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Page 1: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

PHIL

Back in 2013 the two of us met and quickly discovered that we were both equally passionate about learning Chinese As well as becoming great friends

we started sharing with each other various memory techniques and learning tools we found helpful to our language acquisition As a result we found

ourselves improving many times faster than others in our peer group all while investing less time and seemingly having a lot more fun along the way

After passing the HSK 6 in a quarter of the allotted time as well as a Chinese degree and an award winning thesis we decided to join forces and create a

crash course on how to learn Chinese sharing our knowledge with the local community of Chengdu China It became so popular that we began teaching

online and creating awesome video courses We now have a total of 12 years of experience both learning and teaching Chinese and in that time we have

become acutely aware of the problems Chinese learners continue to face and how to solve them How We experienced them first-hand

Learning Chinese changed our lives forever We discovered that those who embark upon this learning journey are rewarded with knowledge amp wisdom

that comes not just from the language itself but more importantly from the hearts and minds of Chinese people It is as enlightening an experience as we

could have ever hoped for and now it is your turn Letrsquos get to it

WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO

LUKE

1

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

DONrsquoT BE LIKE MOST PEOPLE For most people the road to spoken fluency in Chinese is a slow

struggle Most people donrsquot ever get past the beginner stage before

giving up or losing interest Most people get to a semi-satisfactory level

and stagnate painfully for a long time before accepting mediocrity Donrsquot

be like most people We struggled in the beginning and made many

avoidable mistakes that caused delays in our progress and a ton of

frustration After a lot of research and some intense trial and error we

realized that the problem stems from the way we were taught in school

We were taught languages in school the same way we were taught

mathematics and science by memorizing words and grammar points

as facts to be regurgitated during exam time Unfortunately getting to

fluency in any language (including your native language) just doesnrsquot

work like this Language is acquired not learned Wersquoll go into more

detail about this important difference in tip 1

HOW WE ARE GOING TO HELP YOU Wersquove put together this guide of 10 crucial tips that constitute a general

guide for developing awesome Chinese speaking skills quickly and

independently Whether you are just thinking about starting to learn

Chinese or already well into your journey we guarantee you will get a lot

out of this book

2

INTRODUCTION

FOCUS ON INPUT1

Donrsquot force yourself to speak

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

OUTPUT IS SECONDARY TO INPUT Our first tip on speaking better Mandarin is to NOT speak (gasp) but

instead to listen and read Wait Before you delete this E-book forever

allow us to explain Over the years wersquove heard many language

teachers say ldquoIf you want to improve your [INSERT LANGUAGE HERE]

yoursquove got to speak morerdquo and they are technically correcthellipsort of

What is very rarely mentioned is the fact that speaking practice

improves your ability to use the words and phrases you already know

Thatrsquos it

Herersquos an idea that sounds obvious but that few people apply to their

language learning Words and phrases are first acquired as passive

vocabulary (words you can understand) speaking merely activates

them Donrsquot believe us Well you didnrsquot come into the world speaking

your native tongue did you You spent years listening babbling

listening some more uttering the odd word and eventually saying

whole sentences Donrsquot worry Were certainly not saying itrsquoll take you

years to babble a few Chinese words just that your focus early on

should be on reading and listening Speaking can wait until later

After all how can you speak if you have nothing to say Your passive

vocabulary always outnumbers your active vocabulary by a lot and

even more so in a foreign language Therefore the more vocabulary

you understand the more you can potentially ldquoactivaterdquo through

speaking

1FOCUS ON INPUT

4

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

OUTPUT TOO EARLY CAN BE DAMAGING Many Chinese learners look at lists of words using some flashy app or

website and start ldquotrying them outrdquo in conversation without first seeing or

hearing that word in the context of a sentence This leads to incorrect and

sometimes downright funny Chinese coming out of their mouths on a

regular basis

Now if you are paying an experienced and competent Chinese tutor to

pick out mistakes and correct you properly this method may not be too

bad However we can assure you that you cannot rely on native

speakers whether teachers or not to correct you all the time You will

likely be left to flounder and sputter nonsense for extended periods of

time blissfully unaware that you are creating and solidifying an incorrect

version of the language

What is the result of this repeated bad output Usually it means bad

habits which are really tough to break This is partly why people can live

in a foreign country for decades and still speak poorly They donrsquot

consume enough of their target language and they focus too much on

producing it

This should be good news to you regardless of your level You donrsquot

have to feel guilty about not speaking Only ldquofeel guiltyrdquo if you arenrsquot

spending time reading or listening Chinese Whenever you decide you

are ready you can start investing time in regular speaking practice

1FOCUS ON INPUT

WARNING This does not qualify as

reading although we admire this level of

enthusiasm

5

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoIt is possible that compelling input is not just optimal It

may be the only way we truly acquire languagerdquo

- Dr Steven Krashen

6

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Speaking practice activates all that lovely passive vocabulary yoursquove

been building up Our advice would be to make sure you invest

between 30 minutes and 2 hours every day in reading and listening

When you feel ready to start improving your speaking we suggest

booking time with a tutor for an hour or so once or twice a week

Wersquoll guide you through our best methods of using tutors and language

exchange partners in chapter 5

SEEK OUT ENGAGING CONTENT Consuming content you enjoy creates emotional connections that

make it much easier to acquire vocabulary It also makes it easier to

consume more challenging content as you care so much more about the

messages you are trying to decipher If you are a beginner then this is

more challenging After all you donrsquot have enough of a skill level to be

too picky However as you improve you can expand to more varied

content that suits your interests As for exactly what content where to

find it and how to use it effectively wersquoll talk about that later in this ebook

series

NEXT CHAPTER Wersquoll be talking about how many words

you actually need to reach various levels of fluency and

where exactly to find these words Itrsquos not as simple as

you may think See you then

1FOCUS ON INPUT

7

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT SUPPORTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Speaking only makes you better at saying what you already know Input increases your knowledge Input should therefore be the main focus throughout your study

Speaking practice has the very important function of activating passive vocabulary but passive vocabulary is always much larger than active vocablulary

Invest between 30 minutes and 2 hours every day on listening and reading to comprehensible and engaging material Throw in some regular speaking practice with a tutor when yoursquore ready

Focus on content that engages you whether that be sci-fi comic books or horror movies Doing this will make learning new words much easier and more enjoyable

KEY POINTS1FOCUS ON INPUT

8

LEARN THE 2

Prioritise spoken frequency

RIGHT WORDS

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WHICH WORDS SHOULD YOU LEARN Like most people when starting to learn Chinese we went straight for

textbooks not knowing what else to do We were soon bored senseless

by them never able to make it halfway though one before dropping it

for something else Later we realized our boredom stemmed from

many of the words being too advanced andor irrelevant for that vital

early stage There was little in the way of real life application for the

content One textbook even had tang dynasty poems in it You did not

read that incorrectly Tang dynasty poems in a beginner textbook Sigh

The thing is you donrsquot need that many words to be able to

communicate on a fairly wide variety of topics (ie basic fluency) The

most common 1000 spoken words make up around 90 of spoken

Chinese (or any language really) and should therefore be your main

focus from the get-go As these words become part of your active

vocabulary you will be able to access more and more content that suits

your interests and this is when your progress will really start to take off

HOW TO FIND A GOOD WORD LIST Itrsquos actually a lot harder than you might think to find a good word list for

Chinese spoken words as frequency is usually determined by scanning

written documents The same even goes for those in the HSK exam

(Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary lists The lower levels are ok but

generally the more advanced your level the less relevant the

vocabulary tends to become The lower levels (levels 1-3) of the HSK

2LEARN THERIGHT WORDS

10

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoThe journey of a thousand miles begins with a single steprdquo

- Laozi

11

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

arenrsquot that bad although they do have a lot of written vocabulary

peppered in throughout Not to worry though here are a few ways you

can get started

1 Here is a spoken frequency list based on TV and movie subtitles

2 Check out Gabriel Wynerrsquos base vocabulary list of 625 words that

apply to any language Wersquore great supporters of his work

3 Here are the HSK vocabulary lists Like we said the earlier levels (1-3)

are ok for spoken vocabulary

After yoursquove started the process of getting the first 1000 or so words into

your active vocabulary you will be able to learn less common written and

spoken words by consuming engaging content more suited to your

personal goals and interests But how best to acquire these words in

the first place This will be explained in detail in the next chapter

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk all about HOW to truly acquire any words

you need QUICKLY without forgetting them Wersquoll go through

many resources you can access instantly online to do this and

walk you through how to use them effectively On top of that wersquoll

share with you the favorite study techniques used by top

language learners that will supercharge your acquisition

2LEARN THERIGHT WORDS

12

4 Our new course ldquoThe Mandarin Blueprint Methodrdquo covers the most

common 1500 characters and 4000 words Check it out

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You only need around 1000 high frequency spoken words for basic fluency This is around 90 of the spoken language

Words found in textbooks and vocabulary lists become less and less relevant the higher your level Donrsquot rely on them too much

Once yoursquove got a foundation of common vocabulary yoursquoll have the ability to start consuming more engaging content suited to your personal interests

KEY POINTS

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT SUPPORTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

2LEARN THERIGHT WORDS

13

LEARN WORDS THE3

Rote learning doesnrsquot work

RIGHT WAY

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Speaking a language fluently is essentially just remembering the

right words at the right time Here are the most efficient and enjoyable

ways to truly acquire new Chinese words so they are always there for

you when you need them

USE SRS (SPACED REPETITION SOFTWARE) SRS prevents you from forgetting what yoursquove learned in the most

efficient and rewarding way possible Despite having a bit of a learning

curve Anki is definitely the best choice of SRS because you can make

your own flashcards although shared decks are also available There

are a bunch of web and mobile language learning apps that use SRS-

powered flashcards

Our huge video curriculum The Mandarin Blueprint Method provides

you with over 7000 flashcards to learn how to read understand write

and speak the most common 1000 Chinese words Check it out here

THINGS TO REMEMBER ABOUT SRS

1 Set realistic goals The more new cards you do the more reviews

will build up Be careful not to over-do it

2 Finish your reviews every day The algorithm can only guarantee

90-95 retention if you finish your reviews every day

3 SRS is not a learning tool itrsquos a reviewing tool Learn the word first

then use SRS to review otherwise you are just rote learning and that

is proven to be ineffective (and incredibly boring)

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

15

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

SO WHATrsquoS THE BEST WAY

TO LEARN A CHINESE WORD

LEARN CHARACTERS

Make sure to make learning characters a part of your daily study routine

ldquoBut hey I want to learn speaking I donrsquot care about the characters Irsquoll

learn them later if at allrdquo While this is an understandable response itrsquos a

trap that slows you down in the long run To speak fluently you need

vocabulary To get vocabulary you need to read and listen a lot To

read you need characters

LEARN WORDS IN CONTEXT

The first step towards learning a word is to learn itrsquos definition However

this is the equivalent of shaking someonersquos hand and learning their

name Thatrsquos it See that person several more times in different contexts

and yoursquoll really get to know them Words need context to truly become

part of your vocabulary

To truly acquire a word you need to see that word in a sentence and

depending on the complexity of the word you will need to see it in

several contexts many times before it can be fully acquired and used

Find at least one sentence for each usage of the word in question and

make a flashcard Here are some quick tips regarding sentences and

sentence flashcards

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

16

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You will first need to get at least a couple of hundred of the most

common words under your belt before being ready to start reading

sentences

Sentences should be 4-9 words in length on average Long enough

to show a decent level of context and demonstrate a grammatical

structure or two but not so long that it becomes too hard to focus on

a single concept

Your sentences should be informal so they can be applicable to real

life

Just reading sentences is a good start but using the ldquocloze deleterdquo

function with anki (shown below) or wwwclozemastercom is

especially effective as it forces you to work a little harder

Add an image or two to sum up the ldquomessagerdquo of the sentence and

create deeper connections to the word(s)

At the time of writing this chapter our favorite resource for finding

Chinese sentences is bingcomdict (pictured left)

Our new course The Mandarin Blueprint Method contains all of the

flashcards and memory techniques you need to learn the most

common 1000 Chinese words Click below to start your free trial

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

17

LEARN MORE

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

After starting to review words in sentences move onto the next vital

resourcehellip

GRADED READERS You donrsquot have to wait until yoursquove acquired 1000s of characters and

words before you start reading Not by a long shot You can start

reading articles short stories and podcast transcripts with as little

as 150 characters and words Here are our favorite resources to do so

LINGQ (PICTURED)

LingQ is an aggregated graded reader that has content sourced from all

over the internet including tons of proprietary material Higher level

learners can also import any content they want from elsewhere We are

currently reading A Song of Ice and Fire in Chinese using LingQ and are

addicted to itrsquos incredible functionality The best part about it is that itrsquos

quick look-up feature allows you to read material above your level that

would normally be far too frustrating in book form As if that wasnrsquot good

enough they also have excellent SRS functionality amp the ability to export

words to Anki

THE CHAIRMANrsquoS BAO (TCB)

The Chairmanrsquos Bao have real news articles edited for different HSK

levels (even HSK 1) Yes with only a couple of hundred characters and

words you can be reading real news articles in Chinese This site is being

updated with new fantastic features all the time and has a great app too

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

18

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoYou donrsquot know a person because you know their

name and you donrsquot know a word because you know itrsquos

definitionrdquo- Khatzumoto of ajattcom

19

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

MANDARIN COMPANION

Do you prefer the feel of a real book in your hands These books can be

read with only 300-450 characters under your belt They have a bunch of

classics for lower levels that are still compelling despite being heavily

edited

GO FOR EFFICIENCY To get the most out of that precious hour or two each day that most of

us can spare for language learning make sure you use the following

techniques for maximum return on your time investment

INTERLEAVING

Studies have shown that it is more efficient in the long term to flit

between various different types of content within a study session than to

learn one thing at a time in blocks This is referred to as ldquointerleavingrdquo or

ldquointerleaved learningrdquo Donrsquot spend hours pouring over the same material

mix it up Not only will this be way more engaging yoursquoll also progress

faster

TIMEBOXING

Using timeboxing (also known as ldquoThe Pomodoro Techniquerdquo) will

greatly enhance the efficiency and enjoyment of your study

Traditionally you should study for 25 minutes then rest for 5 minutes

then repeat This means 50 minutes of focused study per hour instead of

15 minutes of study and 45 minutes daydreaming and looking at

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

20

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You can also do all sorts of time-boxes for variety Anywhere from 30

seconds to 25 minutes with 25 minutes being the maximum We love to

combine timeboxing with interleaving working on 2 or 3 different study

resources at a time with really short time-boxes For example a few

minutes on learning characters then reviewing flashcards then listening

to a podcast then resting This turns a study session into a fun game

doing wonders for your motivation

LISTEN WHILE READING

Listening is the easiest and most convenient way of improving learning as

itrsquos hands-free and you can focus on other things while doing it However

if you can read what you hear at the same time the benefits multiply

to be greater than the sum of its parts The reading makes it easier to

understand what you hear and what you hear improves your reading

speed If you choose material either at or slightly above your level and try

this technique out it really feels like yoursquore super-charging your Chinese

ability

SHADOWING

This is a technique made famous by Professor Alexander Arguelles

Shadowing is reading listening and speaking all at the same time Do

it while out and about for best results Just a few minutes a day of this will

improve pronunciation spoken fluency reading and listening

simultaneously We do it almost everyday and it really does speed up the

acquisition process more than anything else wersquove tried Just make sure

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

21

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

you choose a voice to imitate that yoursquod actually like to sound like

(especially when you choose the dialect or gender of the speaker) Herersquos

a video of The prof himself talking about the technique in more detail

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk to you all about how good pronunciation

practice improves your speaking ability listening ability amp even

reading ability plus wersquoll talk about where to find the best

resources to pronounce Chinese like a native speaker

Using spaced repetition is vital for your early days learning Chinese (or any language for that matter)

Learning characters is an unavoidable step in learning Chinese

You must see new words in a sentence before you can acquire them Reading graded readers is even better as it provides more context and engaging topics

Incorporate interleaved learning shadowing and timeboxing into your daily study routine for the most efficient results

KEY POINTS

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

22

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

LEARN PRONUNCIATION4

It will pay off huge dividends later

EARLY AND WELL

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

At Mandarin Blueprint we take pronunciation very seriously This is

mainly because we know first-hand the negative effects of poor

pronunciation instruction

Bad pronunciation slows the development of your listening reading

and speaking ability which is bad enough But by far the most

profoundly painful outcome of poor pronunciation is the damage done

to your lsquolearnerrsquos egorsquo early on When you are misunderstood partially

understood or not at all understood it hurts your confidence You then

associate speaking Chinese with negative emotions and become less

and less willing to start talking Itrsquos a vicious cycle of negativity that we

want you to avoid

HERErsquoS A PROBLEM WE WANT YOU TO HAVE 1 A Chinese person asks you a simple question that you understand

2 You answer the question with simple Chinese but with great

pronunciation

3 The Chinese person listening to you immediately assumes you

speak incredible Chinese and proceeds to unload a litany of

questions and comments

4 After an awkward silence you say 听不不懂 (tīngbudǒng) which

means ldquoI donrsquot understandrdquo

5 The Chinese person laughs asks a few more questions before

realizing you were actually serious Awkwardness intensifies

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

24

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

THE SKINNY ON MANDARIN PRONUNCIATION If you want excellent spoken Chinese you first need to be completely

aware of how to produce understand and read all of the sounds of the

language Some people can do all this naturally by ear with very little

training Unfortunately the law of averages states that you are most likely

not in this group Sorry -(

Not to worry though With only 409 different-sounding syllables (1200 if

you include tones) Chinese has relatively little to learn in terms of

pronunciation especially when compared to the 16000+ syllables of

English There are however many challenging and potentially confusing

aspects to Chinese pronunciation which means that you can learn what

you need to know about pronunciation in a relatively short time but you

need high quality expert guidance and study materials to do it

TUTORS ARENrsquoT ALWAYS THE WAY TO GO If you want to learn pronunciation it seems like a logical decision would

be to look for a tutor right Unfortunately most teachers do not have

the knowledge or experience to teach you Chinese pronunciation

well But why is this Well theyrsquove spoken mandarin since they can

remember right They have no frame of reference for comparing tongue

positions or vowel aspiration to English so how could they explain it to a

foreigner How would they know what it feels like to learn Mandarin

pronunciation as an adult

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

25

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoThe first thing I have to do to erase my french accent is to believe itrsquos actually possiblerdquo

- Marion Cotillard

26

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

There are fantastic tutors out there who can teach you pronunciation

properly but they can be like finding a needle in a haystack Not to

mention with the hourly rates you are likely to rack up hundreds of

dollars in fees for average results

INTRODUCING ldquoPRONUNCIATION MASTERYrdquo Wersquove been training our clients on pronunciation through live sessions of

our Pronunciation Mastery course for 2 years now and the results have

been fantastic Wersquove now finally finished transforming it into an 8 hour

video course that will teach you everything you need to know about

Chinese pronunciation all from the unique perspective of us Two

Chinese learners who made the journey ourselves from beginner to

advanced fluency This is all delivered using HD video crystal clear

explanations supported with slick design over a thousand multimedia

SRS flashcards over 80 PDFs amp native audio for reference and review

Wersquove put our hearts and souls into this course along with our extensive

experience and feedback from live teaching over the past 2 years Plus

itrsquos already helped hundreds of Chinese learners around the world Itrsquos

the video course we would have wanted when we were starting out

with Mandarin

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

27

CHECK IT OUT

Luke Neale

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

NEXT TIME Wersquoll dive into the topic of Chinese tutors Wersquoll be

sharing with you where to find the best free and paid tutors how

to work with them in the most efficient and fun way possible

Pronunciation is the vital first stage for learning any language

Bad pronunciation affects all other areas of your Chinese skill but most importantly it hurts your confidence

Compared to English there is much less to learn to master Chinese pronunciation

Chinese teachers rarely have the training and experience necessary to teach you pronunciation properly

Mandarin Blueprintrsquos ldquoPronunciation Masteryrdquo course has everything you need to develop great pronunciation quickly and cheaply Check it out today

KEY POINTS

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

28

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

USE TUTORS

Connect with them regularly

EFFECTIVELY

5

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You will notice that this is way down the list of tips for speaking like a

native speaker Thatrsquos because it actually isnrsquot the highest priority straight

away at least not anymore The sheer number of resources available

to you as a Chinese learner today means that you can do most things

you need to do on your own without a tutor As avid Chinese learners

ourselves we can both attest to this fact However a tutor is an

absolutely vital part of your journey to spoken fluency and to get the

most out of them you need to know how to work with them

First off what is a tutor for exactly Itrsquos not as obvious an answer as you

may think Understandably most people get a tutor straight from the

beginning hoping to receive all the materials and guidance they need

to make them fluent and literate in Chinese This is a lot to expect of

anyone let alone someone who never actually learned Chinese as a

second language So what are reasonable expectations to have then

THE ROLE OF A CHINESE TUTOR 1) FOR ACTIVATING PASSIVE VOCABULARY

Go into a session and try to use the words yoursquove been learning through

listening and reading Focus on steering the conversation to topics

you find meaningful and interesting Agree on these topics in advance

A good tutor is a good communicator someone who can speak to you

in a way they know you understand and ask you the right questions to

keep a conversation going Push your limits of what you know and ask a

lot of questions on how to use any words you arenrsquot sure about

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

30

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Mistakes are fine but donrsquot try and make up how to use a word or phrase

if you donrsquot already know Just ask If your tutor misses mistakes too

often they could turn into bad habits and you really donrsquot want that

2) FOR IDENTIFYING AND FIXING PROBLEMS

We prefer to have a nice chat of between 5 and 30 minutes during which

the tutor is making notes about anything you need to improve upon After

the time is up or the conversation has hit a dead-end the tutor can go

through your mistakes with you and do some directed practice to fix any

recurring issues This can be done as often as you like or just at the very

end of each session Make flashcards with example sentences

targeting the words or phrases you got wrong

3) FOR PROVIDING TRUE ENCOURAGEMENT

True encouragement is when a tutor notices where yoursquove improved and

points it out but also communicates your potential for improvement

Blindly repeating ldquo真棒 zhēn bagravengrdquo (rdquoGreat jobrdquo) all the time is false

encouragement and it can lead to complacency After all Chinese

people will already be giving you plenty of compliments about your

Mandarin the last thing you need is your paid tutor making your head

even bigger If a tutor provides true encouragement regularly yoursquore

golden If not ask them to or get another tutor

4) FOR FINDING LEVEL-APPROPRIATE AND ENGAGING CONTENT

This one is not to be expected of every tutor certainly not unprompted

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

31

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Directly ask them to find you listening and reading materials that you

might be interested in You may be very surprised at what they find for

you Some incredible content may be hidden away from the mainstream

and you may need a native person to help you discover those little gems

you might otherwise miss out on

TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR STUDY Figure out a kind of lesson structure yoursquore comfortable with that

suits your goals and interests Possible approaches include

Focus on a bunch of words yoursquove been learning and how to use

them

Choose several interesting topics and have an open conversation

Discuss a news article comic book or tv episode you saw recently

Whatever it is plan it out briefly beforehand and make it clear with your

tutor how you would like the lesson to go You have to take the reins if

you want the most bang for your buck If you donrsquot what yoursquoll get is what

the tutor wants to give you which will most likely be a textbook and

discussion of boring topics

HOW TO FIND GREAT TUTORS We would highly recommend finding tutors online as opposed to face-

to-face Herersquos why

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

32

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

1 You have a reasonable guarantee of quality Community star ratings

are commonplace

2 Far more convenient You can get online and be talking to a qualified

tutor for a few dollars an hour within a few minutes Enough said

3 Much better value for money Even if yoursquore living in China tutors still

work out cheaper online When you account for the time and effort it

takes to meet with a stranger face-to-face and the higher turnover of

tutors due to poor or quickly declining quality of lessons online tutors

are almost always more cost-effective

If you want to get online fast and take high quality online sessions with a

tutor a great resource is wwwitalkicom You can find both paid tutors

and unpaid language exchange partners here Invest a few dollars and

hours a month and it will pay off hugely for you

Italki offers tutoring in a huge range of lanugages but the vast majority of

the teachers just use skype for their lessons This is fine but you may be

surprised at the level of functionality of other Chinese-only services such

as wwwtutormandarincom

Instead of just a video call you get a live visual presentation showing

text and highlighted areas that makes everything much clearer and

more engaging This way you can practice your reading alongside your

speaking and listening all with live instruction

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

33

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

They offer a free 1-to-1 consultation and language evaluation before you

signup for anything so it canrsquot hurt to try them out

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to talk about immersion and how you

can do it regardless of your lifestyle or location to greatly improve

your speaking ability

Take control of your time with tutors making sure to point out clearly beforehand what you need from them and what your expectations are

Online tutors used in the capacity wersquove suggested are generally more time and cost-effective than face-to-face tutors even if you are in China Make the most of your study time by going for the former unless you have a guarantee of value

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

Tutors should be treated as a learning resource rather than your study gurus Their main function is to serve as a great communicator who can help you activate vocabulary and stay motivated

