Mandarin 中文

Amazing journey learning mandarin language. Language open the doors for so many opportunities. Learn about culture, learn how to learn a language, speaking someone’s else language, give you opportunity to travel abroad, make international friends, etc.

This section share a bit of my experience and study tools.

“My actions are also the shape of my dream” – Tenya Iida

The best way to learn a language is being in an immersive environment.

• e.g.: Move to China or Taiwan to study in a language school for 1 year -> easily get HSK 4 and conversational mandarin

If you can’t move abroad, then you need to go the slower way. Create yourself an “mandarin” environment.

• e.g.: Self-learn seriously (1-2 years to get to HSK4) , slower pace (2-3 years)

Step 1: Learn some PINYIN.

• You don’t need pinyin to speak mandarin, but it will help self-learner to build a strong foundation. Better pronunciation and easier to learn new words on your own.

• Go youtube -> Search for “pinyin pronunciation”

• Phonetic with tongue positioning: https://www.sinosplice.com/learn-chinese/pronunciation-of-mandarin-chinese/4?fbclid=IwAR0UQDXcSbbEgl2Kzi4oUY1KSTd3xmECvjaqsH_DLrrowB0xlY44M2HANaA

Step 2: Create a study plan

• Join a beginner class weekly or biweekly (just to get you started)

In class:
• Teacher use mandarin to explain new mandarin words
• Give examples for each function of the words
• Give words who are similar to the new words and their distinctions
• Set of questions who makes you use currently new learned words to answer it.
• Practice reading out loud
• Play games

At home:
• Write new words 10x times each
• Say the type of words (N, V, SV, VO, IE, etc.)
• Say definition of the words using words you know + example if apply
• Create 3 sentences using the words
• Imagine the image of the word in a situation in your mind
• Write pinyin of all new words then write character that matches
• Write the word in excel categories

Test: 听写 (Dictation), 听力 (Listening comprehension)、 报告 (Presentation)、 文章 (Write essays)、对话 (Write dialogues)

(0) Mainly in class: Textbook for grammar + New vocabulary

Skills to improve: (Action to take)

(1) Communication:

• Talk everyday with someone on “Tandem” or “HelloTalk”, then move to Wechat if long-term language exchange partner

• Meet Chinese person twice a week to chat (1h) in person

• Join language exchange club (mandarin – English)

• Italki app => Pay teacher 6-10$ USD for 1h lesson/ talk session

(2) Listening:

• Mandarin Audio Podcast: Chinese Pod

• Watch Chinese Modern Drama or “situational” learning video (4h per week)

(3) Reading:

• Already exposing: Textbook, text message, subtitles

• Morning reading: https://language.chinadaily.com.cn/news_bilingual/

• 小说： Short story: http://chinesereadingpractice.com/

• 短文：Short text: http://chinese-at-ease.com/

• Chinese article news with 2 language: http://language.chinadaily.com.cn/news_bilingual/page_1.html

·       Google Chrome Extensions: Zhongzhong: An improved Chinese Dictionary (Show pinyin + definition of Chinese character)

• Chinese manga: 漫画

• Chinese books: https://www.jianshu.com

·       小狗钱钱 (good book)

• Short text app: DuChinese, Decipher

(4) Writing:

• Already exposing: Textbook + exercise, instant messaging

• Write 300words composition every week. + corrected by friend/ private tutor

Private tutor:

• 听写 (dictation), go over vocabulary

• Give example of similar words from currently learned vocabulary

• Give sentences examples using words

• Go over grammar

• Give sentences examples using grammar

• Read text and listening comprehension

• Conversation for 20mins using new words learned

• Outside class: Correct my 300 words text, grammar exercises, sentence homework

Apps:
• Dictionary: Pleco
• Practice reading apps: DuChinese, Decipher
• Chinese audio: Chinese pod
• Chrome added on : Zhongzhong: An improved Chinese Dictionary
• Pinyin: Hanpin SoundBox
• Language exchange app: HelloTalk, Tandem, Tinder, Tantan, MOMO,

Recommended textbooks:

• Simplified Chinese:

·       Integrated Chinese by Cheng & Tsui

·       Look for “HSK text book”, it will help to pass the exams.

• Traditional Chinese:

·       Practical Audio-visual Chinese

·       FAR EAST EVERYDAY CHINESE

• Communication book:

·       Developing Chinese (2nd Edition) Intermediate Speaking Course

·       If you passed HSK 4 already, the book is not the best, but good practices.

