If you're looking for a perfect exercise for your brain, then learning Mandarin is something you may want to consider. Studies hint that the parts of the brain used for learning Mandarin are more than the parts used for learning other languages.
Finding time to learn Chinese can be really complicated, especially when you have to combine it with work, studies, leisure, and other things important to you. Fortunately, we live in an era where technology is now part of our daily life, and where Chinese-teaching materials can be found directly on our personal devices.
I studied Mandarin at university, so I used to have Chinese classes almost every day. After graduating, I decided to continue to study it by myself. In this article, I will share with you all the apps and websites I am using on a regular basis to strengthen my Mandarin skills, from reading and writing to listening and speaking.
As a Mandarin Chinese tutor, I work with students ranging from elementary school to graduate school. Their level of Chinese fluency might differ, but one question I always get is: “How do I introduce myself?”
Pinyin is the Romanization of the Chinese characters based on their pronunciation. In Mandarin Chinese, the phrase “Pin Yin” literally translates into “spell sound.” In other words, spelling out Chinese phrases with letters from the English alphabet. For example:
The short of it is that there are many, many variables that go into how long it’ll take for you to learn Chinese. However, to become fluent, experts estimate that it’ll take 2,200 class hours. If you put the rest of your life on hold and focused only on studying Chinese – at 5 hours of practice a day, it would take you 88 weeks.
