It is a typically held misbelief that a select handful of people are really good at mastering different languages and all others must go through a lengthy and tedious learning process in order to learn the basics. This is especially true of the Chinese language, mainly because it is regarded to be a somewhat challenging language to learn. Believe me, though, learning how to speak Chinese doesn't have to be a struggle for you. To pick up Chinese quickly, stick to these three essential learning techniques.
1. Work in Phrases
When learning, you need to get started somewhere, so why not jump right into studying key phrases that can be used immediately. This technique works wonders for your confidence because, as you will dsicover, you can get a great deal done with just a little bit of knowledge. Consider the important phrases below, for example.
"I want... "
"I want..." = "Wo yao..."
pijiu = beer
jiaozi = dumplings
Wo yao Jiaozi. Wo yao pijiu. = I'll have a beer and some dumplings.
See that? After studying a single easy phrase and a couple of vocabulary words, you can enter a cafe in China and get yourself a beer and meal! Now imagine if you took a couple of hours to learn how to say more dishes and drinks. You will have what I like to call "restaurant fluency" right away.
"I go..."
"I go... = "Wo chu..."
Sanlitun = a famous neighborhood in Beijing.
If you say to a taxi driver, "Wo chu Sanlitun," he will know that you mean, "Take me to Sanlitun."
Wasn't that easy? All you need to do is remember one key phrase along with the name of your destination, and you can take a cab anywhere you wish to go. The important thing is to keep in mind that you are trying to communicate, not trying to show how eloquent you are. You can be eloquent later on.
2. Categorize
The mind naturally wants to categorize things, so if you want to memorize Chinese vocabulary words quickly, be good to your brain and give it precisely what it wants. You'll be happy you did. Here, I will demonstrate.
Memorize these 25 terms.
That is going to take a while, correct? Look at the same exact 25 words when categorized, though. They are rather easy to remember.
Places: Thailand, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, China
Fruits: Apple, Pear, Grape, Coconut, Banana
Colors: Blue, Green, Purple, Red, Pink
Jobs: Electrician, Mechanic, Writer, Accountant, Plumber
Car Parts: Wheel, Engine, Tire, Hood, Fender
Categorize your vocabulary words and you will be able to remember them very quickly.
3. Use Flash Cards
Mastering brand new vocabulary, even if categorized, takes time. To learn as quickly and successfully as possible, use flash cards. It's easy. Just get a pack, or two, of 3 X 5 note cards and follow this process.
1. On one side of a card, write the vocabulary term you wish to understand in Chinese. On the reverse side, write the word in English. Do that for each vocabulary term you want to learn.
2. Now separate your cards into stacks by classification, for example, "food," "colors," "numbers," etc.
3. Pick up a stack of cards, and look at the top card, English side up. Read the term in English. Now flip the card over and read the term in Chinese. Pause for just a moment, glance away and make an effort to recall the word in English and then in Chinese. Put the card at the bottom of the stack. Repeat for each and every card in the stack.
4. Shuffle your cards. Look at the top card, in English. Now attempt to recall the meaning in Chinese. If you remember it accurately, set the card to the side. Should you get the answer wrong, place the card at the bottom of the stack. Do this for each card.
5. Repeat step 4, using only the cards you failed to recall correctly. As you do this, your "correct" collection will get bigger and bigger, until you have gotten each word right.
6. Now all your cards are in the "correct" stack. Pick them up, shuffle them, and repeat the process until you can go through the whole collection without missing any.
7. Once you've commited to memory several categorizations, start mixing the stacks together. This will help you practice using the words outside of their categorical context.
IMPORTANT: With new vocabulary words, don't create stacks greater than 25-30 cards. It's not at all efficient to memorize a great number of words at the same time. In addition, be sure you continue to shuffle the cards as you learn; otherwise, your mind will memorize the order of the words, and you'll experience difficulty recalling their meanings within a different context.
Summary
It's correct that grasping different languages is easier for some than for others, but nobody needs to struggle unnecessarily. Work in phrases, categorize your vocabulary words, and use flash cards as study aids, and you'll discover that you are one of those individuals who excels at learning new languages.
Author Resource:
Learn How To Speak Chinese for FREE at the Live in Asia Blog!
Chinese Language Learning doesn't have to be difficult! Come try our FREE course.
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.look4articles.com/images/icon_Rss.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
Category Rss Feed
Print This Article
Add To Favorites
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.look4articles.com/images/rss.jpg "XML Feed For RSS")