Toddler Mandarin practice is a very important thing. A 5-year-old baby, substandard pronunciation test, belongs to moderate to severe dysarthria, a sentence is more than half, except for the mother can understand, outsiders do not know what the baby is saying.
The sound measurement report showed that the posterior voice of the tip of the tongue was 75% wrong, the tip of the tongue was 60% wrong, the tongue surface was 52% wrong, and the tip of the tongue was 33% wrong.
The errors that can occur with functional dysarthria are almost complete. In addition, the baby’s oral function test is also substandard. Functional dysarthria, also known as developmental slurred speech or developmental dysphonia, is more common in preschool children.
These babies have no problems on the surface, active and lively, smart and cute, and there is no damage to various articulation organs in the mouth, but the pronunciation is inaccurate, the speech is not clear, and this kind of voice problems will be left to the future, and can not correct themselves.
This shows that many children’s Mandarin practice is still very lacking. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, promote the implementation of the “Children’s Language Homophony” plan, cultivate preschool children with basic Putonghua communication skills, and form Putonghua thinking habits, which will lay a good language foundation for them to enter the compulsory education stage.
Language is the carrier of cultural inheritance and the foundation of national prosperity and development, and the Party and the state attach great importance to the popularization of the national standard language and the education of preschool children in Putonghua.
In 2020, the Opinions of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on Doing a Good Job in the Key Work in the Field of “Three Rural Areas” to Ensure the Realization of All-round Moderate Prosperity on Schedule clearly required that “vigorously improve the ability of rural teachers in the central and western regions to use the standard spoken and written national language, and strengthen the Putonghua education of preschool children in poverty-stricken areas”.
The reporter learned that in June 2020, the Department of Language and Writing Application Management of the Ministry of Education carried out online demonstration training for Putonghua “seed” teachers in kindergartens deeply impoverished areas, and conducted special demonstration training on Putonghua teaching ability for 700 key kindergarten teachers, so that they have the teaching ability to undertake follow-up rotation training tasks.
After years of efforts, positive progress has been made in the toddler Mandarin practice and education of young children in ethnic minority areas and rural areas, and the construction of the teaching team has been continuously strengthened.
For example, in terms of teacher training, Qinghai Province has carried out special training for kindergarten teachers who do not meet the Putonghua standards in the province, and by the end of 2020, the number of kindergarten teachers who did not meet the Putonghua standards in the province has been greatly reduced.
In addition, some localities lack kindergarten teachers, so teachers with weak teaching ability in the national standard language of primary schools are transferred to kindergarten teaching, or temporarily hired kindergarten teachers through government procurement of services, labor dispatch, etc., and some of them have not yet reached the standard of Putonghua.
The relevant person in charge of the Language and Text Application Management Department of the Ministry of Education stated that in order to build a team of kindergarten teachers with Mandarin education and teaching abilities in ethnic and rural areas, it will play a demonstration and driving role in promoting Mandarin teaching in kindergartens.
The Ministry of Education, with the support of the central special lottery public welfare fund of the Ministry of Finance, has implemented the “Children’s Language Homophonic” program – the Mandarin education project for young children. The Ministry of Education plans to carry out national language and writing application training for kindergarten teachers in ethnic and rural areas in stages and batches during the 14th Five Year Plan period, gradually covering all rural kindergartens in relevant provinces.
The relevant person in charge of the Language and Text Application Management Department of the Ministry of Education stated that it is necessary to create a rich Mandarin education environment and focus on developing the oral expression ability of preschool children through environmental infiltration.
Encourage young children to communicate in Mandarin through opportunities in daily life and games; Organize colorful activities to encourage young children to listen, speak, want to speak, dare to speak, and have the opportunity to speak Mandarin.
At the level of collaborative promotion, it is also necessary to actively play the leading role of universities.
Utilizing its own disciplinary and talent advantages, we will carry out the “Ten Million” project during the “14th Five Year Plan” period, organize hundreds of kindergartens in the eastern and central western regions, 1000 kindergarten teachers, and 10000 families of young children to pair up and assist, and promote Mandarin education for preschool children in ethnic and rural areas in the central and western regions.
