When you try something new, you are bound to make mistakes. What I have found is that many people make the same predictable mistakes over and over again. By reading through this list, you will be better prepared to both recognize and overcome these mistakes when they eventually happen to you.Knowing isn't the same thing as doing.
Think back when you were learning how to ride a bike. Did you learn by reading a bunch of books and articles on how to ride a bike? Did you learn by watching videos or see other people do it? Of course not. The fastest way to learn is by getting on a bike, and finding a bunch of different ways to fall before you figure out how to stay on.
The same is true for learning a foreign language. You might be able to learn some things from reading books, and watching videos. But the best way by far is getting out there, practicing and applying that knowledge. Don't expect to be perfect on the first try, but do try and get engaged.
Get Chinese friends to practice with you, look for online Chinese radio stations, rent Chinese movies.
Believing the advertisements.
The commercials for programs that claim you can "Learn Chinese in 15 days" are outright lies. Many eager students fall into these traps, wasting both time and money. Learning a new language takes hard work and dedication. Placing your expectations so high is just setting yourself up for failure.
Chinese is absolutely one of the hardest languages to learn, but the benefits you reap will last you a lifetime. Keep yourself focused on the end goal, and make daily progress to get you there. Don't fool yourself; it's going to be hard, but you will eventually get there.
Tones? WTF are these tone things?
Chinese is a tonal language, with 4 different tones. The tones are easily the most challenging part about Chinese for English speakers. There are 4 tones, and if you pronounce a character with the wrong tone, it could completely change the meaning of what you're trying to say.
The tone problem is why I believe beginners should avoid learning from books. There is no way you can learn how to pronounce words correctly without being able to listen first hand what the words sound like. The best benefit about having an in person tutor or software or learning online is that you can hear and learn the correct pronunciation.
Learn pin yin, but don't rely on it.
I have read a couple articles saying that pinyin will soon take the place of Chinese characters in China. This is simply ludicrous! There are only about 1700 syllables in Chinese and every character is single-syllable. There are more than 40,000 Chinese characters. What does that mean? It means that same pinyin leads to many different characters. So I strongly recommended that serious learner do not rely on pinyin too much.
As you become more advanced, pick up books and materials that do not have pinyin. For additional incentive to wean yourself off pin yin, your favorite Chinese movies, TV, and music also do not show pinyin.
Always following English sentence order.
Chinese sentence structure is actually simpler than English in several ways. For example, when someone may say "I will run," "I am running," or "I have run." Instead, in Chinese, someone would say "I run" and then add a timing phrase like today, yesterday, or in a little while. And this is just one of the many differences. Making sentences is fairly different, so pay attention when you are listening to the audios. Proper sentence structure will be useful for being understood in real life conversations.
Lack of planning.
There is a huge number of materials on the market for learning Mandarin. Understandably, trying to pick the right program for you can be a difficult task with so many choices. One common mistake is that beginners may buy multiple courses and books. Then they hope from one textbook to an audio to software to some more textbooks. The most effective method is to concentrate on a suitable program that offers complete vocabulary, grammar, audio CDs and worksheets.
Make learning as fun as possible!
Learning a new language is hard enough. What I have found is that many courses make Mandarin difficult to learn because the exercises are often tedious and repetitive. The point of a good program is not to make learning work, but keep things fun and interesting. I like programs that have a variety of tools to help me progress, with games, progress reports, and some tools to help me overcome trouble spots.
Don't be afraid to make mistakes
Mistakes are inevitable with learning, and the worst mistake you could make would be to be fearful of using what you know. Remember that no matter how many mistakes you make, wherever you go in the Chinese-speaking world your sincere attempts to learn the language will almost always be appreciated. Chinese is a language you will need to practice frequently. Try to squeeze in as much practice as you can, and you will get the results much faster.
Keep learning and growing
It is a common mistake for learners to stop everything after their program is over, and they are done with the basic level of Mandarin. The first courses and programs you take are just the beginning. After you are done, maybe you can harness the skills and knowledge you've learned and take it to the next level. Always remember that no matter what your level may be when it comes to Mandarin Chinese, it never hurts to engage someone in some friendly conversation. Take a trip, get involved in groups, watch some flicks. Take action, and keep pushing until you have what you want.
These are the most common mistakes that many people face when they are looking to get started in learning Chinese. One of the most daunting tasks for people is going through the many different programs available, and picking the best one. Read on for a thorough review on different chinese language programs online.
