Why Learning Chinese Will Make Your Life Better

In recent months, China has been big news, especially since Bejing was the site for the 29th Summer Olympics . Because of the increased interest in China, many people are realizingthe importance to learn the language.

Many schools across the US and around the globe are offering students the chance to learn
Mandarin Chinese and if they are not they should be!
Some reasons are:

1. China is now part of WTO (World Trade Organization); now, major and even small companies need to be able to communicate effectively.

2. A bill has been introduced to require all U.S. high school students to be given the option to take Chinese language classes.

3. The ablility to speak Chinese, sets you apart and demonstrates initiative and proactivity. This skill will allow you to take advantage of future trade opportunities.

4. The Chinese work force out produces in labor instensive jobs creating lower operating costs. Many of the Chinese manufacturing companies employ foreigners to manage, consult, and accounting. Learning Chinese, provides a link between Chinese companies and American businesses.

5. Around 16,000 American companies are trying to sell their products to China. Because of the size of China there is a great demand for products produced abroad. The companies that can speak and write Chinese gain an advantage and more importanly, a foothold.
6. Learning Chinese. is not as difficult as you may think. Because of modern technology, the learning process has become simplified. Many professionals have learned to speak without knowing how to write Chinese. (Learning to write is the most time consuming but the translations programs in computers has greatly eased the burden of learning.)

With some effort and using the tips shared here, a person can begin speaking Chinese quickly. Learning Chinese will undoubtly provide you a brighter future for your career, company, and more than likely, for your personal life.

**Thank You for the use of the photos, MIT!**

Helpful Techniques To Learn Chinese Makes Life Easier

When you learning Chinese or anything, it is best to learn many variations or different techniques. This creates a better understanding and a solid foundation for success.

Here are some tips and techniques to help you to master the Chinese language. Note: Using multiple tips will maximize efficiency, effectiveness, and ease of learning. Always remember to have as much fun when learning.

Step 1

The first thing anyone should do is learn Chinese Pinyin. This is the Chinese phonetic alphabet used to pronounce Chinese characters and helps you to distinguish the 4 different tones used.

(Unlike in European languages, initials (simplified Chinese: 声母; traditional Chinese: 聲母) and finals (simplified Chinese: 韵母; traditional Chinese: 韻母, or rhyming sounds) - and not consonants and vowels - are the fundamental elements in Pinyin)

Step 2

Take the time to listen, as well as practice, both simple Chinese sentences and vocabulary, to memorize it.

Here are tips to achieve the above two steps:

a. Take a local community Chinese class to carry out practice drills with a study partner. The more you are able to speak the language, the easier it will be.

b. Buy a good dictionary, with the right phonetic spellings of each word.

c. Find a native Chinese speaking person and spend time conversing in their language. (There are a lot of Chinese/US exchange programs; Exchange language lessons.)

d. Barrow or purchase audios/software programs where you listen to and then repeat out loud what you ahve heard. Finding Chinese Newspapers and magazines can be a big help!

e. Sing Chinese songs. Go to your local library, or purchase online some tapes and CD's, and then listen to them. Emmerse yourself in the culture so you can speak the words and the sentences on your own.

f. It is important to review all your "learned" words regularly to keep them fresh in your mind.

Step 3

Spend time writing Chinese. You will not only understand the strokes and rules relating to each Chinese character, but it will provide a sound foundation of how each character is formed.
Below are some tips:

a. To memorize each character, write them until you remembered them. Start with the easiest ones, then build up the difficulty level.

b. Write a character once or twice. Once you have a list of words in front of you, go through this list writing each word once or twice, then start from the beginning and go through it again. Do this for as many times as you need to; It will ensure that the words you have learned are more firmly planted in your memory.

c. Whenever possible, watch Chinese movies, videos, and TV programs that have subtitles. It is one of the best and easiest ways for a person to learn Chinese, through both the spoken and written word. http://chinat0wn.blogspot.com/2008/03/learn-chinese-pinyin-in-6-minutes.html

d. Get some post-it's and write down characters you are about to learn. Stick them to the objects they relate to.

After time, you'll notice many characters have elements in common. They may be related to each other through the meaning or pronunciation of the word. By noting common elements, it will help you to remember much easier.

Step 4

The grammar of the Chinese language, is almost identical to all other languages. The only difference you may find between Chinese and English grammar is the sequence of words. Therefore, pay close attention to these differences and practice them as much as possible.

The most important thing to remember is not to be afraid of mistakes. Most people have difficulty learning a language...mostly because they are extremely self conscious and are worried too worried to make mistakes.