KEY POINTS

34

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

6IMMERSE YOURSELF

Be with Chinese as often as possible

IN CHINESE

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion deserves itrsquos own e-book all by itself as itrsquos such a deep and

varied topic but there are a few things to remember that will allow you

to immerse yourself in Chinese easily wherever you are

HOW TO IMMERSE YOURSELF First of all immersion doesnrsquot necessarily entail never speaking your

native language and ignoring your friends and family Immersion in itrsquos

most manageable form is simply being in touch with Chinese

regularly throughout the day This is doable outside China and even

with a family and a full-time job to boot Herersquos how we do it

CHANGE YOUR ENVIRONMENT

Make sure that Chinese is within 1 foot of your body at all times Ten

years ago that would have meant taping books and Chinese people

around your waist which would have been inconvenient and almost

definitely illegal Now we have these magical devices in our pockets

everywhere we go and most of us have computers or tablets as well

Always be looking for more and more level-appropriate reading and

listening materials and fill your devices with them Whenever you get

bored or frustrated with something drop it for something else You can

be picky even at beginner level Most of the time if you donrsquot enjoy

something itrsquos because you arenrsquot ready for it yet anyway Just go back

to it a few weeks or months down the line

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

36

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Organize the apps on your smart phone for reading listening speaking

and even writing Chinese so you can tap them whenever you have a

spare few minutes This makes it as easy as possible to immerse yourself

in something wherever and whenever

MAKE BETTER USE OF YOUR TIME

Listen to Chinese whenever yoursquore traveling anywhere working out

doing flashcards or housework If you have your eyes andor mouth free

as well do some interleaved learning or shadowing (see tip 4)

The key is starting not finishing Just do something for 1-15 minutes

10-20 times a day as opposed to trying to set aside large chunks of time

which either cause you to procrastinate or burn out

TALK TO LANGUAGE EXCHANGE PARTNERS

It might get expensive meeting with paid tutors every day which creates

an excuse to not practice speaking But there are more and more great

apps that allow you to connect and exchange with native Chinese

speakers for free Our favorite language exchange apps are pictured

on the next page

TALK TO YOURSELF

Yes it might feel a bit weird but it works as a decent substitute to a paid

tutor or language exchange partner Anything going through your head

just try to blurt out in Chinese Wear earphones to make it appear you are

talking on the phone so you donrsquot get placed into a mental institution

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

37

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoTime is what we want most but what we use worstrdquo

- William Penn

38

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion is doable regardless of your lifestyle Just be around Chinese many times throughout the day

Listen while doing pretty much anything Itrsquos the part of language learning that takes the least conscious effort to improve

Connect with language exchange partners via free apps Spend a few minutes chatting here and there Even talking to yourself can be really effective

KEY POINTS

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk about how to maintain a calm and positive

attitude when struggling to improve your speaking skills Wersquoll

also go into how to take criticism well and even enjoy making

mistakes6

IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

39

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

BE COOL7

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot be touchy when you get corrections or criticism even if it comes

across as harsh People rarely correct you for free and if you react

badly when they do that will probably be the last time they help you

When you arenrsquot understood just assume itrsquos never their problem It

actually might be sometimes but just assume it isnrsquot

People tend to put a lot of their pride and ego into their Chinese ability

because it takes a lot of time and effort to get good and it is a very rare

skill However just know that only when you really start to get good at

something do you realize how little you know Donrsquot fall into that trap

because you will be in for a rude awakening down the line Take your

ego out of the equation and have a great time Laugh at yourself

Itrsquos all just a game

LEARN TO ACCEPT UNCERTAINTY You will forget words yoursquove reviewed and heard for months

You will forget grammar structures yoursquove spoken correctly 10 times

before

You will get utterly lost in conversation after thinking yoursquove had a

breakthrough in your skill level

Take a deep breath Itrsquos all part of the process

7BE COOL

41

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoCriticism may not be agreeable but it is necessary It fulfils the same function as pain

in the human body It calls attention to an

unhealthy state of things - Winston Churchill

42

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Wersquove already mentioned the importance of good output Too many

mistakes without being corrected can lead to bad habits but mistakes

are inevitable Even if you follow our advice you will still have trouble

sometimes Enjoy being wronghellipevery mistake or misunderstanding

can bring you closer to fluency The key is to not worry about what you

canrsquot say just take note of it and take action Try to say something and it

came out as gibberish Make a note and try it out next time you get the

chance Get a flashcard completely wrong Good Less likely to next time

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to be sharing with you our favorite

speaking hacks that will instantly have you speaking Chinese

much more like a native and with less effort

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously Learning Chinese is just a game Enjoy yourself and take criticism with a smile

Mistakes when speaking and reviewing are inevitable and an important part of the learning process

KEY POINTS

7BE COOL

43

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

8USE THESE

Speak ldquorealrdquo Chinese

SPEAKING HACKS

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

OUR FAVORITE SPEAKING HACKS Apply even one of these techniques to your day-to-day speaking and

you will not only sound more native but will also find it much easier

to speak in general

SPEAK WITH FLUENCY

Fluency is not knowing every word It is simply the ability to say what it is

you want to say accurately using the vocabulary that you have Donrsquot

know how to say ldquointernational traderdquo Just say ldquowhen one country buys

and sells things with another countryrdquo After you say this your

conversation partner will likely say ldquooh yeah thatrsquos lsquointernational tradersquordquo

Boom New word learned within the emotional context of the

conversation to boot The key is when you donrsquot know a word donrsquot

just give up Instead do your best to explain what you want to say

with the vocabulary you have

SLOW DOWN

Speaking at around 80 of your normal rate wonrsquot sound weird at all and

it will improve both your pronunciation and your fluency instantly

Speaking more slowly gives your mouth and tongue muscles time to

get into position before a sound is made which is very helpful for those

sounds that donrsquot exist in English Plus it gives you a few extra

microseconds to think of something to say in conversation Combine

this with the next 2 hacks and yoursquore really in businesshellip

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

45

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoFake it until you make itrdquo - Steven Tyler

46

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

USE ldquoFILLERSrdquo

Everyone (including Chinese people) use these all the time in their

various native languages Why would you give yourself less of a chance

than a native speaker would to sound fluent Thatrsquos just crazy Here are

the top five uhh er umhelliprdquofillersrdquo

ēnhellip jiugraveshihellip negraveigehellip zhegraveigehellip raacutenhograveuhellip

Throw one or more of these utterances anywhere you like Put them in

every sentence if you feel the need Chinese people wonrsquot notice as they

do it too

USE CONVERSATION CONNECTORS

This is a term coined by Anthony Lauder referring to those everyday

fixed phrases that you say at the beginning middle or end of a sentence

to dress up what you want to say Here are some examples

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

我想告诉你hellip woacute xiǎng gagraveosu nǐhellip

Irsquod like you to know thathellip

你别介意不过hellip nǐ bieacute jiegraveyigrave buacuteguogravehellip Dont be upset buthellip

就像你已经知道的hellip jiugrave xiagraveng niacute yǐjīng zhīdagraveo dehellip

As you already know

多数情况hellip dagrave duō shugrave qiacutengkuagraveng

Most of the timehellip

47

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot give up so easily if you canrsquot think of a word you want to use Just use more common words to describe it

Speaking a bit slower will give you more time to think of what to say and will usually go unnoticed by a native speaker

Throw in fillers and fixed expressions to sound more like a native speaker and give yourself more time to speak at the same time

You can even thrown in English words to fill in the gaps if the above suggestions arenrsquot on the table Many young educated Chinese people do this anyway

KEY POINTS

USE ENGLISH WORDS

As a last ditch effort if you really donrsquot have the energy to ldquouse fluencyrdquo to

describe a word yoursquove forgotten just say the English word Younger

more educated Chinese speakers are likely to have a decent English

level and they themselves also like to throw in the odd English word into

conversation so itrsquos fine to follow suit At very least it keeps conversation

going to the next topic where you remember the Chinese words

NEXT TIME For our next installment in this series wersquore going to

get into the role writing has on your speaking how to write what

to write and where amp when to write Itrsquos not at all as intimidating

(or boring) as you may think

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

48

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Combine any and all of these tips to your speaking at any time to make yourself speak better instantly8

USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

49

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

WRITE REGULARLY9

Supercharge your active vocabulary

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Many beginners (and higher levels too) struggle with the frustration of

not being able to express their thoughts and feelings properly in

Chinese Even with many months and years of practice they can still feel

like the words just arenrsquot there when they need them Wersquove already

given you a bunch of steps you can take to solve this problem and we

realize that writing may be an unexpected additional step but trust us

when we say how valuable it can be

WHY WRITING IMPROVES SPEAKING IT DEMANDS FOCUS AND ATTENTION

Writing practice is the aspect of language learning that involves the

most focus and attention as you have to think about every word as you

write Just like reading writing is a slow process at first but after a short

period of regular practice you can almost hear the ldquoclicksrdquo as the words

you write become part of your vocabulary which can now be used

when you practice speaking with your tutor After all writing and

speaking are both expressive forms of communication using similar

mental processes

IT ACTIVATES VOCABULARY VERY EFFECTIVELY

Writing may just be the ultimate way to solidify your understanding of

the words and phrases yoursquove acquired through reading and listening It

may be even more effective than speaking

9WRITEREGULARLY

51

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WRITING IS MORE PERSONAL

After some practice you can start to write in your own personal style

using your own ldquovoicerdquo which naturally makes the process much more

enjoyable Writing a journal is the best way to access this benefit Posting

thoughts in Chinese on social media is another option especially for

lower levels

WRITING GIVES YOU MORE TIME TO FORMULATE THOUGHTS

Writing gives you time to think and practice the language

simultaneously whereas with speaking there is little opportunity to

really contemplate all the various ways of expressing a thought unless

you have an extremely patient (and masochistic) paid tutor

EVEN IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER YOU CAN STILL WRITE

If you donrsquot have much vocabulary you can still practice writing Just

write individual sentences or phrases Look at example sentences and

try to re-write them using slightly different vocabulary Remember just as

the incredible graded readers we talked about in chapter 4 can be

written with just a few select words and characters you too can write a

surprising amount using the small vocabulary you have at your disposal

5 INCREDIBLE WRITING TIPS GO FOR QUANTITY

Write every day Write a blog or WeChat post write individual sentences

9WRITEREGULARLY

52

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoWriting to me is simply thinking through my fingersrdquo

- Isaac Asimov

53

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

write a question on how to write something write anything You should

write something everyday and make a routine out of it The more

content the better but donrsquot ask too much of yourself or you will burn out

and not want to do it for weeks

An added bonus to writing regularly is the ability to look back on your

previous writing practice after a few weeks or months and see how far

yoursquove come This is called ldquobenchmarkingrdquo which wersquoll talk about more

next time

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT

Write about something or someone you love Write about a problem

yoursquore having Write about your goals and dreams Write about a book

you read or a youtube video you watched Write about what yoursquove

learned or would like to learn Write a journal When you do this your

own personality will shine through in your writing which will make the

words and structures you practice far more memorable

9WRITEREGULARLY

54

AIM FOR ZERO MISTAKES

Thatrsquos correct ZERO mistakes Think about what you write Take your time

to think before you put pen to paper or keyboard and look up example

sentences for words you donrsquot quite know how to use If you do these

things you will produce correct output which is fantastic for your

language skills Bad output leads to what Thatrsquos right bad habits

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

GET CORRECTIONS

Writing and getting corrections will help you notice very quickly the

patterns and structures in Chinese This attentiveness will pay off when

it comes to speaking reading and listening too

USE A WRITING SOFTWARE

Try Ommwriter Flowstate Awriter or similar writing apps designed for

writers to get you into the flow of writing

MAKE FLASHCARDS OUT OF YOUR MISTAKES

Create ultra-personalised reviewable content by taking any corrected

sentences and making a flashcard out of it

Try to combine regular speaking practice with regular writing

practice from now on and see for yourself how fast your fluency

improves

NEXT TIME For our final installment in this series wersquore going to

focus on continuing to improve your Chinese when you start to

plateau and the going getrsquos tough

9WRITEREGULARLY

55

Share your writing with a paid language exchange partner or tutor Check

out HiNative for a great place to get corrections on your writing and ask

general questions about how to use Chinese from native speakers

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Writing is a similar mental process as speaking with some important differences that can make it a more attractive outputting method under certain circumstances

Writing makes you more easily notice things about Chinese helps you activate passive vocabulary creates more personal connections to the language and gives you more time to convey your thoughts than speaking does

You can write at any level

Write as often as you can but donrsquot burn out

Write about things you care about and are passionate about so you can really enjoy the process and create more emotional connections that improve your retention

Aim not to make any mistakes because bad output means bad habits This is much easier to accomplish than with speaking as you have more time to think

Get your writing corrected by paid or free native speakers Make flashcards for words or structures you get wrong

KEY POINTS9WRITEREGULARLY

56

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

10SHARPEN THE SAW

Keep moving forward

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 2: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

DONrsquoT BE LIKE MOST PEOPLE For most people the road to spoken fluency in Chinese is a slow

struggle Most people donrsquot ever get past the beginner stage before

giving up or losing interest Most people get to a semi-satisfactory level

and stagnate painfully for a long time before accepting mediocrity Donrsquot

be like most people We struggled in the beginning and made many

avoidable mistakes that caused delays in our progress and a ton of

frustration After a lot of research and some intense trial and error we

realized that the problem stems from the way we were taught in school

We were taught languages in school the same way we were taught

mathematics and science by memorizing words and grammar points

as facts to be regurgitated during exam time Unfortunately getting to

fluency in any language (including your native language) just doesnrsquot

work like this Language is acquired not learned Wersquoll go into more

detail about this important difference in tip 1

HOW WE ARE GOING TO HELP YOU Wersquove put together this guide of 10 crucial tips that constitute a general

guide for developing awesome Chinese speaking skills quickly and

independently Whether you are just thinking about starting to learn

Chinese or already well into your journey we guarantee you will get a lot

out of this book

2

INTRODUCTION

FOCUS ON INPUT1

Donrsquot force yourself to speak

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

OUTPUT IS SECONDARY TO INPUT Our first tip on speaking better Mandarin is to NOT speak (gasp) but

instead to listen and read Wait Before you delete this E-book forever

allow us to explain Over the years wersquove heard many language

teachers say ldquoIf you want to improve your [INSERT LANGUAGE HERE]

yoursquove got to speak morerdquo and they are technically correcthellipsort of

What is very rarely mentioned is the fact that speaking practice

improves your ability to use the words and phrases you already know

Thatrsquos it

Herersquos an idea that sounds obvious but that few people apply to their

language learning Words and phrases are first acquired as passive

vocabulary (words you can understand) speaking merely activates

them Donrsquot believe us Well you didnrsquot come into the world speaking

your native tongue did you You spent years listening babbling

listening some more uttering the odd word and eventually saying

whole sentences Donrsquot worry Were certainly not saying itrsquoll take you

years to babble a few Chinese words just that your focus early on

should be on reading and listening Speaking can wait until later

After all how can you speak if you have nothing to say Your passive

vocabulary always outnumbers your active vocabulary by a lot and

even more so in a foreign language Therefore the more vocabulary

you understand the more you can potentially ldquoactivaterdquo through

speaking

1FOCUS ON INPUT

4

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

OUTPUT TOO EARLY CAN BE DAMAGING Many Chinese learners look at lists of words using some flashy app or

website and start ldquotrying them outrdquo in conversation without first seeing or

hearing that word in the context of a sentence This leads to incorrect and

sometimes downright funny Chinese coming out of their mouths on a

regular basis

Now if you are paying an experienced and competent Chinese tutor to

pick out mistakes and correct you properly this method may not be too

bad However we can assure you that you cannot rely on native

speakers whether teachers or not to correct you all the time You will

likely be left to flounder and sputter nonsense for extended periods of

time blissfully unaware that you are creating and solidifying an incorrect

version of the language

What is the result of this repeated bad output Usually it means bad

habits which are really tough to break This is partly why people can live

in a foreign country for decades and still speak poorly They donrsquot

consume enough of their target language and they focus too much on

producing it

This should be good news to you regardless of your level You donrsquot

have to feel guilty about not speaking Only ldquofeel guiltyrdquo if you arenrsquot

spending time reading or listening Chinese Whenever you decide you

are ready you can start investing time in regular speaking practice

1FOCUS ON INPUT

WARNING This does not qualify as

reading although we admire this level of

enthusiasm

5

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoIt is possible that compelling input is not just optimal It

may be the only way we truly acquire languagerdquo

- Dr Steven Krashen

6

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Speaking practice activates all that lovely passive vocabulary yoursquove

been building up Our advice would be to make sure you invest

between 30 minutes and 2 hours every day in reading and listening

When you feel ready to start improving your speaking we suggest

booking time with a tutor for an hour or so once or twice a week

Wersquoll guide you through our best methods of using tutors and language

exchange partners in chapter 5

SEEK OUT ENGAGING CONTENT Consuming content you enjoy creates emotional connections that

make it much easier to acquire vocabulary It also makes it easier to

consume more challenging content as you care so much more about the

messages you are trying to decipher If you are a beginner then this is

more challenging After all you donrsquot have enough of a skill level to be

too picky However as you improve you can expand to more varied

content that suits your interests As for exactly what content where to

find it and how to use it effectively wersquoll talk about that later in this ebook

series

NEXT CHAPTER Wersquoll be talking about how many words

you actually need to reach various levels of fluency and

where exactly to find these words Itrsquos not as simple as

you may think See you then

1FOCUS ON INPUT

7

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT SUPPORTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Speaking only makes you better at saying what you already know Input increases your knowledge Input should therefore be the main focus throughout your study

Speaking practice has the very important function of activating passive vocabulary but passive vocabulary is always much larger than active vocablulary

Invest between 30 minutes and 2 hours every day on listening and reading to comprehensible and engaging material Throw in some regular speaking practice with a tutor when yoursquore ready

Focus on content that engages you whether that be sci-fi comic books or horror movies Doing this will make learning new words much easier and more enjoyable

KEY POINTS1FOCUS ON INPUT

8

LEARN THE 2

Prioritise spoken frequency

RIGHT WORDS

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WHICH WORDS SHOULD YOU LEARN Like most people when starting to learn Chinese we went straight for

textbooks not knowing what else to do We were soon bored senseless

by them never able to make it halfway though one before dropping it

for something else Later we realized our boredom stemmed from

many of the words being too advanced andor irrelevant for that vital

early stage There was little in the way of real life application for the

content One textbook even had tang dynasty poems in it You did not

read that incorrectly Tang dynasty poems in a beginner textbook Sigh

The thing is you donrsquot need that many words to be able to

communicate on a fairly wide variety of topics (ie basic fluency) The

most common 1000 spoken words make up around 90 of spoken

Chinese (or any language really) and should therefore be your main

focus from the get-go As these words become part of your active

vocabulary you will be able to access more and more content that suits

your interests and this is when your progress will really start to take off

HOW TO FIND A GOOD WORD LIST Itrsquos actually a lot harder than you might think to find a good word list for

Chinese spoken words as frequency is usually determined by scanning

written documents The same even goes for those in the HSK exam

(Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary lists The lower levels are ok but

generally the more advanced your level the less relevant the

vocabulary tends to become The lower levels (levels 1-3) of the HSK

2LEARN THERIGHT WORDS

10

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoThe journey of a thousand miles begins with a single steprdquo

- Laozi

11

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

arenrsquot that bad although they do have a lot of written vocabulary

peppered in throughout Not to worry though here are a few ways you

can get started

1 Here is a spoken frequency list based on TV and movie subtitles

2 Check out Gabriel Wynerrsquos base vocabulary list of 625 words that

apply to any language Wersquore great supporters of his work

3 Here are the HSK vocabulary lists Like we said the earlier levels (1-3)

are ok for spoken vocabulary

After yoursquove started the process of getting the first 1000 or so words into

your active vocabulary you will be able to learn less common written and

spoken words by consuming engaging content more suited to your

personal goals and interests But how best to acquire these words in

the first place This will be explained in detail in the next chapter

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk all about HOW to truly acquire any words

you need QUICKLY without forgetting them Wersquoll go through

many resources you can access instantly online to do this and

walk you through how to use them effectively On top of that wersquoll

share with you the favorite study techniques used by top

language learners that will supercharge your acquisition

2LEARN THERIGHT WORDS

12

4 Our new course ldquoThe Mandarin Blueprint Methodrdquo covers the most

common 1500 characters and 4000 words Check it out

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You only need around 1000 high frequency spoken words for basic fluency This is around 90 of the spoken language

Words found in textbooks and vocabulary lists become less and less relevant the higher your level Donrsquot rely on them too much

Once yoursquove got a foundation of common vocabulary yoursquoll have the ability to start consuming more engaging content suited to your personal interests

KEY POINTS

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT SUPPORTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

2LEARN THERIGHT WORDS

13

LEARN WORDS THE3

Rote learning doesnrsquot work

RIGHT WAY

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Speaking a language fluently is essentially just remembering the

right words at the right time Here are the most efficient and enjoyable

ways to truly acquire new Chinese words so they are always there for

you when you need them

USE SRS (SPACED REPETITION SOFTWARE) SRS prevents you from forgetting what yoursquove learned in the most

efficient and rewarding way possible Despite having a bit of a learning

curve Anki is definitely the best choice of SRS because you can make

your own flashcards although shared decks are also available There

are a bunch of web and mobile language learning apps that use SRS-

powered flashcards

Our huge video curriculum The Mandarin Blueprint Method provides

you with over 7000 flashcards to learn how to read understand write

and speak the most common 1000 Chinese words Check it out here

THINGS TO REMEMBER ABOUT SRS

1 Set realistic goals The more new cards you do the more reviews

will build up Be careful not to over-do it

2 Finish your reviews every day The algorithm can only guarantee

90-95 retention if you finish your reviews every day

3 SRS is not a learning tool itrsquos a reviewing tool Learn the word first

then use SRS to review otherwise you are just rote learning and that

is proven to be ineffective (and incredibly boring)

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

15

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

SO WHATrsquoS THE BEST WAY

TO LEARN A CHINESE WORD

LEARN CHARACTERS

Make sure to make learning characters a part of your daily study routine

ldquoBut hey I want to learn speaking I donrsquot care about the characters Irsquoll

learn them later if at allrdquo While this is an understandable response itrsquos a

trap that slows you down in the long run To speak fluently you need

vocabulary To get vocabulary you need to read and listen a lot To

read you need characters

LEARN WORDS IN CONTEXT

The first step towards learning a word is to learn itrsquos definition However

this is the equivalent of shaking someonersquos hand and learning their

name Thatrsquos it See that person several more times in different contexts

and yoursquoll really get to know them Words need context to truly become

part of your vocabulary

To truly acquire a word you need to see that word in a sentence and

depending on the complexity of the word you will need to see it in

several contexts many times before it can be fully acquired and used

Find at least one sentence for each usage of the word in question and

make a flashcard Here are some quick tips regarding sentences and

sentence flashcards

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

16

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You will first need to get at least a couple of hundred of the most

common words under your belt before being ready to start reading

sentences

Sentences should be 4-9 words in length on average Long enough

to show a decent level of context and demonstrate a grammatical

structure or two but not so long that it becomes too hard to focus on

a single concept

Your sentences should be informal so they can be applicable to real

life

Just reading sentences is a good start but using the ldquocloze deleterdquo

function with anki (shown below) or wwwclozemastercom is

especially effective as it forces you to work a little harder

Add an image or two to sum up the ldquomessagerdquo of the sentence and

create deeper connections to the word(s)

At the time of writing this chapter our favorite resource for finding

Chinese sentences is bingcomdict (pictured left)

Our new course The Mandarin Blueprint Method contains all of the

flashcards and memory techniques you need to learn the most

common 1000 Chinese words Click below to start your free trial

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

17

LEARN MORE

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

After starting to review words in sentences move onto the next vital

resourcehellip

GRADED READERS You donrsquot have to wait until yoursquove acquired 1000s of characters and

words before you start reading Not by a long shot You can start

reading articles short stories and podcast transcripts with as little

as 150 characters and words Here are our favorite resources to do so

LINGQ (PICTURED)

LingQ is an aggregated graded reader that has content sourced from all

over the internet including tons of proprietary material Higher level

learners can also import any content they want from elsewhere We are

currently reading A Song of Ice and Fire in Chinese using LingQ and are

addicted to itrsquos incredible functionality The best part about it is that itrsquos

quick look-up feature allows you to read material above your level that

would normally be far too frustrating in book form As if that wasnrsquot good

enough they also have excellent SRS functionality amp the ability to export

words to Anki

THE CHAIRMANrsquoS BAO (TCB)

