China is home to 56 ethnic groups and over 300 spoken dialects. However, in recent decades, many regional Chinese dialects have declined in use, especially among young people. With the promotion of Mandarin Chinese as the national standard language, some experts predict that Chinese dialects could disappear within a few generations. But others are more […]
So you’re interested in learning an Asian language, but can’t decide between Mandarin Chinese and Japanese. Both languages offer unique benefits and challenges. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll compare key factors to help you determine which language is the best fit for your goals and interests. Popularity and Usefulness Mandarin Chinese is the most widely […]
Chinese is often touted as one of the most useful and important languages to learn in today’s globalized world. With over 1.4 billion native speakers, China’s growing economic power, and the increasing influence of Chinese culture, there seems to be no doubt that Mandarin Chinese is a valuable language to study. However, as with any […]
Chinese is often seen as one of the most difficult languages to learn. While it does take a longer-than-average time (compared to other languages) to learn, it is not as difficult as many people think it is. Here we answer the question ‘How long does it take to learn Chinese’ in two ways? A not […]
Obviously, a lot of this depends on your personal situation. Not so much your age but the time you can allocate, the energy and focus you can bring, and also, yes, your budget. But everyone can learn Mandarin. Here are some pitfalls to avoid and good advice to help you get on your way. Take […]
One question that keeps coming back is whether Chinese learners should learn Chinese handwriting. And it’s a fair question, because why should you? Most people don’t write on paper anymore, at least not daily, and you can just type Pinyin on your phone. Read more: Chinese learning order Chinese character stroke order Handwriting sometimes gets […]
Chinese characters or pronunciation are often mentioned, but probably the biggest 绊脚石Bànjiǎoshí (stumbling block) is motivation to learn Chinese, even if few people will admit it to themselves or out loud. But we totally understand. You love the idea of being able to speak to people fluently in Chinese, but you are less in love […]
We’re a Mandarin language school, so the question ‘Should I learn Japanese or Chinese?’ of course we are inclined to answer with a wholeheartedly ‘Chinese’. But in fact, we have many students who have learned both Chinese and Japanese, so we’ll go over the pros and cons of each here. We’re assuming that you don’t know […]
Chinese letters are an interesting thing, because we can split them into two parts: Chinese Hanzi characters and Chinese pinyin pronunciation. Some people don’t really agree whether Chinese characters are letters or words. Our say is that in themselves, Chinese characters aren’t really words nor letters, but rather morphemes. Let’s go through it. Chinese characters: […]
Is it difficult to learn Chinese? Some polyglots will say they got to fluency within three months, while others have been learning the language for over ten years and still don’t consider them fluent. How difficult is the Mandarin Chinese language? It depends on who you ask. Here’s the experience of one of our students, […]