At the same time, attention should be paid to leveraging the intellectual advantages of relevant universities through on-site visits and research, tool evaluations, behavior observation, action research, principal teacher parent forums, online teacher salons, remote discussions, and other methods.
Deepen the toddler Mandarin practice, analyze the current situation and existing problems of Mandarin education for young children in ethnic areas, carry out scientific research on the promotion of Mandarin education for young children in ethnic areas, and provide theoretical support for practical work.
From 02 to the present, the number of sensitive children in Singapore has gradually increased. Experiments have shown that children in sensitive periods learn Chinese can help alleviate their symptoms.
The sensitive period is a phenomenon related to the life of children and is suitable for a certain age, so what is the sensitive period?
Through meticulous, patient and systematic observation of children’s natural behavior, it is pointed out that children have a special ability to feel at each specific time, which prompts him to be sensitive to certain things in the environment, to pay attention to relevant things, to be patient, and to ignore other things.
This is called the sensitive period. When the child successfully passes a sensitive period, the child’s mental level rises from one level to another. For ordinary children, language development is a natural thing, and the sensitive period of language development of ordinary children is 0-6 years old.
When babies start crying and staring at the mouth shape of adults, their language sensitivity begins, especially at 18-30 months, they will usher in a verbal burst.
During this period, you can learn 200-300 words, and the parts of speech mastered are quickly enriched in this time period, such as nouns, verbs, adjectives, and words can be synthesized into phrases or sentences in 24-48 months.
But the most common early symptoms in children with autism spectrum disorder include delayed language development, lack of language, or aphasia.
It is difficult for them to learn vocabulary and language structure, and in the process, they will have problems such as inability to remember vocabulary, difficulty distinguishing vocabulary, and difficulty combining sentences.
Compared with ordinary children, autistic children have later organ and mental development than ordinary children, and the most common early symptoms of autism include delayed language development, no language or aphasia.
It can be seen from here that the sensitive period of autistic children comes later than ordinary children; Secondly, there is low intensity, and the performance in the sensitive period is not as obvious as that of ordinary children.
In the process of mastering vocabulary and sentence patterns, because the core obstacle of autistic children has thinking disorders, they will master less vocabulary than ordinary children, and cannot be used flexibly, and in the process of learning sentence patterns, there will be problems such as difficulty in combining sentences, stiff and incoherent sentences in combination.
Chengcheng is a 3-year-old and 5-month-old autistic child, he had no language before 2 years and 8 months, and after 3 months of intervention, Chengcheng was able to express simple monophony, after which Chengcheng became particularly fond of imitating adult pronunciation.
At the age of 3, Chengcheng has been able to master more than 50 nouns, such as watermelon, cat, crow, car, etc., and at the age of 3 years and 2 months, he can name sports characters, such as mother, grandfather, teacher, grandmother, etc.
Since learning short sentences, Chengcheng will eagerly pull the adult to say when he sees anything, and after speaking, he will look at the adult with expectant eyes, and when the adult praises and repeats Chengcheng’s words, Chengcheng will excitedly repeat what he just said. This is the importance of children in sensitive periods learn Chinese.
The language sensitivity period of autistic children is not as obvious as that of ordinary children, so this requires the interventionist and the family to observe the subtle changes of the child, and when it is found that the child begins to occur, and is very willing to imitate adult speech.
We must understand that the child’s language sensitivity period has arrived. In this process we need to pay attention to:
Timely response and strengthening. In the early stages of learning, children will have temptation and lack of confidence, such as low voices and dare not look directly at the person in conversation.
At this time, we must encourage the child in time: “What you said is amazing! You said it very clearly! You’re amazing, and you’ve learned a new vocabulary! ”
Correct errors in time, in the process of learning language, children will use mistakes and express errors, such as the teacher is playing with the child to lose the ball, but the child says: “The ball is dropped”, the mother is cooking, but the mother is eating.
So after the child expresses the error, be sure to correct the error immediately to avoid the same mistake in the future.
Timely assistance. When children express more complex sentences, there will be stuttering or unclear expression, for example, if the child wants his mother to help get cookies, he can only anxiously express “Mom, eat cookies”, which is to assist the child to complete the sentence “Mommy I want to eat cookies”.
