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Do you know how many characters there are in the Chinese language?
And why does the hieroglyph for “mother” consist of “woman” and “horse”?
What is the most common name in China?
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- Main text
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China is a major player on the global economic stage. More and more people are connecting their activities with the Middle State.
This includes purchasing goods, running a joint business, finding partners, and visiting exhibitions for entrepreneurs.
If you decide to build your own bridge to the Celestial Empire, our lessons will become its excellent support!
All the subtleties of the Chinese language for business communication- on the course ""!
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And moreover...
We are constantly developing and coming up with new ways to learn Chinese. Soon you will be able to try our flash games and learn to write beautiful hieroglyphs on Chinese calligraphy course.
And also for those who want their children to develop comprehensively and learn a lot of interesting and useful things about China and the Chinese language, we are working on a special course “ Chinese - for children».
When starting to study the Chinese language, you should immediately accept the fact that you will have to form a completely new one, which is significantly different from the usual system of thinking. However, thanks to sufficient motivation, properly selected materials for training, as well as diligence and hard work, master Chinese starting from scratch on your own is quite possible.
Hieroglyphs
There are about 80 thousand characters in the Chinese language. To freely understand the press, it is enough to master 4 thousand, and to read fiction in the original you will need at least 6-8 thousand.
Exists clear order writing traits and keys. A key is a kind of simple hieroglyph that has a certain semantic meaning. Some of them are used in pure form, but in most cases the keys are part of the whole hieroglyph. When starting to learn Chinese from scratch on your own, you need to remember them. A good base will allow you to continue successfully mastering this system.
According to certain rules for writing hieroglyphs, each line is written from left to right and from top to bottom. In order for learning Chinese from scratch (on your own) to be successful, it is important to memorize from the very beginning correct order styles. This will help you navigate the dictionary, since Asian languages do not have the alphabet we are used to; words are arranged in in a certain order the appearance of hieroglyphic elements.
Of course, in order to remember Chinese words, you need to spend a lot of time writing characters. But there are also original ways memorization. Chinese words are not just a code, they are an image. Many hieroglyphs depict an object or phenomenon whose meaning they hide within themselves.
The translation is as follows: first line - fire, tree, sun, moon; second line - man, mouth, doors, mountain.
Sound system
Learning Chinese from scratch (on your own) will require much more effort than when working with a Romano-Germanic group. One of the features that distinguishes Chinese from the rest: intonation does not carry emotional function, but semantically distinctive. There are four tones plus one neutral:
- 1st tone is pronounced with high, even and drawn-out intonation;
- 2nd tone resembles a questioning intonation, pronounced from bottom to top;
- 3rd tone is also called low: the intonation first decreases, then increases;
- 4th tone falls, starting from a high note;
- neutral is also called light and usually falls on unstressed vowels.
In some cases, the tones may change. For example, if two third tones are located next to each other, then the first syllable acquires the intonation of the second tone. For example, in the word níhǎo (hello).
The same combination of sounds, pronounced with each of the above tones, carries a different meaning. To get used to such a system, it is important to listen to the speech of native speakers as much as possible and try to repeat it out loud. For this reason, learning Chinese from scratch on your own is quite difficult. The best option there would be a immersion in language environment combined with intensive training (many hours of daily classes with representatives of the People's Republic of China). Such a study would bring tangible results within two years.
Grammar
Anyone who begins to learn Chinese from scratch on their own has to face completely new system. This language does not have the usual conjugations or declensions. And the line between times is not always perceptible. However, syntax plays a very important role. The same word can take on the role various parts speech depending on its location in the sentence.
Dialects
Chinese, like many others, has many dialects. Each of them has its own characteristics. And the differences are sometimes so significant that representatives of different regions of China may have difficulty understanding each other’s speech. If you do not set a goal to move to any specific city, then the best option will study a common literary dialect called Putonghua (普通话).
Pinyin
Anyone who wants to learn Chinese from scratch on their own will encounter a system called pinyin (拼音). This is a transcription in Latin, which was created to make hieroglyphs easier to read. In addition, the corresponding tone is written above each syllable. Over time, you will learn to read the original texts without pinyin, but at the beginning of the training, transcription is essential.
Learn Chinese from scratch on your own
- Some of the important principles of successful learning are willpower, diligence and regularity of study. There are simply no secrets on how to learn Chinese on your own from scratch without much difficulty. This goal can be achieved only through sincere interest in the subject being studied and hard work.
- Another tip: knowledge is better recorded in memory with intensive training. A couple of lessons a week won't do it good results. This also applies to other languages.
- To get used to speech, in addition to working with textbooks, you also need to watch TV series and listen to audiobooks and songs in the original. Don't worry that some phrases remain unclear. It is very important to get used to the sound.
