Introduction:

The Chinese language is the oldest written language in the world with at least six thousand years of history. Chinese character inscriptions have been found in turtle shells dating back to the Shang dynasty 1 (1766-1123 bc) proving the written language has existed for more than 3,000 years. The Chinese written language uses single distinctive symbols, or characters, to represent each word of the vocabulary. The vast majority of characters are written versions of spoken sounds that have meaning. The Chinese character has more than 3,000 years of history. It is a kind of hieroglyphic which originated from carapace-bone-script in the Shang Dynasty (16th – 11th century BC). It then developed into different forms of calligraphy handwritings like large seal script, small seal script, official script, regular script, cursive script, and running script.

Although many Chinese dialects exist, the written language is a common form of communication. Even though people are not able to verbally communicate in different provinces, they are able to understand each other in writing. However, the written language can be further subdivided into three forms: simplified, traditional, and informal slang or phonetic. Being able to speak another language conveys that you are a goal-oriented, highly motivated, and resourceful person, all skills that can differentiate you as a valuable asset to your prospective employers. In this blog, we’ll have a look at some of the ways through which you can learn Chinese during this pandemic at home:

• Speak Chinese daily 

Your commitment to learning Chinese is important, but that doesn’t mean spending hours a day pouring over vocabulary lists and verb conjugation tables. Setting aside time daily to practice and speak Mandarin Chinese with Multibhashi’s bite-sized lessons is a simple way to make progress in your language learning without being overwhelmed. That way you can make the most of the time you do have, whether it’s on the bus, waiting in line, or spending your lunch hour at the cafe.

• Familiarize yourself with the sounds 

Familiarization is the key to learning any language. You have to know how to distinguish someone who is speaking in Mandarin from those who are not. Listen to anyone or anything that uses Mandarin, be it an audiobook, a video, or a mere commentary. It’ll help you learn the basics of the Chinese language: the sounds and the intonation. You’ll notice what sounds are most commonly used, and which are not present in Mandarin.

• Focus on listening

Reading helps you learn vocabulary, but listening helps you connect with the language and get prepared to speak. Listening comprehension is the core skill necessary in order to engage in conversation with people. The intonation and rhythm of Mandarin, or any other language, can only come from listening to the native speaker. You can’t learn it theoretically.

• Immerse yourself in Chinese

 One of the things that can really advance your understanding of Mandarin is to immerse yourself in the Chinese language. Watching movies with subtitles turned off or listening to Chinese music or podcasts helps you subconsciously pick up nuances of pronunciation. Following an authentic Chinese recipe in Mandarin or learning the traditions of the Chinese tea ceremony can also be windows into advancing your understanding of the language and culture.

• Learn the basic characters of Chinese writing

There are about 200 primary characters in the Chinese writing system, and most of the other characters of simplified Chinese are derived from these more common symbols. Learning just these few hundred characters can get you up to speed quickly and cover many of the more common situations in which you might need to be able to read and write Chinese, like road signs and menus.

Among the hardest things, you face while learning Chinese is keeping yourself accountable. Without any accountability, you are less likely to maintain a regular study schedule and risk learning very little Chinese or quitting the language entirely. Just know not to give up!