How to Learn Chinese Washington DC

Steps

1. Don't use only a CD. Find a native speaker and watch their mouth. See how they make sounds that don't exist in your language.
2. Don't think of the tones as music. Think of them as syllable accents. Sometimes in English, syllable accent changes, and the same happens in Chinese.
3. Pay attention to whole sentences instead of single word vocabulary. Practice whole sentences. Both high tones and low tones flatten out, or become midial, with speed. So concentrate on whole sentences.
4. Learn to write the characters. As you practice each character 10 times, say the correct pronunciation. Because you are saying, seeing and doing, you will remember vocabulary much faster.
5. If you know a friend or acquaintance that speaks Chinese, ask them to practice with you. Do NOT go up to a random Asian-looking stranger and ask them if they speak Chinese.
6. Depending on the dialect there are from 5 to 9 tones. The first four or five tones are pretty basic syllable accents. All the tones beyond 5 are merely elongated versions of one of the first five tones. Again, it isn't a musical tone. It's a syllable accent.
7. Rent Chinese movies often. Listen to the soundtrack as it plays. Slowly you will hear some word you are studying. Watch the subtitles, and you can learn interesting things, like how to say words the text book doesn't teach you. Make opportunities to expose yourself to Chinese.
8. Don't be afraid to be wrong. Being wrong is a great way to learn how to say things the right way.
9. Spend time learning. The more time you spend, the faster you learn it. Less time spent means slower learning.
10. If you are a person under the age of 16, you can try to find a local Chinese school.
11. Practice at least 15 minutes a day.
12. If you do not understand something someone says, just ask about it!!

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