- Don't be afraid to ask the Chinese for help. Many of them are happy to help foreigners master the language.
- To test yourself, it is recommended to take the international exam for foreigners called HSK (Hànyǔ Shuǐpíng Kǎoshì). The exam is divided into six levels. For successful completion The first level requires knowledge of 150 words, and the sixth level requires knowledge of 5 thousand words.
Anyone who decides to learn Chinese from scratch on their own will have to put in a lot of effort. However, this is a great opportunity to plunge into an amazing world, different from what we are used to.
Chinese language tutorials there are quite a lot of them in the world. Which one should you choose? How not to make a mistake with your choice? Which authors should you choose? Should you use old and proven textbooks or modern ones? What is more effective and better - to study with a self-instruction manual or with a teacher? This article will tell you about all this and much more.
A Chinese language self-teacher from scratch must be chosen responsibly. Here it is necessary to take into account that, on the one hand, the literary Chinese language has undergone changes over the course of several years. As a result, you should not grab hold of “time-tested” textbooks with unquestioning faith, because some of the information in them may simply be outdated. This does not mean that they are not needed; they should be used by a person who has already advanced in learning the language.
On the other hand, many “modern and advanced” educational materials may be of questionable authenticity. It's best to look at what materials have good ratings and reviews, find out, google for more details. And when you are sure that this or that material suits you, you can safely begin studying. If we talk about the Internet, now, given the increased popularity of the Chinese language, you can find a considerable number of Chinese language lessons and tutorials online.
Let's look at the different options.
Kondrashevsky A.F. Practical Chinese language course
Perhaps the most popular textbook in the Russian-speaking environment. It was created based on the famous Chinese textbook 实用汉语课本. It contains all the information you need regarding Chinese grammar, vocabulary and writing. In addition, the textbook itself contains a lot useful information about the culture of the Middle Kingdom. The grammatical comments are detailed, the volume of vocabulary is beyond praise. The “Practical Chinese Course” contains many exercises, tests and dictations, and the extended version includes an audio application that will allow you to train the phonetics of the Chinese language.
“Practical course” is distinguished by its versatility, i.e. it can be used not only for self-study, but also for higher education educational institutions, as well as for teaching in schools.
Huang Shuying, Zadoenko T.P. Chinese language course
Another famous Russian self-teaching book is the book by Tamara Zadoenko and Huang Shuying. Today it is considered one of the best Russian-speaking teaching aids and, as they say, is in many ways superior to Kondrashevsky's textbook. As in the first case, it contains a mandatory audio application. The book is intended primarily for students of oriental studies, but it is also simply excellent as a self-instruction manual for the Chinese language.
Of the Russian-language books, these two are perhaps the only high-quality textbooks worth recommending. For the rest, on English language you can find much more useful materials for learning Chinese.
Is it worth learning on your own?
Even though there are enough good ones in the world educational materials To study Chinese on your own, you still shouldn’t rely only on your own strength. Of course, you can try, but first evaluate your abilities. Chinese is not Spanish or any other European language. He doesn't forgive mistakes. And it’s not even about hieroglyphs; you can easily learn to read them yourself. Their complexity is clearly exaggerated. But what’s really difficult about the Chinese language is its phonetics.
Each word is one syllable, and it often happens that two identical syllables have different semantics. How are they distinguished in this case? That's what tones are for. Depending on the intonation with which you pronounce a particular syllable, the meaning changes. When you study with a teacher, he always makes sure that you pronounce the words correctly. In another situation, it all depends on your hearing, articulation abilities and self-observation skills. If you learn to pronounce incorrectly, in the future no Chinese will understand a single word you say.
Translation of the article by Lingholic
When I started learning Chinese in 2009, I followed the “traditional” path of learning a foreign language. I attended classes, took notes, sat in a cramped apartment in downtown Taipei, sketching out hundreds of characters. The training was progressing, but I was exhausted and bored. I lacked the motivation to go to class, knowing that each of them ended with a homework assignment consisting of many written exercises. Common situation?
I was getting ready to quit studying when one day I accidentally overheard my classmates talking about an online podcast they were listening to. It turned out that there are 3 or 4 programs that are used to createvirtual classrooms.Those who want to learn Chinese gather there. I tested these programs and liked them so much that after 2-3 years I created a virtual Chinese class for myself.
Now I will share with you some ways to create such virtual classrooms. I hope this will help you regain your motivation, optimize your learning, and have fun on your journey to becoming fluent in Chinese. Agreed?
8 sites and programs for learning Chinese - learn Chinese yourself from scratch
In a world where smartphones are everywhere and high-speed Internet is just a click away, learning foreign languages has changed radically. Today it is not necessary to study in classrooms; mobile applications and websites provide the opportunity to study anytime and anywhere. So no more excuses about lack of time!
