Since it is not feasible to analyze all the details related to this exciting language, here are some links to other related topics that may interest you:
In order to progressively advance with the language, it may be practical to start with this sequence:
- The tones
- Consonant sounds
- Basic vocabulary
Should it start with the characters? With the topic of characters, I have always said that "The sooner you start learning characters, the better", but when you start there can be too many blocks to cover and they can overwhelm us. One of the keys to really learning a language is to practice it every day, so it is practical to give priority to speaking at the beginning, even if it is just a few simple expressions, and little by little to look at the characters.
For this, there are much more effective methodologies than the well-known repetition ad nauseam, such as, for example, the decomposition of characters into radicals. With a handful of radicals that we know, we will be able to recognize many Chinese characters in a more visual and enjoyable way than simply writing the same character hundreds of times.
"You don't have to learn characters, there is pinyin." This and similar phrases have done a lot of damage to the progress of countless students. Although, as I have just stated, in principle it is positive to give priority to expressing ourselves in the language, there will come a time in our learning in which the knowledge of the characters is key to continue advancing. Sadly, some have grown a lot in one facet of the language and lagged behind in another. The recommendation is to approach the study from a multiple approach, and gradually introducing the Chinese characters.
How to understand Chinese? At first, Chinese learners are faced with sounds that seem impossible to distinguish, such as variations on the "ch" sound. On this, the first thing to keep in mind about Chinese audios is: "Where is this accent from?" When we think of China, it has the dimensions of a continent, so local variations in pronunciation are much more evident than in other countries and languages. The key again: practice, practice, practice.
The standard accent for Mandarin Chinese is from the north, Beijing and its surroundings, with characteristics intrinsic to this area, such as the "retroflexed r" at the end of some words. Therefore, the audios that we listen to should be, at least in the beginning of this area. It is also important that they are at the right speed. To do this, the recommendation is to go to the HSK study materials, which are progressive in speed and focus on vocabulary and common expressions at that level.
Soon some more ideas ... 😀
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