• Business book:

·       New silk road business Chinese 新丝路

Recommended books:

• 小狗钱钱：https://www.jianshu.com/p/c8002973cc29

·       Vocabulary HSK4 level, fun story about a kid and dog, topic focus on money management.

Online class:

• Learning methods with connection more than categories https://www.dominochinese.com/

Links:
• Link to other link: http://www.hackingchinese.com/
• Chinese manga: https://m.v4.cc/wiki/4939
• Stroke order: http://www.visualmandarin.com/tools/dictionary/?express=%E5%96%9D&searchType=all
• Chinese grammar: https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Main_Page
• Online textbook: http://edu.ocac.gov.tw/interact/ebook/1000_w2/index.html
• Online textbook video: http://english.cntv.cn/program/learnchinese/growingwithchinese/index.shtml
• Movie/ drama with subtitle Mando/Eng: http://drama3s.com/
• Chinese pod: https://www.youtube.com/user/ChinesePodTV/videos
• Chinese books online: https://www.jianshu.com

“愚公移山”

Never too old to learn a language: https://www.hackingchinese.com/you-might-be-too-lazy-to-learn-chinese-but-youre-not-too-old/?fbclid=IwAR1fgoZ-loFMWYE1CLjb64HrzcZjtXdvL30hgEbMS7kpX-kKnza9vT61ZEM

Some opinions:

• Structure: The most important way to learn mandarin is to start with a “structure”. You need to join a class or self-study a book (like HSK books).

• Constant exposure: Not being in Mandarin speaking country, you need to create yourself a fake “immersive” environment.

·       e.g.: Listening: Chinese pod + Mandarin drama

• Language exchange vs Italki:

·       Language exchange is a good start if you have lots of time or want to meet people.

·       I would say after a while you feel that you are wasting lots of time that could be used toward mandarin. 1h vs 2h mandarin.

·       If you are short in cash, language exchange.

·       If you have cash => italki or private tutor.

·       “Can you afford $10/week, 40$/month, 520$/ year on mandarin?”

·       I also feel when you “pay” someone, they are more serious about it.

• Correct text/ sentence if no private tutor:

·       I found that asking language exchange partner to correct your text/ sentence can be very annoying and they are not as motivated as you.

·       I think it’s better to just pay someone $2-3 per text or correction tasks. They are more serious because money is involved. And it doesn’t make you broke.

• Hitting the wall after HSK 4:

·       After passing HSK 4, you can handle pretty much all basic conversations and have a strong enough grammar to write compositions. I feel at that point you need to made decisions.

·       Chasing HSK5 is good for mandarin in general, but I felt it was too much focus on writing and literature.
If your goal is to read and write in mandarin, then HSK 5-6 is the way to go.

·       For people who are thinking using mandarin in the workplace, I would go for business route.

·       I feel the “spoken” route is always good, but you need a strong vocabulary in the field you want to talk about. For example, I am more into investment, then I will find a Italki teacher to talk about investment. (learn specific vocabulary and practice it.)

Optimizing language exchange session:

Language exchange is a good method to enhance your learning of a new language, but sometimes it can naturally not benefit you as much unless you take proactive action to do it.

A partner once told me that language exchange is good for practicing your “speaking”, but without conscious effort it’s not effective.

1. During a conversation, you will only express yourself using words and sentence you are familiar with. (Reinforcing what you already know; not learning new structure.)

2. The partner doesn’t correct you in fear of interrupting the conversation flow. (Not learn the “best” way to express a certain “idea”. Not much improvement.)

“Preparation is half the battle.”

See below some ideas to optimize language exchange.

Language exchange 语言交流：

Time : (alternate each week which start with)

• Week 1: 1h English

• Week 2: 1h 中文

Goals:

• Express your intended ideas (想法）in a correct matter

• Focus less on « ideas » in the conversation and more on the language aspect.

• Avoid speaking in your native language unless it’s for explanation.

Before exchange:

• Prepare topic questions or dialogue

During exchange:

• Option 1: Come with a prepared topic and discuss 30mins + Review questions/ answers/ words/sentences structure 30mins

• Option 2: Bring dialogue from a life situation and recite together + correct 60mins

After each conversation, you want to bring back something home. Having questions and topic ready, you are focusing more on the language and less on “creativity”. By “creativity”, I mean looking for something to say or the next topic / question to discuss.

