When you first study Mandarin Chinese, Chinese language learners will be very anxious to simply plow ahead and start talking without having mastered mandarin tones and other vital pronunciation parts . It is very important to emphasize that standard mandarin tones and proper Chinese pronunciation is vital to laying a solid foundation. Take for example the word “ma”. Said with each of the four tones, they have four different meanings: mother (first tone), hemp (second tone), horse (third tone), and scold (fourth tone). Not learning mandarin tones well in the beginning will make it very hard for people to understand clearly what you are wanting to communicate. Learning tones the first time around, though progress may seem slow, is also wise. Learning mandarin tones wrongly and then trying to retrain yourself to say them carefully is extremely difficult and quite discouraging.
At the very beginning, learning mandarin tones will almost seem impossible to master. Many foreigners have difficulty with the 2nd and 3rd tones. Another common difficulty for the foreign student is differentiating between the 1st and 4th tones. Don’t be too hard on yourself. You will need to spend more time in studying and practicing mandarin tones but there will be a huge pay off.
1on1 Chinese study is very effective and highly recommended at the beginning of studying Chinese , because teachers are there to completely focus on one individual student and correct their pronunciation mistakes.
As one of other articles mentioned, if possible, to learn Chinese in Beijing would be ideal choice, not only Beijing’s mandarin is considered as the most standard Chinese, and the way your learn tones and pronunciation definitely shape the way you speak Chinese, but also Beijing is the greatest place to experience Chinese culture and see the some of greatest sightseeing in China.
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This post was written by guestauthor on May 29, 2010
