Learn Conversational Chinese Like a Child

Chinese is a much easier language than most people believe to learn. It is possible to learn conversational Chinese in much less time than people believe as well. If you are able to read and write in English, it is possible for you to learn Chinese. It is only a matter of speaking and listening. As human beings we are configured for language learning. If you can develop the courage to dive into speaking Chinese, you can learn conversational Chinese in a year or less.

In order to learn conversational Chinese fast, you need to tap into your inherent abilities as a human being. This sounds a little crazy, but you need to become a kid again. Children learn languages at an amazing rate. Part of this is because their brains are hardwired for language learning. However, part of this is simply because they have the courage to speak when everyone else is too afraid. Language learning is not about memorization, study, and the mastery of grammar. It is about intuition. If you try to learn conversational Chinese the way you would learn physics, you will fail. Why try? Instead, go back to kindergarten and have fun with it. Just speak as much as you possibly can and you will discover that your brain will absorb more vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation than you could ever have memorized.

Many people disagree about whether it is advantageous to commit to serious study and memorization before you begin speaking in a foreign language, or whether it is better to jump into speaking before you have a significant knowledge of vocabulary and grammar. Obviously there are pros and cons. Mandarin Chinese, however, is a language that offers great benefits to those who have the courage to speak.

This is because the challenges associated with learning conversational Chinese are nearly all related to pronunciation. English speakers have difficulty pronouncing certain sounds that do not exist in English, and are intimidated because Chinese is a tonal language while English contains no tones. In contrast to English, Chinese actually has a very simple grammar and structure. So for the language learner who can overcome the challenges of pronunciation, Chinese is amazingly simple. This is great news for people who want to learn conversational Chinese but don't want to spend months or years memorizing from a book.

There are so many reasons to learn conversational Chinese that you should not be held back by your fear of speaking. Take charge of the situation, organize a language exchange, and start learning conversational Chinese the way that languages are meant to be learned -- through fun, creativity, and spontaneity.

Justin White lives in Jhubei Taiwan, and frantically works at learning Chinese.

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