The Chairmanrsquos Bao have real news articles edited for different HSK

levels (even HSK 1) Yes with only a couple of hundred characters and

words you can be reading real news articles in Chinese This site is being

updated with new fantastic features all the time and has a great app too

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

18

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoYou donrsquot know a person because you know their

name and you donrsquot know a word because you know itrsquos

definitionrdquo- Khatzumoto of ajattcom

19

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

MANDARIN COMPANION

Do you prefer the feel of a real book in your hands These books can be

read with only 300-450 characters under your belt They have a bunch of

classics for lower levels that are still compelling despite being heavily

edited

GO FOR EFFICIENCY To get the most out of that precious hour or two each day that most of

us can spare for language learning make sure you use the following

techniques for maximum return on your time investment

INTERLEAVING

Studies have shown that it is more efficient in the long term to flit

between various different types of content within a study session than to

learn one thing at a time in blocks This is referred to as ldquointerleavingrdquo or

ldquointerleaved learningrdquo Donrsquot spend hours pouring over the same material

mix it up Not only will this be way more engaging yoursquoll also progress

faster

TIMEBOXING

Using timeboxing (also known as ldquoThe Pomodoro Techniquerdquo) will

greatly enhance the efficiency and enjoyment of your study

Traditionally you should study for 25 minutes then rest for 5 minutes

then repeat This means 50 minutes of focused study per hour instead of

15 minutes of study and 45 minutes daydreaming and looking at

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

20

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You can also do all sorts of time-boxes for variety Anywhere from 30

seconds to 25 minutes with 25 minutes being the maximum We love to

combine timeboxing with interleaving working on 2 or 3 different study

resources at a time with really short time-boxes For example a few

minutes on learning characters then reviewing flashcards then listening

to a podcast then resting This turns a study session into a fun game

doing wonders for your motivation

LISTEN WHILE READING

Listening is the easiest and most convenient way of improving learning as

itrsquos hands-free and you can focus on other things while doing it However

if you can read what you hear at the same time the benefits multiply

to be greater than the sum of its parts The reading makes it easier to

understand what you hear and what you hear improves your reading

speed If you choose material either at or slightly above your level and try

this technique out it really feels like yoursquore super-charging your Chinese

ability

SHADOWING

This is a technique made famous by Professor Alexander Arguelles

Shadowing is reading listening and speaking all at the same time Do

it while out and about for best results Just a few minutes a day of this will

improve pronunciation spoken fluency reading and listening

simultaneously We do it almost everyday and it really does speed up the

acquisition process more than anything else wersquove tried Just make sure

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

21

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

you choose a voice to imitate that yoursquod actually like to sound like

(especially when you choose the dialect or gender of the speaker) Herersquos

a video of The prof himself talking about the technique in more detail

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk to you all about how good pronunciation

practice improves your speaking ability listening ability amp even

reading ability plus wersquoll talk about where to find the best

resources to pronounce Chinese like a native speaker

Using spaced repetition is vital for your early days learning Chinese (or any language for that matter)

Learning characters is an unavoidable step in learning Chinese

You must see new words in a sentence before you can acquire them Reading graded readers is even better as it provides more context and engaging topics

Incorporate interleaved learning shadowing and timeboxing into your daily study routine for the most efficient results

KEY POINTS

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

22

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

LEARN PRONUNCIATION4

It will pay off huge dividends later

EARLY AND WELL

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

At Mandarin Blueprint we take pronunciation very seriously This is

mainly because we know first-hand the negative effects of poor

pronunciation instruction

Bad pronunciation slows the development of your listening reading

and speaking ability which is bad enough But by far the most

profoundly painful outcome of poor pronunciation is the damage done

to your lsquolearnerrsquos egorsquo early on When you are misunderstood partially

understood or not at all understood it hurts your confidence You then

associate speaking Chinese with negative emotions and become less

and less willing to start talking Itrsquos a vicious cycle of negativity that we

want you to avoid

HERErsquoS A PROBLEM WE WANT YOU TO HAVE 1 A Chinese person asks you a simple question that you understand

2 You answer the question with simple Chinese but with great

pronunciation

3 The Chinese person listening to you immediately assumes you

speak incredible Chinese and proceeds to unload a litany of

questions and comments

4 After an awkward silence you say 听不不懂 (tīngbudǒng) which

means ldquoI donrsquot understandrdquo

5 The Chinese person laughs asks a few more questions before

realizing you were actually serious Awkwardness intensifies

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

24

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

THE SKINNY ON MANDARIN PRONUNCIATION If you want excellent spoken Chinese you first need to be completely

aware of how to produce understand and read all of the sounds of the

language Some people can do all this naturally by ear with very little

training Unfortunately the law of averages states that you are most likely

not in this group Sorry -(

Not to worry though With only 409 different-sounding syllables (1200 if

you include tones) Chinese has relatively little to learn in terms of

pronunciation especially when compared to the 16000+ syllables of

English There are however many challenging and potentially confusing

aspects to Chinese pronunciation which means that you can learn what

you need to know about pronunciation in a relatively short time but you

need high quality expert guidance and study materials to do it

TUTORS ARENrsquoT ALWAYS THE WAY TO GO If you want to learn pronunciation it seems like a logical decision would

be to look for a tutor right Unfortunately most teachers do not have

the knowledge or experience to teach you Chinese pronunciation

well But why is this Well theyrsquove spoken mandarin since they can

remember right They have no frame of reference for comparing tongue

positions or vowel aspiration to English so how could they explain it to a

foreigner How would they know what it feels like to learn Mandarin

pronunciation as an adult

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

25

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoThe first thing I have to do to erase my french accent is to believe itrsquos actually possiblerdquo

- Marion Cotillard

26

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

There are fantastic tutors out there who can teach you pronunciation

properly but they can be like finding a needle in a haystack Not to

mention with the hourly rates you are likely to rack up hundreds of

dollars in fees for average results

INTRODUCING ldquoPRONUNCIATION MASTERYrdquo Wersquove been training our clients on pronunciation through live sessions of

our Pronunciation Mastery course for 2 years now and the results have

been fantastic Wersquove now finally finished transforming it into an 8 hour

video course that will teach you everything you need to know about

Chinese pronunciation all from the unique perspective of us Two

Chinese learners who made the journey ourselves from beginner to

advanced fluency This is all delivered using HD video crystal clear

explanations supported with slick design over a thousand multimedia

SRS flashcards over 80 PDFs amp native audio for reference and review

Wersquove put our hearts and souls into this course along with our extensive

experience and feedback from live teaching over the past 2 years Plus

itrsquos already helped hundreds of Chinese learners around the world Itrsquos

the video course we would have wanted when we were starting out

with Mandarin

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

27

CHECK IT OUT

Luke Neale

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

NEXT TIME Wersquoll dive into the topic of Chinese tutors Wersquoll be

sharing with you where to find the best free and paid tutors how

to work with them in the most efficient and fun way possible

Pronunciation is the vital first stage for learning any language

Bad pronunciation affects all other areas of your Chinese skill but most importantly it hurts your confidence

Compared to English there is much less to learn to master Chinese pronunciation

Chinese teachers rarely have the training and experience necessary to teach you pronunciation properly

Mandarin Blueprintrsquos ldquoPronunciation Masteryrdquo course has everything you need to develop great pronunciation quickly and cheaply Check it out today

KEY POINTS

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

28

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

USE TUTORS

Connect with them regularly

EFFECTIVELY

5

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You will notice that this is way down the list of tips for speaking like a

native speaker Thatrsquos because it actually isnrsquot the highest priority straight

away at least not anymore The sheer number of resources available

to you as a Chinese learner today means that you can do most things

you need to do on your own without a tutor As avid Chinese learners

ourselves we can both attest to this fact However a tutor is an

absolutely vital part of your journey to spoken fluency and to get the

most out of them you need to know how to work with them

First off what is a tutor for exactly Itrsquos not as obvious an answer as you

may think Understandably most people get a tutor straight from the

beginning hoping to receive all the materials and guidance they need

to make them fluent and literate in Chinese This is a lot to expect of

anyone let alone someone who never actually learned Chinese as a

second language So what are reasonable expectations to have then

THE ROLE OF A CHINESE TUTOR 1) FOR ACTIVATING PASSIVE VOCABULARY

Go into a session and try to use the words yoursquove been learning through

listening and reading Focus on steering the conversation to topics

you find meaningful and interesting Agree on these topics in advance

A good tutor is a good communicator someone who can speak to you

in a way they know you understand and ask you the right questions to

keep a conversation going Push your limits of what you know and ask a

lot of questions on how to use any words you arenrsquot sure about

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

30

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Mistakes are fine but donrsquot try and make up how to use a word or phrase

if you donrsquot already know Just ask If your tutor misses mistakes too

often they could turn into bad habits and you really donrsquot want that

2) FOR IDENTIFYING AND FIXING PROBLEMS

We prefer to have a nice chat of between 5 and 30 minutes during which

the tutor is making notes about anything you need to improve upon After

the time is up or the conversation has hit a dead-end the tutor can go

through your mistakes with you and do some directed practice to fix any

recurring issues This can be done as often as you like or just at the very

end of each session Make flashcards with example sentences

targeting the words or phrases you got wrong

3) FOR PROVIDING TRUE ENCOURAGEMENT

True encouragement is when a tutor notices where yoursquove improved and

points it out but also communicates your potential for improvement

Blindly repeating ldquo真棒 zhēn bagravengrdquo (rdquoGreat jobrdquo) all the time is false

encouragement and it can lead to complacency After all Chinese

people will already be giving you plenty of compliments about your

Mandarin the last thing you need is your paid tutor making your head

even bigger If a tutor provides true encouragement regularly yoursquore

golden If not ask them to or get another tutor

4) FOR FINDING LEVEL-APPROPRIATE AND ENGAGING CONTENT

This one is not to be expected of every tutor certainly not unprompted

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

31

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Directly ask them to find you listening and reading materials that you

might be interested in You may be very surprised at what they find for

you Some incredible content may be hidden away from the mainstream

and you may need a native person to help you discover those little gems

you might otherwise miss out on

TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR STUDY Figure out a kind of lesson structure yoursquore comfortable with that

suits your goals and interests Possible approaches include

Focus on a bunch of words yoursquove been learning and how to use

them

Choose several interesting topics and have an open conversation

Discuss a news article comic book or tv episode you saw recently

Whatever it is plan it out briefly beforehand and make it clear with your

tutor how you would like the lesson to go You have to take the reins if

you want the most bang for your buck If you donrsquot what yoursquoll get is what

the tutor wants to give you which will most likely be a textbook and

discussion of boring topics

HOW TO FIND GREAT TUTORS We would highly recommend finding tutors online as opposed to face-

to-face Herersquos why

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

32

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

1 You have a reasonable guarantee of quality Community star ratings

are commonplace

2 Far more convenient You can get online and be talking to a qualified

tutor for a few dollars an hour within a few minutes Enough said

3 Much better value for money Even if yoursquore living in China tutors still

work out cheaper online When you account for the time and effort it

takes to meet with a stranger face-to-face and the higher turnover of

tutors due to poor or quickly declining quality of lessons online tutors

are almost always more cost-effective

If you want to get online fast and take high quality online sessions with a

tutor a great resource is wwwitalkicom You can find both paid tutors

and unpaid language exchange partners here Invest a few dollars and

hours a month and it will pay off hugely for you

Italki offers tutoring in a huge range of lanugages but the vast majority of

the teachers just use skype for their lessons This is fine but you may be

surprised at the level of functionality of other Chinese-only services such

as wwwtutormandarincom

Instead of just a video call you get a live visual presentation showing

text and highlighted areas that makes everything much clearer and

more engaging This way you can practice your reading alongside your

speaking and listening all with live instruction

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

33

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

They offer a free 1-to-1 consultation and language evaluation before you

signup for anything so it canrsquot hurt to try them out

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to talk about immersion and how you

can do it regardless of your lifestyle or location to greatly improve

your speaking ability

Take control of your time with tutors making sure to point out clearly beforehand what you need from them and what your expectations are

Online tutors used in the capacity wersquove suggested are generally more time and cost-effective than face-to-face tutors even if you are in China Make the most of your study time by going for the former unless you have a guarantee of value

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

Tutors should be treated as a learning resource rather than your study gurus Their main function is to serve as a great communicator who can help you activate vocabulary and stay motivated

KEY POINTS

34

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

6IMMERSE YOURSELF

Be with Chinese as often as possible

IN CHINESE

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion deserves itrsquos own e-book all by itself as itrsquos such a deep and

varied topic but there are a few things to remember that will allow you

to immerse yourself in Chinese easily wherever you are

HOW TO IMMERSE YOURSELF First of all immersion doesnrsquot necessarily entail never speaking your

native language and ignoring your friends and family Immersion in itrsquos

most manageable form is simply being in touch with Chinese

regularly throughout the day This is doable outside China and even

with a family and a full-time job to boot Herersquos how we do it

CHANGE YOUR ENVIRONMENT

Make sure that Chinese is within 1 foot of your body at all times Ten

years ago that would have meant taping books and Chinese people

around your waist which would have been inconvenient and almost

definitely illegal Now we have these magical devices in our pockets

everywhere we go and most of us have computers or tablets as well

Always be looking for more and more level-appropriate reading and

listening materials and fill your devices with them Whenever you get

bored or frustrated with something drop it for something else You can

be picky even at beginner level Most of the time if you donrsquot enjoy

something itrsquos because you arenrsquot ready for it yet anyway Just go back

to it a few weeks or months down the line

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

36

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Organize the apps on your smart phone for reading listening speaking

and even writing Chinese so you can tap them whenever you have a

spare few minutes This makes it as easy as possible to immerse yourself

in something wherever and whenever

MAKE BETTER USE OF YOUR TIME

Listen to Chinese whenever yoursquore traveling anywhere working out

doing flashcards or housework If you have your eyes andor mouth free

as well do some interleaved learning or shadowing (see tip 4)

The key is starting not finishing Just do something for 1-15 minutes

10-20 times a day as opposed to trying to set aside large chunks of time

which either cause you to procrastinate or burn out

TALK TO LANGUAGE EXCHANGE PARTNERS

It might get expensive meeting with paid tutors every day which creates

an excuse to not practice speaking But there are more and more great

apps that allow you to connect and exchange with native Chinese

speakers for free Our favorite language exchange apps are pictured

on the next page

TALK TO YOURSELF

Yes it might feel a bit weird but it works as a decent substitute to a paid

tutor or language exchange partner Anything going through your head

just try to blurt out in Chinese Wear earphones to make it appear you are

talking on the phone so you donrsquot get placed into a mental institution

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

37

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoTime is what we want most but what we use worstrdquo

- William Penn

38

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion is doable regardless of your lifestyle Just be around Chinese many times throughout the day

Listen while doing pretty much anything Itrsquos the part of language learning that takes the least conscious effort to improve

Connect with language exchange partners via free apps Spend a few minutes chatting here and there Even talking to yourself can be really effective

KEY POINTS

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk about how to maintain a calm and positive

attitude when struggling to improve your speaking skills Wersquoll

also go into how to take criticism well and even enjoy making

mistakes6

IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

39

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

BE COOL7

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot be touchy when you get corrections or criticism even if it comes

across as harsh People rarely correct you for free and if you react

badly when they do that will probably be the last time they help you

When you arenrsquot understood just assume itrsquos never their problem It

actually might be sometimes but just assume it isnrsquot

People tend to put a lot of their pride and ego into their Chinese ability

because it takes a lot of time and effort to get good and it is a very rare

skill However just know that only when you really start to get good at

something do you realize how little you know Donrsquot fall into that trap

because you will be in for a rude awakening down the line Take your

ego out of the equation and have a great time Laugh at yourself

Itrsquos all just a game

LEARN TO ACCEPT UNCERTAINTY You will forget words yoursquove reviewed and heard for months

You will forget grammar structures yoursquove spoken correctly 10 times

before

You will get utterly lost in conversation after thinking yoursquove had a

breakthrough in your skill level

Take a deep breath Itrsquos all part of the process

7BE COOL

41

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoCriticism may not be agreeable but it is necessary It fulfils the same function as pain

in the human body It calls attention to an

unhealthy state of things - Winston Churchill

42

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Wersquove already mentioned the importance of good output Too many

mistakes without being corrected can lead to bad habits but mistakes

are inevitable Even if you follow our advice you will still have trouble

sometimes Enjoy being wronghellipevery mistake or misunderstanding

can bring you closer to fluency The key is to not worry about what you

canrsquot say just take note of it and take action Try to say something and it

came out as gibberish Make a note and try it out next time you get the

chance Get a flashcard completely wrong Good Less likely to next time

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to be sharing with you our favorite

speaking hacks that will instantly have you speaking Chinese

much more like a native and with less effort

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously Learning Chinese is just a game Enjoy yourself and take criticism with a smile

Mistakes when speaking and reviewing are inevitable and an important part of the learning process

KEY POINTS

7BE COOL

43

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

8USE THESE

Speak ldquorealrdquo Chinese

SPEAKING HACKS

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

OUR FAVORITE SPEAKING HACKS Apply even one of these techniques to your day-to-day speaking and

you will not only sound more native but will also find it much easier

to speak in general

SPEAK WITH FLUENCY

Fluency is not knowing every word It is simply the ability to say what it is

you want to say accurately using the vocabulary that you have Donrsquot

know how to say ldquointernational traderdquo Just say ldquowhen one country buys

and sells things with another countryrdquo After you say this your

conversation partner will likely say ldquooh yeah thatrsquos lsquointernational tradersquordquo

Boom New word learned within the emotional context of the

conversation to boot The key is when you donrsquot know a word donrsquot

just give up Instead do your best to explain what you want to say

with the vocabulary you have

SLOW DOWN

Speaking at around 80 of your normal rate wonrsquot sound weird at all and

it will improve both your pronunciation and your fluency instantly

Speaking more slowly gives your mouth and tongue muscles time to

get into position before a sound is made which is very helpful for those

sounds that donrsquot exist in English Plus it gives you a few extra

microseconds to think of something to say in conversation Combine

this with the next 2 hacks and yoursquore really in businesshellip

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

45

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoFake it until you make itrdquo - Steven Tyler

46

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

USE ldquoFILLERSrdquo

Everyone (including Chinese people) use these all the time in their

various native languages Why would you give yourself less of a chance

than a native speaker would to sound fluent Thatrsquos just crazy Here are

the top five uhh er umhelliprdquofillersrdquo

ēnhellip jiugraveshihellip negraveigehellip zhegraveigehellip raacutenhograveuhellip

Throw one or more of these utterances anywhere you like Put them in

every sentence if you feel the need Chinese people wonrsquot notice as they

do it too

USE CONVERSATION CONNECTORS

This is a term coined by Anthony Lauder referring to those everyday

fixed phrases that you say at the beginning middle or end of a sentence

to dress up what you want to say Here are some examples

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

我想告诉你hellip woacute xiǎng gagraveosu nǐhellip

Irsquod like you to know thathellip

你别介意不过hellip nǐ bieacute jiegraveyigrave buacuteguogravehellip Dont be upset buthellip

就像你已经知道的hellip jiugrave xiagraveng niacute yǐjīng zhīdagraveo dehellip

As you already know

多数情况hellip dagrave duō shugrave qiacutengkuagraveng

Most of the timehellip

47

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot give up so easily if you canrsquot think of a word you want to use Just use more common words to describe it

Speaking a bit slower will give you more time to think of what to say and will usually go unnoticed by a native speaker

Throw in fillers and fixed expressions to sound more like a native speaker and give yourself more time to speak at the same time

You can even thrown in English words to fill in the gaps if the above suggestions arenrsquot on the table Many young educated Chinese people do this anyway

KEY POINTS

USE ENGLISH WORDS

As a last ditch effort if you really donrsquot have the energy to ldquouse fluencyrdquo to

describe a word yoursquove forgotten just say the English word Younger

more educated Chinese speakers are likely to have a decent English

level and they themselves also like to throw in the odd English word into

conversation so itrsquos fine to follow suit At very least it keeps conversation

going to the next topic where you remember the Chinese words

NEXT TIME For our next installment in this series wersquore going to

get into the role writing has on your speaking how to write what

to write and where amp when to write Itrsquos not at all as intimidating

(or boring) as you may think

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

48

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Combine any and all of these tips to your speaking at any time to make yourself speak better instantly8

USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

49

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

WRITE REGULARLY9

Supercharge your active vocabulary

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Many beginners (and higher levels too) struggle with the frustration of

not being able to express their thoughts and feelings properly in

Chinese Even with many months and years of practice they can still feel

like the words just arenrsquot there when they need them Wersquove already

given you a bunch of steps you can take to solve this problem and we

realize that writing may be an unexpected additional step but trust us

when we say how valuable it can be

WHY WRITING IMPROVES SPEAKING IT DEMANDS FOCUS AND ATTENTION

Writing practice is the aspect of language learning that involves the

most focus and attention as you have to think about every word as you

write Just like reading writing is a slow process at first but after a short

period of regular practice you can almost hear the ldquoclicksrdquo as the words

you write become part of your vocabulary which can now be used

when you practice speaking with your tutor After all writing and

speaking are both expressive forms of communication using similar

mental processes

IT ACTIVATES VOCABULARY VERY EFFECTIVELY

Writing may just be the ultimate way to solidify your understanding of

the words and phrases yoursquove acquired through reading and listening It

may be even more effective than speaking

9WRITEREGULARLY

51

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WRITING IS MORE PERSONAL

After some practice you can start to write in your own personal style

using your own ldquovoicerdquo which naturally makes the process much more

enjoyable Writing a journal is the best way to access this benefit Posting

thoughts in Chinese on social media is another option especially for

lower levels

WRITING GIVES YOU MORE TIME TO FORMULATE THOUGHTS

Writing gives you time to think and practice the language

simultaneously whereas with speaking there is little opportunity to

really contemplate all the various ways of expressing a thought unless

you have an extremely patient (and masochistic) paid tutor

EVEN IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER YOU CAN STILL WRITE

If you donrsquot have much vocabulary you can still practice writing Just

write individual sentences or phrases Look at example sentences and

try to re-write them using slightly different vocabulary Remember just as

the incredible graded readers we talked about in chapter 4 can be

written with just a few select words and characters you too can write a

surprising amount using the small vocabulary you have at your disposal

5 INCREDIBLE WRITING TIPS GO FOR QUANTITY

Write every day Write a blog or WeChat post write individual sentences

9WRITEREGULARLY

52

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoWriting to me is simply thinking through my fingersrdquo

- Isaac Asimov

53

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

write a question on how to write something write anything You should

write something everyday and make a routine out of it The more

content the better but donrsquot ask too much of yourself or you will burn out

and not want to do it for weeks

An added bonus to writing regularly is the ability to look back on your

previous writing practice after a few weeks or months and see how far

yoursquove come This is called ldquobenchmarkingrdquo which wersquoll talk about more

next time

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT

Write about something or someone you love Write about a problem

yoursquore having Write about your goals and dreams Write about a book

you read or a youtube video you watched Write about what yoursquove

learned or would like to learn Write a journal When you do this your

own personality will shine through in your writing which will make the

words and structures you practice far more memorable

9WRITEREGULARLY

54

AIM FOR ZERO MISTAKES

Thatrsquos correct ZERO mistakes Think about what you write Take your time

to think before you put pen to paper or keyboard and look up example

sentences for words you donrsquot quite know how to use If you do these

things you will produce correct output which is fantastic for your

language skills Bad output leads to what Thatrsquos right bad habits

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

GET CORRECTIONS

Writing and getting corrections will help you notice very quickly the

patterns and structures in Chinese This attentiveness will pay off when

it comes to speaking reading and listening too

USE A WRITING SOFTWARE

Try Ommwriter Flowstate Awriter or similar writing apps designed for

writers to get you into the flow of writing

MAKE FLASHCARDS OUT OF YOUR MISTAKES

Create ultra-personalised reviewable content by taking any corrected

sentences and making a flashcard out of it

Try to combine regular speaking practice with regular writing

practice from now on and see for yourself how fast your fluency

improves

NEXT TIME For our final installment in this series wersquore going to

focus on continuing to improve your Chinese when you start to

plateau and the going getrsquos tough

9WRITEREGULARLY

55

Share your writing with a paid language exchange partner or tutor Check

out HiNative for a great place to get corrections on your writing and ask

general questions about how to use Chinese from native speakers

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Writing is a similar mental process as speaking with some important differences that can make it a more attractive outputting method under certain circumstances

Writing makes you more easily notice things about Chinese helps you activate passive vocabulary creates more personal connections to the language and gives you more time to convey your thoughts than speaking does

You can write at any level

Write as often as you can but donrsquot burn out

Write about things you care about and are passionate about so you can really enjoy the process and create more emotional connections that improve your retention

Aim not to make any mistakes because bad output means bad habits This is much easier to accomplish than with speaking as you have more time to think

Get your writing corrected by paid or free native speakers Make flashcards for words or structures you get wrong

KEY POINTS9WRITEREGULARLY

56

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

10SHARPEN THE SAW

Keep moving forward

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 3: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