I used the following eight methods on my way from knowing no Chinese to being almost fluent in Chinese within a year. Why don't you try them out and form your own opinion about them?
So, let's begin.
ChinesePod
If you're serious about learning Chinese and still haven't used this portal, you're missing out. ChinesePod started out as a regular podcast, but has grown into a popular platform that features a variety of content. The ChinesePod archive contains 3500+ lessons with dialogues and grammar comments, vocabulary and grammar exercises. Online teaching available. Among so many lessons, it’s easy to find the one you need. It's nice that they are all based on life situations— buying a SIM card in a store, booking hotels.
Listening to podcasts in Chinese will greatly improve your understanding of it. In addition, this is a great option to fill the time on the way to work or school.
ABCs of Chinese
ABCs of Chinese is a site that uses a method of memorizing characters using pictures. This method is an alternative to cramming and endless hours of calligraphy on paper.
Here's how ABCs of Chinese talks about itself:
“The fundamental idea of the ABC of Chinese curriculum is that hieroglyphs are pictures (images). When you look at , you realize that this is not a random set of lines. It is a stylized pictogram or symbol. Master basic elements(bricks) from which most hieroglyphs are made, and then move on.”
Check out their YouTube channel - there's a lot of cool stuff there.
Pleco
A foreign language learner needs a dictionary. This is vital for Chinese learners. The Pleco app is a favorite among dictionaries. The number of settings and functions in it is head and shoulders above its competitors. Best of all, it's free on Android and iOS.
Pleco dictionary entries provide the following information: a range of word meanings, examples of use in context, spelling order. The user saves the word as a card if he wants to repeat it later. Pleco has another great thing - it can recognize a hieroglyph when you point the camera and gives an instant translation.
Nciku
Next on the list of cool dictionaries is Nciku.com. It's simple online dictionary, but here's what caught my attention: when searching for a word, he gave an example of its use. This was very useful to me when I was learning Chinese, because I often got confused in the contexts of using a certain word. I prefer to use Nciku on my computer and Pleco on my smartphone when traveling.
Some of us have amazing memory skills, but most people don't. This is where Anki comes to the rescue. These are applications for remembering information on cards. Anki analyzes the user's responses and decides which cards should be shown more often.
In Anki, you create a set of flashcards by topic, language, and so on. I had topics on names of animals, fish, food, slang, and words that I had difficulty using in my life. You can add pictures, sound and articles to cards. Such a useful application, available on computer, Android and iOS.
Language Exchange
The more colloquial speech, the better your knowledge of a foreign language. Facebook constantly hosts events called “language exchange” - a place where native speakers talk to foreign language learners. So use social media to find the event you're looking for and get going!
Except Facebook There are a couple other platforms for communication. LiveMocha presents learning in levels that represent the stages of learning a foreign language.
My Language Exchange- my favorite site. 1 million people from all countries have registered on it.
Are you looking for a cool app for chatting? foreign language? Try it HelloTalk.
Tip: Don't forget about ChinesePod lessons when communicating with Chinese people. Print 2 copies of the lesson and learn it together! This will be great practice, and you won’t have to sit through boring textbooks.
TV shows and films
I won't tell you how many hours I spent watching Chinese cartoons, women's talk shows and other mind-numbing TV programs. No matter how boring and unpleasant these TV shows are, watching them increases lexicon, improves grammar without memorizing rules, improves listening skills and gives an order of magnitude better understanding of the language.
There's a nuance here. You probably don't want to watch a technical video. Choose videos with dialogues. If you encounter an unfamiliar word, pause the video and look up the translation from the dictionary. Memorize frequently used phrases.
Find videos and films on Youku And Tudou, these are two large portals. This is how I search for videos:
Perapera
With this plugin, I was able to confidently use Chinese websites and even pay bills (remember, I live in Taiwan).
I hope that the sites, programs and applications I offer will be useful to you in your studies. Even if you study with a teacher, these methods will speed up your learning of Chinese.
Video
Watch a video about ways to learn Chinese.
Learning Chinese is an ambitious task in itself and will require a lot of effort. And for independent development it will take an iron will and self-discipline. In this article we will give some recommendations for those who are wondering “how to learn Chinese on their own” without resorting to the help of tutors and special courses.
In contact with
Chinese language tutorial from scratch
For independent mastery of the subject, the self-instruction manual is necessary element organizations educational process. Where to start learning Chinese?
Today you can find on the Internet many types of tutorials. All of them can be divided into the following subgroups:
- Study sites. This is a fairly convenient form for self-study. On such sites, in addition to lessons and assignments, reviews and comments from those who use the portal are collected. Many different training formats can be used - text information, audio recordings, video recordings.
- Video lessons. Videos that are not part of the courses on various sites are posted on the Youtube video hosting site. The convenience of this format is that you can see and hear teacher.