Rules for language exchange:

语言交流规则：

• 微信电话视频； 打出来不懂的词

• 45分钟讲话； 15分钟总结

• 用学习的语言沟通。

• 用学习的语言解释不懂的词； （如果太复杂的话，可以用母语）

• 母语人 80% 问问题，纠正，说正确答案

• 学生 80%回答问题，重复正确答案

• 重视语言,少注意论点。

• 活动结束之后； 复习生词

Good tools to use:

• Use Wechat to make video calls (hear the voice + see shape of mouth movement)

·       Use the chat function to take notes of words (during the call)

• Google doc: write together on an online word doc

• https://docs.qq.com/

·       same as google doc but in China.

HSKK Intermediate level preparation:

After going to Taiwan for 3 months to learn mandarin, I came back to Canada and passed the HSK 3 exam (100% score [2018]). Pretty exciting. A year later, I spent a few months here and there preparing for HSK 4 and passed the exam confidently [2019]. I always wanted to do the HSKK intermediate level exam, but I had to travel to another city to do it. So, I focused on writing compositions and learn more finance vocabulary in mandarin.

Due to covid situation, they offered a “home edition” for HSKK intermediate and I managed to take the exam this year (2021). You need a computer, webcam 1080p and a microphone to do the exam.

HSKK intermediate requires that you learned words up to HSK 4 (900 words roughly).
The test has 3 sections: (1) repeat sentences x 10, (2) describe 2 pictures x 2 mins each , (3) answer 2 questions for 2 mins each.
It basically test your ability to listen and repeat, then how well you can use your mandarin to answer questions.

For me , I took 1 month to prepare for it.

How to prepare for the exam?

• (1) Look at the 900 words and highlight the one you don’t understand.
  Make sentences with them until you can use it.

• (2) Go on Italki App and find a cheap mandarin teacher to help you correct your speaking.

• (3) Go on Youtube and type “HSKK intermediate”. You will find a bunch of mock exams that you can practice with.

• (4) Build a strategy plan to answer questions that you are comfortable with.
  
  

·       Part 1: Listen and repeat

·       When you listen, you want to group ideas together.

·       e.g.: 王经理 / 今天 / 三点半/ 去办公室。

·       e.g.：不好意思/ 这里/ 不能/ 抽烟。

·       Part 2: Picture

·       You need to find a structure that allow you to speak for 2 mins.

·       Structure:

·       Describe the person (Gender, Name, Age, Clothes, Job)

·       Describe the environment (Place, weather)

·       Say the situation (What is the person doing? Why is he in the location?)

·       Before: What happened before doing this? with who? (He was doing x,y,z)

·       After: What is he going to do after the situation? why ? with who ?

·       Conclusion: “I wish he spent a great afternoon doing x,y,z”

·       Part 3: Question

·       Same thing here but the structure is different because you need to defend your argument.

·       Structure:

·       Introduce the question: “In my life, I do x y z.. “

·       Say the question: “What do I think about ……”

·       Say your position: “I think that… , I agree that…”

·       State argument 1 + example

·       State argument 2 + example

·       Conclusion: Because 1 and 2, I believe that….

• (5) Italki session:

·       Film yourself doing the practice exam and send it in advance to your Italki teacher.

·       During the 1h session,

·       Option 1: Teacher will give you comments on words, grammar, pronunciation that you said wrong.

·       Option 2: Do a practice exam while the teacher is listening to you and taking notes. Afterwards, the teacher can provide you feedback.

·       2 weeks before the exam: do 2 sessions that week

·       1 week before exam: do 3 sessions that week.

·       Last practice: On the day of the exam or the day before

• (6) Mental stimulation:

·       Watch modern Chinese drama to see how Chinese people speaks.

• (7) Luck.

·       The picture and questions are random, so if you are lucky, it could be a topic that you are comfortable talking in mandarin with.

Help sheet: Picture

1. Background + People

2. Situation

3. Before

4. After

5. Conclusion

Help sheet: Question

1. Intro + Question

2. I think that…  

3. Argument 1 & 2 + examples

4. Conclusion

“Opportunities come for those who are prepared.”
“机会留给有准备的人。“

SimpleLifeBalancing.