FOCUS ON INPUT1

Donrsquot force yourself to speak

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

OUTPUT IS SECONDARY TO INPUT Our first tip on speaking better Mandarin is to NOT speak (gasp) but

instead to listen and read Wait Before you delete this E-book forever

allow us to explain Over the years wersquove heard many language

teachers say ldquoIf you want to improve your [INSERT LANGUAGE HERE]

yoursquove got to speak morerdquo and they are technically correcthellipsort of

What is very rarely mentioned is the fact that speaking practice

improves your ability to use the words and phrases you already know

Thatrsquos it

Herersquos an idea that sounds obvious but that few people apply to their

language learning Words and phrases are first acquired as passive

vocabulary (words you can understand) speaking merely activates

them Donrsquot believe us Well you didnrsquot come into the world speaking

your native tongue did you You spent years listening babbling

listening some more uttering the odd word and eventually saying

whole sentences Donrsquot worry Were certainly not saying itrsquoll take you

years to babble a few Chinese words just that your focus early on

should be on reading and listening Speaking can wait until later

After all how can you speak if you have nothing to say Your passive

vocabulary always outnumbers your active vocabulary by a lot and

even more so in a foreign language Therefore the more vocabulary

you understand the more you can potentially ldquoactivaterdquo through

speaking

1FOCUS ON INPUT

4

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

OUTPUT TOO EARLY CAN BE DAMAGING Many Chinese learners look at lists of words using some flashy app or

website and start ldquotrying them outrdquo in conversation without first seeing or

hearing that word in the context of a sentence This leads to incorrect and

sometimes downright funny Chinese coming out of their mouths on a

regular basis

Now if you are paying an experienced and competent Chinese tutor to

pick out mistakes and correct you properly this method may not be too

bad However we can assure you that you cannot rely on native

speakers whether teachers or not to correct you all the time You will

likely be left to flounder and sputter nonsense for extended periods of

time blissfully unaware that you are creating and solidifying an incorrect

version of the language

What is the result of this repeated bad output Usually it means bad

habits which are really tough to break This is partly why people can live

in a foreign country for decades and still speak poorly They donrsquot

consume enough of their target language and they focus too much on

producing it

This should be good news to you regardless of your level You donrsquot

have to feel guilty about not speaking Only ldquofeel guiltyrdquo if you arenrsquot

spending time reading or listening Chinese Whenever you decide you

are ready you can start investing time in regular speaking practice

1FOCUS ON INPUT

WARNING This does not qualify as

reading although we admire this level of

enthusiasm

5

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoIt is possible that compelling input is not just optimal It

may be the only way we truly acquire languagerdquo

- Dr Steven Krashen

6

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Speaking practice activates all that lovely passive vocabulary yoursquove

been building up Our advice would be to make sure you invest

between 30 minutes and 2 hours every day in reading and listening

When you feel ready to start improving your speaking we suggest

booking time with a tutor for an hour or so once or twice a week

Wersquoll guide you through our best methods of using tutors and language

exchange partners in chapter 5

SEEK OUT ENGAGING CONTENT Consuming content you enjoy creates emotional connections that

make it much easier to acquire vocabulary It also makes it easier to

consume more challenging content as you care so much more about the

messages you are trying to decipher If you are a beginner then this is

more challenging After all you donrsquot have enough of a skill level to be

too picky However as you improve you can expand to more varied

content that suits your interests As for exactly what content where to

find it and how to use it effectively wersquoll talk about that later in this ebook

series

NEXT CHAPTER Wersquoll be talking about how many words

you actually need to reach various levels of fluency and

where exactly to find these words Itrsquos not as simple as

you may think See you then

1FOCUS ON INPUT

7

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT SUPPORTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Speaking only makes you better at saying what you already know Input increases your knowledge Input should therefore be the main focus throughout your study

Speaking practice has the very important function of activating passive vocabulary but passive vocabulary is always much larger than active vocablulary

Invest between 30 minutes and 2 hours every day on listening and reading to comprehensible and engaging material Throw in some regular speaking practice with a tutor when yoursquore ready

Focus on content that engages you whether that be sci-fi comic books or horror movies Doing this will make learning new words much easier and more enjoyable

KEY POINTS1FOCUS ON INPUT

8

LEARN THE 2

Prioritise spoken frequency

RIGHT WORDS

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WHICH WORDS SHOULD YOU LEARN Like most people when starting to learn Chinese we went straight for

textbooks not knowing what else to do We were soon bored senseless

by them never able to make it halfway though one before dropping it

for something else Later we realized our boredom stemmed from

many of the words being too advanced andor irrelevant for that vital

early stage There was little in the way of real life application for the

content One textbook even had tang dynasty poems in it You did not

read that incorrectly Tang dynasty poems in a beginner textbook Sigh

The thing is you donrsquot need that many words to be able to

communicate on a fairly wide variety of topics (ie basic fluency) The

most common 1000 spoken words make up around 90 of spoken

Chinese (or any language really) and should therefore be your main

focus from the get-go As these words become part of your active

vocabulary you will be able to access more and more content that suits

your interests and this is when your progress will really start to take off

HOW TO FIND A GOOD WORD LIST Itrsquos actually a lot harder than you might think to find a good word list for

Chinese spoken words as frequency is usually determined by scanning

written documents The same even goes for those in the HSK exam

(Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary lists The lower levels are ok but

generally the more advanced your level the less relevant the

vocabulary tends to become The lower levels (levels 1-3) of the HSK

2LEARN THERIGHT WORDS

10

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoThe journey of a thousand miles begins with a single steprdquo

- Laozi

11

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

arenrsquot that bad although they do have a lot of written vocabulary

peppered in throughout Not to worry though here are a few ways you

can get started

1 Here is a spoken frequency list based on TV and movie subtitles

2 Check out Gabriel Wynerrsquos base vocabulary list of 625 words that

apply to any language Wersquore great supporters of his work

3 Here are the HSK vocabulary lists Like we said the earlier levels (1-3)

are ok for spoken vocabulary

After yoursquove started the process of getting the first 1000 or so words into

your active vocabulary you will be able to learn less common written and

spoken words by consuming engaging content more suited to your

personal goals and interests But how best to acquire these words in

the first place This will be explained in detail in the next chapter

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk all about HOW to truly acquire any words

you need QUICKLY without forgetting them Wersquoll go through

many resources you can access instantly online to do this and

walk you through how to use them effectively On top of that wersquoll

share with you the favorite study techniques used by top

language learners that will supercharge your acquisition

2LEARN THERIGHT WORDS

12

4 Our new course ldquoThe Mandarin Blueprint Methodrdquo covers the most

common 1500 characters and 4000 words Check it out

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You only need around 1000 high frequency spoken words for basic fluency This is around 90 of the spoken language

Words found in textbooks and vocabulary lists become less and less relevant the higher your level Donrsquot rely on them too much

Once yoursquove got a foundation of common vocabulary yoursquoll have the ability to start consuming more engaging content suited to your personal interests

KEY POINTS

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT SUPPORTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

2LEARN THERIGHT WORDS

13

LEARN WORDS THE3

Rote learning doesnrsquot work

RIGHT WAY

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Speaking a language fluently is essentially just remembering the

right words at the right time Here are the most efficient and enjoyable

ways to truly acquire new Chinese words so they are always there for

you when you need them

USE SRS (SPACED REPETITION SOFTWARE) SRS prevents you from forgetting what yoursquove learned in the most

efficient and rewarding way possible Despite having a bit of a learning

curve Anki is definitely the best choice of SRS because you can make

your own flashcards although shared decks are also available There

are a bunch of web and mobile language learning apps that use SRS-

powered flashcards

Our huge video curriculum The Mandarin Blueprint Method provides

you with over 7000 flashcards to learn how to read understand write

and speak the most common 1000 Chinese words Check it out here

THINGS TO REMEMBER ABOUT SRS

1 Set realistic goals The more new cards you do the more reviews

will build up Be careful not to over-do it

2 Finish your reviews every day The algorithm can only guarantee

90-95 retention if you finish your reviews every day

3 SRS is not a learning tool itrsquos a reviewing tool Learn the word first

then use SRS to review otherwise you are just rote learning and that

is proven to be ineffective (and incredibly boring)

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

15

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

SO WHATrsquoS THE BEST WAY

TO LEARN A CHINESE WORD

LEARN CHARACTERS

Make sure to make learning characters a part of your daily study routine

ldquoBut hey I want to learn speaking I donrsquot care about the characters Irsquoll

learn them later if at allrdquo While this is an understandable response itrsquos a

trap that slows you down in the long run To speak fluently you need

vocabulary To get vocabulary you need to read and listen a lot To

read you need characters

LEARN WORDS IN CONTEXT

The first step towards learning a word is to learn itrsquos definition However

this is the equivalent of shaking someonersquos hand and learning their

name Thatrsquos it See that person several more times in different contexts

and yoursquoll really get to know them Words need context to truly become

part of your vocabulary

To truly acquire a word you need to see that word in a sentence and

depending on the complexity of the word you will need to see it in

several contexts many times before it can be fully acquired and used

Find at least one sentence for each usage of the word in question and

make a flashcard Here are some quick tips regarding sentences and

sentence flashcards

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

16

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You will first need to get at least a couple of hundred of the most

common words under your belt before being ready to start reading

sentences

Sentences should be 4-9 words in length on average Long enough

to show a decent level of context and demonstrate a grammatical

structure or two but not so long that it becomes too hard to focus on

a single concept

Your sentences should be informal so they can be applicable to real

life

Just reading sentences is a good start but using the ldquocloze deleterdquo

function with anki (shown below) or wwwclozemastercom is

especially effective as it forces you to work a little harder

Add an image or two to sum up the ldquomessagerdquo of the sentence and

create deeper connections to the word(s)

At the time of writing this chapter our favorite resource for finding

Chinese sentences is bingcomdict (pictured left)

Our new course The Mandarin Blueprint Method contains all of the

flashcards and memory techniques you need to learn the most

common 1000 Chinese words Click below to start your free trial

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

17

LEARN MORE

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

After starting to review words in sentences move onto the next vital

resourcehellip

GRADED READERS You donrsquot have to wait until yoursquove acquired 1000s of characters and

words before you start reading Not by a long shot You can start

reading articles short stories and podcast transcripts with as little

as 150 characters and words Here are our favorite resources to do so

LINGQ (PICTURED)

LingQ is an aggregated graded reader that has content sourced from all

over the internet including tons of proprietary material Higher level

learners can also import any content they want from elsewhere We are

currently reading A Song of Ice and Fire in Chinese using LingQ and are

addicted to itrsquos incredible functionality The best part about it is that itrsquos

quick look-up feature allows you to read material above your level that

would normally be far too frustrating in book form As if that wasnrsquot good

enough they also have excellent SRS functionality amp the ability to export

words to Anki

THE CHAIRMANrsquoS BAO (TCB)

The Chairmanrsquos Bao have real news articles edited for different HSK

levels (even HSK 1) Yes with only a couple of hundred characters and

words you can be reading real news articles in Chinese This site is being

updated with new fantastic features all the time and has a great app too

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

18

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoYou donrsquot know a person because you know their

name and you donrsquot know a word because you know itrsquos

definitionrdquo- Khatzumoto of ajattcom

19

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

MANDARIN COMPANION

Do you prefer the feel of a real book in your hands These books can be

read with only 300-450 characters under your belt They have a bunch of

classics for lower levels that are still compelling despite being heavily

edited

GO FOR EFFICIENCY To get the most out of that precious hour or two each day that most of

us can spare for language learning make sure you use the following

techniques for maximum return on your time investment

INTERLEAVING

Studies have shown that it is more efficient in the long term to flit

between various different types of content within a study session than to

learn one thing at a time in blocks This is referred to as ldquointerleavingrdquo or

ldquointerleaved learningrdquo Donrsquot spend hours pouring over the same material

mix it up Not only will this be way more engaging yoursquoll also progress

faster

TIMEBOXING

Using timeboxing (also known as ldquoThe Pomodoro Techniquerdquo) will

greatly enhance the efficiency and enjoyment of your study

Traditionally you should study for 25 minutes then rest for 5 minutes

then repeat This means 50 minutes of focused study per hour instead of

15 minutes of study and 45 minutes daydreaming and looking at

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

20

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You can also do all sorts of time-boxes for variety Anywhere from 30

seconds to 25 minutes with 25 minutes being the maximum We love to

combine timeboxing with interleaving working on 2 or 3 different study

resources at a time with really short time-boxes For example a few

minutes on learning characters then reviewing flashcards then listening

to a podcast then resting This turns a study session into a fun game

doing wonders for your motivation

LISTEN WHILE READING

Listening is the easiest and most convenient way of improving learning as

itrsquos hands-free and you can focus on other things while doing it However

if you can read what you hear at the same time the benefits multiply

to be greater than the sum of its parts The reading makes it easier to

understand what you hear and what you hear improves your reading

speed If you choose material either at or slightly above your level and try

this technique out it really feels like yoursquore super-charging your Chinese

ability

SHADOWING

This is a technique made famous by Professor Alexander Arguelles

Shadowing is reading listening and speaking all at the same time Do

it while out and about for best results Just a few minutes a day of this will

improve pronunciation spoken fluency reading and listening

simultaneously We do it almost everyday and it really does speed up the

acquisition process more than anything else wersquove tried Just make sure

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

21

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

you choose a voice to imitate that yoursquod actually like to sound like

(especially when you choose the dialect or gender of the speaker) Herersquos

a video of The prof himself talking about the technique in more detail

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk to you all about how good pronunciation

practice improves your speaking ability listening ability amp even

reading ability plus wersquoll talk about where to find the best

resources to pronounce Chinese like a native speaker

Using spaced repetition is vital for your early days learning Chinese (or any language for that matter)

Learning characters is an unavoidable step in learning Chinese

You must see new words in a sentence before you can acquire them Reading graded readers is even better as it provides more context and engaging topics

Incorporate interleaved learning shadowing and timeboxing into your daily study routine for the most efficient results

KEY POINTS

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

22

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

LEARN PRONUNCIATION4

It will pay off huge dividends later

EARLY AND WELL

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

At Mandarin Blueprint we take pronunciation very seriously This is

mainly because we know first-hand the negative effects of poor

pronunciation instruction

Bad pronunciation slows the development of your listening reading

and speaking ability which is bad enough But by far the most

profoundly painful outcome of poor pronunciation is the damage done

to your lsquolearnerrsquos egorsquo early on When you are misunderstood partially

understood or not at all understood it hurts your confidence You then

associate speaking Chinese with negative emotions and become less

and less willing to start talking Itrsquos a vicious cycle of negativity that we

want you to avoid

HERErsquoS A PROBLEM WE WANT YOU TO HAVE 1 A Chinese person asks you a simple question that you understand

2 You answer the question with simple Chinese but with great

pronunciation

3 The Chinese person listening to you immediately assumes you

speak incredible Chinese and proceeds to unload a litany of

questions and comments

4 After an awkward silence you say 听不不懂 (tīngbudǒng) which

means ldquoI donrsquot understandrdquo

5 The Chinese person laughs asks a few more questions before

realizing you were actually serious Awkwardness intensifies

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

24

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

THE SKINNY ON MANDARIN PRONUNCIATION If you want excellent spoken Chinese you first need to be completely

aware of how to produce understand and read all of the sounds of the

language Some people can do all this naturally by ear with very little

training Unfortunately the law of averages states that you are most likely

not in this group Sorry -(

Not to worry though With only 409 different-sounding syllables (1200 if

you include tones) Chinese has relatively little to learn in terms of

pronunciation especially when compared to the 16000+ syllables of

English There are however many challenging and potentially confusing

aspects to Chinese pronunciation which means that you can learn what

you need to know about pronunciation in a relatively short time but you

need high quality expert guidance and study materials to do it

TUTORS ARENrsquoT ALWAYS THE WAY TO GO If you want to learn pronunciation it seems like a logical decision would

be to look for a tutor right Unfortunately most teachers do not have

the knowledge or experience to teach you Chinese pronunciation

well But why is this Well theyrsquove spoken mandarin since they can

remember right They have no frame of reference for comparing tongue

positions or vowel aspiration to English so how could they explain it to a

foreigner How would they know what it feels like to learn Mandarin

pronunciation as an adult

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

25

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoThe first thing I have to do to erase my french accent is to believe itrsquos actually possiblerdquo

- Marion Cotillard

26

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

There are fantastic tutors out there who can teach you pronunciation

properly but they can be like finding a needle in a haystack Not to

mention with the hourly rates you are likely to rack up hundreds of

dollars in fees for average results

INTRODUCING ldquoPRONUNCIATION MASTERYrdquo Wersquove been training our clients on pronunciation through live sessions of

our Pronunciation Mastery course for 2 years now and the results have

been fantastic Wersquove now finally finished transforming it into an 8 hour

video course that will teach you everything you need to know about

Chinese pronunciation all from the unique perspective of us Two

Chinese learners who made the journey ourselves from beginner to

advanced fluency This is all delivered using HD video crystal clear

explanations supported with slick design over a thousand multimedia

SRS flashcards over 80 PDFs amp native audio for reference and review

Wersquove put our hearts and souls into this course along with our extensive

experience and feedback from live teaching over the past 2 years Plus

itrsquos already helped hundreds of Chinese learners around the world Itrsquos

the video course we would have wanted when we were starting out

with Mandarin

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

27

CHECK IT OUT

Luke Neale

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

NEXT TIME Wersquoll dive into the topic of Chinese tutors Wersquoll be

sharing with you where to find the best free and paid tutors how

to work with them in the most efficient and fun way possible

Pronunciation is the vital first stage for learning any language

Bad pronunciation affects all other areas of your Chinese skill but most importantly it hurts your confidence

Compared to English there is much less to learn to master Chinese pronunciation

Chinese teachers rarely have the training and experience necessary to teach you pronunciation properly

Mandarin Blueprintrsquos ldquoPronunciation Masteryrdquo course has everything you need to develop great pronunciation quickly and cheaply Check it out today

KEY POINTS

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

28

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

USE TUTORS

Connect with them regularly

EFFECTIVELY

5

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You will notice that this is way down the list of tips for speaking like a

native speaker Thatrsquos because it actually isnrsquot the highest priority straight

away at least not anymore The sheer number of resources available

to you as a Chinese learner today means that you can do most things

you need to do on your own without a tutor As avid Chinese learners

ourselves we can both attest to this fact However a tutor is an

absolutely vital part of your journey to spoken fluency and to get the

most out of them you need to know how to work with them

First off what is a tutor for exactly Itrsquos not as obvious an answer as you

may think Understandably most people get a tutor straight from the

beginning hoping to receive all the materials and guidance they need

to make them fluent and literate in Chinese This is a lot to expect of

anyone let alone someone who never actually learned Chinese as a

second language So what are reasonable expectations to have then

THE ROLE OF A CHINESE TUTOR 1) FOR ACTIVATING PASSIVE VOCABULARY

Go into a session and try to use the words yoursquove been learning through

listening and reading Focus on steering the conversation to topics

you find meaningful and interesting Agree on these topics in advance

A good tutor is a good communicator someone who can speak to you

in a way they know you understand and ask you the right questions to

keep a conversation going Push your limits of what you know and ask a

lot of questions on how to use any words you arenrsquot sure about

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

30

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Mistakes are fine but donrsquot try and make up how to use a word or phrase

if you donrsquot already know Just ask If your tutor misses mistakes too

often they could turn into bad habits and you really donrsquot want that

2) FOR IDENTIFYING AND FIXING PROBLEMS

We prefer to have a nice chat of between 5 and 30 minutes during which

the tutor is making notes about anything you need to improve upon After

the time is up or the conversation has hit a dead-end the tutor can go

through your mistakes with you and do some directed practice to fix any

recurring issues This can be done as often as you like or just at the very

end of each session Make flashcards with example sentences

targeting the words or phrases you got wrong

3) FOR PROVIDING TRUE ENCOURAGEMENT

True encouragement is when a tutor notices where yoursquove improved and

points it out but also communicates your potential for improvement

Blindly repeating ldquo真棒 zhēn bagravengrdquo (rdquoGreat jobrdquo) all the time is false

encouragement and it can lead to complacency After all Chinese

people will already be giving you plenty of compliments about your

Mandarin the last thing you need is your paid tutor making your head

even bigger If a tutor provides true encouragement regularly yoursquore

golden If not ask them to or get another tutor

4) FOR FINDING LEVEL-APPROPRIATE AND ENGAGING CONTENT

This one is not to be expected of every tutor certainly not unprompted

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

31

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Directly ask them to find you listening and reading materials that you

might be interested in You may be very surprised at what they find for

you Some incredible content may be hidden away from the mainstream

and you may need a native person to help you discover those little gems

you might otherwise miss out on

TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR STUDY Figure out a kind of lesson structure yoursquore comfortable with that

suits your goals and interests Possible approaches include

Focus on a bunch of words yoursquove been learning and how to use

them

Choose several interesting topics and have an open conversation

Discuss a news article comic book or tv episode you saw recently

Whatever it is plan it out briefly beforehand and make it clear with your

tutor how you would like the lesson to go You have to take the reins if

you want the most bang for your buck If you donrsquot what yoursquoll get is what

the tutor wants to give you which will most likely be a textbook and

discussion of boring topics

HOW TO FIND GREAT TUTORS We would highly recommend finding tutors online as opposed to face-

to-face Herersquos why

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

32

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

1 You have a reasonable guarantee of quality Community star ratings

are commonplace

2 Far more convenient You can get online and be talking to a qualified

tutor for a few dollars an hour within a few minutes Enough said

3 Much better value for money Even if yoursquore living in China tutors still

work out cheaper online When you account for the time and effort it

takes to meet with a stranger face-to-face and the higher turnover of

tutors due to poor or quickly declining quality of lessons online tutors

are almost always more cost-effective

If you want to get online fast and take high quality online sessions with a

tutor a great resource is wwwitalkicom You can find both paid tutors

and unpaid language exchange partners here Invest a few dollars and

hours a month and it will pay off hugely for you

Italki offers tutoring in a huge range of lanugages but the vast majority of

the teachers just use skype for their lessons This is fine but you may be

surprised at the level of functionality of other Chinese-only services such

as wwwtutormandarincom

Instead of just a video call you get a live visual presentation showing

text and highlighted areas that makes everything much clearer and

more engaging This way you can practice your reading alongside your

speaking and listening all with live instruction

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

33

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

They offer a free 1-to-1 consultation and language evaluation before you

signup for anything so it canrsquot hurt to try them out

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to talk about immersion and how you

can do it regardless of your lifestyle or location to greatly improve

your speaking ability

Take control of your time with tutors making sure to point out clearly beforehand what you need from them and what your expectations are

Online tutors used in the capacity wersquove suggested are generally more time and cost-effective than face-to-face tutors even if you are in China Make the most of your study time by going for the former unless you have a guarantee of value

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

Tutors should be treated as a learning resource rather than your study gurus Their main function is to serve as a great communicator who can help you activate vocabulary and stay motivated

KEY POINTS

34

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

6IMMERSE YOURSELF

Be with Chinese as often as possible

IN CHINESE

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion deserves itrsquos own e-book all by itself as itrsquos such a deep and

varied topic but there are a few things to remember that will allow you

to immerse yourself in Chinese easily wherever you are

HOW TO IMMERSE YOURSELF First of all immersion doesnrsquot necessarily entail never speaking your

native language and ignoring your friends and family Immersion in itrsquos

most manageable form is simply being in touch with Chinese

regularly throughout the day This is doable outside China and even

with a family and a full-time job to boot Herersquos how we do it

CHANGE YOUR ENVIRONMENT

Make sure that Chinese is within 1 foot of your body at all times Ten

years ago that would have meant taping books and Chinese people

around your waist which would have been inconvenient and almost

definitely illegal Now we have these magical devices in our pockets

everywhere we go and most of us have computers or tablets as well

Always be looking for more and more level-appropriate reading and

listening materials and fill your devices with them Whenever you get

bored or frustrated with something drop it for something else You can

be picky even at beginner level Most of the time if you donrsquot enjoy

something itrsquos because you arenrsquot ready for it yet anyway Just go back

to it a few weeks or months down the line

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

36

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Organize the apps on your smart phone for reading listening speaking

and even writing Chinese so you can tap them whenever you have a

spare few minutes This makes it as easy as possible to immerse yourself

in something wherever and whenever

MAKE BETTER USE OF YOUR TIME

Listen to Chinese whenever yoursquore traveling anywhere working out

doing flashcards or housework If you have your eyes andor mouth free

as well do some interleaved learning or shadowing (see tip 4)

The key is starting not finishing Just do something for 1-15 minutes

10-20 times a day as opposed to trying to set aside large chunks of time

which either cause you to procrastinate or burn out

TALK TO LANGUAGE EXCHANGE PARTNERS

It might get expensive meeting with paid tutors every day which creates

an excuse to not practice speaking But there are more and more great

apps that allow you to connect and exchange with native Chinese

speakers for free Our favorite language exchange apps are pictured

on the next page

TALK TO YOURSELF

Yes it might feel a bit weird but it works as a decent substitute to a paid

tutor or language exchange partner Anything going through your head

just try to blurt out in Chinese Wear earphones to make it appear you are

talking on the phone so you donrsquot get placed into a mental institution

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

37

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoTime is what we want most but what we use worstrdquo

