Chinese Language is easily one of the most dreaded subjects Singaporean students always complain about.
Many students these days would rather pour in hours studying other subjects like Math and Science instead, as they feel that these subjects will impact their future education choices more.
Given that English is our main medium of communication, it is perhaps not surprising that some students do not see the need to learn Chinese. Most of us probably only learnt Chinese Language till when we completed our secondary education.
However, Chinese actually holds a huge importance for students, especially for those who are looking to enrol in university through the JC route.
For Junior College (JC) students, you’re required to complete your A Level Chinese in your first year.
This is the reason behind the Ministry of Education (MOE) imposing Chinese as a compulsory subject to study for students from Chinese families.
Tips to Improve Your Chinese
Learning Chinese is actually very important and is often overlooked by students.
Do you see the significance it holds and how it can determine the chances of you getting into university?
Do you fear not being able to get into your dream university because of Chinese?
Well, fear no more!
In this article, I’ll be sharing some awesome tips you can use to improve your Chinese.
1.Mastering The Basics
Without mastering the basics of anything, how do you expect to improve to the intermediate and advanced level?
That’s almost impossible!
Hence, it’s important that you get the basics right first.
The basics of Chinese consist of learning how to write simple words. Devote some time to learning Chinese characters and practice them consistently as it’s very easy to forget them.
Take out a notebook and practice writing the characters several times so you can get used to the strokes. Do this everyday and you’ll be a pro in no time!
2.Get Comfortable By Speaking It More Often
The only way to get more comfortable speaking Chinese is to actually speak it. You can start experimenting by talking to yourself in Chinese.
Look into the mirror and observe how you look like and sound.
After getting slightly more comfortable, start by speaking Chinese when conversing with people you talk to everyday such as your family members and friends.
It’s okay if you mispronounce words when conversing with them. Let them correct you! It’s better to embarrass yourself in front of people you’re comfortable with than with strangers.
It’s very common for you to get words wrong when you’re still adapting. You can be sure that after speaking the language for a prolonged period, you’ll get the hang of it.
Afterall, practice makes perfect!
3.Craft Some Notes of Your Own
One of the most productive ways to study Chinese is to write your own notes.
Personally, I like to write my notes in a form of flashcards.
It’s usually less time consuming as compared to writing your notes in a notebook.
You can easily finish a deck of flashcard notes in a few minutes. Due to the small amount of space it offers, you’re forced to write only the most important details.
This saves you a lot of time and energy. Furthermore, flashcards are very portable.
Making it extremely convenient for you to bring them along anywhere you go.
If you’ve some time to kill when on public transport, take out your deck of flashcards and start reading!
4.Cultivate a Reading Habit
Reading is one of the best ways to improve your vocabulary.
It’s also a good way to expose you to new words that you can add into your arsenal.
Yes, it can be rather daunting to read Chinese materials at the beginning when you don’t have a strong command in this language.
But with time and practice, not only will you realise that reading has become a breeze, you’ll also develop a stronger command in Chinese.
Killing 2 birds with 1 stone!
5.Listen to Chinese Songs
Hear me out on this.
I’ve always had a mentality that Chinese songs are all the same, all about heartbreak and sadness.
Which was why I didn’t bother listening to it because I thought it’d only make me sad. But boy was I wrong.
Chinese songs are actually very pleasant to hear despite them usually trying to convey sad messages.
The melody also helps me to be more focused when I’m studying, and what better music genre to listen to when you’re studying Chinese?
Listening to songs can also help to improve your vocabulary, whenever you hear a word that you’ve not heard of, just search it up in the dictionary!
6.Pay Attention in Class
Paying attention during lessons is very important if you’re looking to improve your Chinese.
When you listen attentively in class, it helps you to learn and process information better.
Furthermore, paying attention makes you think and process the information given by your teacher, if you’re unsure of what they’re talking about, you can simply raise your hand to ask.
Not paying attention in class can be rather detrimental to your grades as you’ll miss out on a lot of important information given by your teachers.
7.Watch Chinese Programmes
Watching Chinese programmes is a fun and entertaining way to improve your Chinese.
Most of Chinese programmes have English subtitles added in, so you don’t have to worry about not understanding the context of the show.
Andy Lau, Aaron Kwok, Jackie Chan, Donnie Yen.
Have you heard of these names?
These are the names of some of the most famous Chinese actors in this world.
They’ve starred in many top-rated dramas and movies!
You can expect to see them in Chinese Films and Series such as Ip Man, Meteor Garden, The Warlords, etc.
Not sure where you can find these programmes?
Simply search Asiancrush on Google and you get to indulge in all these shows for FREE!
Who doesn’t like free stuff?
8.Hire a Private Tutor
If you’re someone who needs a professional to be around you to coach and tutor you, you’re just in luck!
At SmileTutor, we’ve access to the best Private Chinese Tutors who’re able to bring your grades to the next level?
Don’t believe it?
Call us now and find out!
Conclusion
There you have it!
Here are some tips that are sure to help you improve your Chinese if you follow me religiously.
The beginning on a journey is always the hardest, once you’ve overcome the tough beginning, everything just gets easier.
Remember, when the going gets tough, the tough gets going.
So, don’t give up!
Here are some related articles you might like to read:
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8 Quick Tips to Learn Chinese Quickly – SmileTutor
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