Thinking of taking up a new skill or learn about another culture during your free time? Why not try your hand at learning Chinese?
While it might not be possible to master a completely foreign language in a matter of days, you sure can with consistent practice and proper guidance. Read on for some tips and tricks from the top language school in Singapore that can accelerate your journey to learn how to speak mandarin fluently.
Have a Solid Foundation
As the Chinese saying goes – learn to walk before you run, which means one must master a basic skill before moving on to learn more complex concepts. When it comes to learning mandarin, having a strong foundation is key, do not give in to the temptation of skipping the basics as it might be detrimental to your learning progress when you skip steps.
An important basic skill of mandarin learning is mastering the pinyin as you have to know the pinyin of a character if you want to nail its pronunciation and intonation. Without pinyin, you will lack the fundamental skill of the different tones that comes with each character, and you will not be able to speak mandarin proficiently in a short period of time.
Immerse Yourself in a Mandarin-speaking Environment
The most effortless way to learn a new language is to be exposed to it constantly and pick it up subconsciously. Most children are able to learn languages quickly as they learn these languages in school, where they are put in a class with Mandarin-speaking teachers and peers. If you don’t have many Mandarin-speaking friends, you can listen to local Chinese radio stations while you are commuting, listen to Chinese podcasters to learn intonation and pronunciation or simply play Mandopop in your car when you are driving. As long as you do this regularly, you will definitely be able to pick up more Mandarin phrases in time to come.
Get Yourself a Study Buddy
It never hurts to have a friend or family member to keep you accountable whenever you are learning something new or are trying to achieve a personal goal. Rope in your friends to learn Mandarin with you, and you can even start testing each other or try to converse with each other as a form of practice if you are still not confident enough to speak Mandarin with strangers. Practice makes perfect, and it never hurts to have some company as you practice!
Sign Up for Language Classes
Learning a new language all by yourself is no easy feat. If you are doing this on top of a full-time job and other commitments, going easy on yourself by enrolling in a language school is highly recommended. This way, you will have access to all relevant materials needed to learn Mandarin and also professional guidance from native-speaking Chinese teachers.
Learning in a class also gives you the opportunity to try your hand at speaking Mandarin with your classmates, and you will have nothing to worry about since everyone would be beginners in class. You will even be able to monitor your own progress and receive constructive criticism from your classmates and teachers.
Learn Mandarin with School of Language International (SLI)
Here at the School of Language International, we pride ourselves as the leading language learning centre in Singapore for individuals who are interested in learning a new language. We offer a wide variety of mandarin classes suitable for working adults in the corporate world and children.
Our upcoming class intakes for conversational Mandarin are as follows:
- 19 April – 2-week course
- 20 April – 5 to 10-week day course
- 20 April – 10-week night course
- 20 April – 10-week online course
Visit our website to learn more.