The arrival of the language sensitive period is one stage to another stage for the development of autistic children, and it is a most important link in their development process.
The sensitive period is also short-lived, not permanent, it lasts only for a short period of time, and as long as it disappears, it can never be reproduced. I hope that all parents can seize this stage of children in sensitive periods learn Chinese and build hope for their future growth.
Even if you can learn 10 hours a day, speaking fluent Mandarin within 30 days from scratch is not a practical plan to master Chinese. So, how tolearn fast Chinese in 30 days?
However, it is possible to develop the habit of learning Chinese in daily life through 30 days of training. Once you develop a daily habit of learning Chinese, you will benefit greatly from this habit.
What should you do during these 30 days of Chinese language training to achieve this goal?
1. Develop detailed goals and complete the schedule A specific learning plan detailing daily content can help you achieve your goals more easily and faster. There is no need to set fixed or identical goals every day. Diversified learning content and flexible learning volume are more conducive to maintaining learning attention and making it easier to persist.
For example, your daily learning goal can be to remember 10 Chinese characters or characters at a time; Alternatively, practice standard pronunciation of Chinese vocabulary with similar tones, or learn the usage of a Chinese phrase or pattern and practice with your Chinese friends.
Perfect for applying the most interesting learning modes and the most suitable 30 day Mandarin learning challenge for you. In the long run, both interest and motivation are important for language learning.
2.Persistence is half the battle It is said that 30 days is the shortest time for a person to cultivate a new habit. Once you can persist in learning Chinese every day for 30 days, your daily Chinese learning actions will automatically become your habit.
If your brain can subconsciously process learning tasks as a part of your favorite daily life, then learning Mandarin will no longer be boring.
However, if you skip a few days of learning, whether it is regular or irregular, the efficiency of your 30 day Mandarin learning challenge will be greatly reduced.
If you have spent a long day, try turning your daily Chinese character memory task into a relaxing meditation accompanied by a beautiful Chinese song. If you feel dizzy about strokes and radicals, you can focus instead on imitating standard pronunciation by watching instructional videos or listening to audio materials.
3.Record daily learning outcomes Prepare a diary to record daily learning and progress during the 30 day challenge. This may seem like an unnecessary action, but every step you take every day can become a milestone, and when you look back at it, it will motivate and motivate you.
Every step and progress on the way to learning Mandarin deserves honor. Learning how to encourage oneself appropriately is also an effective way to promote your language learning and even further your future career and life.
4.Focus on practicing listening and reading Listening skills, speaking skills, reading skills, and writing skills are the four basic aspects of language, which can indicate proficiency in a specific language. Among these four skills, speaking and writing skills are important skills in the output stage of language learning.
These two temporary skills also require long-term learning and gradual accumulation. Focusing too much on these two aspects during the 30 day Mandarin learning challenge may cause you to feel frustrated due to unclear results.
On the contrary, listening and reading skills belong to the input learning stage and can be effectively improved through short-term reinforcement learning. If your goal is to cultivate learning habits and motivate yourself at most, then focus on improving these two skills.
Memorizing Chinese characters and vocabulary are both good ways to practice these cognitive abilities.
5.Communicate more with foreign friends and create a language environment
Inlearn fast chinese in 30 days, your native Chinese friends can help you learn Mandarin at the same time. There are many things you can do with your Chinese friends while learning the language.
For example, you can regularly participate in language exchange activities or watch Chinese movies with Chinese friends. Learning to play mahjong and cook Chinese food is also a fun way to learn about Chinese culture and learn everyday Chinese vocabulary.
The above tips and recommendations are only for short-term challenges that motivate you the most. However, if you plan to achieve more and learn the language for a long time, it is best to learn more tips on how to learn Chinese easily.
In learn fast chinese in 30 days, the easiest way to do this is to take an immersion Chinese language program in China, which allows you to experience a real environment full of Chinese and Chinese language and cultural elements.
There are various ways to practice Mandarin skills well. However, there should be concise and efficient methods. I believe that to learn Mandarin well, the following points must be given sufficient attention.
Firstly, it is important to understand why one needs to learn Mandarin: for hobbies, to participate in Mandarin proficiency tests, or for other purposes, in order to determine specific learning goals and steps.
