Introduction:
Chinese is a group of language varieties that form the Sinitic branch of the Sino-Tibetan languages, spoken by the ethnic Han Chinese majority and many minority ethnic groups in Greater China. About 1.3 billion people (or approximately 16% of the world’s population) speak a variety of Chinese as their first language.
The spoken varieties of Chinese are usually considered by native speakers to be variants of a single language. Due to their lack of mutual intelligibility, however, they are classified as separate languages in a family by some linguists, who note that the varieties are as divergent as the Romance languages. Investigation of the historical relationships among the varieties of Chinese is just starting. While the Internet has sealed the place of English as the most used (second) langauge.
Important things to know
Yes, it is possible to learn Chinese at any age. Learning does not restrict to age, if you are interested to learn then age is not taken into consideration. But learning a new language requires motivation and hard work. The simplest way to learn any new language is by improving listening, writing, and reading skills. So try these tricks and you will succeed.
There are many methods to learn the Chinese language such as Online Courses, conversation with native speakers, through applications, books, and having private tutors. There are plenty of people who learned Chinese after their age of ’40s and became fluent, this is not only for Chinese but also for every other language.
There is also a myth that it’s hard to learn a new language after the age of 10–12 and as you get older it gets harder to learn other languages, but through our consciousness, we can manage to learn very effectively.
Our consciousness takes place as a major part of our mind, and by this, we can distinguish what to take or not by analyzing them compared to what we already know. This prevents a foreign language from being taken as itself and also to translate into your language and grammar.
This will be the example that we cannot remember what we did when we were kids specifically but can do so after becoming mature. This is why some mention it as it is harder for them to learn a new language.
However, you can learn them and achieve fluency based on your mindset and attitude.
Learning a second language has nothing to do with age, gender, religion or mindset. It is a skill that anyone and everyone can learn with the help of a few sources. Bilinguals have the unique opportunity to communicate with a wider range of people in their personal and professional lives. Knowing the language makes you a local no matter where you are, opening up your world literally and figuratively. You will be shaped by communities. So, let’s move on to some of the way in which you can learn Chinese on your own or with some help:
- Start with the basics – As is the case with most languages, it is useful, to begin with greetings and pleasantries that are the most likely to come up in brief interactions with Chinese speakers. Introducing yourself to strangers is a critical skill to acquire. People will be more willing to help you once you have explained who you are. When entering a new area with a different culture and language, it is wise to learn the basic pleasantries and phrases of gratitude so that you can show good manners to your hosts.
- Become familiar with the Chinese alphabet – If you start with the alphabet, you will know how words are pronounced and be able to sound out unfamiliar words, even if you aren’t sure what they mean. This can be a big help as you’re trying to learn the language, especially if you want to ask a native speaker what a word means.
- Immerse into Chinese Media – With Chinese films, you have an opportunity to hear people having natural dialogue in the language. Turning on English subtitles will help you understand what’s going on and what the characters are saying. If you live in china, you can find news programs on tv and the internet in Chinese. In and around China, you should be able to pick up radio stations broadcasting in Chinese and playing Chinese music.
- Enroll in an online class – There are various apps and websites available to learn Chinese. You can even enroll yourself in online classes with Multibhashi to learn Chinese in no time by tapping this link.
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Conclusion
Although Chinese is among the toughest languages to learn, it is not impossible and even conversational proficiency can bring many benefits. The key is to start studying and being willing to invest the time necessary to achieve your goals for learning the language.
