I started in college and I have been learning Mandarin for coming on 20 years. I am at a B2 level and no longer think my Chinese sucks. But it's still not perfect. The thing I realized was that I had no handle on things are actually said in colloquial speech. Yet in my college classes, the nitty gritty details of how Chinese people actually speak weren't really discussed, it was mostly formal grammar. Through having tutors for years, and just listening to podcasts with subtitles, and looking up thousands and thousands of new words and phrases and 成语, I can now reasonably understand spontaneous casual conversation and most topics. But that level of B2 in Chinese is very hard wrought compared to other languages. I've been studying on and off for so long because there were periods where I just wanted to give up with it. I suppose I would have gotten much farther if it hadn't been on and off, but I genuinely had no idea how to improve because learning this language is like throwing mud at a wall and expecting it to become a painting. But the key to getting better really does lie in 1. learning as many words as humanly possibly, 2. keeping a record of everything you learn, and writing sentences with those words, and 3. doing the nitty gritty work of watching conversations with subtitles, and then analyzing the sentence structure and the words used. That is what will really make the difference, at least if you can't make it to China.
5-Year Goals and Current Actions: 1. Read at a higher level: I think I'm making good progress with graded reader stories in the HelloChinese app. 2. Perfect pronunciation: I want to do a pronunciation bootcamp with Rita (Fan Laoshi) in September. For now, I meet a Chinese teacher each week and read sentences from a textbook, and he corrects my pronunciation (I'm not sure if this is a good method). 3. Speak with colloquial grammar: I watch Chinese reality dating shows like 我们恋爱吧 for exposure to introductions and small talk. 4. Improve the sound of my voice in Mandarin: I'm stuck here. My Chinese voice seems much higher-pitched than my natural voice, and sounds strained (even when the words/pronunciation are right). I want to find a native speaker who sounds the way I want to sound, and see if I can find some kind of repository of common phrases said slowly and fast. That way I can listen to the recordings on repeat and try to imitate them.
I have all 3 but at least I started dealing with the first one by having classes with a tutor twice a week. I study something every day but I have troubles being constant, I may switch to different things rather than working on all areas all the time. I work hard, but I don’t organise enough my study (this is a problem I have for everything, not just studying Chinese). I wish I started paying a language tutor earlier. I don’t have speaking opportunities otherwise.
Really interesting video Will. V common problem I think that many Mandarin learners experience. The process you describe in how you addressed this with your friend is very much following a coaching framework - you didn't give tips based on your experiences but rather you asked them to identify their specific goals and challenges then asking them to identify solutions, which can be game changing when looking at forming habits - something that is key when trying to become fluent in any language!
Measuring progression and setting goals. No matter how much i study it doesn't feel like i am moving forward or making progress. Need a structured method to learn
Great video. Thanks. As a beginner with a few months into my journey, I can already tell that my speaking in real situations is lagging behind. The challenge is how do I find a native speaker conversation buddy suitable for beginners? Anybody got any suggestions, please? Thanke
umm, I've used Tandem app to learn Japanese, but I'm chatting with many Chinese/Taiwanese people too, eventhough I just learn chinese several weeks ago. Overall they're nice, more open than Japanese, so you can start chatting, or you can send voice message/ask them to have a conversation via call. If u want to directly talk, there is a feature called room, so you can join to the room where native chinese speakers or people who learn chinese speaking or practice there. honestly thats really helpful, especially if your level already intermediate and want to level up fluency
Will, maybe being the first commentor will get your attention. I kindly ask that you make your translations in Pinyin in addition to English for us trying to learn from your videos amongst other material, if it's doable
My guess would be that you cannot translate Chinese words . Do you have a dictionary and a magnifying glass and an A4 pad to start with ? Do you have the radicals listed so that you can try to refer to them to find words in 汉子 hàn zi ( Chinese words ) ? I think if you start to practice looking up simple words and building up from there that you might start to be able to find pin yin , and English from this practice . Also you need some material to study and learn from . I hope this gives you a way to help yourself . Oh sorry I am not Will , but took the liberty to try to answer your question .
It's awfully time consuming for me to add english and pinyin, I really hope you can understand with all the other things I have going on. Also I would recommend learning from native produced material instead of mine anyway :)
@@willhartmandarin appreciate the reply. I tend to learn better from creators that interest me like yourself, this guy called Felthomy etc. He has a bubbly extroverted personality and engages with natives in China. In turn, with you I like the contrast of the more nerdy, introverted energy (as I'm one too) and I think of the non-natives your level of Mandarin is the highest (at least that I know of). Anyway, what native content, do you suggest? Ideally, one that uses Pinyin and English. Hanzì seems like adding another cognitive load
@@seetsamolapo5600 I see what you mean, and thanks that's really kind of you, I totally understand but it would take me way to long to go back and add it which I'm sorry about. I would recommend 'mandarin corner' that has pinyin also rita chinese. You could also download 'language reactor' or a similar extension to help show the pinyin
@@willhartmandarin My method is to write down the Hanzi and then do the translations myself as it gives valuable experience in recognising radicals and being able to learn how to translate for oneself , which is an art in itself as Chinese does not correspond one to one with English and so it is a difficult process but very satisfying once you get into it . I think there is an expression attributed to the ancient Greeks on the subject . "There is no royal road to knowledge ."🙂
Thanks will for the video. I'm currently struggling with understanding what I listen. What do you recommend me to do?..I'm trying to find content to listen to it everyday.
