Active Learning Strategies
As you’re creating a three-month learning plan, you’ll want to make sure to incorporate all of the four major language competencies discussed below. I recommend spending about equal time on each of these language competencies every day.
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Memorize Chinese Characters in Chunks
Learning characters is essential to being able to function in Chinese, but unfortunately, most learners would agree it’s not the easiest part of learning the language. Here’s a strategy for learning as many characters (and the most useful characters) as possible in three months.
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Practice Reading Tactically
Learning characters isn’t enough to learn to read… you have to actually spend time reading! However, if you’re going to boost your reading skills in three months, you probably won’t want to just dive into any old book written in Mandarin Chinese.
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Work with a Tutor to Supercharge Speaking and Pronunciation Skills
The fastest way to improve your pronunciation and speaking abilities is to hire a private tutor. That’s because tutors can provide expert personalized attention. They’ll hear the errors you don’t know you’re making and will coach you to better pronunciation.
It’s a much quicker and more precise way to improve your speech than trying to imitate Chinese audio content or even being part of a class with several other students.
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Practice Writing in Longhand
Part of your learning plan involves writing in Chinese. Longhand. Yes, you’ll probably spend most of your life in Chinese tapping out text messages on your iPhone… but writing in longhand is key to building a strong foundation in the language and solidifying your grasp on characters.
Passive Learning Strategies
At some point in your three months, you’ll need to relax. Most learners can’t practice characters for 12 hours a day without going insane. If you’re really pushing to advance as quickly as possible, you’ll want to make sure that you take some time to “relax” in Chinese, too.
Here are some ideas for passive learning methods to get you started:
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Listen to Chinese radio/podcasts.
You can find a list of Chinese radio stations here, or search the Chinese language podcasts on the iTunes store.
Watch TV or movies in Chinese. Find options on CCTV or Youku. But if you want authentic Chinese content plus an immersive learning experience.
If you live in China, this isn’t hard. If you don’t live in China, seek out places and events frequented by Chinese speakers. You can usually find Chinese language groups on Meetup.com.
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Use social media in Chinese.
There are plenty of Chinese Twitter feeds, or you can browse (or join) Weibo. Once you’ve reached an intermediate level, you could also read in Chinese for fun. Choose something that isn’t going to be a huge stretch to understand.