7 Things I Learned as a Chinese Beginner

This past summer, I started learning Chinese. Below are the top seven things I learned while learning Chinese that you might find useful if you also decided to start learning Chinese with KellynKai.

1. It's possible for an English Speaker 

All my life I have been told that learning Chinese is incredibly difficult for English speakers. KellynKai taught me that it is much more possible than I thought. The tutors are very helpful and break down everything to make learning very effective.

2. Pinyin

Pinyin is a basic element of Chinese. It takes the English alphabet and uses it to convey sounds in Chinese. My first lesson focused on Pinyin, and it allowed me to pronounce Chinese effectively. Additionally, knowing Pinyin allows me to keep learning things because of the markings on the words.

3. Hearing Sound Differences

Chinese has different pronunciations of the same vowel to convey different meanings. Changing the pronunciation changes the word completely. This is less intimidating than it sounds. Pinyin makes that part of Chinese very easy to understand. I was also intimidated by this aspect of Chinese; however, my tutors helped me understand it better.

4. Characters

While learning Chinese I was also taught some characters. While it takes time for me to recognize these characters I do know what they mean. When you start learning Chinese characters will become recognizable.

5. Studying Language

I learned effective study tactics such as flashcards, speaking, and scheduling. KellynKai has a flashcard app that is useful for students. I learned that I need to try to speak Chinese outside of the tutoring sessions and I learned how to effectively schedule my time to study.

6. Visible Progress

Learning Chinese taught me that language learning is a skill with visible progress. Much like exercising, progress in learning a language can be visible. For example, while learning Chinese you will be able to tell your language skill based on how much you know. Whether it be speaking skills or reading skills, learning Chinese is a trackable skill.

7. Celebrating the Small Wins

While learning Chinese, I learned to celebrate the small wins. Learning a language is a journey and it takes time to become fluent. While I’m still a beginner, I learned that it is important to celebrate progress while learning.

Learning Chinese has been a very interesting journey for me. If you start this journey, I hope you will take what I have learned as a preview to what learning Chinese has to offer.