- William Penn

38

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion is doable regardless of your lifestyle Just be around Chinese many times throughout the day

Listen while doing pretty much anything Itrsquos the part of language learning that takes the least conscious effort to improve

Connect with language exchange partners via free apps Spend a few minutes chatting here and there Even talking to yourself can be really effective

KEY POINTS

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk about how to maintain a calm and positive

attitude when struggling to improve your speaking skills Wersquoll

also go into how to take criticism well and even enjoy making

mistakes6

IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

39

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

BE COOL7

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot be touchy when you get corrections or criticism even if it comes

across as harsh People rarely correct you for free and if you react

badly when they do that will probably be the last time they help you

When you arenrsquot understood just assume itrsquos never their problem It

actually might be sometimes but just assume it isnrsquot

People tend to put a lot of their pride and ego into their Chinese ability

because it takes a lot of time and effort to get good and it is a very rare

skill However just know that only when you really start to get good at

something do you realize how little you know Donrsquot fall into that trap

because you will be in for a rude awakening down the line Take your

ego out of the equation and have a great time Laugh at yourself

Itrsquos all just a game

LEARN TO ACCEPT UNCERTAINTY You will forget words yoursquove reviewed and heard for months

You will forget grammar structures yoursquove spoken correctly 10 times

before

You will get utterly lost in conversation after thinking yoursquove had a

breakthrough in your skill level

Take a deep breath Itrsquos all part of the process

7BE COOL

41

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoCriticism may not be agreeable but it is necessary It fulfils the same function as pain

in the human body It calls attention to an

unhealthy state of things - Winston Churchill

42

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Wersquove already mentioned the importance of good output Too many

mistakes without being corrected can lead to bad habits but mistakes

are inevitable Even if you follow our advice you will still have trouble

sometimes Enjoy being wronghellipevery mistake or misunderstanding

can bring you closer to fluency The key is to not worry about what you

canrsquot say just take note of it and take action Try to say something and it

came out as gibberish Make a note and try it out next time you get the

chance Get a flashcard completely wrong Good Less likely to next time

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to be sharing with you our favorite

speaking hacks that will instantly have you speaking Chinese

much more like a native and with less effort

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously Learning Chinese is just a game Enjoy yourself and take criticism with a smile

Mistakes when speaking and reviewing are inevitable and an important part of the learning process

KEY POINTS

7BE COOL

43

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

8USE THESE

Speak ldquorealrdquo Chinese

SPEAKING HACKS

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

OUR FAVORITE SPEAKING HACKS Apply even one of these techniques to your day-to-day speaking and

you will not only sound more native but will also find it much easier

to speak in general

SPEAK WITH FLUENCY

Fluency is not knowing every word It is simply the ability to say what it is

you want to say accurately using the vocabulary that you have Donrsquot

know how to say ldquointernational traderdquo Just say ldquowhen one country buys

and sells things with another countryrdquo After you say this your

conversation partner will likely say ldquooh yeah thatrsquos lsquointernational tradersquordquo

Boom New word learned within the emotional context of the

conversation to boot The key is when you donrsquot know a word donrsquot

just give up Instead do your best to explain what you want to say

with the vocabulary you have

SLOW DOWN

Speaking at around 80 of your normal rate wonrsquot sound weird at all and

it will improve both your pronunciation and your fluency instantly

Speaking more slowly gives your mouth and tongue muscles time to

get into position before a sound is made which is very helpful for those

sounds that donrsquot exist in English Plus it gives you a few extra

microseconds to think of something to say in conversation Combine

this with the next 2 hacks and yoursquore really in businesshellip

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

45

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoFake it until you make itrdquo - Steven Tyler

46

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

USE ldquoFILLERSrdquo

Everyone (including Chinese people) use these all the time in their

various native languages Why would you give yourself less of a chance

than a native speaker would to sound fluent Thatrsquos just crazy Here are

the top five uhh er umhelliprdquofillersrdquo

ēnhellip jiugraveshihellip negraveigehellip zhegraveigehellip raacutenhograveuhellip

Throw one or more of these utterances anywhere you like Put them in

every sentence if you feel the need Chinese people wonrsquot notice as they

do it too

USE CONVERSATION CONNECTORS

This is a term coined by Anthony Lauder referring to those everyday

fixed phrases that you say at the beginning middle or end of a sentence

to dress up what you want to say Here are some examples

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

我想告诉你hellip woacute xiǎng gagraveosu nǐhellip

Irsquod like you to know thathellip

你别介意不过hellip nǐ bieacute jiegraveyigrave buacuteguogravehellip Dont be upset buthellip

就像你已经知道的hellip jiugrave xiagraveng niacute yǐjīng zhīdagraveo dehellip

As you already know

多数情况hellip dagrave duō shugrave qiacutengkuagraveng

Most of the timehellip

47

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot give up so easily if you canrsquot think of a word you want to use Just use more common words to describe it

Speaking a bit slower will give you more time to think of what to say and will usually go unnoticed by a native speaker

Throw in fillers and fixed expressions to sound more like a native speaker and give yourself more time to speak at the same time

You can even thrown in English words to fill in the gaps if the above suggestions arenrsquot on the table Many young educated Chinese people do this anyway

KEY POINTS

USE ENGLISH WORDS

As a last ditch effort if you really donrsquot have the energy to ldquouse fluencyrdquo to

describe a word yoursquove forgotten just say the English word Younger

more educated Chinese speakers are likely to have a decent English

level and they themselves also like to throw in the odd English word into

conversation so itrsquos fine to follow suit At very least it keeps conversation

going to the next topic where you remember the Chinese words

NEXT TIME For our next installment in this series wersquore going to

get into the role writing has on your speaking how to write what

to write and where amp when to write Itrsquos not at all as intimidating

(or boring) as you may think

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

48

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Combine any and all of these tips to your speaking at any time to make yourself speak better instantly8

USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

49

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

WRITE REGULARLY9

Supercharge your active vocabulary

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Many beginners (and higher levels too) struggle with the frustration of

not being able to express their thoughts and feelings properly in

Chinese Even with many months and years of practice they can still feel

like the words just arenrsquot there when they need them Wersquove already

given you a bunch of steps you can take to solve this problem and we

realize that writing may be an unexpected additional step but trust us

when we say how valuable it can be

WHY WRITING IMPROVES SPEAKING IT DEMANDS FOCUS AND ATTENTION

Writing practice is the aspect of language learning that involves the

most focus and attention as you have to think about every word as you

write Just like reading writing is a slow process at first but after a short

period of regular practice you can almost hear the ldquoclicksrdquo as the words

you write become part of your vocabulary which can now be used

when you practice speaking with your tutor After all writing and

speaking are both expressive forms of communication using similar

mental processes

IT ACTIVATES VOCABULARY VERY EFFECTIVELY

Writing may just be the ultimate way to solidify your understanding of

the words and phrases yoursquove acquired through reading and listening It

may be even more effective than speaking

9WRITEREGULARLY

51

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WRITING IS MORE PERSONAL

After some practice you can start to write in your own personal style

using your own ldquovoicerdquo which naturally makes the process much more

enjoyable Writing a journal is the best way to access this benefit Posting

thoughts in Chinese on social media is another option especially for

lower levels

WRITING GIVES YOU MORE TIME TO FORMULATE THOUGHTS

Writing gives you time to think and practice the language

simultaneously whereas with speaking there is little opportunity to

really contemplate all the various ways of expressing a thought unless

you have an extremely patient (and masochistic) paid tutor

EVEN IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER YOU CAN STILL WRITE

If you donrsquot have much vocabulary you can still practice writing Just

write individual sentences or phrases Look at example sentences and

try to re-write them using slightly different vocabulary Remember just as

the incredible graded readers we talked about in chapter 4 can be

written with just a few select words and characters you too can write a

surprising amount using the small vocabulary you have at your disposal

5 INCREDIBLE WRITING TIPS GO FOR QUANTITY

Write every day Write a blog or WeChat post write individual sentences

9WRITEREGULARLY

52

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoWriting to me is simply thinking through my fingersrdquo

- Isaac Asimov

53

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

write a question on how to write something write anything You should

write something everyday and make a routine out of it The more

content the better but donrsquot ask too much of yourself or you will burn out

and not want to do it for weeks

An added bonus to writing regularly is the ability to look back on your

previous writing practice after a few weeks or months and see how far

yoursquove come This is called ldquobenchmarkingrdquo which wersquoll talk about more

next time

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT

Write about something or someone you love Write about a problem

yoursquore having Write about your goals and dreams Write about a book

you read or a youtube video you watched Write about what yoursquove

learned or would like to learn Write a journal When you do this your

own personality will shine through in your writing which will make the

words and structures you practice far more memorable

9WRITEREGULARLY

54

AIM FOR ZERO MISTAKES

Thatrsquos correct ZERO mistakes Think about what you write Take your time

to think before you put pen to paper or keyboard and look up example

sentences for words you donrsquot quite know how to use If you do these

things you will produce correct output which is fantastic for your

language skills Bad output leads to what Thatrsquos right bad habits

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

GET CORRECTIONS

Writing and getting corrections will help you notice very quickly the

patterns and structures in Chinese This attentiveness will pay off when

it comes to speaking reading and listening too

USE A WRITING SOFTWARE

Try Ommwriter Flowstate Awriter or similar writing apps designed for

writers to get you into the flow of writing

MAKE FLASHCARDS OUT OF YOUR MISTAKES

Create ultra-personalised reviewable content by taking any corrected

sentences and making a flashcard out of it

Try to combine regular speaking practice with regular writing

practice from now on and see for yourself how fast your fluency

improves

NEXT TIME For our final installment in this series wersquore going to

focus on continuing to improve your Chinese when you start to

plateau and the going getrsquos tough

9WRITEREGULARLY

55

Share your writing with a paid language exchange partner or tutor Check

out HiNative for a great place to get corrections on your writing and ask

general questions about how to use Chinese from native speakers

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Writing is a similar mental process as speaking with some important differences that can make it a more attractive outputting method under certain circumstances

Writing makes you more easily notice things about Chinese helps you activate passive vocabulary creates more personal connections to the language and gives you more time to convey your thoughts than speaking does

You can write at any level

Write as often as you can but donrsquot burn out

Write about things you care about and are passionate about so you can really enjoy the process and create more emotional connections that improve your retention

Aim not to make any mistakes because bad output means bad habits This is much easier to accomplish than with speaking as you have more time to think

Get your writing corrected by paid or free native speakers Make flashcards for words or structures you get wrong

KEY POINTS9WRITEREGULARLY

56

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

10SHARPEN THE SAW

Keep moving forward

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 4: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

OUTPUT IS SECONDARY TO INPUT Our first tip on speaking better Mandarin is to NOT speak (gasp) but

instead to listen and read Wait Before you delete this E-book forever

allow us to explain Over the years wersquove heard many language

teachers say ldquoIf you want to improve your [INSERT LANGUAGE HERE]

yoursquove got to speak morerdquo and they are technically correcthellipsort of

What is very rarely mentioned is the fact that speaking practice

improves your ability to use the words and phrases you already know

Thatrsquos it

Herersquos an idea that sounds obvious but that few people apply to their

language learning Words and phrases are first acquired as passive

vocabulary (words you can understand) speaking merely activates

them Donrsquot believe us Well you didnrsquot come into the world speaking

your native tongue did you You spent years listening babbling

listening some more uttering the odd word and eventually saying

whole sentences Donrsquot worry Were certainly not saying itrsquoll take you

years to babble a few Chinese words just that your focus early on

should be on reading and listening Speaking can wait until later

After all how can you speak if you have nothing to say Your passive

vocabulary always outnumbers your active vocabulary by a lot and

even more so in a foreign language Therefore the more vocabulary

you understand the more you can potentially ldquoactivaterdquo through

speaking

1FOCUS ON INPUT

4

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

OUTPUT TOO EARLY CAN BE DAMAGING Many Chinese learners look at lists of words using some flashy app or

website and start ldquotrying them outrdquo in conversation without first seeing or

hearing that word in the context of a sentence This leads to incorrect and

sometimes downright funny Chinese coming out of their mouths on a

regular basis

Now if you are paying an experienced and competent Chinese tutor to

pick out mistakes and correct you properly this method may not be too

bad However we can assure you that you cannot rely on native

speakers whether teachers or not to correct you all the time You will

likely be left to flounder and sputter nonsense for extended periods of

time blissfully unaware that you are creating and solidifying an incorrect

version of the language

What is the result of this repeated bad output Usually it means bad

habits which are really tough to break This is partly why people can live

in a foreign country for decades and still speak poorly They donrsquot

consume enough of their target language and they focus too much on

producing it

This should be good news to you regardless of your level You donrsquot

have to feel guilty about not speaking Only ldquofeel guiltyrdquo if you arenrsquot

spending time reading or listening Chinese Whenever you decide you

are ready you can start investing time in regular speaking practice

1FOCUS ON INPUT

WARNING This does not qualify as

reading although we admire this level of

enthusiasm

5

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoIt is possible that compelling input is not just optimal It

may be the only way we truly acquire languagerdquo

- Dr Steven Krashen

6

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Speaking practice activates all that lovely passive vocabulary yoursquove

been building up Our advice would be to make sure you invest

between 30 minutes and 2 hours every day in reading and listening

When you feel ready to start improving your speaking we suggest

booking time with a tutor for an hour or so once or twice a week

Wersquoll guide you through our best methods of using tutors and language

exchange partners in chapter 5

SEEK OUT ENGAGING CONTENT Consuming content you enjoy creates emotional connections that

make it much easier to acquire vocabulary It also makes it easier to

consume more challenging content as you care so much more about the

messages you are trying to decipher If you are a beginner then this is

more challenging After all you donrsquot have enough of a skill level to be

too picky However as you improve you can expand to more varied

content that suits your interests As for exactly what content where to

find it and how to use it effectively wersquoll talk about that later in this ebook

series

NEXT CHAPTER Wersquoll be talking about how many words

you actually need to reach various levels of fluency and

where exactly to find these words Itrsquos not as simple as

you may think See you then

1FOCUS ON INPUT

7

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT SUPPORTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Speaking only makes you better at saying what you already know Input increases your knowledge Input should therefore be the main focus throughout your study

Speaking practice has the very important function of activating passive vocabulary but passive vocabulary is always much larger than active vocablulary

Invest between 30 minutes and 2 hours every day on listening and reading to comprehensible and engaging material Throw in some regular speaking practice with a tutor when yoursquore ready

Focus on content that engages you whether that be sci-fi comic books or horror movies Doing this will make learning new words much easier and more enjoyable

KEY POINTS1FOCUS ON INPUT

8

LEARN THE 2

Prioritise spoken frequency

RIGHT WORDS

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WHICH WORDS SHOULD YOU LEARN Like most people when starting to learn Chinese we went straight for

textbooks not knowing what else to do We were soon bored senseless

by them never able to make it halfway though one before dropping it

for something else Later we realized our boredom stemmed from

many of the words being too advanced andor irrelevant for that vital

early stage There was little in the way of real life application for the

content One textbook even had tang dynasty poems in it You did not

read that incorrectly Tang dynasty poems in a beginner textbook Sigh

The thing is you donrsquot need that many words to be able to

communicate on a fairly wide variety of topics (ie basic fluency) The

most common 1000 spoken words make up around 90 of spoken

Chinese (or any language really) and should therefore be your main

focus from the get-go As these words become part of your active

vocabulary you will be able to access more and more content that suits

your interests and this is when your progress will really start to take off

HOW TO FIND A GOOD WORD LIST Itrsquos actually a lot harder than you might think to find a good word list for

Chinese spoken words as frequency is usually determined by scanning

written documents The same even goes for those in the HSK exam

(Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary lists The lower levels are ok but

generally the more advanced your level the less relevant the

vocabulary tends to become The lower levels (levels 1-3) of the HSK

2LEARN THERIGHT WORDS

10

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoThe journey of a thousand miles begins with a single steprdquo

- Laozi

11

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

arenrsquot that bad although they do have a lot of written vocabulary

peppered in throughout Not to worry though here are a few ways you

can get started

1 Here is a spoken frequency list based on TV and movie subtitles

2 Check out Gabriel Wynerrsquos base vocabulary list of 625 words that

apply to any language Wersquore great supporters of his work

3 Here are the HSK vocabulary lists Like we said the earlier levels (1-3)

are ok for spoken vocabulary

After yoursquove started the process of getting the first 1000 or so words into

your active vocabulary you will be able to learn less common written and

spoken words by consuming engaging content more suited to your

personal goals and interests But how best to acquire these words in

the first place This will be explained in detail in the next chapter

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk all about HOW to truly acquire any words

you need QUICKLY without forgetting them Wersquoll go through

many resources you can access instantly online to do this and

walk you through how to use them effectively On top of that wersquoll

share with you the favorite study techniques used by top

language learners that will supercharge your acquisition

2LEARN THERIGHT WORDS

12

4 Our new course ldquoThe Mandarin Blueprint Methodrdquo covers the most

common 1500 characters and 4000 words Check it out

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You only need around 1000 high frequency spoken words for basic fluency This is around 90 of the spoken language

Words found in textbooks and vocabulary lists become less and less relevant the higher your level Donrsquot rely on them too much

Once yoursquove got a foundation of common vocabulary yoursquoll have the ability to start consuming more engaging content suited to your personal interests

KEY POINTS

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT SUPPORTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

2LEARN THERIGHT WORDS

13

LEARN WORDS THE3

Rote learning doesnrsquot work

RIGHT WAY

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Speaking a language fluently is essentially just remembering the

right words at the right time Here are the most efficient and enjoyable

ways to truly acquire new Chinese words so they are always there for

you when you need them

USE SRS (SPACED REPETITION SOFTWARE) SRS prevents you from forgetting what yoursquove learned in the most

efficient and rewarding way possible Despite having a bit of a learning

curve Anki is definitely the best choice of SRS because you can make

your own flashcards although shared decks are also available There

are a bunch of web and mobile language learning apps that use SRS-

powered flashcards

Our huge video curriculum The Mandarin Blueprint Method provides

you with over 7000 flashcards to learn how to read understand write

and speak the most common 1000 Chinese words Check it out here

THINGS TO REMEMBER ABOUT SRS

1 Set realistic goals The more new cards you do the more reviews

will build up Be careful not to over-do it

2 Finish your reviews every day The algorithm can only guarantee

90-95 retention if you finish your reviews every day

3 SRS is not a learning tool itrsquos a reviewing tool Learn the word first

then use SRS to review otherwise you are just rote learning and that

is proven to be ineffective (and incredibly boring)

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

15

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

SO WHATrsquoS THE BEST WAY

TO LEARN A CHINESE WORD

LEARN CHARACTERS

Make sure to make learning characters a part of your daily study routine

ldquoBut hey I want to learn speaking I donrsquot care about the characters Irsquoll

learn them later if at allrdquo While this is an understandable response itrsquos a

trap that slows you down in the long run To speak fluently you need

vocabulary To get vocabulary you need to read and listen a lot To

read you need characters

LEARN WORDS IN CONTEXT

The first step towards learning a word is to learn itrsquos definition However

this is the equivalent of shaking someonersquos hand and learning their

name Thatrsquos it See that person several more times in different contexts

and yoursquoll really get to know them Words need context to truly become

part of your vocabulary

To truly acquire a word you need to see that word in a sentence and

depending on the complexity of the word you will need to see it in

several contexts many times before it can be fully acquired and used

Find at least one sentence for each usage of the word in question and

make a flashcard Here are some quick tips regarding sentences and

sentence flashcards

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

16

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You will first need to get at least a couple of hundred of the most

common words under your belt before being ready to start reading

sentences

Sentences should be 4-9 words in length on average Long enough

to show a decent level of context and demonstrate a grammatical

structure or two but not so long that it becomes too hard to focus on

a single concept

Your sentences should be informal so they can be applicable to real

life

Just reading sentences is a good start but using the ldquocloze deleterdquo

function with anki (shown below) or wwwclozemastercom is

especially effective as it forces you to work a little harder

Add an image or two to sum up the ldquomessagerdquo of the sentence and

create deeper connections to the word(s)

At the time of writing this chapter our favorite resource for finding

Chinese sentences is bingcomdict (pictured left)

Our new course The Mandarin Blueprint Method contains all of the

flashcards and memory techniques you need to learn the most

common 1000 Chinese words Click below to start your free trial

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

17

LEARN MORE

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

After starting to review words in sentences move onto the next vital

resourcehellip

GRADED READERS You donrsquot have to wait until yoursquove acquired 1000s of characters and

words before you start reading Not by a long shot You can start

reading articles short stories and podcast transcripts with as little

as 150 characters and words Here are our favorite resources to do so

LINGQ (PICTURED)

LingQ is an aggregated graded reader that has content sourced from all

over the internet including tons of proprietary material Higher level

learners can also import any content they want from elsewhere We are

currently reading A Song of Ice and Fire in Chinese using LingQ and are

addicted to itrsquos incredible functionality The best part about it is that itrsquos

quick look-up feature allows you to read material above your level that

would normally be far too frustrating in book form As if that wasnrsquot good

enough they also have excellent SRS functionality amp the ability to export

words to Anki

THE CHAIRMANrsquoS BAO (TCB)

The Chairmanrsquos Bao have real news articles edited for different HSK

levels (even HSK 1) Yes with only a couple of hundred characters and

words you can be reading real news articles in Chinese This site is being

updated with new fantastic features all the time and has a great app too

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

18

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoYou donrsquot know a person because you know their

name and you donrsquot know a word because you know itrsquos

definitionrdquo- Khatzumoto of ajattcom

19

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

MANDARIN COMPANION

Do you prefer the feel of a real book in your hands These books can be

read with only 300-450 characters under your belt They have a bunch of

classics for lower levels that are still compelling despite being heavily

edited

GO FOR EFFICIENCY To get the most out of that precious hour or two each day that most of

us can spare for language learning make sure you use the following

techniques for maximum return on your time investment

INTERLEAVING

Studies have shown that it is more efficient in the long term to flit

between various different types of content within a study session than to

learn one thing at a time in blocks This is referred to as ldquointerleavingrdquo or

ldquointerleaved learningrdquo Donrsquot spend hours pouring over the same material

mix it up Not only will this be way more engaging yoursquoll also progress

faster

TIMEBOXING

Using timeboxing (also known as ldquoThe Pomodoro Techniquerdquo) will

greatly enhance the efficiency and enjoyment of your study

Traditionally you should study for 25 minutes then rest for 5 minutes

then repeat This means 50 minutes of focused study per hour instead of

15 minutes of study and 45 minutes daydreaming and looking at

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

20

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You can also do all sorts of time-boxes for variety Anywhere from 30

seconds to 25 minutes with 25 minutes being the maximum We love to

combine timeboxing with interleaving working on 2 or 3 different study

resources at a time with really short time-boxes For example a few

minutes on learning characters then reviewing flashcards then listening

to a podcast then resting This turns a study session into a fun game

doing wonders for your motivation

LISTEN WHILE READING

Listening is the easiest and most convenient way of improving learning as

itrsquos hands-free and you can focus on other things while doing it However

if you can read what you hear at the same time the benefits multiply

to be greater than the sum of its parts The reading makes it easier to

understand what you hear and what you hear improves your reading

speed If you choose material either at or slightly above your level and try

this technique out it really feels like yoursquore super-charging your Chinese

ability

SHADOWING

This is a technique made famous by Professor Alexander Arguelles

Shadowing is reading listening and speaking all at the same time Do

it while out and about for best results Just a few minutes a day of this will

improve pronunciation spoken fluency reading and listening

simultaneously We do it almost everyday and it really does speed up the

acquisition process more than anything else wersquove tried Just make sure

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

21

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

you choose a voice to imitate that yoursquod actually like to sound like

(especially when you choose the dialect or gender of the speaker) Herersquos

a video of The prof himself talking about the technique in more detail

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk to you all about how good pronunciation

practice improves your speaking ability listening ability amp even

reading ability plus wersquoll talk about where to find the best

resources to pronounce Chinese like a native speaker

Using spaced repetition is vital for your early days learning Chinese (or any language for that matter)

Learning characters is an unavoidable step in learning Chinese

You must see new words in a sentence before you can acquire them Reading graded readers is even better as it provides more context and engaging topics

Incorporate interleaved learning shadowing and timeboxing into your daily study routine for the most efficient results

KEY POINTS

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

22

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

LEARN PRONUNCIATION4

It will pay off huge dividends later

EARLY AND WELL

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

At Mandarin Blueprint we take pronunciation very seriously This is

mainly because we know first-hand the negative effects of poor

pronunciation instruction

Bad pronunciation slows the development of your listening reading

and speaking ability which is bad enough But by far the most

profoundly painful outcome of poor pronunciation is the damage done

to your lsquolearnerrsquos egorsquo early on When you are misunderstood partially

understood or not at all understood it hurts your confidence You then

associate speaking Chinese with negative emotions and become less

and less willing to start talking Itrsquos a vicious cycle of negativity that we

want you to avoid

HERErsquoS A PROBLEM WE WANT YOU TO HAVE 1 A Chinese person asks you a simple question that you understand

