The Best Way To Learn Chinese

The Best Way To Learn Chinese Everything You Need To Know To Begin Learning Chinese ChaptersHow To Choose Your Chinese TeacherHow Much Does A Mandarin Lesson Cost?How Can You Prepare for Your Chinese Lessons?How To Supplement Your Chinese ClassesThose wanting to learn to speak Chinese often come upon a stumbling block: the difficulty of the language often makes it often necessary to learn with a Chinese teacher who either lived in a Chinese-speaking country or is a native speaker of Mandarin.In this article, we will tell you everything you need to know about choosing the right Chinese class for you. their fees are not fixed. This means that private Chinese teachers fix their prices themselves, depending on their experience.Chinese lessons can be expensive - but not if you choose them carefully! Photo by Canadian Pacific on Visualhunt.comBut how much does a home Chinese lesson cost?On average, home tutoring in the UK costs about £25 to 30 an hour.Over 400 Mandarin tutors are available on Superprof throughout the UK. Their prices vary greatly, depending on:Geographic al locationTheir level of MandarinThe level at which they teach (beginner, intermediate, advanced)ExperienceAgeThe number of lessons (some offer reduced prices if you sign up for 10 lessons or more).On Superprof, the prices for a Chinese tutor are as follows:Mandarin Lessons London range from £12 (cheapest) to £50 an hour (most expensive) for a Chinese tutor London.In the rest of England, prices go from £5 (teaching as a hobby) to £50 (Business Chinese).Chinese lessons in Scotland can be as cheap as £10 an hour or as expensive as £40.So, do you have to be rich to take Mandarin or Cantonese classes?Fortunately, there are alternatives if you live in a high-price area.You can take lessons at a language institute or learn Chinese online via webcam.But why would you?A language school will tie you down for eight to ten weeks per course and put you in a classroom with other students.This at least forces you to commit to lessons, allows you to meet like-minded students of the Chinese language, and offers lessons with native speakers from a Mandarin-speaking area such as China, Taiwan, Singapur or Hong Kong.It is also usually cheaper, as the course prices, when broken down into hourly rates, are usually quite low: paying anywhere between £130 to £678 depending on the place and the class level, you will find yourself with an hourly fee ranging from £6.50 to £16.95 - well below the average of £20-30 an hour - and the teachers are just as experienced, if not more!Still too expensive?You might instead try finding Chinese exchange students willing to give lessons in their native tongue.Or try private lessons via webcam - without travel expenses, most Chinese teachers offer Skype courses at advantageous rates.Or simply learn Chinese online with free apps for learning the Chinese language.How Can You Prepare for Your Chinese Lessons?“There is no easy way to learn difficult things.” (Joseph de Maistre, 1753-1821)As we know, learning to read and write Chinese is an arduous task. That’s why it helps to really prepare for your Chinese lessons ahead of time.So what can you do?Listen carefully during the lesson to better memorise itRegularly re-read your lessons (rules of Chinese grammar, Pinyin transcription, the order and direction of the strokes in Chinese calligraphy, vocabulary words, Chinese verbs)Find a quiet moment for revision - the evenings just before going to sleep are bestKeep your brain irrigated: eat well, drink a lot, breathe mindfully, sit correctly with your back straight and your feet parallel to the groundAvoid distractionsMake flashcard summaries: one card per chapter or lessonUse mnemonic devices to help you memorise Chinese grammar or symbols.Learning Mandarin means assimilating sounds and rhythms that are completely different from our Romance languages. Just like a musician, you need to train your ear and activate your lexicographical radar.So how can you immerse yourself in the Chinese language while still in Britain? When learning a new subject, it helps to immerse yourself in the area you are studying. Listen to jazz when learning jazz guitar, read Arabic newspapers to learn the Arabic alphabet or listen to foreign movies in the original when learning a language.It’s the same thing when learning Chinese: you need to immerse yourself in it, to hear Mandarin spoken, for example by watching Chinese movies.Even if you don’t actually understand it at first, a beginner Chinese student will be better able to recognise Chinese characters and improve their pronunciation than if they didn’t do this simple exercise.Practise your Mandarin reading skills by reading Chinese newspapers. Photo by Canadian Pacific on VisualhuntImmersing yourself in the Chinese language means plunging headfirst into the language and its environment. It also means discovering Chinese culture and history, the Chinese way of thinking and functioning. It’s almost like going off to live in China without leaving the UK.To acce lerate your Chinese learning curve, prepare a trip to China or Taiwan - or why not try a language exchange programme?What is a language exchange?It’s a way to learn a foreign language for free by meeting with a native speaker. You learn Mandarin from a Chinese national who wants to learn English: an intercultural exchange, a transfer between first and second languages.How To Supplement Your Chinese ClassesThe tones and pronunciation of the Chinese language can sometimes be so difficult to assimilate that two hours of Chinese lessons a week are insufficient for anyone wanting to learn Chinese fast.So here are a few tools to help improve your command of the Chinese language.Is your Chinese dictionary not enough to become a fluent Mandarin speaker? Try out Chinese learning apps and websites. Photo by Nick Kenrick. on VisualHunt.comWebsites and apps to train your Chinese skillsObviously, it is impossible to list all the tools available to learn Chinese online, whether it be websites o r apps, but here is a selection:Hello ChineseMondlyPlecoSkritterLine dictionaryMandarin MadnessLearn Chinese Mandarin Phrasebook Chinese ToolsMosalinguaThe BBCChinese Learner FluentUThe Chairman’s Bao   ChengyuFinding a Chinese exchange partnerMost sites promising to match people wanting to learn a foreign language to those for whom it's the mother tongue often also offer lesson plans, dictionaries and chatrooms where you can find a conversation partner.My language exchange uses the Cormier method: learn the Chinese language by taking part in linguistic workshops of two to four people. The site allows beginner Chinese students to exchange e-mails and offers video chats for more advanced students. This method is mainly for students at an intermediary level.Conversation exchange is another free site that will help you find Chinese people wanting to learn a European language such as French, English or Spanish as conversation partners.These sites make it possible to learn a language i n a social context. How?By meeting at the local pub, for example, and speaking half the time in your native language to teach it to your language partner, and half the time in your new second language to learn it for free.It’s also a formidable opportunity to learn colloquial expressions and cultural information that you don’t necessarily learn in a language class - discover China’s political system and history, or Chinese food with a native.

