Learning a new language is as joyful as it can be scary
Now that you’ve decided to take up Chinese studying I’m sure you’ve encountered this:
“Woah so brave, such a difficult language, you know I’d love to speak another language, but…”
Good motivation am I right…
This kind of response can put off most learners before they even start. But still you’ve decided to take the plunge and start learning Chinese. Only to discover there is so much information out there! We call this information overload. There’s so much ‘advice’ online for the best apps, the best language, the best way to learn a new language that you might not even know where to start!
That’s why we’ve taken the opportunity to spend today’s article focusing on the most frequently asked questions in regards to Chinese learning. If you’ve been keeping up with our blog you will have noticed that we have already written extensively on these topics. To save you from having to read so many articles, we’ve consolidated it all into one. But don’t worry, we’ve linked it to our other articles should you want to expand your knowledge.
Consider this article like our Lingo Bus App, a handy consolidated Chinese learning tool. And their online Chinese tearchers are profession and native.
What is the difference between Mandarin and Chinese?
Well this is a long question but for a simple answer here’s a quote form our longer article ‘What are the differences between Chinese and Mandarin?’:
“Well unfortunately technically speaking there is no such language as Chinese… To overly simplify it Chinese is a term that refers to a common language spoken in China. Some will call it a language some a dialect. Chinese is simply a term that includes multiple dialects or languages. For example, Cantonese, Hakka, of course Mandarin, and many more! If you actually think about it saying Chinese language gives no justice to it, as it includes over 200 dialects! It is a language that is also spoken internationally. Because of this Chinese is the worlds most spoken language in terms of users.”
So when we talk about learning Chinese in this article we are most commonly referring to Mandarin. This is also known as ‘Standard Chinese language’ or called “普通话”(pǔ tōng huà ), meaning “common tongue”. It is the preferred language used by the government, media, and in education and that’s why it’s important to focus on it and not other dialects.
Why learn Mandarin Chinese?
“Chinese language is the top language for anyone who wants to travel or do business in Asia. It is also the worlds top spoken language in terms of user number, belonging to the 2nd largest economy in the world. If that isn’t enough to convince you to study this above the other languages how about this: it will improve your brain! As an English speaker you only use the left temporal lobe, however with mandarin you use both.”
Basically Chinese is the Lingua Franca in Asia, and is becoming more important worldwide. What you might not have realized is that there is a high demand for Mandarin second language speakers but not many who have this skill. More and more parents want to introduce Mandarin to their kids. Many famous parents have done this through tutors, but not everyone has that luxury. Although a higher percentage of parents want to offer Chinese classes for their kids they don’t have access to resources to do so. That is until now.
Lingo bus provides 25-minute individual or group classes with native speakers to children aged 5 to 12 years’ old. All from the convenience of your own home at whatever time is suitable for you and your child. The only thing you need is a good internet connection and a laptop, or an iPad. Each class also comes with before class preview and after class review materials. That’s not all! Each new student who signs up gets a free Demo class, that way you can see if this is the right fit for you without loosing anything. On top of it all each child is assigned a specialist educational consultant. Every child is an achiever with the right support, that’s why our education consultant will personalize a study plan to fit your child. They are also available for support during your language journey.
How to start learning Chinese?
Well you’ve already taken the first step by deciding to read this blog, it shows you have interest!
The most important thing is to have a good steady language support, if possible from a native speaker. Since you want to make sure you are not making mistakes from the start! The best solution for this is to have an experienced native speaker guide you in your language journey. At Lingo Bus our teachers all hold a degree in foreign language teaching and have taught for a minimum of 3 years. To ensure the quality of our teachers we have very strict hiring requirements with only a 4% passing rate. We also offer training sessions to ensure our teachers are providing your child with the best Chinese education there is to offer. But that’s not all! We understand that a teacher isn’t ‘one size fits all’. Our app allows you to interchange and try new teachers, whilst keeping your 3 favorite ones on hold. What this means is you can match the best tutor for your child easily! Something that could not be done in a language school, you would simply be stuck with that teacher.
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