Want to study Mandarin on the internet? Great! There are lots of wonderful products to select from. Regrettably, lots of not so wonderful programs have also been tossed into the mix. Additionally, there are courses which may be good for some but not so good for others, including you. So, how do you weave your way through the mess and discover the course that's right for your needs? Ask the 3 questions listed below and you will definitely discover the Chinese language learning software that's best for you.
Question 1: is There a Free Trial?
This is fairly straightforward, but it is very important. Never invest in a course that doesn't provide a free trial. All good programs have them. In addition, to discover the information and facts I am about to outline for you below, you'll want to get inside the actual system.
Question 2: Does it Go over the Four Core Language Learning Components?
A good Chinese language learning program will teach each of the four core language learning components, which are reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Even if your primary goal is to speak Mandarin Chinese, you should not disregard the other three components. Why? Because collectively they dramatically improve the quality of your learning. To illustrate, it would be quite hard to understand the way to pronounce Chinese tones if you failed to first learn to read pinyin.
Learning how to write? This is a great way to master Chinese sentence structure, which is something you will need to understand in order to speak in a fluent and natural way. Perhaps most significantly, your brain learns in several ways, and if you stick to just one learning style, you will become fatigued and bored. Should you mix things up, alternatively, you'll remain fresh, and you'll retain information significantly better, when compared with focusing on just one core learning component.
Why have I mentioned this? Because I've noticed, recently, a bunch of new web-based applications that focus, almost exclusively, on audio programs. It's Podcast this and Podcast that all over the place! Don't get me wrong. The audio component of any web-based Chinese language learning program is the bread and butter of the program, so it's okay that businesses focus on it. Prior to placing your hard-earned cash on the table, though, be sure that you're buying a complete program, one that provides reading, writing, listening, and speaking instruction, not just a bunch of MP3 audio recordings.
Question 3: Precisely what is the Price Structure
There's something that drives me absolutely nuts, and yes it will probably drive you crazy too--tiered pricing. I discovered a program like this just yesterday. It was a subscription-based program that was just a few dollars per month. Quite reasonable, it seemed. But then I logged into the classroom and found that I could access only the mp3 programs. I was blocked whenever i tried to download the dialogues. I was refused when I tried to view the learning activities. The door was slammed in my face when I tried to enter the discussion board.
Those activities were just for "Premium Subscribers." Well, some of those things, anyway. Other things were available only to "Gold Members." To gain access to the entire course, I found out, you needed to spend $25 per month, or $400 annually (if you did not pay on a yearly basis the fee was higher). That's ridiculous! The top Chinese language learning software applications on the market can be bought outright for about a hundred bucks.
Am I saying to avoid all subscription-based programs that have tiered pricing? No, but here is what I am stating. Whenever investigating these types of services, look exclusively at the most pricy option. Without a doubt, that is only one you can use. All the other choices are just teasers.
Summary
Selecting the most appropriate Chinese language learning software is really important. Choose a good one and you will have a successful learning experience. Decide on a bad one and you will wind up confused and aggravated. To make certain that you select a good one, take advantage of free trial offers, use courses that cover the four core language components, and be suspect of tiered pricing strategies.
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