The Best way to learn anything, especially something tough is to break it down and do it a little at a time, each day. Consistency is King so, add it to your daily schedule. You'll be amazed at your progress.

Great Places To Start Learning Chinese To Make Your Life Better

One of the most interesting ways to learn Chinese is by finding an online course or software you can use on your computer. More and more people are becoming interested in learning this language because of the growth in China within the economic markets.

Currently, over 1.2 billion (1 in 5) people speak this language. In fact, it is the most commonly spoken language throughout the world today. That number is only expected to climb.

When it comes to learning Chinese, your level of learning doesn't matter - courses are available for all stages. These courses will help you to learn to write characters, understand grammar as well as using the right tones and the proper way to pronounce the words.

So, if you don't have the resources to visit China for an extended period of time or to take classes at a local college, these options are powerful! I recommend finding some great softeware programs like Rosetta Stone and Fluenz Manderin. Then, use Skyp to practice with live available teachers over the internet Skype (a free form of voice over Internet Protocol). This is an easy way to carry out conversational Chinese on a regular basis.

Because of the growth in internet connections, as well as the advancements in voice over internet protocol (VOIP) software, it has made it extremely easy for people to find a tutor and polish up on what you have already learned.

Skype can not only connect you to freelance tutors, but also language schools who use this form of technology to help their students with their lessons. Some are even located in China. This can make learning Chinese so much easier because it is in the comfort of your home, but keep in mind the time difference (about 12 hours from the East Coast).

Some other helpful ways to start learning Chinese is to buy mp3, cd's, videos of familiar music/shows translaeted in Chinese so you can start emersing yourself in the language. You will be surprised at what you will find!

Learning Basic Learning Skills Makes Your Life Best

Here is a list of problems, new students often face when starting to learn Chinese:

1. Recognizing and writing the characters.

2. How to correctly pronounce characters.

3. The Meaning of each character.

4. Finding the right character.

New technology has helped overcome these barriers offering not only a fun way to learn but more effectively and efficiently.

It is documented that there are over 80,000 Chinese characters. Luckily for us , many are rarely used today. The modern version of the language only requires the average person to know about 3,500 characters to be proficient.

The kicker is, for each English word translated into Chinese, it usually uses two or more characters. Each character is linked together, read from left to right, and is written in relation to its purpose within the content of the text.

Chinese writing comes in many different forms and styles. Some date back to very ancient times and began as pictures. Today, there are normally two forms used: simplified and traditional.

Simplified is predominately and officially used in mainland China, while the more traditional form can be found in Taiwan and Hong Kong.

So, are you ready to learn Chinese? Find out in my next post.


Did you know that the Chinese Olympic Logo is an interpreted version of the ancient character "jing" which means "capital"?

Where To Start: Learning "How To" Speak Chinese?

Okay, so after watching the opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympics how can you deny that China has become a power house to be sought after as a business opportunity? Chinese has become one of the most popular languages. China is extremely influential in the world’s business markets today and even more so in the future.

I know I don't have to remind you that Chinese is a very difficult language to learn. But if you have been able to master English (another very difficult language to learn) then, with some effort you should be able to learn Chinese, too.

Take Note to remember that this language is tonal. You will have to think of learning it like you would a foreign salesman or sports announcer would in English. Each word, when pronounced using the 4 different tones, will have a different meaning. Plus, you not only need to learn about the tones, you also have to learn and memorize the Chinese characters (more than 3000). [** Note to Self ** combining 2character forms another meaning]


Obliviously, the best way to learn and study a language to visit and live in the country with the language you wish to speak,called "immersing" yourself in the language and culture.

If you can, find somewhere that does exchange programs, or even a private school in China that you could attend.I can see though, how this is not an option for most...
Luckily, there are some other options and when combined can greatly influence the chance of reaching your goal to learn Chinese.

The Internet has made it extremely easy and possible to learn Chinese, without actually having to go to China to carry out their studies. Several sites on the web offer free lessons to learn Chinese. One example is
www.chinese-tools.com/learn/chinese or www.LearnChineseForFree.com

Another great way for learning the language, if you are unable to spend time in the country itself, is through finding an exchange partner, or hosting an exchange student or teacher from China.

The best way of finding an exchange partner is through your local College, School, or ESL Department. They will be able to find you a student whose native language is Chinese, and is willing to spend time with you teaching you their language.

However, you will need to reciprocate and be prepared to spend time with them teaching them how to speak your language. It is recommended to have basic familiarity with the language before looking into this. Early communication with two unfamiliar parties can be challenging!

