New Lunar Year, New Skill: Best Ways to Learn Mandarin
The year of the Tiger is here! Who is brave enough to take the challenge of learning a new language this year? Continue reading below to find out the best ways to learn Mandarin!
The Lunar New Year is most commonly celebrated in China and other South-East Asian countries. However, depending on the culture, the festival will assume a different name and consist of varying traditions.
Chinese New Year 2022, otherwise known as Spring Festival (春节 chūn jié), starts on 31st January on Chinese New Year’s Eve and festivities will typically last for 16 days, right up until the Lantern Festival.
So, what better timing then to start Mandarin lessons online, right now, and right here on LessonWise?
We have a few handy tips for you to bite the bullet and start learning basic Chinese.
1. The Fastest Way to Learn Chinese Characters
It is common to think that learning Chinese characters is too complicated at first. However, with the right amount of practice and understanding behind the meaning of each character, you will be able to remember the stroke orders very easily.
Leave your e-mail address below and you will be sent FREE character writing sheets that are available for you to download and print- You will never have to worry about your handwriting again!
2. Easy Reading in Mandarin for Beginners
Know your radicals.
Chinese words are made out of characters. It is a pictorial language that contains 214 radicals.
‘Radicals’ are a key component to Chinese characters since they usually dictate the meaning and the pronunciation of a particular word. In fact, it is a simple way of categorising and indexing Chinese characters in a dictionary.
Take the ‘water’ radical as an example: 氵
The ‘water’ radical normally appears on the left-hand side of a character and many of the words that contain it are - not surprisingly - related to water or liquid.
However, be aware that not every single radical will be related to the meaning of the word.
In general, your reading skills will improve significantly after plenty of exposure to the characters.Once you have mastered the meaning behind some of the most basic radicals, the rest will seem like a walk in the park.
3. Easy Chinese Grammar
Despite some misconceptions, Chinese grammar is far simpler than English and many other Romance languages.
For instance, did you know that there are no verb conjugation rules?
Chinese Grammar Wiki is an extremely useful free Chinese learning website that provides key grammar explanations from Beginner to Advanced level.
However, like with all languages, it is always best to practise with an experienced tutor to truly develop your language skills. Fortunately, LessonWise provides the best interactive platform for you to learn Chinese online with ease.
