Tips and Tricks to Learn Chinese for Global Communication
Throughout the years of globalization, English has been the primary language for global communication. But recent years have observed a new language on the rise. Mandarin has assumed the role of the language for global communication thanks to the increasing numbers of Chinese businesses which are gaining prominence in industries all over the world. Therefore, possessing knowledge of Mandarin has become a valuable asset. If we speculate its growth in the near future, then there exists no doubt that this linguistic skill will be greatly in demand. Whether Mandarin will overtake English as the primary global language is still up for debate, but it will only benefit an individual to learn this language before-hand. It is important to recognise that Mandarin could offer you a competitive advantage in the future jobs market since China moves closer towards replacing the US as the world’s largest economy.
With that being said, Chinese is a more difficult language to master.
It is estimated that it takes about 4 times longer for a native English speaker to become proficient in Chinese than it does to reach a similar level in French or Spanish. French and Spanish are 2 of the most famous Romance languages. It’s always better to keep a few tips and tricks in mind before you dive into a new language learning process.
Set logical goals
Goals not only act as a natural motivator but also help you measure how much you have managed to accomplish over the entire learning process. Identify whether your ultimate goal is to learn basic Chinese or to be proficient in it. According to your end goal, set mini-goals to achieve on a weekly or monthly basis.
Identify areas that need improvement
When you learn any language, you will automatically have weaknesses. Among speaking, listening, reading and writing, your weakness could be any of the four. So a major part of learning the new language would be identifying and focussing on improving that.
What else would be great to try?
Practice and Review
As previously established, Chinese is a more difficult language to learn. So, developing the habit of constantly practising is a must. Probably the most important tip to keep in mind is the tip to review. Unless and until you review previously learnt vocabulary and grammar, you won’t actually realise how much you’ve forgotten.
Invest in Apps
An investment into apps might sound unnecessary, but underestimating Chinese as a language is far worse. You will at some point require expert guidance. So, instead of reaching a point and hitting a block, invest into apps to begin with. Here are some of the best apps to learn Chinese from:
Multibhashi: https://www.multibhashi.com
Anki: https://apps.ankiweb.net/
FluentU: https://www.fluentu.com/
Let go of all inhibitions, fear, related to the public image in your own interest!
Speak up
One of the major tips for learning any language is to let go of that anxiety. Chinese is no stranger to that notion. Make mistakes and ask for feedback. There is no harm in making mistakes while still learning the language. Don’t lose hope or get demotivated when you receive feedback. Reviewing your mistakes and correcting them is the entire essence of a process like language learning.
Finally!
These are some of the tips and tricks that you should keep in mind while learning Mandarin. Once you’ve mastered a language like such, you’re definitely open to a much wider business terrain as opposed to those who only speak English.