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There are probably few things in the world to learn that have such an intimidating reputation as the Chinese languages. From the immediately completely unintelligible Chinese characters to the tonal elements of the spoken language, there are few other languages which are so notoriously different from our own in the western world. And that’s the […]
10/01/2019 ∙ 7 minutes reading time
“Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.” - Gustave Flaubert Are you heading to the South China Sea, between the Philippines and Japan? Yes, we’re talking about Taiwan, its countryside, cuisine, and historical and cultural heritage. Taiwan, for many people, conjures the idea of manufacturing. After all, most […]
07/30/2019 ∙ 6 minutes reading time
“To Travel is to Live” - Hans Christian Andersen China’s much bigger than the UK and it attracts millions of tourists every year. Even though 60% of the country is mountains, there are huge modern cities, the Yangtze River (which is nearly 4,000 miles long), and something for everyone to enjoy. So how do you […]
07/30/2019 ∙ 7 minutes reading time
Whether you’re travelling the world or just to China, Shanghai is an essential destination. The city of skyscrapers is home to 26 million people and is representative of China today: a mix of temples and traditional streets with modern buildings and business districts. Shanghai, much like Beijing, Nanjing, or Suzhou, is definitely worth a visit. […]
07/30/2019 ∙ 6 minutes reading time
Our Chinese tutors reveal their tips for learning Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese). The variety of Chinese lessons will allow you to discover Chinese culture, calligraphy, vernacular language and also visit China.
Whether you are a beginner, a refresher or preparing for an exam, you will find the help you need here. Superprof is the place to be for a Chinese tutor, with nearly 7000 Sinophones across our platforms. Check out their profiles if you want to learn Chinese. Whether you want to take face to face or online Chinese classes, find your tutor on Superprof.
“Adventure may hurt you but monotony will kill you.” - Anonymous Whether you want to visit the Great Wall of China, Buddhist Temples, the Forbidden City in Beijing, the capital of the People's Republic of China is a great place to start. In 2013, the capital was visited by 4.5 million tourists but this was […]
07/30/2019 ∙ 7 minutes reading time
When you decide to learn Chinese, you are normally thinking about the Mandarin language. Although we will refer to Mandarin and Chinese interchangeably within this article. There are actually 299 living Chinese languages in China, which is why Mandarin is called mandarin and not just Chinese. Chinese Mandarin is the most widespread language in China, […]
11/29/2018 ∙ 9 minutes reading time
“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.” - Nelson Mandela There are over 800 million native speakers of Chinese. Learning to speak Chinese is, therefore, an excellent way to learn more about the […]
11/20/2018 ∙ 7 minutes reading time
“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.” - Nelson Mandela If there’s a language that makes you want to travel, makes you want to dream, and is pretty complicated, it’s Chinese. With Mandarin […]
10/12/2018 ∙ 7 minutes reading time
“A different language is a different vision of life.” - Federico Fellini Children need to enjoy learning a new language. It’s unlikely that a child will see the worth in learning Chinese for their future career. That said, an increasing number of teens are opting to do Chinese at GCSE, A Level, and degree. After […]
10/03/2018 ∙ 6 minutes reading time
“To study and not think is a waste. To think and not study is dangerous.” - Confucius Chinese isn't one language but rather a spectrum of languages, dialects, and varieties. There are 1.2 billion people who speak a variety of Chinese and the largest member of the group, Mandarin Chinese, is spoken by 960 million […]
09/27/2018 ∙ 6 minutes reading time
Those wanting to learn to speak Chinese often come upon a stumbling block: the difficulty of the language often makes it often necessary to learn with a Chinese teacher who either lived in a Chinese-speaking country or is a native speaker of Mandarin. In this article, we will tell you everything you need to know […]
06/14/2018 ∙ 7 minutes reading time
For those who use the Latin Alphabet on a daily basis, learning to write Chinese characters can be really complicated. While China has made efforts to make the language more accessible to those in the West, it still remains a challenge for anyone wanting to travel to China, participate in foreign exchange programs, or work in […]
02/26/2018 ∙ 7 minutes reading time
The digital age has completely changed the way we learn foreign languages and learning to speak Chinese is no exception. There are now plenty of people who are now using their computer, smartphone, tablet or television to learn more about the Middle Kingdom’s most popular language and Chinese culture. Mobile e-learning apps are also innovative and […]