Secondly, to find like-minded individuals and friends, one should enter a language environment where one can learn and use Mandarin, which can alleviate or even eliminate the enormous psychological pressure in the early stages of learning and using Mandarin.
Thirdly, it is necessary to have brave and firm psychological qualities, be daring to learn and speak, not afraid of ridicule or ridicule from others, and persevere.
Fourthly, encourage yourself and tell yourself ‘I can do it’. When you are particularly nervous, you can relieve your emotions by taking deep breaths.
Fifth, we should learn from everyone who uses Mandarin, pay attention to listening, imitating, comparing, and criticizing, gradually establish good Mandarin listening skills, and form correct standards for judging the pros and cons.
Sixth, seize every opportunity to use Mandarin, first when facing peers and friends, then when facing strangers, and finally when facing everyone else.
Seventh, actively participate in Mandarin and language art activities.
Eighth, we should start with daily conversations in Mandarin.
Ninth, it is necessary to learn some practice Mandarin skills, understand the corresponding laws between Mandarin and dialects, understand their nature and why, and achieve twice the result with half the effort.
Tenth, it is necessary to cultivate the habit of thinking and expressing in Mandarin, gradually reducing until the phenomenon of thinking in dialect and speaking in Mandarin is avoided.
Eleventh, the importance of language sense, intonation, and the format of word pronunciation, as well as the variation and intonation of continuous pronunciation, should be a top priority in learning Mandarin.
Twelfth, it is necessary to choose appropriate professional training courses based on one’s learning objectives. Through systematic and scientific training, one can quickly grasp learning methods and improve one’s own level, thereby strengthening one’s confidence in learning and using, and enhancing one’s interest in learning and using.
During the learning process, some jokes may appear, but they should not be discouraged. On the contrary, one should move forward despite difficulties, persevere, and turn the laughter of others into a driving force for one’s own learning.
At the beginning of learning, progress may be slow, but as long as you feel the tricks, you will immediately summarize your own experiences, and learn with ease and ease. In the end, it will take a thousand miles, and compared to you who previously did not speak Mandarin, it is not in the same breath. After all, Mandarin is not difficult.
To learn Mandarin well, the first thing is to persist in speaking it every day, which is very important, and at the same time, pay attention to discovering your own problems when speaking.
After discovering your own dialect problem, you need to find the correct training method, which can be consulted by the teacher to provide targeted training.
At the same time, attention should be paid to listening to the pronunciation of some standard Mandarin speakers every day, including listening to the radio and classmates who speak Mandarin well around them.
In addition, if there is time, someone should practice Mandarin skills and read aloud every day, gradually practicing in the order of ancient poetry, poetry, and prose. In short, learning Mandarin is also language learning, and only by persevering can it be effective. Generally, as long as you persist for 3-5 months, you will receive certain results, and some people will make significant progress.
Mandarin is the common language in China and a tool for all descendants of the Chinese people to communicate and exchange ideas and emotions. It is a language that uses Beijing language as the standard pronunciation, northern dialect as the basic dialect, and modern vernacular as the grammar standard.
A standard Mandarin with a perfect pronunciation can give people a sense of beauty and endless enjoyment!
Learning simplified Chinese characters is the starting point for learning Chinese and Chinese culture; Teaching Chinese characters is a basic requirement for imparting Chinese language and culture, and promoting cultural exchange between China and foreign countries.
Chinese characters are the written symbol system that records Chinese language, and are the visual manifestation of Chinese language.
It records the culture created by the Chinese nation for thousands of years, accumulates a large number of cultural classics, and gradually adapts to Chinese in long-term application, forming a relatively independent written language of Chinese, widely used in written communication, and becoming one of the most widely used languages in the world today.
We know that there are seven major dialect regions and a larger number of small dialect regions in Chinese. There are significant phonetic differences between different dialects, and it is difficult to communicate verbally between dialects such as Northern dialect and Wu, Min, and Cantonese; The language differences between different regions of Northern dialect are also very obvious.
This creates a significant gap in verbal communication between different parts of the country. Since the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, this gap has been reduced due to the government’s strong promotion of Mandarin, but it has not been completely eliminated.