I would first recommend why you can't understand, is it a vocab problem? Are you unable to process the language faster? Or are you trying to listen to someone that's just too hard? Once you've done that try and solve the specific problem e.g. learn more vocab, listen to easier content etc. Here's some podcasts to get you started: www.alllanguageresources.com/learn-mandarin-podcasts/
Hey Will! Hope you’re well. I remember you mentioning that when you went to university you struggled to understand what people were saying even though they understood you- how did you overcome this? I’ve been learning for a couple of months and I’m at that stage right now. It’s awkward because I understand a fair amount but what I don’t understand is also crucial so I’ll either stop and ask my friends or (and this happens more frequently) they’ll translate the harder words that think I’m unlikely to understand (which while helpful I’m sure is a little annoying for them). How long did it take you to understand almost everything they were saying? At any point early in did you experience them speaking to you like a complete learner? (As in slowing down significantly/translating words without you asking)? I appreciate your tips so thanks in advance :)
I think everyone that's learning a new language will experience so a minimum of a few years if not a few years. To understand everything takes a long time, it's just a question of listening lots and lots and learning loads of vocabulary. Just take your time and enjoy the process, as long as you keep at it you'll see yourself understanding more and more :)
Thanks for watching the video, hope it was useful! What problems are you guys currently having with learning Mandarin?
I started in college and I have been learning Mandarin for coming on 20 years. I am at a B2 level and no longer think my Chinese sucks. But it's still not perfect. The thing I realized was that I had no handle on things are actually said in colloquial speech. Yet in my college classes, the nitty gritty details of how Chinese people actually speak weren't really discussed, it was mostly formal grammar. Through having tutors for years, and just listening to podcasts with subtitles, and looking up thousands and thousands of new words and phrases and 成语, I can now reasonably understand spontaneous casual conversation and most topics. But that level of B2 in Chinese is very hard wrought compared to other languages. I've been studying on and off for so long because there were periods where I just wanted to give up with it. I suppose I would have gotten much farther if it hadn't been on and off, but I genuinely had no idea how to improve because learning this language is like throwing mud at a wall and expecting it to become a painting. But the key to getting better really does lie in 1. learning as many words as humanly possibly, 2. keeping a record of everything you learn, and writing sentences with those words, and 3. doing the nitty gritty work of watching conversations with subtitles, and then analyzing the sentence structure and the words used. That is what will really make the difference, at least if you can't make it to China.
This is honestly such good advice, couldn't agree more! Thanks for sharing it with everyone
my goal is literally to speak well but I don't practice speaking 💀 called out in this video haha~ thanks for the tips!!
You're so welcome!
5-Year Goals and Current Actions:
1. Read at a higher level: I think I'm making good progress with graded reader stories in the HelloChinese app.
2. Perfect pronunciation: I want to do a pronunciation bootcamp with Rita (Fan Laoshi) in September. For now, I meet a Chinese teacher each week and read sentences from a textbook, and he corrects my pronunciation (I'm not sure if this is a good method).
3. Speak with colloquial grammar: I watch Chinese reality dating shows like 我们恋爱吧 for exposure to introductions and small talk.
4. Improve the sound of my voice in Mandarin: I'm stuck here. My Chinese voice seems much higher-pitched than my natural voice, and sounds strained (even when the words/pronunciation are right). I want to find a native speaker who sounds the way I want to sound, and see if I can find some kind of repository of common phrases said slowly and fast. That way I can listen to the recordings on repeat and try to imitate them.
Great to see your goals Ollie! Wish you all the best!
I have all 3 but at least I started dealing with the first one by having classes with a tutor twice a week. I study something every day but I have troubles being constant, I may switch to different things rather than working on all areas all the time. I work hard, but I don’t organise enough my study (this is a problem I have for everything, not just studying Chinese). I wish I started paying a language tutor earlier. I don’t have speaking opportunities otherwise.
Thanks for sharing!
I’m Chinese, and you speak better Chinese than me lol. You are a genius!
Really interesting video Will. V common problem I think that many Mandarin learners experience.
The process you describe in how you addressed this with your friend is very much following a coaching framework - you didn't give tips based on your experiences but rather you asked them to identify their specific goals and challenges then asking them to identify solutions, which can be game changing when looking at forming habits - something that is key when trying to become fluent in any language!
Thanks so much, yes I think with these problems, there's no point in me trying to give advice when I don't even know what the problems or goals are.