Why Take an ESOL Course to Help you Learn English

Why Take an ESOL Course to Help you Learn English What Are the Benefits of Learning English with an ESOL Tutor? ChaptersLearning English as a Second Language on a One to One BasisFocus on Your Difficulties in ESOL Courses with Your English TutorHire an English Tutor for Homework Exam Preparation HelpPractice Speaking  English with Your ESOL TutorTaking an ‘English MOT’ at the Start of Your ESOL ClassTaking English lessons is a brilliant opportunity.Being able to learn to speak English is a luxury that isn’t available to everyone â€" so don’t throw your chance away!Superprof is here to explain how to get the most out of your one to one English tuition.There are two main objectives when you begin any  esol courses. The first goal is to grasp the concepts you find difficult, and the second is transform this new knowledge into improved grades. You can’t achieve one without achieving the other.Private tutors actively encourage their students to succeed in reaching these goals.ESOL tutoring can give you the boost you need ¦ source: Pixabay - tookapicOver the course of one academic year, you will likely sit several exams including one in English which may test your ability to conjugate irregular verbs, correctly use grammar, or your English reading and writing skills!We recommend that you take advantage of your English tutor by getting them to help you with exam preparation â€" revising alone is not as fun, nor is it as effective as working with someone else.You need to be organised when exam time comes around. It is difficult to find a better revision tool than a personal English tutor who has a perfect knowledge of your subject, your goals and how to use your learning strategies to overcome any obstacles along the way.The personalised approach of private lessons is what makes them so effective.Of course, this applies to any major English exams, whether they’re at high school or university. These exams are usually made up of at least two parts: an oral exam and a written exam.This means that the grade for your work will inform potential employers of your ability to communicate in English â€" and is therefore incredibly important.If you still have these important exams ahead of you, it can be helpful to get ahead in your learning with a few private english lessons online or face to face.Private English tutors are used to being brought in to help students in the run-up to exams, and are therefore accustomed to test preparation and helping students with their exam technique.This means looking at the course content and goals of each individual and getting them ready for whatever they may be faced with on D-Day.Practice Speaking  English with Your ESOL TutorAs we have already mentioned, national education systems do not always provide enough opportunities for pupils to practice their English speaking skills.Oral fluency often takes a back seat to learning the basics of the language, but at what point does speaking practice become more important?Very rarely during your academic career will you have the opportunity to engage in direct conversation with a native English or bilingual speaker for a sufficient amount of time.Your tutor, who may be a native speaker themselves, will help you get into the habit of regularly speaking English to improve your fluency.In the beginning, even if you have a good knowledge of topic-specific vocabulary and complex grammar, speaking will be quite slow. ESOL learners often pause between words and sentences to think about their grammar and pronunciation.At this point, you won’t be fluent.However, the good news is that fluency is something you can develop through conversation which allows you to get used to English phonetics and be able to fully express yourself in English.Conversation is the best way to see yourself make rapid improvements in your spoken English. Talking with other pupils and teachers in English will mean that you use your language to discuss your interests, as well as learn to confidently explore a variety of topics in conversation.By speaking with a native English speaker  in particular, you can work on your accent,  learn to identify those of others, learn English slang phrases and how to use idiomatic expressions - these are all things that will help you learn to speak English fluently.Make progress by getting together to speak English with your friends ¦ source: Pixabay - StockSnap`Get used to English or Scottish pronunciation, and learn about differences in vocabulary between British English and American English.After all, being able to understand what others are saying is central to communicating in a language!Bit by bit, English learners acquire the skills to be able to share their thoughts in a foreign language, even acquiring the relevant language skills to express humour and tell jokes in English.All of this comes with practice â€" which you can get with a tutor!Taking an ‘English MOT’ at the Start of Your ESOL ClassIn the context of tutoring an ‘English MOT’ means revisiting the basics of English with your private tutor, and seeing how you perform - even if you consider yourself to be an advanced speaker.Sometimes, a mediocre performance in English is the result of poorly executed learning strategies (this could be by the teacher or student).Nevertheless, if there are gaps in a student’s knowledge of the basics, it is difficult to build up an advanced understanding, and students may face obstacles when they come to study English at a higher level.Superprof therefore recommends that students do all they can to get the most from their private tuition by asking their tutor to help them consolidate their basic knowledge of English.Equally, it’s up to you to choose an English tutor who suits your individual needs.Compared to many other languages, English conjugation is relatively simple, so you should know it like the back of your hand â€" this includes irregular verbs too!Relearning basic sentence construction and grammar may seem tedious, but a good understanding is essential to a good command of English syn tax.Speaking good English with few mistakes means you will be able to adapt your spoken register to each situation, who will make you more attractive as an employee.Learn about taking ESOL courses as an adult here.