Only written Chinese language written in Chinese characters can flow smoothly among the literate descendants of the Chinese people.
This indicates that up to now, Chinese characters are still suitable for China’s national conditions. Teaching Chinese characters well by Chinese language teachers and learning Chinese characters well by each student is a sacred responsibility to improve national cultural quality and consolidate national unity.
With the deepening development of China’s reform and opening up, cultural exchanges between countries and China continue to expand, and more and more foreign friends are learning Chinese and Chinese characters. It is also the responsibility of Chinese language teachers to help these friends learn Chinese and Chinese characters well.
Chinese characters are used to record Chinese morphemes. Each Chinese character roughly records the semantics and pronunciation of a monosyllabic morpheme. However, the basic syllables of Mandarin Chinese are only 415, and with the addition of four tones and neutral tones, there are only 1335. However, the number of morphemes in modern Chinese greatly exceeds this number.
So, even when the national population of over one billion people and overseas Chinese can speak Mandarin, it is impossible to abolish Chinese characters.
At present and in the foreseeable future, Chinese characters will still be the only effective textual symbol system for recording Chinese language.
The Latin alphabet in the Chinese Pinyin scheme can only be used as a tool for Chinese phonetic notation, and it is currently impossible to replace Chinese characters with it. Whether Chinese or foreign, in order to learn simplified Chinese characters, one must learn Chinese characters well, and in order to teach Chinese characters well, one must also teach them well.
Morphemes in Chinese that cannot be distinguished by pronunciation can only be distinguished by Chinese characters. Morphemes that cannot be distinguished and taught by the mouth can only be explained clearly by explaining different forms of Chinese characters; Students can only understand and master homophones correctly by learning Chinese characters with different shapes. There is no other way.
Chinese characters are self originating characters created by the Chinese people. It not only records the Chinese language and various aspects of knowledge created by the Chinese people.
Moreover, its emergence and development also embodies the intelligence and wisdom of the Chinese nation, reflecting the social customs, ethical and moral concepts, social psychology, and development process of different periods in China.
For example, the formation of characters has evolved from pictographic and referential techniques to understanding and sound, from visual representation to symbolic representation, from individual to complex forms to simplified forms, from irregular to regular, and from non-standard to standardized, all of which demonstrate the development process of Chinese thinking from concrete to abstract, from simple to complex, and from seeking rules.
Careful examination of the emergence and evolution of various Chinese characters also reflects the wisdom and development process of the Chinese people.
All of this indicates that a history of the development of Chinese characters reflects the development of Chinese society and the wisdom of the Chinese people.
The process of learning simplified Chinese characters is also the process of gradually understanding Chinese culture; The process of teaching Chinese characters to students is also the process of imparting Chinese culture.
Therefore, it is not difficult for us to understand the meaning of Chinese characters.
There are many dialects in modern Chinese, with significant phonetic differences. On the one hand, Mandarin will gradually be promoted; On the other hand, dialects will always exist. Although there are various differences in pronunciation, it does not hinder written communication.
The super dialectal nature of Chinese characters has made it the only communication tool that has been widely used throughout China for thousands of years. It has played a role in constraining dialects, unifying the nation, and forming an unprecedented scale of Chinese character culture.
People from different dialect regions (including overseas Chinese), although often unable to communicate, can use Chinese characters to communicate, understand the same newspapers, books, and magazines, and use commonly used words expressed in Chinese characters.
Today, the role of Chinese characters in maintaining national and national unity, disseminating government will, utilizing and disseminating modern economic and cultural information, and maintaining unity between Chinese people and ethnic Chinese at home and abroad cannot be underestimated.
Learn the best Chinese courses and experience the comparison of table manners between China and the West. China has had “food etiquette” since ancient times, and later “food etiquette” expanded from communication between humans and gods to interpersonal communication in order to regulate increasingly complex social relationships.
The Origin of Western Table Etiquette
Western table etiquette originated from the Merovinga dynasty in France, which formulated a series of detailed etiquette.
To this day, table manners continue to be passed down in European countries. Western families have a tradition of treating dining tables as classrooms. From the first day a child goes to the dining table, parents cultivate table etiquette.