2 You answer the question with simple Chinese but with great

pronunciation

3 The Chinese person listening to you immediately assumes you

speak incredible Chinese and proceeds to unload a litany of

questions and comments

4 After an awkward silence you say 听不不懂 (tīngbudǒng) which

means ldquoI donrsquot understandrdquo

5 The Chinese person laughs asks a few more questions before

realizing you were actually serious Awkwardness intensifies

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

24

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

THE SKINNY ON MANDARIN PRONUNCIATION If you want excellent spoken Chinese you first need to be completely

aware of how to produce understand and read all of the sounds of the

language Some people can do all this naturally by ear with very little

training Unfortunately the law of averages states that you are most likely

not in this group Sorry -(

Not to worry though With only 409 different-sounding syllables (1200 if

you include tones) Chinese has relatively little to learn in terms of

pronunciation especially when compared to the 16000+ syllables of

English There are however many challenging and potentially confusing

aspects to Chinese pronunciation which means that you can learn what

you need to know about pronunciation in a relatively short time but you

need high quality expert guidance and study materials to do it

TUTORS ARENrsquoT ALWAYS THE WAY TO GO If you want to learn pronunciation it seems like a logical decision would

be to look for a tutor right Unfortunately most teachers do not have

the knowledge or experience to teach you Chinese pronunciation

well But why is this Well theyrsquove spoken mandarin since they can

remember right They have no frame of reference for comparing tongue

positions or vowel aspiration to English so how could they explain it to a

foreigner How would they know what it feels like to learn Mandarin

pronunciation as an adult

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

25

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoThe first thing I have to do to erase my french accent is to believe itrsquos actually possiblerdquo

- Marion Cotillard

26

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

There are fantastic tutors out there who can teach you pronunciation

properly but they can be like finding a needle in a haystack Not to

mention with the hourly rates you are likely to rack up hundreds of

dollars in fees for average results

INTRODUCING ldquoPRONUNCIATION MASTERYrdquo Wersquove been training our clients on pronunciation through live sessions of

our Pronunciation Mastery course for 2 years now and the results have

been fantastic Wersquove now finally finished transforming it into an 8 hour

video course that will teach you everything you need to know about

Chinese pronunciation all from the unique perspective of us Two

Chinese learners who made the journey ourselves from beginner to

advanced fluency This is all delivered using HD video crystal clear

explanations supported with slick design over a thousand multimedia

SRS flashcards over 80 PDFs amp native audio for reference and review

Wersquove put our hearts and souls into this course along with our extensive

experience and feedback from live teaching over the past 2 years Plus

itrsquos already helped hundreds of Chinese learners around the world Itrsquos

the video course we would have wanted when we were starting out

with Mandarin

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

27

CHECK IT OUT

Luke Neale

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

NEXT TIME Wersquoll dive into the topic of Chinese tutors Wersquoll be

sharing with you where to find the best free and paid tutors how

to work with them in the most efficient and fun way possible

Pronunciation is the vital first stage for learning any language

Bad pronunciation affects all other areas of your Chinese skill but most importantly it hurts your confidence

Compared to English there is much less to learn to master Chinese pronunciation

Chinese teachers rarely have the training and experience necessary to teach you pronunciation properly

Mandarin Blueprintrsquos ldquoPronunciation Masteryrdquo course has everything you need to develop great pronunciation quickly and cheaply Check it out today

KEY POINTS

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

28

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

USE TUTORS

Connect with them regularly

EFFECTIVELY

5

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You will notice that this is way down the list of tips for speaking like a

native speaker Thatrsquos because it actually isnrsquot the highest priority straight

away at least not anymore The sheer number of resources available

to you as a Chinese learner today means that you can do most things

you need to do on your own without a tutor As avid Chinese learners

ourselves we can both attest to this fact However a tutor is an

absolutely vital part of your journey to spoken fluency and to get the

most out of them you need to know how to work with them

First off what is a tutor for exactly Itrsquos not as obvious an answer as you

may think Understandably most people get a tutor straight from the

beginning hoping to receive all the materials and guidance they need

to make them fluent and literate in Chinese This is a lot to expect of

anyone let alone someone who never actually learned Chinese as a

second language So what are reasonable expectations to have then

THE ROLE OF A CHINESE TUTOR 1) FOR ACTIVATING PASSIVE VOCABULARY

Go into a session and try to use the words yoursquove been learning through

listening and reading Focus on steering the conversation to topics

you find meaningful and interesting Agree on these topics in advance

A good tutor is a good communicator someone who can speak to you

in a way they know you understand and ask you the right questions to

keep a conversation going Push your limits of what you know and ask a

lot of questions on how to use any words you arenrsquot sure about

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

30

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Mistakes are fine but donrsquot try and make up how to use a word or phrase

if you donrsquot already know Just ask If your tutor misses mistakes too

often they could turn into bad habits and you really donrsquot want that

2) FOR IDENTIFYING AND FIXING PROBLEMS

We prefer to have a nice chat of between 5 and 30 minutes during which

the tutor is making notes about anything you need to improve upon After

the time is up or the conversation has hit a dead-end the tutor can go

through your mistakes with you and do some directed practice to fix any

recurring issues This can be done as often as you like or just at the very

end of each session Make flashcards with example sentences

targeting the words or phrases you got wrong

3) FOR PROVIDING TRUE ENCOURAGEMENT

True encouragement is when a tutor notices where yoursquove improved and

points it out but also communicates your potential for improvement

Blindly repeating ldquo真棒 zhēn bagravengrdquo (rdquoGreat jobrdquo) all the time is false

encouragement and it can lead to complacency After all Chinese

people will already be giving you plenty of compliments about your

Mandarin the last thing you need is your paid tutor making your head

even bigger If a tutor provides true encouragement regularly yoursquore

golden If not ask them to or get another tutor

4) FOR FINDING LEVEL-APPROPRIATE AND ENGAGING CONTENT

This one is not to be expected of every tutor certainly not unprompted

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

31

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Directly ask them to find you listening and reading materials that you

might be interested in You may be very surprised at what they find for

you Some incredible content may be hidden away from the mainstream

and you may need a native person to help you discover those little gems

you might otherwise miss out on

TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR STUDY Figure out a kind of lesson structure yoursquore comfortable with that

suits your goals and interests Possible approaches include

Focus on a bunch of words yoursquove been learning and how to use

them

Choose several interesting topics and have an open conversation

Discuss a news article comic book or tv episode you saw recently

Whatever it is plan it out briefly beforehand and make it clear with your

tutor how you would like the lesson to go You have to take the reins if

you want the most bang for your buck If you donrsquot what yoursquoll get is what

the tutor wants to give you which will most likely be a textbook and

discussion of boring topics

HOW TO FIND GREAT TUTORS We would highly recommend finding tutors online as opposed to face-

to-face Herersquos why

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

32

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

1 You have a reasonable guarantee of quality Community star ratings

are commonplace

2 Far more convenient You can get online and be talking to a qualified

tutor for a few dollars an hour within a few minutes Enough said

3 Much better value for money Even if yoursquore living in China tutors still

work out cheaper online When you account for the time and effort it

takes to meet with a stranger face-to-face and the higher turnover of

tutors due to poor or quickly declining quality of lessons online tutors

are almost always more cost-effective

If you want to get online fast and take high quality online sessions with a

tutor a great resource is wwwitalkicom You can find both paid tutors

and unpaid language exchange partners here Invest a few dollars and

hours a month and it will pay off hugely for you

Italki offers tutoring in a huge range of lanugages but the vast majority of

the teachers just use skype for their lessons This is fine but you may be

surprised at the level of functionality of other Chinese-only services such

as wwwtutormandarincom

Instead of just a video call you get a live visual presentation showing

text and highlighted areas that makes everything much clearer and

more engaging This way you can practice your reading alongside your

speaking and listening all with live instruction

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

33

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

They offer a free 1-to-1 consultation and language evaluation before you

signup for anything so it canrsquot hurt to try them out

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to talk about immersion and how you

can do it regardless of your lifestyle or location to greatly improve

your speaking ability

Take control of your time with tutors making sure to point out clearly beforehand what you need from them and what your expectations are

Online tutors used in the capacity wersquove suggested are generally more time and cost-effective than face-to-face tutors even if you are in China Make the most of your study time by going for the former unless you have a guarantee of value

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

Tutors should be treated as a learning resource rather than your study gurus Their main function is to serve as a great communicator who can help you activate vocabulary and stay motivated

KEY POINTS

34

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

6IMMERSE YOURSELF

Be with Chinese as often as possible

IN CHINESE

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion deserves itrsquos own e-book all by itself as itrsquos such a deep and

varied topic but there are a few things to remember that will allow you

to immerse yourself in Chinese easily wherever you are

HOW TO IMMERSE YOURSELF First of all immersion doesnrsquot necessarily entail never speaking your

native language and ignoring your friends and family Immersion in itrsquos

most manageable form is simply being in touch with Chinese

regularly throughout the day This is doable outside China and even

with a family and a full-time job to boot Herersquos how we do it

CHANGE YOUR ENVIRONMENT

Make sure that Chinese is within 1 foot of your body at all times Ten

years ago that would have meant taping books and Chinese people

around your waist which would have been inconvenient and almost

definitely illegal Now we have these magical devices in our pockets

everywhere we go and most of us have computers or tablets as well

Always be looking for more and more level-appropriate reading and

listening materials and fill your devices with them Whenever you get

bored or frustrated with something drop it for something else You can

be picky even at beginner level Most of the time if you donrsquot enjoy

something itrsquos because you arenrsquot ready for it yet anyway Just go back

to it a few weeks or months down the line

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

36

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Organize the apps on your smart phone for reading listening speaking

and even writing Chinese so you can tap them whenever you have a

spare few minutes This makes it as easy as possible to immerse yourself

in something wherever and whenever

MAKE BETTER USE OF YOUR TIME

Listen to Chinese whenever yoursquore traveling anywhere working out

doing flashcards or housework If you have your eyes andor mouth free

as well do some interleaved learning or shadowing (see tip 4)

The key is starting not finishing Just do something for 1-15 minutes

10-20 times a day as opposed to trying to set aside large chunks of time

which either cause you to procrastinate or burn out

TALK TO LANGUAGE EXCHANGE PARTNERS

It might get expensive meeting with paid tutors every day which creates

an excuse to not practice speaking But there are more and more great

apps that allow you to connect and exchange with native Chinese

speakers for free Our favorite language exchange apps are pictured

on the next page

TALK TO YOURSELF

Yes it might feel a bit weird but it works as a decent substitute to a paid

tutor or language exchange partner Anything going through your head

just try to blurt out in Chinese Wear earphones to make it appear you are

talking on the phone so you donrsquot get placed into a mental institution

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

37

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoTime is what we want most but what we use worstrdquo

- William Penn

38

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion is doable regardless of your lifestyle Just be around Chinese many times throughout the day

Listen while doing pretty much anything Itrsquos the part of language learning that takes the least conscious effort to improve

Connect with language exchange partners via free apps Spend a few minutes chatting here and there Even talking to yourself can be really effective

KEY POINTS

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk about how to maintain a calm and positive

attitude when struggling to improve your speaking skills Wersquoll

also go into how to take criticism well and even enjoy making

mistakes6

IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

39

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

BE COOL7

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot be touchy when you get corrections or criticism even if it comes

across as harsh People rarely correct you for free and if you react

badly when they do that will probably be the last time they help you

When you arenrsquot understood just assume itrsquos never their problem It

actually might be sometimes but just assume it isnrsquot

People tend to put a lot of their pride and ego into their Chinese ability

because it takes a lot of time and effort to get good and it is a very rare

skill However just know that only when you really start to get good at

something do you realize how little you know Donrsquot fall into that trap

because you will be in for a rude awakening down the line Take your

ego out of the equation and have a great time Laugh at yourself

Itrsquos all just a game

LEARN TO ACCEPT UNCERTAINTY You will forget words yoursquove reviewed and heard for months

You will forget grammar structures yoursquove spoken correctly 10 times

before

You will get utterly lost in conversation after thinking yoursquove had a

breakthrough in your skill level

Take a deep breath Itrsquos all part of the process

7BE COOL

41

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoCriticism may not be agreeable but it is necessary It fulfils the same function as pain

in the human body It calls attention to an

unhealthy state of things - Winston Churchill

42

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Wersquove already mentioned the importance of good output Too many

mistakes without being corrected can lead to bad habits but mistakes

are inevitable Even if you follow our advice you will still have trouble

sometimes Enjoy being wronghellipevery mistake or misunderstanding

can bring you closer to fluency The key is to not worry about what you

canrsquot say just take note of it and take action Try to say something and it

came out as gibberish Make a note and try it out next time you get the

chance Get a flashcard completely wrong Good Less likely to next time

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to be sharing with you our favorite

speaking hacks that will instantly have you speaking Chinese

much more like a native and with less effort

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously Learning Chinese is just a game Enjoy yourself and take criticism with a smile

Mistakes when speaking and reviewing are inevitable and an important part of the learning process

KEY POINTS

7BE COOL

43

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

8USE THESE

Speak ldquorealrdquo Chinese

SPEAKING HACKS

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

OUR FAVORITE SPEAKING HACKS Apply even one of these techniques to your day-to-day speaking and

you will not only sound more native but will also find it much easier

to speak in general

SPEAK WITH FLUENCY

Fluency is not knowing every word It is simply the ability to say what it is

you want to say accurately using the vocabulary that you have Donrsquot

know how to say ldquointernational traderdquo Just say ldquowhen one country buys

and sells things with another countryrdquo After you say this your

conversation partner will likely say ldquooh yeah thatrsquos lsquointernational tradersquordquo

Boom New word learned within the emotional context of the

conversation to boot The key is when you donrsquot know a word donrsquot

just give up Instead do your best to explain what you want to say

with the vocabulary you have

SLOW DOWN

Speaking at around 80 of your normal rate wonrsquot sound weird at all and

it will improve both your pronunciation and your fluency instantly

Speaking more slowly gives your mouth and tongue muscles time to

get into position before a sound is made which is very helpful for those

sounds that donrsquot exist in English Plus it gives you a few extra

microseconds to think of something to say in conversation Combine

this with the next 2 hacks and yoursquore really in businesshellip

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

45

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoFake it until you make itrdquo - Steven Tyler

46

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

USE ldquoFILLERSrdquo

Everyone (including Chinese people) use these all the time in their

various native languages Why would you give yourself less of a chance

than a native speaker would to sound fluent Thatrsquos just crazy Here are

the top five uhh er umhelliprdquofillersrdquo

ēnhellip jiugraveshihellip negraveigehellip zhegraveigehellip raacutenhograveuhellip

Throw one or more of these utterances anywhere you like Put them in

every sentence if you feel the need Chinese people wonrsquot notice as they

do it too

USE CONVERSATION CONNECTORS

This is a term coined by Anthony Lauder referring to those everyday

fixed phrases that you say at the beginning middle or end of a sentence

to dress up what you want to say Here are some examples

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

我想告诉你hellip woacute xiǎng gagraveosu nǐhellip

Irsquod like you to know thathellip

你别介意不过hellip nǐ bieacute jiegraveyigrave buacuteguogravehellip Dont be upset buthellip

就像你已经知道的hellip jiugrave xiagraveng niacute yǐjīng zhīdagraveo dehellip

As you already know

多数情况hellip dagrave duō shugrave qiacutengkuagraveng

Most of the timehellip

47

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot give up so easily if you canrsquot think of a word you want to use Just use more common words to describe it

Speaking a bit slower will give you more time to think of what to say and will usually go unnoticed by a native speaker

Throw in fillers and fixed expressions to sound more like a native speaker and give yourself more time to speak at the same time

You can even thrown in English words to fill in the gaps if the above suggestions arenrsquot on the table Many young educated Chinese people do this anyway

KEY POINTS

USE ENGLISH WORDS

As a last ditch effort if you really donrsquot have the energy to ldquouse fluencyrdquo to

describe a word yoursquove forgotten just say the English word Younger

more educated Chinese speakers are likely to have a decent English

level and they themselves also like to throw in the odd English word into

conversation so itrsquos fine to follow suit At very least it keeps conversation

going to the next topic where you remember the Chinese words

NEXT TIME For our next installment in this series wersquore going to

get into the role writing has on your speaking how to write what

to write and where amp when to write Itrsquos not at all as intimidating

(or boring) as you may think

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

48

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Combine any and all of these tips to your speaking at any time to make yourself speak better instantly8

USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

49

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

WRITE REGULARLY9

Supercharge your active vocabulary

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Many beginners (and higher levels too) struggle with the frustration of

not being able to express their thoughts and feelings properly in

Chinese Even with many months and years of practice they can still feel

like the words just arenrsquot there when they need them Wersquove already

given you a bunch of steps you can take to solve this problem and we

realize that writing may be an unexpected additional step but trust us

when we say how valuable it can be

WHY WRITING IMPROVES SPEAKING IT DEMANDS FOCUS AND ATTENTION

Writing practice is the aspect of language learning that involves the

most focus and attention as you have to think about every word as you

write Just like reading writing is a slow process at first but after a short

period of regular practice you can almost hear the ldquoclicksrdquo as the words

you write become part of your vocabulary which can now be used

when you practice speaking with your tutor After all writing and

speaking are both expressive forms of communication using similar

mental processes

IT ACTIVATES VOCABULARY VERY EFFECTIVELY

Writing may just be the ultimate way to solidify your understanding of

the words and phrases yoursquove acquired through reading and listening It

may be even more effective than speaking

9WRITEREGULARLY

51

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WRITING IS MORE PERSONAL

After some practice you can start to write in your own personal style

using your own ldquovoicerdquo which naturally makes the process much more

enjoyable Writing a journal is the best way to access this benefit Posting

thoughts in Chinese on social media is another option especially for

lower levels

WRITING GIVES YOU MORE TIME TO FORMULATE THOUGHTS

Writing gives you time to think and practice the language

simultaneously whereas with speaking there is little opportunity to

really contemplate all the various ways of expressing a thought unless

you have an extremely patient (and masochistic) paid tutor

EVEN IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER YOU CAN STILL WRITE

If you donrsquot have much vocabulary you can still practice writing Just

write individual sentences or phrases Look at example sentences and

try to re-write them using slightly different vocabulary Remember just as

the incredible graded readers we talked about in chapter 4 can be

written with just a few select words and characters you too can write a

surprising amount using the small vocabulary you have at your disposal

5 INCREDIBLE WRITING TIPS GO FOR QUANTITY

Write every day Write a blog or WeChat post write individual sentences

9WRITEREGULARLY

52

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoWriting to me is simply thinking through my fingersrdquo

- Isaac Asimov

53

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

write a question on how to write something write anything You should

write something everyday and make a routine out of it The more

content the better but donrsquot ask too much of yourself or you will burn out

and not want to do it for weeks

An added bonus to writing regularly is the ability to look back on your

previous writing practice after a few weeks or months and see how far

yoursquove come This is called ldquobenchmarkingrdquo which wersquoll talk about more

next time

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT

Write about something or someone you love Write about a problem

yoursquore having Write about your goals and dreams Write about a book

you read or a youtube video you watched Write about what yoursquove

learned or would like to learn Write a journal When you do this your

own personality will shine through in your writing which will make the

words and structures you practice far more memorable

9WRITEREGULARLY

54

AIM FOR ZERO MISTAKES

Thatrsquos correct ZERO mistakes Think about what you write Take your time

to think before you put pen to paper or keyboard and look up example

sentences for words you donrsquot quite know how to use If you do these

things you will produce correct output which is fantastic for your

language skills Bad output leads to what Thatrsquos right bad habits

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

GET CORRECTIONS

Writing and getting corrections will help you notice very quickly the

patterns and structures in Chinese This attentiveness will pay off when

it comes to speaking reading and listening too

USE A WRITING SOFTWARE

Try Ommwriter Flowstate Awriter or similar writing apps designed for

writers to get you into the flow of writing

MAKE FLASHCARDS OUT OF YOUR MISTAKES

Create ultra-personalised reviewable content by taking any corrected

sentences and making a flashcard out of it

Try to combine regular speaking practice with regular writing

practice from now on and see for yourself how fast your fluency

improves

NEXT TIME For our final installment in this series wersquore going to

focus on continuing to improve your Chinese when you start to

plateau and the going getrsquos tough

9WRITEREGULARLY

55

Share your writing with a paid language exchange partner or tutor Check

out HiNative for a great place to get corrections on your writing and ask

general questions about how to use Chinese from native speakers

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Writing is a similar mental process as speaking with some important differences that can make it a more attractive outputting method under certain circumstances

Writing makes you more easily notice things about Chinese helps you activate passive vocabulary creates more personal connections to the language and gives you more time to convey your thoughts than speaking does

You can write at any level

Write as often as you can but donrsquot burn out

Write about things you care about and are passionate about so you can really enjoy the process and create more emotional connections that improve your retention

Aim not to make any mistakes because bad output means bad habits This is much easier to accomplish than with speaking as you have more time to think

Get your writing corrected by paid or free native speakers Make flashcards for words or structures you get wrong

KEY POINTS9WRITEREGULARLY

56

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

10SHARPEN THE SAW

Keep moving forward

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 5: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

OUTPUT TOO EARLY CAN BE DAMAGING Many Chinese learners look at lists of words using some flashy app or

website and start ldquotrying them outrdquo in conversation without first seeing or

hearing that word in the context of a sentence This leads to incorrect and

sometimes downright funny Chinese coming out of their mouths on a

regular basis

Now if you are paying an experienced and competent Chinese tutor to

pick out mistakes and correct you properly this method may not be too

bad However we can assure you that you cannot rely on native

speakers whether teachers or not to correct you all the time You will

likely be left to flounder and sputter nonsense for extended periods of

time blissfully unaware that you are creating and solidifying an incorrect

version of the language

What is the result of this repeated bad output Usually it means bad

habits which are really tough to break This is partly why people can live

in a foreign country for decades and still speak poorly They donrsquot

consume enough of their target language and they focus too much on

producing it

This should be good news to you regardless of your level You donrsquot

have to feel guilty about not speaking Only ldquofeel guiltyrdquo if you arenrsquot

spending time reading or listening Chinese Whenever you decide you

are ready you can start investing time in regular speaking practice

1FOCUS ON INPUT

WARNING This does not qualify as

reading although we admire this level of

enthusiasm

5

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoIt is possible that compelling input is not just optimal It

may be the only way we truly acquire languagerdquo

- Dr Steven Krashen

6

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Speaking practice activates all that lovely passive vocabulary yoursquove

been building up Our advice would be to make sure you invest

between 30 minutes and 2 hours every day in reading and listening

When you feel ready to start improving your speaking we suggest

booking time with a tutor for an hour or so once or twice a week

Wersquoll guide you through our best methods of using tutors and language

exchange partners in chapter 5

SEEK OUT ENGAGING CONTENT Consuming content you enjoy creates emotional connections that

make it much easier to acquire vocabulary It also makes it easier to

consume more challenging content as you care so much more about the

messages you are trying to decipher If you are a beginner then this is

more challenging After all you donrsquot have enough of a skill level to be

too picky However as you improve you can expand to more varied

content that suits your interests As for exactly what content where to

find it and how to use it effectively wersquoll talk about that later in this ebook

series

NEXT CHAPTER Wersquoll be talking about how many words

you actually need to reach various levels of fluency and

where exactly to find these words Itrsquos not as simple as

you may think See you then

1FOCUS ON INPUT

7

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT SUPPORTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Speaking only makes you better at saying what you already know Input increases your knowledge Input should therefore be the main focus throughout your study

Speaking practice has the very important function of activating passive vocabulary but passive vocabulary is always much larger than active vocablulary

Invest between 30 minutes and 2 hours every day on listening and reading to comprehensible and engaging material Throw in some regular speaking practice with a tutor when yoursquore ready

Focus on content that engages you whether that be sci-fi comic books or horror movies Doing this will make learning new words much easier and more enjoyable

KEY POINTS1FOCUS ON INPUT

8

LEARN THE 2

Prioritise spoken frequency

RIGHT WORDS

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WHICH WORDS SHOULD YOU LEARN Like most people when starting to learn Chinese we went straight for

textbooks not knowing what else to do We were soon bored senseless

by them never able to make it halfway though one before dropping it

for something else Later we realized our boredom stemmed from

many of the words being too advanced andor irrelevant for that vital

early stage There was little in the way of real life application for the

content One textbook even had tang dynasty poems in it You did not

read that incorrectly Tang dynasty poems in a beginner textbook Sigh

The thing is you donrsquot need that many words to be able to

communicate on a fairly wide variety of topics (ie basic fluency) The

most common 1000 spoken words make up around 90 of spoken

Chinese (or any language really) and should therefore be your main

focus from the get-go As these words become part of your active

vocabulary you will be able to access more and more content that suits

your interests and this is when your progress will really start to take off

HOW TO FIND A GOOD WORD LIST Itrsquos actually a lot harder than you might think to find a good word list for

