How I did it:
I started taking classes with a Chinese teacher. Besides the Chinese language we would also learn about the culture which made the classes very interesting and easier to learn because the Chinese language and culture is connected.
5 months only taught me basic sentences but you can start a conversation. I hope to continue learning more when school begins again. I just hope I don't forget it over the summer!

Lessons & tips:
- Have a good dictionary.
- If you are using a website make sure you spell the Hanyu Pinyin (the romanization of the Chinese language to help foreigners to learn it) properly, because most websites won't show you the accents and they are VERY important.
- Try to have a native Chinese speaker to teach you because of how different pronunciation is.
- I would use what I had learned in each lesson and try to apply it to

everyday sentences because you learn better and would make it more

"real".
- Have patience, it isn't easy but it's not that hard.
- Remember, the secret is practice, practice and practice whether is Hanyu Pinyin, characters or pronunciation.

Resources:
- Besides the resource book I had for classes, I bought a dictionary.
- Internet websites are useful for doubts, specially when doing you're homework.

Jun 01, 2010, 03:20PM PDT | 0 comments | 3 cheers