Where should i start learning Mandarin? Any ideas on what I could start with?

[viaros09]

I'm just starting to learn Mandarin Chinese, and one thing that I'm stuck on is what I should go at first. Answers are much appreciated!!!

[杰.克]

Grab yourself a basic textbook. Learning Mandarin is a vast and lengthy journey and its better if you have guidance. For the first 3 years or so, you can just follow textbooks and will carve a really great and effective path. 

[amytheorangutan]

I originally just joined a group class to get me going but if you're used to self study and have done it before I think it can be done also. For me personally with self study I'm just a bit wary with my pronunciation, if I start saying stuff in private and no one is there to correct me. Though saying that, my pronunciation in both English and Chinese are not great and I started both languages with teachers so who knows haha

 

At beginner level I think textbook with audio would be great as it gives you structure (I have used HSK books until HSK 4 and A Course in Contemporary Chinese, I personally prefer the later but it's written in traditional characters though the main texts have simplified versions underneath), you can always supplement it with Chinesepod, Du Chinese, Yoyo Chinese or free resources on Youtube like Chinese Zero to Hero, Mandarin Corner etc. Also learn pinyin properly and don't ignore tones, from personal experience you'll pay dearly later on for ignoring tones, in fact I'm still paying for it now 

 

 

[jannesan]

Check out the HelloChinese App, I used it as a starting point to get a feel for the pronunciation.

I would really focus on getting down the pronunciation and understanding pinyin.

The 'Say it right' series from ChinesePod is really good too.

[NanJingDongLu]

3 hours ago, amytheorangutan said:

don't ignore tones, from personal experience you'll pay dearly later on for ignoring tones, in fact I'm still paying for it now

Always remember, the only difference between asking a waitress how much it costs for a bowl of boiled dumplings and how much it costs to sleep with her for one night is the tones!

 

小姐水饺多少钱一碗 - Xiǎojiě shuǐjiǎo duōshǎo qián yī wǎn - Miss, boiled dumplings, how much per bowl?
小姐睡觉多少钱一晚 - Xiǎojiě shuìjiào duōshǎo qián yī wǎn - Hey shawty! Sleeping, how much per night?

[abcdefg]

Quote

I'm just starting to learn Mandarin Chinese, and one thing that I'm stuck on is what I should go at first. Answers are much appreciated!!!

 

 

First define your goals. Clarify what you want to do with the language. 

[Jan Finster]

52 minutes ago, abcdefg said:

First define your goals. Clarify what you want to do with the language

 

This is good advice.

 

Otherwise, I would not really worry too much about where to start. Just start anywhere! This can be Youtube videos for Chinese beginners (e.g. pronunication), Apps, TheChairMansBao, ChinesePod (creative commons lessons), etc. When I started I dipped my toes into several dozens resources. You will stick with the ones that appeal to you.

 

Personally, I would not start with a textbook. Maybe this is just me, but there are few things killing my motivation faster than textbooks. I tried "Integrated Chinese", when I first started and did not make it past chapter 2. Just not my thing. At risk of being belittled, one "textbook" (I know, a bit of a a stretch) I can recommend to total beginners is  "Chinese for Dummies". It gives you easy access, plenty of pinyin phrases, it explains basic grammar principles, etc.

 

[Woodford]

I would definitely echo what a couple of others have said on this thread--if you're willing to use a phone app, HelloChinese is really great. Perhaps they've improved since I last checked, but I would avoid Duolingo, despite its popularity, because it really isn't optimized for Chinese (and a lot of the most popular apps aren't). Whether using that method, or else a textbook like Integrated Chinese (if that's your more preferred method), the objective at this point is to learn the basics--pronunciation, tones, grammar, how the characters work (if you want to read), and a few hundred words. A university-level Chinese course (which is how I learned) can comfortably cover those topics in a single academic year. At that point, the journey has just begun (but it's an exciting beginning)!

 

Even more important, I think, is to be motivated to continue for the long term, and to have realistic expectations. I've been studying 2-4 hours a day for almost 4 years, and I am only now just beginning to gain confidence in reading (native-level) Chinese books or watching Chinese videos/TV shows. I think the experience of other people in this forum has been similar. I never feel myself improving day to day, week to week, or even month to month--the immediate payoff can be very small. But little by little, it adds up. So I would say that even though Chinese feels really difficult and requires a giant time investment, it is possible to learn, and it definitely feels rewarding! 

[alantin]

• Get yourself a tutor at iTalki or some other service and learn the pronunciation really well with them from the beginning.
• Read this on pronunciation: https://www.chinese-forums.com/forums/topic/61232-disregarded-tones-until-present-hsk-4-advice-on-learning-them/
• Check out: iTalki, LTL Flexi Classes, Mandarin Blueprint, YoYo Chinese, Chinesepod, HackChinese
• Drill tones like crazy in the beginning!

 

[tsitsi]

Defining why you are learning is great tip because it can also dictate the resources you use. I decided to write exams, because without a defined deadline i would not learn nothing... fluency here is not the point yet, just getting in the basics before I define my next goal,  (likely understanding songs and c drama)

 

As a result my starting point has been vocab drilling with apps like sticky study and anki; grammar drilling with Hello Chinese, may use Chinese Skill if I have time before the exams; and more grammar and sentence and exam prep using free coursera courses and free YouTube exam prep videos.

I've never liked textbooks so will likely only use one when I have reached some proficiency.

 

Start where your interest stems, that way you're likely to stick with it.

 

The basics of learning any language though are 

1. figure out it's sounds -> here pinyin will get you going, tones are challenging for most people so start getting familiar with them
2. figure out key/ most used vocab and helper verbs, (want, like, will, have, is, must ...)
3. figure out how sentences are made
4. then experiment with speaking, hearing or reading
5. the key here is communication, can I get an idea across, can I understand what is being directed to me, the journey there can take any shape or form