There are also a number of groups that have been organized by such sites as Yahoo, where you can join and start to learn Chinese. One example is http://groups.yahoo.com/group/alearningchineseonlineclub/

It is through these groups and forums that you will be able to post any questions you may have regarding the language, and be provided with feedback from those that either speak Chinese or those that are also learning it themselves.

The final way you may want to consider for learning to speak Chinese is through making new friends whose native tongue is this language.

Soon, you will discover just how much easier it is to learn this language when you spend time with the people whose speak it!

Ways to Learn the Chinese Language Makes Your Business The Best

So, now you know that Chinese IS the language you want to learn to become more business savy. Now you need to know which learning method works best for you to learn the Chinese language.

First, look at the best way you learn any subject. Does learning come easier to you when you rewrite phrases that they have heard? Or do you finds it easier to learn a language by rereading things over and over again?

You may find it much easier to learn the language if you say it out loud yourself, or hear someone else saying it out loud. If you don't know, try practicing each technique mentioned above, and see which method helps you learn more effectively.

Sometimes using a couple methods at the same time works the best. Such as rewriting a phrase or word after you haer it said, and then saying it yourself. Writing it down can also help becasue you can refer back to it.

To properly learn Chinese you must learn the 4 different tones. Each tone is drawn over the spoken word to give it a different pronunciation.

1. The first tone that the Chinese people use is high but flat. This means that the voice stays flat and should not either rise or dip in any way.

2. The second tone that the Chinese use is a rising tone, and the person’s voice should raise as they speak.

3. The third tone is known as the dipping tone, and when a word is spoken it will go up and then rise.

4. The fourth tone is the lowering tone. When used, this makes the word being spoken sound masculine.

The best way of learning how the tones sound is through listening to a native speaker. To learn this from reading is nearly impossible.
Here are some ways you can learn to speak Chinese:
1. To learn common phrases, buy a "How To" Learn Mandarin book. This you can easily do either through your local bookstore, or online through such sites as Amazon.

2. Purchase some audio cd's or mp3's to play while driving your car, or relaxing at home.

3. The best way is to take an introductory course to learn Chinese at you local college or adult education class. It will help you to gain confidence in speaking the language and ensure you are pronouncing the words and tones correctly. By taking a class, a person has a foundation to learn the language on their own.

4. Flash cards can also be very useful. Remember to then use each word in a sentence to practice it correctly.

To really learn any language, or for anything really, is to practice consistently. Persistence is the key. When we discontinue to practice we forget.

Make sure to pace yourself. Trying to learn to much to fast will cause you to forget what you have already learned; it overloads our brain, causing some of what was learned to be dumped to make space for the new information (this relates to short term and long term memory).

Simple Facts About The Chinese Language To Make Your Life The Best

The most popular language spoken in China is Mandarin, which is based on a dialect spoken in Beijing. It has recently been recognized as the official language of China, as well as those in Taiwan, and one of 4 official languages spoken in Singapore. Also, this language has now become one of the six official languages used in the United Nations.

Most dialects often consist of words spoken by their ancestors, back when China was made up of various different ethnic groups. Like many large countries, it was only after these groups came together under the Chinese empire, that they united the languages they spoke.

It is important to note China uses a standard formal written language; No matter what dialect they speak, their written language is the same. The various dialects of spoken Chinese use tones. Areas in North China use up to three tones, while in Southern China they use as many as 10 different tones.

When Manarin was used in China's education system and as the language for carrying out instructions, rules and laws, nearly every person in mainland China now speaks Mandarin.

Today, more people want to learn Mandarin in the Western hemisphere. Up until about 10 years ago, it was difficult to find someone who could teach others Mandarin. We have become to realize the importance of being able to communicate with this culture. Today, there are many schools across the US where it is now being taught, as well as, many high quality home-study courses.

In 1991 there were about 2,000 people taking the Chinese language proficiency test. This figure had risen to 117,660 in 2005. In fact, the Ministry of Education in China believe there are over 30 million people around the world learning Mandarin currently.

Thanks to Impact Lab for the Photo

The 2 Top Reasons to Learn Chinese

1)China is quickly becoming a world leader econimcally...don't you want to be able to communicate effectively?

With China's recent economic explosion, it's quickly becoming a necessity to at least have the skills needed to work with them. Many major companies are looking for people who can help them communicate and establish themselves in China. The best way to get an edge on your competition in the job market is by being useful in non-traditional qualifications.

2) Establish YOUR business in a thriving market that is hungry for new products and services.

If you happen to own a business of any kind, then it makes complete sense to get your foot in the door with the Chinese speaking cultures as soon as possible. The market is huge, and they are looking for ways to spend money...why not provide them with YOUR products and services?