- Audio courses. They are aimed at developing oral perception and pronunciation, but listening must always be supplemented by communication with native speakers, since the pronunciation on the recordings does not always fully correspond to free speech.
- Tutorials on paper. This is the oldest format for self-study, and it is still in demand. There are several textbooks that are still popular. This is, for example, Kondrashevsky’s Practical Course, “Fundamentals of the Chinese Language” by T.P. Zadoenko and H. Shuin. They will help you lay basic fundamentals for the student.
Important! When studying a subject on your own, you should not concentrate on one type of aid; it is better to combine them, making the most of the advantages of each.
Difficulties in learning Chinese
Is it difficult to learn Chinese at home? The answer to this question is clear - Chinese from scratch difficult to learn, especially for those people who are accustomed to the alphabet. The following factors contribute to this:
- If in languages based on alphabets, words are formed from individual letters, and the letter itself rarely carries meaning, then with hieroglyphic languages everything is different. Chinese characters can mean a whole word, and depending on the context, can change the meaning. Also, the spelling is important for the hieroglyph.
- Pronunciation is quite difficult. Firstly, it has different tones, and depending on how the vowel is pronounced, the meaning can change. Secondly, there are many dialects, and the pronunciation can also change depending on the dialect. Therefore, when learning, it is necessary to choose The official dialect is Mandarin.
Attention! Despite the complexity, you can learn the subject, for this you need to show enough persistence and patience.
How to quickly learn Chinese on your own
The question of language learning speed is very subjective. In any case, it cannot be learned in a week or a month. Success depends on the number, regularity and duration of classes.
If you spend 3-4 hours studying every day, approach the issue comprehensively and have the opportunity to communicate with native speakers, you can easily grasp the basics of Chinese in a couple of months. However, if you practice from time to time, you will have to wait much longer for the results.
How do some teachers answer the question “How long can it take to learn Chinese?” daily classes for an hour:
- In about 3-4 months you can learn simple everyday phrases, ask a simple question and carry on a simple conversation.
- In 1-2 years, you can begin to speak more freely, express your thoughts on more complex topics and maintain a conversation, but there will still be topics on which it will be difficult to communicate;
- After 2-3 years of study, you can already say that you speak the language. You will be able to communicate more freely on various topics, and your pronunciation will be close to natural.
In any case, the key to quick learning is regular classes.
Where to start learning Chinese on your own
To learn Chinese on your own, you need to set a clear goal and make a lesson plan. Even before they start, you can chat on forums or read stories of people who independently studied the subject. This way you can understand in advance what difficulties and pitfalls there may be.
The sound system is main feature, and its difference from European ones. To begin successful mastery, you need to understand the principle of syllable construction. The number of syllables in Putonghua is limited, there are only 414 of them, and each syllable has its own character. Latin spelling of Chinese syllables called pinyin. Therefore, it is recommended to start studying by becoming familiar with the sound structure and memorizing it.
An important point is the tones - 4 tones that can be applied to each of the 414 syllables, expanding the phonetic composition. The strict limitation of syllables leads to the fact that homonyms are very common. And because of this, context is very important because it largely determines the meaning of a word.
Chinese characters for beginners
The second point to study is study of written language. The character is the basis of Chinese. Most words consist of one or two hieroglyphs. Only for complex terms or foreign words designations of three or more hieroglyphs are required.
The total number of hieroglyphs is very large, and it is difficult to learn them all. But for ordinary communication it is enough to know 3 thousand. This is the basis of the language, the most common for use.
Testing for beginners as a form of training
Tests, as an element of training, are sufficient effective way to assess learning of the material. They can be used in training as follows:
- to assess the memorization of keys and hieroglyphs;
- to assess the perception of hieroglyphs in context;
- using audio materials to assess the acquisition of pronunciation features.
Today you can find many different sites on the Internet, but the quality of tests on these portals is not always equally good. It is difficult for a beginner to assess how well or correctly a test is designed. But in general, you can focus on standard materials.
HSK is State exam. It is taken by foreigners to confirm their knowledge of Chinese. Therefore, any other test that can be found on many sites must meet its standards.
The state test, unlike many others, is divided into oral and written, and they can be taken separately. However, the oral exam can also be taken at the entry level.
How to teach a child Chinese
For children, learning any language occurs easier and faster. Despite the misconceptions, children quite clearly distinguish between different language structures and pronunciation. Especially before the age of two, babies learn new information very easily.
The main condition for successful learning is child's interest. Therefore, for him, classes should be held in a playful way. The game additionally stimulates the child’s imagination and thinking, promoting better memorization, since while playing, he does not just mechanically memorize words and expressions. During the game, memorization occurs in context, which means that in the future he will be able to more easily reproduce words and phrases in similar situations.
