and master all of them at one time. True is not a joke to practise for 20 to 10,000 hours but doing it step by step may help. Learners can divide topics in chunks, starting with the most important things that need to be improved, with a continued focus on their practice on just those things – at least to start with.

Delegate time every day to learn and practice. Use the Pomodoro methodology to study. Use a calendar to put reminders. Treat learning as much as important as anything else. Minimize distractions, and practise seriously. Measure your progress against your short and long term goals and reassess and regroup your thoughts and actions on how you may want to re-approach your goals if you have lost time or deviated from the goals.

Work with classmates to hold each other accountable for practice. You would be able to get and give feedback on each other’s development.

Keep in touch with your teachers and extend your learning to private tuitions for as and when you need it. Private tutors can help you create a plan, offer feedback, and help you stay accountable for your own goals.

Making a commitment to practice is paramount to maximizing the impact of your learning. It all depends on practice. After all, practice is the only way to become proficient in a new skill or behaviour. As learners, we need to embrace the discomfort of being beginners in order to continue to grow and improve.

The Nanjing Mandarin standard was eventually replaced in the imperial court during the last 50 years of the Qing Dynasty in the late 19th century by Beijing Mandarin. In the absence of a common mainstream type of Mandarin, non-Mandarin speakers in southern China continued to speak their ethnic dialects for all aspects of their lives, whilst the general population continued to speak variants of Mandarin. As a result, the new Beijing Mandarin court level remained relatively restricted.

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