What is waiting for those who are ready to learn Chinese? Frequent meditations? Tea ceremonies for relaxation? Exotic food consumption? Perhaps a calligraphy? We will not exclude the above-mentioned cases, but we will start with the other! First of all, let's identify which "Chinese" we will study? There is a strong force of dialects, but the only official language of China is 普通话 or Putonghua, or mandarin. Mandarin is understood by all citizens of China and is the best language for communication.
Now we know that we are going to learn the Mandarin! What can we expect in the first lessons?
The first stage - learning Chinese transcription and pronunciation. No, nobody will make you read hieroglyphics right away, it is physically impossible! Fortunately, there is a special phonetic system for learning Chinese. This system is called 拼音. It is based on the standard Latin and English forms, so we can write and read each Chinese word with the help of it. It's easier now, isn't it? Of course, there are also a lot of variations, rules, and exceptions, but your teacher will easily explain all the complexities. Thus, you will be able to read Chinese words and even speeches right away.
The second stage is the study of tones. Chinese is a tonal language, and tone plays a great role in communication. Bad news - the wrong tone changes the meaning of the word (sometimes dramatically), good news - there are only four tones! This is how they are called: first, second, third and fourth tones. Here, without a teacher, it is already very difficult. You need to learn all the tones, and correctly represent them. This requires practice and correctly selected exercises. It is necessary to listen and interpret a lot of audio-files and try to imitate your teacher and speaker. Don't be afraid of tones, they are not as difficult as they look. In a couple of lessons, students are confident enough to read with tones.
The third stage is studying with educational materials. Teaching materials include textbooks, presentations, games, videos and even educational software. It is important to tell the teacher your goals. Why do you want to learn Chinese? Do you work with Chinese partners or are you planning to live and work in China, or do you like to travel, or are you just a fan of Chinese culture? Your goals set the tone for the whole scheme of study! Understanding your motivation, your teacher will create a unique and individual program, and you will immediately be able to practice the necessary and relevant vocabulary.
The fourth step is one of the most important... Homework! Completing your homework is 50% of your success. Do your homework, repeat the material, and ask the teacher if you can't understand something. Remember: it is very important to love Chinese and not to treat it as a punishment!
The third step - feel the flow! Determine your own motivation and interests. There is no right or wrong ways to learn Chinese. Do not limit yourself in any way. Everything you see, read, and learn has a tremendous effect. Let Chinese become your favorite hobby and an enjoyable experience. In my opinion, the most important thing is not to lose interest or burn out. Make your pace of learning comfortable for you, do not wait for quick results, and you will see that they will indeed quickly appear.
This is how my Chinese classes are organized. I wish success to all those who have accepted this challenge and are committed to the goal. Do it more often, find topics that interest you, and improve your own motivation!