In the West, children generally learn all the etiquette of dining by the age of four. Five year old children are happy to do things they can, such as setting all the utensils before meals and cleaning them up after meals.
Differences in dietary culture
China has always been a country of etiquette and etiquette, and has its own unique views on food.
When entertaining guests, Chinese hosts usually attach great importance to the dishes on the table, which are usually very exquisite and precious.
They also pay attention to the combination of meat and vegetables, color matching, and in families with high status or cultural level, even the naming of dishes has special meanings.
Western countries, on the other hand, value time more and prioritize efficiency in their work, which is why fast food restaurants are popular. Even when entertaining guests, the host’s preparation is very different from that of China. The main dish is likely to be a few rare but precious vegetables.
At the same time, Chinese hosts will occasionally add cloth and new dishes to their guests’ bowls. Often, the guests’ bowls are filled with the dishes they bring, but in the West, this is very impolite behavior. The host’s cloth and dishes can make the guests feel that their wishes are not respected.
The atmosphere on the dining table is also completely different from that of the West. Chinese people value liveliness, so they often talk loudly at the table. Although the atmosphere is very harmonious and enjoyable, it is considered very uncivilized by Westerners.
Western table etiquette emphasizes etiquette and manners, and the entire dining process should be very quiet and elegant.
For example, in the United States, many people have a habit of rotating the plates of food placed on the dining table and using hairpins or spoons to take them into their own plates for consumption.
If you have eaten all your food and the food you want to take is far away from others, you cannot take it without authorization. You should ask the person to pass the plate over before taking it.
Both China and the West attach great importance to the seating arrangement during banquet activities, and Chinese people have a great fondness for the Eight Immortals Table in traditional thinking.
During the banquet, elderly people or hosts, as well as highly respected individuals, take the main seats, while other guests take their seats in order; In Western countries, when entertaining guests, it is customary to use a long table. The host will sit at both ends of the table, while the guests will take their seats in order.
This difference reflects the differences in thinking between China and the West. Chinese people like the feeling of happiness and completeness, so they choose circular tables. In the adoption of table shapes, it can be seen that Westerners advocate for themselves, with a bold personality that aligns with Western characteristics.
For example, on an Italian dining table, the most respected person should be at the center of the table, which is different from British dining etiquette. The most important guest should be sitting on the right side of the host.
When Americans eat, if the dining table is rectangular, one end of the table facing the door is the male host’s seat, and the other end is the female host’s seat. You should take your seat after the host and hostess have taken their seats.
In Spain, one must obey the host’s arrangement of tables and seats. If the person sitting next to you is a woman, be sure to assist the other person in taking the seat first and try to talk to the person at the same table (especially the person sitting next to you) as much as possible.
In Western cuisine, the napkin is placed on the plate. If something needs to be placed on the plate before guests sit down, the napkin is placed next to the plate.
The use of tableware should be from the outside to the inside, and the French way of cutting can be used, that is, holding a fork in the left hand and a knife in the right hand, cutting while using it. It can also be used in English and American style, which means holding a knife with the right hand and a fork with the left hand. After cutting, use the right hand to hold the fork and use it.
Generally, use your right hand to hold a spoon and cup and use cutlery to deliver food to your mouth, rather than lifting dishes and bowls. When eating with a knife and fork, the knife is used to cut food and the fork is used to deliver food to the mouth.
When using a knife, the blade should not be outward, and one end of the knife and fork should not be placed on a plate, while the other end should not be placed on the table; When it is necessary to temporarily put down the knives and forks during meals, they should be placed in an octagonal shape and placed separately on the edge of the dining plate, with the blade facing towards oneself, indicating that one needs to continue eating.
After the meal is over, place the back of the fork upwards, the blade inward and close to the fork, and place it flat on the dining plate to indicate the end of the meal. When using body language or passing food during conversation, the knife and fork should be put down and not waved in the air.
After using the knife and fork, it should be placed horizontally in the center of the dining plate, not on the edge or table.
Singaporeans who pause the use of knives and hairpins before finishing their meal should place them with the blade facing inward and the back of the hairpin facing upwards to indicate that they still need to use them.
Otherwise, others or waiters may mistakenly assume that you have finished eating and take away your tableware. When leaving the table after eating, the seat should be returned to its original position.
