Introduction:

Learning a second language is always a challenge. We usually learn a language easily; when we start learning to speak it from the time we are small. Over time we become experts in speaking our mother tongue. But learning a second language, especially Chinese is an added task. But nothing is impossible. If you have decided to learn the language, then be ready to face the challenges that accompany it.  And why not? Learning Chinese has innumerable benefits. So this makes the journey worth the pain. And there are no gains without pains.

There are many benefits of learning the Chinese language.

Mostly when it comes to learning a new language, people fear it to an extent that they completely rely on some language expert to learn. With all the resources available at the tips of your fingers, do you really think you need to rely completely on an expert? I am not denying the fact that you are not required to take up Chinese classes at all. You may require it. And it is useful for taking it. It has lots of benefits. But I am trying to tell you in this article that you can learn Chinese on your own also.

Anyway, I think that no matter how good the coaching center or classes is it will not provide you complete training. There is always room left for further improvisation. The expert will explain the words to you, he will explain the meanings, the grammar, the sentences, but at the end, it is you who have remembered all that. In the end, it depends on you how well you grasp it. And when you are taking classes, you have to go on to the next topic according to the curriculum you have selected. And at this point, it will not matter if you have thoroughly understood the last part. But you have to move on.

So in this article, I will highlight some ways in which you can learn Chinese without any coaching.

• Pre-plan

Since you are on your own, you need to have a proper plan to go about this learning process. Just because you are not joining any coaching and not spending any money, it doesn’t mean you can do it anyway. So prepare yourself well so that the plan does not flop. When I say prepare yourself what I mean to say is that gathering all the required resources beforehand.

• Books

You need some good books for your reference. Books are love. You will enjoy learning from a book. It will have less strain on your eyes. You will be able to mark the important words or points for future reference.

• Websites

There are so many websites, that you will lose count of it. The websites are loaded with information that you need. You will get book suggestions also from these sites. Plus you get to learn the language in a systematic way. But since there are many many websites, you need to inspect and choose the ones which are the best. You just cannot keep on switching from one site to another during your learning process. It will create a disturbance and break the flow. Remember to do the Chinese learning regularly in a flow without taking breaks every now and then.

• Apps

Again there is no count on the number of apps available on the play store and app store. You cannot just download a new app every other day and explore it. You have to do it before. Search for apps that are the best for teaching language. Download a few varieties of apps. By variety I mean that serves a different purpose. Like for words, vocabulary, meaning, grammar, audios, videos, sentences, exercises, etc. You can download apps that serve such purposes because no app will have all the required features.

Start the process in full swing: since now you have everything you require, you can start learning the language. Now the question is how to begin? Where to begin from?

•         Letters
•         Vocabulary with English meanings.
•         Writing practice.
•         Listen to audios.
•         Repeat.
•         Read.
•         Watch videos.
•         Explore.

You can follow these steps to learn Chinese.

1. Practice: yes, please practice again and again what you have learned. It is the key to learn any language successfully. Practice in front of the mirror, record your audios and videos, and listen to them. Correct your own mistakes. Ask people for feedback.
2. Talk to people in Chinese: even if you do not know the language well, still speak it. Do not shy away from making mistakes. Learn from them.
3. Discuss: discuss with people about Chinese in Chinese. Gather information, learn from people’s experiences.
4. Incorporate Chinese into your day-to-day life. Speak it in a happy mood whenever you can. Embrace the language and see it embracing you back.