02/21/2018 ∙ 9 minutes reading time
1.3 billion inhabitants and one sixth of the world’s population. 8 urban areas with over 10 million inhabitants and around 30 with over 2 million. 10 million kilometres squared... China is the third largest country in the world, one of the world’s biggest economic powers, and one of the UN Security Council’s five permanent members. It’s […]
02/21/2018 ∙ 8 minutes reading time
Learning Chinese is an ambitious process. While some people might be shocked by your decision, you should definitely go for it! Stay motivated and do everything in your power to ensure that your language learning is as effective as possible. Mandarin Chinese, after all, isn’t a simple language to learn. Although every language has its […]
02/21/2018 ∙ 7 minutes reading time
To demonstrate their open-mindedness and discover a mysterious language, more and more British students are taking to learn Chinese, one of the most practiced languages in schools! A craze which is understandable given Chinese culture, but also because of it's very particular linguistic system. By hiring a private Chinese tutor, it is possible to master […]
02/21/2018 ∙ 7 minutes reading time
More than 30,000 people in the UK are learning Chinese. Mandarin Chinese was the first native language spoken in the world, no wonder it arouses so much interest! Are you the next one to start Chinese lessons? Superprof gives advice to all beginners in Chinese to succeed in their learning! To Learn Chinese, it is […]
02/21/2018 ∙ 11 minutes reading time
"A language we don't teach is a language we kill off." - J. Jullian Whether you live in Los Angeles, NYC, or Washington, you can now learn the Chinese language with a private tutor! The Chinese culture has so many great things on its roster: martial arts, calligraphy, cooking. Chinese culture has attracted and continues […]
11/26/2017 ∙ 7 minutes reading time
Chinese A difficult language?
Mandarin Chinese is a language deemed difficult.
First of all, you will need to go through an initial learning phase: memorize the Chinese pinyin alphabet, in other words, the phonetic alphabet. This will allow you to begin to familiarize yourself with the sounds of the Chinese language (including four tones) and learn your first Chinese words to say hello or introduce yourself, from the first class.
In parallel, you will have to learn Chinese calligraphy and learn how to write your first Chinese characters. With well made cards, it will be easier. You will directly see the Chinese character, its pronunciation thanks to its phonetic transcription and its meaning due to the translation.
Then comes the learning of Chinese grammar and conjugation. Good news for the new learner: there is no conjugation, gender or number in Chinese. Only the subject changes in a sentence in Chinese.
On the other hand, as mentioned above, Chinese is a tonal language. The pronunciation and the tone used influence the meaning of the words. So it’s a part of working seriously. Taking private lessons in Chinese with a native teacher is a real asset to perfect your speaking. A native will teach you all the subtleties of the language and share with you their knowledge of China (Chinese culture, traditions, lifestyle, art). Language and culture are inseparable.
Tools to learn Chinese easily
Do you want to learn quickly in order to get by in Chinese? Are you thinking of going to China on a trip, working in China, or doing a language study trip to China?
You want to quickly progress to be able to better understand? You will need patience and perseverance. Group lessons, evening classes, intensive course, language school, conversation classes… The introduction to Chinese can take different forms, but the Chinese classes will not be enough if you do not practice daily in memorizing this new knowledge…
How to boost your Chinese learning?
With beginner level lessons, your teacher can help you in a very targeted way. The personalized courses allow you to concentrate on the specific difficulties and each student’s progression.
Saving time while learning a language.
To accompany you on a daily basis, diversify your tools: Chinese online courses, Chinese dictionary, audio files and mobile applications will help you to develop your language skills in their entirety (expression and listening, but also written).
Before you speak Chinese fluently, you will need time, but on a trip to China, you will immerse yourself in the heart of the country, rub shoulders with natives, make friends, walk the Great Wall of China and perfect your practice of the language of Confucius.
You can quickly enrich Chinese vocabulary, but also discover other dialects. China has many languages: Cantonese, Wu, Min… It is also an opportunity to take calligraphy courses to learn all about this ancestral art.