As the saying goes, “Food is the top priority for the people Understanding table etiquette in various countries and learning the best Chinese courses can help us avoid embarrassment in future cross-cultural communication and successfully achieve the goal of ‘eating the world without fear’!
Learning the best Chinese courses and understanding social etiquette in different countries is very helpful for us. Interested children can try more~Welcome to inquire and learn more.
Whether you’re taking a Mandarin course or teaching yourself Mandarin, you may feel the need for some extra help from a good Chinese online home tutor.
If you’re struggling to find the right Chinese mentor, you’re not alone. Of course, not everyone is suitable for this job. While there are thousands of people on the internet who claim to be “professional teachers,” only a fraction of them are truly worth your time and money.
I am primarily a self-learner and have been fortunate to work with some excellent online Mandarin teachers and have found the experience very positive and rewarding. In this post, I will show you how to choose a great Chinese tutor who is perfectly right for you and make the most of your tutoring sessions.
First, determine your target accent and choose a teacher who will speak the Mandarin version you want to speak. This is the most important consideration for you when looking for a Mandarin tutor online.
To understand all the subtleties of Mandarin, such as colloquial expressions, slang, and idioms, you need to look for native speakers, but pay attention to the differences between Chinese mainland, Taiwan, and Singapore.
While the type of Mandarin to learn may depend on your personal preferences, consider your future use of Mandarin. Do you need Mandarin skills to communicate with a specific community? Are you planning to move there one day?
All of these are good questions to ask yourself before choosing the right mentor. If you don’t have a preference, then I suggest you learn Mandarin from a tutor who grew up in China.
The Mandarin version is more widespread there – your chances of hearing Mandarin globally are much higher. For example, there are many Southeast Asians who do not invite Singaporean teachers, but insist on Chinese teachers because they feel that this is a more appropriate way to learn Mandarin.
A word of caution: Due to the myriad of dialects that exist throughout the country, only 7% of the population in China can speak standard Mandarin. The rest either speak less standard Mandarin with regional accents or not speak it at all.
Make sure your tutor speaks accentual, perfect Mandarin so you can have the perfect pronunciation to imitate. The second important factor in finding an online Chinese mentor is experience.
Just like learning any language, you want your Mandarin tutor to have the appropriate experience.
Not only in terms of Chinese, but also in the field of coaching. Keep an eye out for teachers who have only taught in the classroom – tutoring one student is a very different dynamic than tutoring the entire class. If they haven’t done anything else or taught as a tutor, they may not be very good at customizing content and interacting in a fun way.
Moreover, some professional Chinese teachers have quite firm and outdated concepts of Mandarin learning. This is especially a problem for teachers who have received a lot of formal training in China (which is one of the reasons “having a teaching degree or certificate” is not on my list – many good Chinese tutors don’t).
While experienced teachers can be a lifesaver when dealing with more technical language areas like grammar rules or vocabulary (they’ve done the same explanations hundreds of times), it may be worthwhile (and often cheaper) to consult with less experienced teachers, and tutors can give you more flexibility in planning your own lessons (especially if you’re an experienced learner) and adapting to your learning style.
Most likely, you already want your tutor to talk as much Chinese as possible in class. Nevertheless, you should choose a Chinese online home tutor who speaks fluent English or your native language (except Chinese) Chinese.
The reason is that when a tutor speaks a foreign language well, it shows that they understand how to learn a language. They may be able to combine their own learning experiences to provide you with advice and tips that other tutors cannot.
In addition, my personal experience tells me that if you are a beginner in Mandarin, you will learn best and most effectively under the guidance of a tutor who can explain concepts and grammatical content in English (or your native language).
One of the best ways to learn more about Mandarin tutors online is to read reviews from students who have previously taken classes withChinese online home tutor. Their honest experience will show you if the tutors are experienced and efficient, give you information about what to expect from their lessons, and may even warn you if things don’t go your way.
Keep in mind that the number of reviews may be more valuable. For example, a tutor with hundreds of four-star ratings may sometimes be better than a tutor with only two five-star ratings.
By reading many reviews, you will have a better understanding of the tutor and know if he or she is worth pursuing or if it is time to go elsewhere and continue your search.