Chinese spoken words as frequency is usually determined by scanning

written documents The same even goes for those in the HSK exam

(Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary lists The lower levels are ok but

generally the more advanced your level the less relevant the

vocabulary tends to become The lower levels (levels 1-3) of the HSK

2LEARN THERIGHT WORDS

10

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoThe journey of a thousand miles begins with a single steprdquo

- Laozi

11

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

arenrsquot that bad although they do have a lot of written vocabulary

peppered in throughout Not to worry though here are a few ways you

can get started

1 Here is a spoken frequency list based on TV and movie subtitles

2 Check out Gabriel Wynerrsquos base vocabulary list of 625 words that

apply to any language Wersquore great supporters of his work

3 Here are the HSK vocabulary lists Like we said the earlier levels (1-3)

are ok for spoken vocabulary

After yoursquove started the process of getting the first 1000 or so words into

your active vocabulary you will be able to learn less common written and

spoken words by consuming engaging content more suited to your

personal goals and interests But how best to acquire these words in

the first place This will be explained in detail in the next chapter

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk all about HOW to truly acquire any words

you need QUICKLY without forgetting them Wersquoll go through

many resources you can access instantly online to do this and

walk you through how to use them effectively On top of that wersquoll

share with you the favorite study techniques used by top

language learners that will supercharge your acquisition

2LEARN THERIGHT WORDS

12

4 Our new course ldquoThe Mandarin Blueprint Methodrdquo covers the most

common 1500 characters and 4000 words Check it out

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You only need around 1000 high frequency spoken words for basic fluency This is around 90 of the spoken language

Words found in textbooks and vocabulary lists become less and less relevant the higher your level Donrsquot rely on them too much

Once yoursquove got a foundation of common vocabulary yoursquoll have the ability to start consuming more engaging content suited to your personal interests

KEY POINTS

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT SUPPORTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

2LEARN THERIGHT WORDS

13

LEARN WORDS THE3

Rote learning doesnrsquot work

RIGHT WAY

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Speaking a language fluently is essentially just remembering the

right words at the right time Here are the most efficient and enjoyable

ways to truly acquire new Chinese words so they are always there for

you when you need them

USE SRS (SPACED REPETITION SOFTWARE) SRS prevents you from forgetting what yoursquove learned in the most

efficient and rewarding way possible Despite having a bit of a learning

curve Anki is definitely the best choice of SRS because you can make

your own flashcards although shared decks are also available There

are a bunch of web and mobile language learning apps that use SRS-

powered flashcards

Our huge video curriculum The Mandarin Blueprint Method provides

you with over 7000 flashcards to learn how to read understand write

and speak the most common 1000 Chinese words Check it out here

THINGS TO REMEMBER ABOUT SRS

1 Set realistic goals The more new cards you do the more reviews

will build up Be careful not to over-do it

2 Finish your reviews every day The algorithm can only guarantee

90-95 retention if you finish your reviews every day

3 SRS is not a learning tool itrsquos a reviewing tool Learn the word first

then use SRS to review otherwise you are just rote learning and that

is proven to be ineffective (and incredibly boring)

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

15

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

SO WHATrsquoS THE BEST WAY

TO LEARN A CHINESE WORD

LEARN CHARACTERS

Make sure to make learning characters a part of your daily study routine

ldquoBut hey I want to learn speaking I donrsquot care about the characters Irsquoll

learn them later if at allrdquo While this is an understandable response itrsquos a

trap that slows you down in the long run To speak fluently you need

vocabulary To get vocabulary you need to read and listen a lot To

read you need characters

LEARN WORDS IN CONTEXT

The first step towards learning a word is to learn itrsquos definition However

this is the equivalent of shaking someonersquos hand and learning their

name Thatrsquos it See that person several more times in different contexts

and yoursquoll really get to know them Words need context to truly become

part of your vocabulary

To truly acquire a word you need to see that word in a sentence and

depending on the complexity of the word you will need to see it in

several contexts many times before it can be fully acquired and used

Find at least one sentence for each usage of the word in question and

make a flashcard Here are some quick tips regarding sentences and

sentence flashcards

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

16

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You will first need to get at least a couple of hundred of the most

common words under your belt before being ready to start reading

sentences

Sentences should be 4-9 words in length on average Long enough

to show a decent level of context and demonstrate a grammatical

structure or two but not so long that it becomes too hard to focus on

a single concept

Your sentences should be informal so they can be applicable to real

life

Just reading sentences is a good start but using the ldquocloze deleterdquo

function with anki (shown below) or wwwclozemastercom is

especially effective as it forces you to work a little harder

Add an image or two to sum up the ldquomessagerdquo of the sentence and

create deeper connections to the word(s)

At the time of writing this chapter our favorite resource for finding

Chinese sentences is bingcomdict (pictured left)

Our new course The Mandarin Blueprint Method contains all of the

flashcards and memory techniques you need to learn the most

common 1000 Chinese words Click below to start your free trial

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

17

LEARN MORE

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

After starting to review words in sentences move onto the next vital

resourcehellip

GRADED READERS You donrsquot have to wait until yoursquove acquired 1000s of characters and

words before you start reading Not by a long shot You can start

reading articles short stories and podcast transcripts with as little

as 150 characters and words Here are our favorite resources to do so

LINGQ (PICTURED)

LingQ is an aggregated graded reader that has content sourced from all

over the internet including tons of proprietary material Higher level

learners can also import any content they want from elsewhere We are

currently reading A Song of Ice and Fire in Chinese using LingQ and are

addicted to itrsquos incredible functionality The best part about it is that itrsquos

quick look-up feature allows you to read material above your level that

would normally be far too frustrating in book form As if that wasnrsquot good

enough they also have excellent SRS functionality amp the ability to export

words to Anki

THE CHAIRMANrsquoS BAO (TCB)

The Chairmanrsquos Bao have real news articles edited for different HSK

levels (even HSK 1) Yes with only a couple of hundred characters and

words you can be reading real news articles in Chinese This site is being

updated with new fantastic features all the time and has a great app too

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

18

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoYou donrsquot know a person because you know their

name and you donrsquot know a word because you know itrsquos

definitionrdquo- Khatzumoto of ajattcom

19

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

MANDARIN COMPANION

Do you prefer the feel of a real book in your hands These books can be

read with only 300-450 characters under your belt They have a bunch of

classics for lower levels that are still compelling despite being heavily

edited

GO FOR EFFICIENCY To get the most out of that precious hour or two each day that most of

us can spare for language learning make sure you use the following

techniques for maximum return on your time investment

INTERLEAVING

Studies have shown that it is more efficient in the long term to flit

between various different types of content within a study session than to

learn one thing at a time in blocks This is referred to as ldquointerleavingrdquo or

ldquointerleaved learningrdquo Donrsquot spend hours pouring over the same material

mix it up Not only will this be way more engaging yoursquoll also progress

faster

TIMEBOXING

Using timeboxing (also known as ldquoThe Pomodoro Techniquerdquo) will

greatly enhance the efficiency and enjoyment of your study

Traditionally you should study for 25 minutes then rest for 5 minutes

then repeat This means 50 minutes of focused study per hour instead of

15 minutes of study and 45 minutes daydreaming and looking at

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

20

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You can also do all sorts of time-boxes for variety Anywhere from 30

seconds to 25 minutes with 25 minutes being the maximum We love to

combine timeboxing with interleaving working on 2 or 3 different study

resources at a time with really short time-boxes For example a few

minutes on learning characters then reviewing flashcards then listening

to a podcast then resting This turns a study session into a fun game

doing wonders for your motivation

LISTEN WHILE READING

Listening is the easiest and most convenient way of improving learning as

itrsquos hands-free and you can focus on other things while doing it However

if you can read what you hear at the same time the benefits multiply

to be greater than the sum of its parts The reading makes it easier to

understand what you hear and what you hear improves your reading

speed If you choose material either at or slightly above your level and try

this technique out it really feels like yoursquore super-charging your Chinese

ability

SHADOWING

This is a technique made famous by Professor Alexander Arguelles

Shadowing is reading listening and speaking all at the same time Do

it while out and about for best results Just a few minutes a day of this will

improve pronunciation spoken fluency reading and listening

simultaneously We do it almost everyday and it really does speed up the

acquisition process more than anything else wersquove tried Just make sure

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

21

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

you choose a voice to imitate that yoursquod actually like to sound like

(especially when you choose the dialect or gender of the speaker) Herersquos

a video of The prof himself talking about the technique in more detail

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk to you all about how good pronunciation

practice improves your speaking ability listening ability amp even

reading ability plus wersquoll talk about where to find the best

resources to pronounce Chinese like a native speaker

Using spaced repetition is vital for your early days learning Chinese (or any language for that matter)

Learning characters is an unavoidable step in learning Chinese

You must see new words in a sentence before you can acquire them Reading graded readers is even better as it provides more context and engaging topics

Incorporate interleaved learning shadowing and timeboxing into your daily study routine for the most efficient results

KEY POINTS

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

22

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

LEARN PRONUNCIATION4

It will pay off huge dividends later

EARLY AND WELL

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

At Mandarin Blueprint we take pronunciation very seriously This is

mainly because we know first-hand the negative effects of poor

pronunciation instruction

Bad pronunciation slows the development of your listening reading

and speaking ability which is bad enough But by far the most

profoundly painful outcome of poor pronunciation is the damage done

to your lsquolearnerrsquos egorsquo early on When you are misunderstood partially

understood or not at all understood it hurts your confidence You then

associate speaking Chinese with negative emotions and become less

and less willing to start talking Itrsquos a vicious cycle of negativity that we

want you to avoid

HERErsquoS A PROBLEM WE WANT YOU TO HAVE 1 A Chinese person asks you a simple question that you understand

2 You answer the question with simple Chinese but with great

pronunciation

3 The Chinese person listening to you immediately assumes you

speak incredible Chinese and proceeds to unload a litany of

questions and comments

4 After an awkward silence you say 听不不懂 (tīngbudǒng) which

means ldquoI donrsquot understandrdquo

5 The Chinese person laughs asks a few more questions before

realizing you were actually serious Awkwardness intensifies

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

24

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

THE SKINNY ON MANDARIN PRONUNCIATION If you want excellent spoken Chinese you first need to be completely

aware of how to produce understand and read all of the sounds of the

language Some people can do all this naturally by ear with very little

training Unfortunately the law of averages states that you are most likely

not in this group Sorry -(

Not to worry though With only 409 different-sounding syllables (1200 if

you include tones) Chinese has relatively little to learn in terms of

pronunciation especially when compared to the 16000+ syllables of

English There are however many challenging and potentially confusing

aspects to Chinese pronunciation which means that you can learn what

you need to know about pronunciation in a relatively short time but you

need high quality expert guidance and study materials to do it

TUTORS ARENrsquoT ALWAYS THE WAY TO GO If you want to learn pronunciation it seems like a logical decision would

be to look for a tutor right Unfortunately most teachers do not have

the knowledge or experience to teach you Chinese pronunciation

well But why is this Well theyrsquove spoken mandarin since they can

remember right They have no frame of reference for comparing tongue

positions or vowel aspiration to English so how could they explain it to a

foreigner How would they know what it feels like to learn Mandarin

pronunciation as an adult

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

25

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoThe first thing I have to do to erase my french accent is to believe itrsquos actually possiblerdquo

- Marion Cotillard

26

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

There are fantastic tutors out there who can teach you pronunciation

properly but they can be like finding a needle in a haystack Not to

mention with the hourly rates you are likely to rack up hundreds of

dollars in fees for average results

INTRODUCING ldquoPRONUNCIATION MASTERYrdquo Wersquove been training our clients on pronunciation through live sessions of

our Pronunciation Mastery course for 2 years now and the results have

been fantastic Wersquove now finally finished transforming it into an 8 hour

video course that will teach you everything you need to know about

Chinese pronunciation all from the unique perspective of us Two

Chinese learners who made the journey ourselves from beginner to

advanced fluency This is all delivered using HD video crystal clear

explanations supported with slick design over a thousand multimedia

SRS flashcards over 80 PDFs amp native audio for reference and review

Wersquove put our hearts and souls into this course along with our extensive

experience and feedback from live teaching over the past 2 years Plus

itrsquos already helped hundreds of Chinese learners around the world Itrsquos

the video course we would have wanted when we were starting out

with Mandarin

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

27

CHECK IT OUT

Luke Neale

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

NEXT TIME Wersquoll dive into the topic of Chinese tutors Wersquoll be

sharing with you where to find the best free and paid tutors how

to work with them in the most efficient and fun way possible

Pronunciation is the vital first stage for learning any language

Bad pronunciation affects all other areas of your Chinese skill but most importantly it hurts your confidence

Compared to English there is much less to learn to master Chinese pronunciation

Chinese teachers rarely have the training and experience necessary to teach you pronunciation properly

Mandarin Blueprintrsquos ldquoPronunciation Masteryrdquo course has everything you need to develop great pronunciation quickly and cheaply Check it out today

KEY POINTS

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

28

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

USE TUTORS

Connect with them regularly

EFFECTIVELY

5

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You will notice that this is way down the list of tips for speaking like a

native speaker Thatrsquos because it actually isnrsquot the highest priority straight

away at least not anymore The sheer number of resources available

to you as a Chinese learner today means that you can do most things

you need to do on your own without a tutor As avid Chinese learners

ourselves we can both attest to this fact However a tutor is an

absolutely vital part of your journey to spoken fluency and to get the

most out of them you need to know how to work with them

First off what is a tutor for exactly Itrsquos not as obvious an answer as you

may think Understandably most people get a tutor straight from the

beginning hoping to receive all the materials and guidance they need

to make them fluent and literate in Chinese This is a lot to expect of

anyone let alone someone who never actually learned Chinese as a

second language So what are reasonable expectations to have then

THE ROLE OF A CHINESE TUTOR 1) FOR ACTIVATING PASSIVE VOCABULARY

Go into a session and try to use the words yoursquove been learning through

listening and reading Focus on steering the conversation to topics

you find meaningful and interesting Agree on these topics in advance

A good tutor is a good communicator someone who can speak to you

in a way they know you understand and ask you the right questions to

keep a conversation going Push your limits of what you know and ask a

lot of questions on how to use any words you arenrsquot sure about

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

30

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Mistakes are fine but donrsquot try and make up how to use a word or phrase

if you donrsquot already know Just ask If your tutor misses mistakes too

often they could turn into bad habits and you really donrsquot want that

2) FOR IDENTIFYING AND FIXING PROBLEMS

We prefer to have a nice chat of between 5 and 30 minutes during which

the tutor is making notes about anything you need to improve upon After

the time is up or the conversation has hit a dead-end the tutor can go

through your mistakes with you and do some directed practice to fix any

recurring issues This can be done as often as you like or just at the very

end of each session Make flashcards with example sentences

targeting the words or phrases you got wrong

3) FOR PROVIDING TRUE ENCOURAGEMENT

True encouragement is when a tutor notices where yoursquove improved and

points it out but also communicates your potential for improvement

Blindly repeating ldquo真棒 zhēn bagravengrdquo (rdquoGreat jobrdquo) all the time is false

encouragement and it can lead to complacency After all Chinese

people will already be giving you plenty of compliments about your

Mandarin the last thing you need is your paid tutor making your head

even bigger If a tutor provides true encouragement regularly yoursquore

golden If not ask them to or get another tutor

4) FOR FINDING LEVEL-APPROPRIATE AND ENGAGING CONTENT

This one is not to be expected of every tutor certainly not unprompted

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

31

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Directly ask them to find you listening and reading materials that you

might be interested in You may be very surprised at what they find for

you Some incredible content may be hidden away from the mainstream

and you may need a native person to help you discover those little gems

you might otherwise miss out on

TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR STUDY Figure out a kind of lesson structure yoursquore comfortable with that

suits your goals and interests Possible approaches include

Focus on a bunch of words yoursquove been learning and how to use

them

Choose several interesting topics and have an open conversation

Discuss a news article comic book or tv episode you saw recently

Whatever it is plan it out briefly beforehand and make it clear with your

tutor how you would like the lesson to go You have to take the reins if

you want the most bang for your buck If you donrsquot what yoursquoll get is what

the tutor wants to give you which will most likely be a textbook and

discussion of boring topics

HOW TO FIND GREAT TUTORS We would highly recommend finding tutors online as opposed to face-

to-face Herersquos why

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

32

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

1 You have a reasonable guarantee of quality Community star ratings

are commonplace

2 Far more convenient You can get online and be talking to a qualified

tutor for a few dollars an hour within a few minutes Enough said

3 Much better value for money Even if yoursquore living in China tutors still

work out cheaper online When you account for the time and effort it

takes to meet with a stranger face-to-face and the higher turnover of

tutors due to poor or quickly declining quality of lessons online tutors

are almost always more cost-effective

If you want to get online fast and take high quality online sessions with a

tutor a great resource is wwwitalkicom You can find both paid tutors

and unpaid language exchange partners here Invest a few dollars and

hours a month and it will pay off hugely for you

Italki offers tutoring in a huge range of lanugages but the vast majority of

the teachers just use skype for their lessons This is fine but you may be

surprised at the level of functionality of other Chinese-only services such

as wwwtutormandarincom

Instead of just a video call you get a live visual presentation showing

text and highlighted areas that makes everything much clearer and

more engaging This way you can practice your reading alongside your

speaking and listening all with live instruction

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

33

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

They offer a free 1-to-1 consultation and language evaluation before you

signup for anything so it canrsquot hurt to try them out

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to talk about immersion and how you

can do it regardless of your lifestyle or location to greatly improve

your speaking ability

Take control of your time with tutors making sure to point out clearly beforehand what you need from them and what your expectations are

Online tutors used in the capacity wersquove suggested are generally more time and cost-effective than face-to-face tutors even if you are in China Make the most of your study time by going for the former unless you have a guarantee of value

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

Tutors should be treated as a learning resource rather than your study gurus Their main function is to serve as a great communicator who can help you activate vocabulary and stay motivated

KEY POINTS

34

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

6IMMERSE YOURSELF

Be with Chinese as often as possible

IN CHINESE

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion deserves itrsquos own e-book all by itself as itrsquos such a deep and

varied topic but there are a few things to remember that will allow you

to immerse yourself in Chinese easily wherever you are

HOW TO IMMERSE YOURSELF First of all immersion doesnrsquot necessarily entail never speaking your

native language and ignoring your friends and family Immersion in itrsquos

most manageable form is simply being in touch with Chinese

regularly throughout the day This is doable outside China and even

with a family and a full-time job to boot Herersquos how we do it

CHANGE YOUR ENVIRONMENT

Make sure that Chinese is within 1 foot of your body at all times Ten

years ago that would have meant taping books and Chinese people

around your waist which would have been inconvenient and almost

definitely illegal Now we have these magical devices in our pockets

everywhere we go and most of us have computers or tablets as well

Always be looking for more and more level-appropriate reading and

listening materials and fill your devices with them Whenever you get

bored or frustrated with something drop it for something else You can

be picky even at beginner level Most of the time if you donrsquot enjoy

something itrsquos because you arenrsquot ready for it yet anyway Just go back

to it a few weeks or months down the line

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

36

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Organize the apps on your smart phone for reading listening speaking

and even writing Chinese so you can tap them whenever you have a

spare few minutes This makes it as easy as possible to immerse yourself

in something wherever and whenever

MAKE BETTER USE OF YOUR TIME

Listen to Chinese whenever yoursquore traveling anywhere working out

doing flashcards or housework If you have your eyes andor mouth free

as well do some interleaved learning or shadowing (see tip 4)

The key is starting not finishing Just do something for 1-15 minutes

10-20 times a day as opposed to trying to set aside large chunks of time

which either cause you to procrastinate or burn out

TALK TO LANGUAGE EXCHANGE PARTNERS

It might get expensive meeting with paid tutors every day which creates

an excuse to not practice speaking But there are more and more great

apps that allow you to connect and exchange with native Chinese

speakers for free Our favorite language exchange apps are pictured

on the next page

TALK TO YOURSELF

Yes it might feel a bit weird but it works as a decent substitute to a paid

tutor or language exchange partner Anything going through your head

just try to blurt out in Chinese Wear earphones to make it appear you are

talking on the phone so you donrsquot get placed into a mental institution

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

37

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoTime is what we want most but what we use worstrdquo

- William Penn

38

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion is doable regardless of your lifestyle Just be around Chinese many times throughout the day

Listen while doing pretty much anything Itrsquos the part of language learning that takes the least conscious effort to improve

Connect with language exchange partners via free apps Spend a few minutes chatting here and there Even talking to yourself can be really effective

KEY POINTS

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk about how to maintain a calm and positive

attitude when struggling to improve your speaking skills Wersquoll

also go into how to take criticism well and even enjoy making

mistakes6

IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

39

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

BE COOL7

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot be touchy when you get corrections or criticism even if it comes

across as harsh People rarely correct you for free and if you react

badly when they do that will probably be the last time they help you

When you arenrsquot understood just assume itrsquos never their problem It

actually might be sometimes but just assume it isnrsquot

People tend to put a lot of their pride and ego into their Chinese ability

because it takes a lot of time and effort to get good and it is a very rare

skill However just know that only when you really start to get good at

something do you realize how little you know Donrsquot fall into that trap

because you will be in for a rude awakening down the line Take your

ego out of the equation and have a great time Laugh at yourself

Itrsquos all just a game

LEARN TO ACCEPT UNCERTAINTY You will forget words yoursquove reviewed and heard for months

You will forget grammar structures yoursquove spoken correctly 10 times

before

You will get utterly lost in conversation after thinking yoursquove had a

breakthrough in your skill level

Take a deep breath Itrsquos all part of the process

7BE COOL

41

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoCriticism may not be agreeable but it is necessary It fulfils the same function as pain

in the human body It calls attention to an

unhealthy state of things - Winston Churchill

42

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Wersquove already mentioned the importance of good output Too many

mistakes without being corrected can lead to bad habits but mistakes

are inevitable Even if you follow our advice you will still have trouble

sometimes Enjoy being wronghellipevery mistake or misunderstanding

can bring you closer to fluency The key is to not worry about what you

canrsquot say just take note of it and take action Try to say something and it

came out as gibberish Make a note and try it out next time you get the

chance Get a flashcard completely wrong Good Less likely to next time

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to be sharing with you our favorite

speaking hacks that will instantly have you speaking Chinese

much more like a native and with less effort

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously Learning Chinese is just a game Enjoy yourself and take criticism with a smile

Mistakes when speaking and reviewing are inevitable and an important part of the learning process

KEY POINTS

7BE COOL

43

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

8USE THESE

Speak ldquorealrdquo Chinese

SPEAKING HACKS

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

OUR FAVORITE SPEAKING HACKS Apply even one of these techniques to your day-to-day speaking and

you will not only sound more native but will also find it much easier

to speak in general

SPEAK WITH FLUENCY

Fluency is not knowing every word It is simply the ability to say what it is

you want to say accurately using the vocabulary that you have Donrsquot

know how to say ldquointernational traderdquo Just say ldquowhen one country buys

and sells things with another countryrdquo After you say this your

conversation partner will likely say ldquooh yeah thatrsquos lsquointernational tradersquordquo

Boom New word learned within the emotional context of the

conversation to boot The key is when you donrsquot know a word donrsquot

just give up Instead do your best to explain what you want to say

with the vocabulary you have

SLOW DOWN

Speaking at around 80 of your normal rate wonrsquot sound weird at all and

it will improve both your pronunciation and your fluency instantly

Speaking more slowly gives your mouth and tongue muscles time to

get into position before a sound is made which is very helpful for those

sounds that donrsquot exist in English Plus it gives you a few extra

microseconds to think of something to say in conversation Combine

this with the next 2 hacks and yoursquore really in businesshellip

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

45

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoFake it until you make itrdquo - Steven Tyler

46

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

USE ldquoFILLERSrdquo

Everyone (including Chinese people) use these all the time in their

various native languages Why would you give yourself less of a chance

than a native speaker would to sound fluent Thatrsquos just crazy Here are

the top five uhh er umhelliprdquofillersrdquo

ēnhellip jiugraveshihellip negraveigehellip zhegraveigehellip raacutenhograveuhellip

Throw one or more of these utterances anywhere you like Put them in

every sentence if you feel the need Chinese people wonrsquot notice as they

do it too

USE CONVERSATION CONNECTORS

This is a term coined by Anthony Lauder referring to those everyday

fixed phrases that you say at the beginning middle or end of a sentence

to dress up what you want to say Here are some examples

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

我想告诉你hellip woacute xiǎng gagraveosu nǐhellip

Irsquod like you to know thathellip

你别介意不过hellip nǐ bieacute jiegraveyigrave buacuteguogravehellip Dont be upset buthellip

就像你已经知道的hellip jiugrave xiagraveng niacute yǐjīng zhīdagraveo dehellip

As you already know

多数情况hellip dagrave duō shugrave qiacutengkuagraveng

Most of the timehellip

47

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot give up so easily if you canrsquot think of a word you want to use Just use more common words to describe it