Measuring progression and setting goals. No matter how much i study it doesn't feel like i am moving forward or making progress. Need a structured method to learn
This is great advice Will.
Thanks Will, this is just what I needed to review my own learning routine.
Glad it was helpful!
Great advice! Thank you so much.
Your welcome! :)
I love this channel
Thanks Will, great advice
Thanks !
Great work dude!
Thanks so much Matt!
Great video. Thanks.
As a beginner with a few months into my journey, I can already tell that my speaking in real situations is lagging behind. The challenge is how do I find a native speaker conversation buddy suitable for beginners? Anybody got any suggestions, please?
Thanke
umm, I've used Tandem app to learn Japanese, but I'm chatting with many Chinese/Taiwanese people too, eventhough I just learn chinese several weeks ago. Overall they're nice, more open than Japanese, so you can start chatting, or you can send voice message/ask them to have a conversation via call. If u want to directly talk, there is a feature called room, so you can join to the room where native chinese speakers or people who learn chinese speaking or practice there. honestly thats really helpful, especially if your level already intermediate and want to level up fluency
Yes definitely check out language exchange apps: tandem, hellotalk etc :)
Will, maybe being the first commentor will get your attention. I kindly ask that you make your translations in Pinyin in addition to English for us trying to learn from your videos amongst other material, if it's doable
My guess would be that you cannot translate Chinese words .
Do you have a dictionary and a magnifying glass and an A4 pad to start with ?
Do you have the radicals listed so that you can try to refer to them to find words in 汉子 hàn zi ( Chinese words ) ?
I think if you start to practice looking up simple words and building up from there that you might start to be able to find pin yin , and English from this practice . Also you need some material to study and learn from .
I hope this gives you a way to help yourself .
Oh sorry I am not Will , but took the liberty to try to answer your question .
It's awfully time consuming for me to add english and pinyin, I really hope you can understand with all the other things I have going on. Also I would recommend learning from native produced material instead of mine anyway :)
@@willhartmandarin appreciate the reply. I tend to learn better from creators that interest me like yourself, this guy called Felthomy etc. He has a bubbly extroverted personality and engages with natives in China. In turn, with you I like the contrast of the more nerdy, introverted energy (as I'm one too) and I think of the non-natives your level of Mandarin is the highest (at least that I know of).
Anyway, what native content, do you suggest? Ideally, one that uses Pinyin and English. Hanzì seems like adding another cognitive load
@@seetsamolapo5600 I see what you mean, and thanks that's really kind of you, I totally understand but it would take me way to long to go back and add it which I'm sorry about. I would recommend 'mandarin corner' that has pinyin also rita chinese. You could also download 'language reactor' or a similar extension to help show the pinyin
@@willhartmandarin My method is to write down the Hanzi and then do the translations myself as it gives valuable experience in recognising radicals and being able to learn how to translate for oneself , which is an art in itself as Chinese does not correspond one to one with English and so it is a difficult process but very satisfying once you get into it . I think there is an expression attributed to the ancient Greeks on the subject .
"There is no royal road to knowledge ."🙂
hey Will! I really appreciate your take on this video and you motivate me to keep going. what are those conversational intermediate podcasts btw?
Check out the intermediate section in this link: www.alllanguageresources.com/learn-mandarin-podcasts/ Hope this helps! :)
Thanks will for the video. I'm currently struggling with understanding what I listen. What do you recommend me to do?..I'm trying to find content to listen to it everyday.
I would first recommend why you can't understand, is it a vocab problem? Are you unable to process the language faster? Or are you trying to listen to someone that's just too hard? Once you've done that try and solve the specific problem e.g. learn more vocab, listen to easier content etc. Here's some podcasts to get you started: www.alllanguageresources.com/learn-mandarin-podcasts/
@@willhartmandarin 谢谢 will...I'm going to check this out . Thanks for the feedback.
Hey Will! Hope you’re well. I remember you mentioning that when you went to university you struggled to understand what people were saying even though they understood you- how did you overcome this? I’ve been learning for a couple of months and I’m at that stage right now. It’s awkward because I understand a fair amount but what I don’t understand is also crucial so I’ll either stop and ask my friends or (and this happens more frequently) they’ll translate the harder words that think I’m unlikely to understand (which while helpful I’m sure is a little annoying for them).
How long did it take you to understand almost everything they were saying? At any point early in did you experience them speaking to you like a complete learner? (As in slowing down significantly/translating words without you asking)? I appreciate your tips so thanks in advance :)
I think everyone that's learning a new language will experience so a minimum of a few years if not a few years. To understand everything takes a long time, it's just a question of listening lots and lots and learning loads of vocabulary. Just take your time and enjoy the process, as long as you keep at it you'll see yourself understanding more and more :)
What were the (conversational) intermediate podcasts you recommended to her? Overall, great advice Will!
Did you try "dashu mandarin" ?
Dapeng is also great
I got them from the intermediate section of this link: www.alllanguageresources.com/learn-mandarin-podcasts/