Q&A for How to Learn to Read and Write Chinese

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What should I read to practice?

Tian Zhou
Language Specialist
Tian Zhou is a Language Specialist and the Founder of Sishu Mandarin, a Chinese Language School in the New York metropolitan area. Tian holds a Bachelor's Degree in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL) from Sun Yat-sen University and a Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) from New York University. Tian also holds a certification in Foreign Language (&ESL) - Mandarin (7-12) from New York State and certifications in Test for English Majors and Putonghua Proficiency Test from The Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China. He is the host of MandarinPod, an advanced Chinese language learning podcast.

Tian Zhou

Language Specialist

Expert Answer

Chinese newspapers are a good choice. The language and writing will be more conversational, which will be super beneficial. You'll also be exposed to a variety of different subjects, since newspapers cover all kinds of topics.

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Question

Which words should I practice writing as I learn?

Tian Zhou
Language Specialist
Tian Zhou is a Language Specialist and the Founder of Sishu Mandarin, a Chinese Language School in the New York metropolitan area. Tian holds a Bachelor's Degree in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL) from Sun Yat-sen University and a Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) from New York University. Tian also holds a certification in Foreign Language (&ESL) - Mandarin (7-12) from New York State and certifications in Test for English Majors and Putonghua Proficiency Test from The Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China. He is the host of MandarinPod, an advanced Chinese language learning podcast.

Tian Zhou

Language Specialist

Expert Answer

Start with the most common words that show up frequently in your studies. Practice writing them as you're saying them out loud to really commit them to memory.

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Question

Should I start with Simplified or Traditional Chinese?

Tian Zhou
Language Specialist
Tian Zhou is a Language Specialist and the Founder of Sishu Mandarin, a Chinese Language School in the New York metropolitan area. Tian holds a Bachelor's Degree in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL) from Sun Yat-sen University and a Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) from New York University. Tian also holds a certification in Foreign Language (&ESL) - Mandarin (7-12) from New York State and certifications in Test for English Majors and Putonghua Proficiency Test from The Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China. He is the host of MandarinPod, an advanced Chinese language learning podcast.

Tian Zhou

Language Specialist

Expert Answer

If you don't know what to start with, I recommend to start with simplified, since it's more dominant and more popular. As a second language learner, learning Chinese first with traditional characters will surely slow the pace down.

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What if you do not have access to Chinese material?

Alex

Top Answerer

Buy the materials online. You can buy a Chinese dictionary through online bookstores and that will definitely be helpful. Also, you can go to YouTube and find some videos on learning Chinese.

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Is keeping a Chinese diary helpful in learning Chinese?

WikiBoat

Community Answer

Yes. Because a diary requires you to write and practice your language skills regularly, it's a great way to learn some Chinese phrases and characters that you would use in daily life. As Chinese is a language which you can only learn to write in through practice and memorization, keeping a diary will help you get some common phrases down.

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