Speaking a bit slower will give you more time to think of what to say and will usually go unnoticed by a native speaker

Throw in fillers and fixed expressions to sound more like a native speaker and give yourself more time to speak at the same time

You can even thrown in English words to fill in the gaps if the above suggestions arenrsquot on the table Many young educated Chinese people do this anyway

KEY POINTS

USE ENGLISH WORDS

As a last ditch effort if you really donrsquot have the energy to ldquouse fluencyrdquo to

describe a word yoursquove forgotten just say the English word Younger

more educated Chinese speakers are likely to have a decent English

level and they themselves also like to throw in the odd English word into

conversation so itrsquos fine to follow suit At very least it keeps conversation

going to the next topic where you remember the Chinese words

NEXT TIME For our next installment in this series wersquore going to

get into the role writing has on your speaking how to write what

to write and where amp when to write Itrsquos not at all as intimidating

(or boring) as you may think

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

48

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Combine any and all of these tips to your speaking at any time to make yourself speak better instantly8

USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

49

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

WRITE REGULARLY9

Supercharge your active vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Many beginners (and higher levels too) struggle with the frustration of

not being able to express their thoughts and feelings properly in

Chinese Even with many months and years of practice they can still feel

like the words just arenrsquot there when they need them Wersquove already

given you a bunch of steps you can take to solve this problem and we

realize that writing may be an unexpected additional step but trust us

when we say how valuable it can be

WHY WRITING IMPROVES SPEAKING IT DEMANDS FOCUS AND ATTENTION

Writing practice is the aspect of language learning that involves the

most focus and attention as you have to think about every word as you

write Just like reading writing is a slow process at first but after a short

period of regular practice you can almost hear the ldquoclicksrdquo as the words

you write become part of your vocabulary which can now be used

when you practice speaking with your tutor After all writing and

speaking are both expressive forms of communication using similar

mental processes

IT ACTIVATES VOCABULARY VERY EFFECTIVELY

Writing may just be the ultimate way to solidify your understanding of

the words and phrases yoursquove acquired through reading and listening It

may be even more effective than speaking

9WRITEREGULARLY

51

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WRITING IS MORE PERSONAL

After some practice you can start to write in your own personal style

using your own ldquovoicerdquo which naturally makes the process much more

enjoyable Writing a journal is the best way to access this benefit Posting

thoughts in Chinese on social media is another option especially for

lower levels

WRITING GIVES YOU MORE TIME TO FORMULATE THOUGHTS

Writing gives you time to think and practice the language

simultaneously whereas with speaking there is little opportunity to

really contemplate all the various ways of expressing a thought unless

you have an extremely patient (and masochistic) paid tutor

EVEN IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER YOU CAN STILL WRITE

If you donrsquot have much vocabulary you can still practice writing Just

write individual sentences or phrases Look at example sentences and

try to re-write them using slightly different vocabulary Remember just as

the incredible graded readers we talked about in chapter 4 can be

written with just a few select words and characters you too can write a

surprising amount using the small vocabulary you have at your disposal

5 INCREDIBLE WRITING TIPS GO FOR QUANTITY

Write every day Write a blog or WeChat post write individual sentences

9WRITEREGULARLY

52

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoWriting to me is simply thinking through my fingersrdquo

- Isaac Asimov

53

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

write a question on how to write something write anything You should

write something everyday and make a routine out of it The more

content the better but donrsquot ask too much of yourself or you will burn out

and not want to do it for weeks

An added bonus to writing regularly is the ability to look back on your

previous writing practice after a few weeks or months and see how far

yoursquove come This is called ldquobenchmarkingrdquo which wersquoll talk about more

next time

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT

Write about something or someone you love Write about a problem

yoursquore having Write about your goals and dreams Write about a book

you read or a youtube video you watched Write about what yoursquove

learned or would like to learn Write a journal When you do this your

own personality will shine through in your writing which will make the

words and structures you practice far more memorable

9WRITEREGULARLY

54

AIM FOR ZERO MISTAKES

Thatrsquos correct ZERO mistakes Think about what you write Take your time

to think before you put pen to paper or keyboard and look up example

sentences for words you donrsquot quite know how to use If you do these

things you will produce correct output which is fantastic for your

language skills Bad output leads to what Thatrsquos right bad habits

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

GET CORRECTIONS

Writing and getting corrections will help you notice very quickly the

patterns and structures in Chinese This attentiveness will pay off when

it comes to speaking reading and listening too

USE A WRITING SOFTWARE

Try Ommwriter Flowstate Awriter or similar writing apps designed for

writers to get you into the flow of writing

MAKE FLASHCARDS OUT OF YOUR MISTAKES

Create ultra-personalised reviewable content by taking any corrected

sentences and making a flashcard out of it

Try to combine regular speaking practice with regular writing

practice from now on and see for yourself how fast your fluency

improves

NEXT TIME For our final installment in this series wersquore going to

focus on continuing to improve your Chinese when you start to

plateau and the going getrsquos tough

9WRITEREGULARLY

55

Share your writing with a paid language exchange partner or tutor Check

out HiNative for a great place to get corrections on your writing and ask

general questions about how to use Chinese from native speakers

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Writing is a similar mental process as speaking with some important differences that can make it a more attractive outputting method under certain circumstances

Writing makes you more easily notice things about Chinese helps you activate passive vocabulary creates more personal connections to the language and gives you more time to convey your thoughts than speaking does

You can write at any level

Write as often as you can but donrsquot burn out

Write about things you care about and are passionate about so you can really enjoy the process and create more emotional connections that improve your retention

Aim not to make any mistakes because bad output means bad habits This is much easier to accomplish than with speaking as you have more time to think

Get your writing corrected by paid or free native speakers Make flashcards for words or structures you get wrong

KEY POINTS9WRITEREGULARLY

56

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

10SHARPEN THE SAW

Keep moving forward

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 6: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoIt is possible that compelling input is not just optimal It

may be the only way we truly acquire languagerdquo

- Dr Steven Krashen

6

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Speaking practice activates all that lovely passive vocabulary yoursquove

been building up Our advice would be to make sure you invest

between 30 minutes and 2 hours every day in reading and listening

When you feel ready to start improving your speaking we suggest

booking time with a tutor for an hour or so once or twice a week

Wersquoll guide you through our best methods of using tutors and language

exchange partners in chapter 5

SEEK OUT ENGAGING CONTENT Consuming content you enjoy creates emotional connections that

make it much easier to acquire vocabulary It also makes it easier to

consume more challenging content as you care so much more about the

messages you are trying to decipher If you are a beginner then this is

more challenging After all you donrsquot have enough of a skill level to be

too picky However as you improve you can expand to more varied

content that suits your interests As for exactly what content where to

find it and how to use it effectively wersquoll talk about that later in this ebook

series

NEXT CHAPTER Wersquoll be talking about how many words

you actually need to reach various levels of fluency and

where exactly to find these words Itrsquos not as simple as

you may think See you then

1FOCUS ON INPUT

7

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT SUPPORTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Speaking only makes you better at saying what you already know Input increases your knowledge Input should therefore be the main focus throughout your study

Speaking practice has the very important function of activating passive vocabulary but passive vocabulary is always much larger than active vocablulary

Invest between 30 minutes and 2 hours every day on listening and reading to comprehensible and engaging material Throw in some regular speaking practice with a tutor when yoursquore ready

Focus on content that engages you whether that be sci-fi comic books or horror movies Doing this will make learning new words much easier and more enjoyable

KEY POINTS1FOCUS ON INPUT

8

LEARN THE 2

Prioritise spoken frequency

RIGHT WORDS

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WHICH WORDS SHOULD YOU LEARN Like most people when starting to learn Chinese we went straight for

textbooks not knowing what else to do We were soon bored senseless

by them never able to make it halfway though one before dropping it

for something else Later we realized our boredom stemmed from

many of the words being too advanced andor irrelevant for that vital

early stage There was little in the way of real life application for the

content One textbook even had tang dynasty poems in it You did not

read that incorrectly Tang dynasty poems in a beginner textbook Sigh

The thing is you donrsquot need that many words to be able to

communicate on a fairly wide variety of topics (ie basic fluency) The

most common 1000 spoken words make up around 90 of spoken

Chinese (or any language really) and should therefore be your main

focus from the get-go As these words become part of your active

vocabulary you will be able to access more and more content that suits

your interests and this is when your progress will really start to take off

HOW TO FIND A GOOD WORD LIST Itrsquos actually a lot harder than you might think to find a good word list for

Chinese spoken words as frequency is usually determined by scanning

written documents The same even goes for those in the HSK exam

(Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary lists The lower levels are ok but

generally the more advanced your level the less relevant the

vocabulary tends to become The lower levels (levels 1-3) of the HSK

2LEARN THERIGHT WORDS

10

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoThe journey of a thousand miles begins with a single steprdquo

- Laozi

11

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

arenrsquot that bad although they do have a lot of written vocabulary

peppered in throughout Not to worry though here are a few ways you

can get started

1 Here is a spoken frequency list based on TV and movie subtitles

2 Check out Gabriel Wynerrsquos base vocabulary list of 625 words that

apply to any language Wersquore great supporters of his work

3 Here are the HSK vocabulary lists Like we said the earlier levels (1-3)

are ok for spoken vocabulary

After yoursquove started the process of getting the first 1000 or so words into

your active vocabulary you will be able to learn less common written and

spoken words by consuming engaging content more suited to your

personal goals and interests But how best to acquire these words in

the first place This will be explained in detail in the next chapter

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk all about HOW to truly acquire any words

you need QUICKLY without forgetting them Wersquoll go through

many resources you can access instantly online to do this and

walk you through how to use them effectively On top of that wersquoll

share with you the favorite study techniques used by top

language learners that will supercharge your acquisition

2LEARN THERIGHT WORDS

12

4 Our new course ldquoThe Mandarin Blueprint Methodrdquo covers the most

common 1500 characters and 4000 words Check it out

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You only need around 1000 high frequency spoken words for basic fluency This is around 90 of the spoken language

Words found in textbooks and vocabulary lists become less and less relevant the higher your level Donrsquot rely on them too much

Once yoursquove got a foundation of common vocabulary yoursquoll have the ability to start consuming more engaging content suited to your personal interests

KEY POINTS

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT SUPPORTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

2LEARN THERIGHT WORDS

13

LEARN WORDS THE3

Rote learning doesnrsquot work

RIGHT WAY

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Speaking a language fluently is essentially just remembering the

right words at the right time Here are the most efficient and enjoyable

ways to truly acquire new Chinese words so they are always there for

you when you need them

USE SRS (SPACED REPETITION SOFTWARE) SRS prevents you from forgetting what yoursquove learned in the most

efficient and rewarding way possible Despite having a bit of a learning

curve Anki is definitely the best choice of SRS because you can make

your own flashcards although shared decks are also available There

are a bunch of web and mobile language learning apps that use SRS-

powered flashcards

Our huge video curriculum The Mandarin Blueprint Method provides

you with over 7000 flashcards to learn how to read understand write

and speak the most common 1000 Chinese words Check it out here

THINGS TO REMEMBER ABOUT SRS

1 Set realistic goals The more new cards you do the more reviews

will build up Be careful not to over-do it

2 Finish your reviews every day The algorithm can only guarantee

90-95 retention if you finish your reviews every day

3 SRS is not a learning tool itrsquos a reviewing tool Learn the word first

then use SRS to review otherwise you are just rote learning and that

is proven to be ineffective (and incredibly boring)

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

15

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

SO WHATrsquoS THE BEST WAY

TO LEARN A CHINESE WORD

LEARN CHARACTERS

Make sure to make learning characters a part of your daily study routine

ldquoBut hey I want to learn speaking I donrsquot care about the characters Irsquoll

learn them later if at allrdquo While this is an understandable response itrsquos a

trap that slows you down in the long run To speak fluently you need

vocabulary To get vocabulary you need to read and listen a lot To

read you need characters

LEARN WORDS IN CONTEXT

The first step towards learning a word is to learn itrsquos definition However

this is the equivalent of shaking someonersquos hand and learning their

name Thatrsquos it See that person several more times in different contexts

and yoursquoll really get to know them Words need context to truly become

part of your vocabulary

To truly acquire a word you need to see that word in a sentence and

depending on the complexity of the word you will need to see it in

several contexts many times before it can be fully acquired and used

Find at least one sentence for each usage of the word in question and

make a flashcard Here are some quick tips regarding sentences and

sentence flashcards

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

16

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You will first need to get at least a couple of hundred of the most

common words under your belt before being ready to start reading

sentences

Sentences should be 4-9 words in length on average Long enough

to show a decent level of context and demonstrate a grammatical

structure or two but not so long that it becomes too hard to focus on

a single concept

Your sentences should be informal so they can be applicable to real

life

Just reading sentences is a good start but using the ldquocloze deleterdquo

function with anki (shown below) or wwwclozemastercom is

especially effective as it forces you to work a little harder

Add an image or two to sum up the ldquomessagerdquo of the sentence and

create deeper connections to the word(s)

At the time of writing this chapter our favorite resource for finding

Chinese sentences is bingcomdict (pictured left)

Our new course The Mandarin Blueprint Method contains all of the

flashcards and memory techniques you need to learn the most

common 1000 Chinese words Click below to start your free trial

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

17

LEARN MORE

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

After starting to review words in sentences move onto the next vital

resourcehellip

GRADED READERS You donrsquot have to wait until yoursquove acquired 1000s of characters and

words before you start reading Not by a long shot You can start

reading articles short stories and podcast transcripts with as little

as 150 characters and words Here are our favorite resources to do so

LINGQ (PICTURED)

LingQ is an aggregated graded reader that has content sourced from all

over the internet including tons of proprietary material Higher level

learners can also import any content they want from elsewhere We are

currently reading A Song of Ice and Fire in Chinese using LingQ and are

addicted to itrsquos incredible functionality The best part about it is that itrsquos

quick look-up feature allows you to read material above your level that

would normally be far too frustrating in book form As if that wasnrsquot good

enough they also have excellent SRS functionality amp the ability to export

words to Anki

THE CHAIRMANrsquoS BAO (TCB)

The Chairmanrsquos Bao have real news articles edited for different HSK

levels (even HSK 1) Yes with only a couple of hundred characters and

words you can be reading real news articles in Chinese This site is being

updated with new fantastic features all the time and has a great app too

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

18

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoYou donrsquot know a person because you know their

name and you donrsquot know a word because you know itrsquos

definitionrdquo- Khatzumoto of ajattcom

19

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

MANDARIN COMPANION

Do you prefer the feel of a real book in your hands These books can be

read with only 300-450 characters under your belt They have a bunch of

classics for lower levels that are still compelling despite being heavily

edited

GO FOR EFFICIENCY To get the most out of that precious hour or two each day that most of

us can spare for language learning make sure you use the following

techniques for maximum return on your time investment

INTERLEAVING

Studies have shown that it is more efficient in the long term to flit

between various different types of content within a study session than to

learn one thing at a time in blocks This is referred to as ldquointerleavingrdquo or

ldquointerleaved learningrdquo Donrsquot spend hours pouring over the same material

mix it up Not only will this be way more engaging yoursquoll also progress

faster

TIMEBOXING

Using timeboxing (also known as ldquoThe Pomodoro Techniquerdquo) will

greatly enhance the efficiency and enjoyment of your study

Traditionally you should study for 25 minutes then rest for 5 minutes

then repeat This means 50 minutes of focused study per hour instead of

15 minutes of study and 45 minutes daydreaming and looking at

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

20

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You can also do all sorts of time-boxes for variety Anywhere from 30

seconds to 25 minutes with 25 minutes being the maximum We love to

combine timeboxing with interleaving working on 2 or 3 different study

resources at a time with really short time-boxes For example a few

minutes on learning characters then reviewing flashcards then listening

to a podcast then resting This turns a study session into a fun game

doing wonders for your motivation

LISTEN WHILE READING

Listening is the easiest and most convenient way of improving learning as

itrsquos hands-free and you can focus on other things while doing it However

if you can read what you hear at the same time the benefits multiply

to be greater than the sum of its parts The reading makes it easier to

understand what you hear and what you hear improves your reading

speed If you choose material either at or slightly above your level and try

this technique out it really feels like yoursquore super-charging your Chinese

ability

SHADOWING

This is a technique made famous by Professor Alexander Arguelles

Shadowing is reading listening and speaking all at the same time Do

it while out and about for best results Just a few minutes a day of this will

improve pronunciation spoken fluency reading and listening

simultaneously We do it almost everyday and it really does speed up the

acquisition process more than anything else wersquove tried Just make sure

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

21

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

you choose a voice to imitate that yoursquod actually like to sound like

(especially when you choose the dialect or gender of the speaker) Herersquos

a video of The prof himself talking about the technique in more detail

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk to you all about how good pronunciation

practice improves your speaking ability listening ability amp even

reading ability plus wersquoll talk about where to find the best

resources to pronounce Chinese like a native speaker

Using spaced repetition is vital for your early days learning Chinese (or any language for that matter)

Learning characters is an unavoidable step in learning Chinese

You must see new words in a sentence before you can acquire them Reading graded readers is even better as it provides more context and engaging topics

Incorporate interleaved learning shadowing and timeboxing into your daily study routine for the most efficient results

KEY POINTS

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

22

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

LEARN PRONUNCIATION4

It will pay off huge dividends later

EARLY AND WELL

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

At Mandarin Blueprint we take pronunciation very seriously This is

mainly because we know first-hand the negative effects of poor

pronunciation instruction

Bad pronunciation slows the development of your listening reading

and speaking ability which is bad enough But by far the most

profoundly painful outcome of poor pronunciation is the damage done

to your lsquolearnerrsquos egorsquo early on When you are misunderstood partially

understood or not at all understood it hurts your confidence You then

associate speaking Chinese with negative emotions and become less

and less willing to start talking Itrsquos a vicious cycle of negativity that we

want you to avoid

HERErsquoS A PROBLEM WE WANT YOU TO HAVE 1 A Chinese person asks you a simple question that you understand

2 You answer the question with simple Chinese but with great

pronunciation

3 The Chinese person listening to you immediately assumes you

speak incredible Chinese and proceeds to unload a litany of

questions and comments

4 After an awkward silence you say 听不不懂 (tīngbudǒng) which

means ldquoI donrsquot understandrdquo

5 The Chinese person laughs asks a few more questions before

realizing you were actually serious Awkwardness intensifies

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

24

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

THE SKINNY ON MANDARIN PRONUNCIATION If you want excellent spoken Chinese you first need to be completely

aware of how to produce understand and read all of the sounds of the

language Some people can do all this naturally by ear with very little

training Unfortunately the law of averages states that you are most likely

not in this group Sorry -(

Not to worry though With only 409 different-sounding syllables (1200 if

you include tones) Chinese has relatively little to learn in terms of

pronunciation especially when compared to the 16000+ syllables of

English There are however many challenging and potentially confusing

aspects to Chinese pronunciation which means that you can learn what

you need to know about pronunciation in a relatively short time but you

need high quality expert guidance and study materials to do it

TUTORS ARENrsquoT ALWAYS THE WAY TO GO If you want to learn pronunciation it seems like a logical decision would

be to look for a tutor right Unfortunately most teachers do not have

the knowledge or experience to teach you Chinese pronunciation

well But why is this Well theyrsquove spoken mandarin since they can

remember right They have no frame of reference for comparing tongue

positions or vowel aspiration to English so how could they explain it to a

foreigner How would they know what it feels like to learn Mandarin

pronunciation as an adult

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

25

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoThe first thing I have to do to erase my french accent is to believe itrsquos actually possiblerdquo

- Marion Cotillard

26

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

There are fantastic tutors out there who can teach you pronunciation

properly but they can be like finding a needle in a haystack Not to

mention with the hourly rates you are likely to rack up hundreds of

dollars in fees for average results

INTRODUCING ldquoPRONUNCIATION MASTERYrdquo Wersquove been training our clients on pronunciation through live sessions of

our Pronunciation Mastery course for 2 years now and the results have

been fantastic Wersquove now finally finished transforming it into an 8 hour

video course that will teach you everything you need to know about

Chinese pronunciation all from the unique perspective of us Two

Chinese learners who made the journey ourselves from beginner to

advanced fluency This is all delivered using HD video crystal clear

explanations supported with slick design over a thousand multimedia

SRS flashcards over 80 PDFs amp native audio for reference and review

Wersquove put our hearts and souls into this course along with our extensive

experience and feedback from live teaching over the past 2 years Plus

itrsquos already helped hundreds of Chinese learners around the world Itrsquos

the video course we would have wanted when we were starting out

with Mandarin

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

27

CHECK IT OUT

Luke Neale

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

NEXT TIME Wersquoll dive into the topic of Chinese tutors Wersquoll be

sharing with you where to find the best free and paid tutors how

to work with them in the most efficient and fun way possible

Pronunciation is the vital first stage for learning any language

Bad pronunciation affects all other areas of your Chinese skill but most importantly it hurts your confidence

Compared to English there is much less to learn to master Chinese pronunciation

Chinese teachers rarely have the training and experience necessary to teach you pronunciation properly

Mandarin Blueprintrsquos ldquoPronunciation Masteryrdquo course has everything you need to develop great pronunciation quickly and cheaply Check it out today

KEY POINTS

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

28

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

USE TUTORS

Connect with them regularly

EFFECTIVELY

5

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You will notice that this is way down the list of tips for speaking like a

native speaker Thatrsquos because it actually isnrsquot the highest priority straight

away at least not anymore The sheer number of resources available

to you as a Chinese learner today means that you can do most things

you need to do on your own without a tutor As avid Chinese learners

ourselves we can both attest to this fact However a tutor is an

absolutely vital part of your journey to spoken fluency and to get the

most out of them you need to know how to work with them

First off what is a tutor for exactly Itrsquos not as obvious an answer as you

may think Understandably most people get a tutor straight from the

beginning hoping to receive all the materials and guidance they need

to make them fluent and literate in Chinese This is a lot to expect of

anyone let alone someone who never actually learned Chinese as a

second language So what are reasonable expectations to have then

THE ROLE OF A CHINESE TUTOR 1) FOR ACTIVATING PASSIVE VOCABULARY

Go into a session and try to use the words yoursquove been learning through

listening and reading Focus on steering the conversation to topics

you find meaningful and interesting Agree on these topics in advance

A good tutor is a good communicator someone who can speak to you

in a way they know you understand and ask you the right questions to

keep a conversation going Push your limits of what you know and ask a

lot of questions on how to use any words you arenrsquot sure about

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

30

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Mistakes are fine but donrsquot try and make up how to use a word or phrase

if you donrsquot already know Just ask If your tutor misses mistakes too

often they could turn into bad habits and you really donrsquot want that

2) FOR IDENTIFYING AND FIXING PROBLEMS

We prefer to have a nice chat of between 5 and 30 minutes during which

the tutor is making notes about anything you need to improve upon After

the time is up or the conversation has hit a dead-end the tutor can go

through your mistakes with you and do some directed practice to fix any

recurring issues This can be done as often as you like or just at the very

end of each session Make flashcards with example sentences

targeting the words or phrases you got wrong

3) FOR PROVIDING TRUE ENCOURAGEMENT

True encouragement is when a tutor notices where yoursquove improved and

points it out but also communicates your potential for improvement

Blindly repeating ldquo真棒 zhēn bagravengrdquo (rdquoGreat jobrdquo) all the time is false

encouragement and it can lead to complacency After all Chinese

people will already be giving you plenty of compliments about your

Mandarin the last thing you need is your paid tutor making your head

even bigger If a tutor provides true encouragement regularly yoursquore

golden If not ask them to or get another tutor

4) FOR FINDING LEVEL-APPROPRIATE AND ENGAGING CONTENT

This one is not to be expected of every tutor certainly not unprompted

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

31

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Directly ask them to find you listening and reading materials that you

might be interested in You may be very surprised at what they find for

you Some incredible content may be hidden away from the mainstream

and you may need a native person to help you discover those little gems

you might otherwise miss out on

TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR STUDY Figure out a kind of lesson structure yoursquore comfortable with that

suits your goals and interests Possible approaches include

Focus on a bunch of words yoursquove been learning and how to use

them

Choose several interesting topics and have an open conversation

Discuss a news article comic book or tv episode you saw recently

Whatever it is plan it out briefly beforehand and make it clear with your

tutor how you would like the lesson to go You have to take the reins if

you want the most bang for your buck If you donrsquot what yoursquoll get is what

the tutor wants to give you which will most likely be a textbook and

discussion of boring topics

HOW TO FIND GREAT TUTORS We would highly recommend finding tutors online as opposed to face-

to-face Herersquos why

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

32

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

1 You have a reasonable guarantee of quality Community star ratings

are commonplace

2 Far more convenient You can get online and be talking to a qualified

tutor for a few dollars an hour within a few minutes Enough said

3 Much better value for money Even if yoursquore living in China tutors still

work out cheaper online When you account for the time and effort it

takes to meet with a stranger face-to-face and the higher turnover of

tutors due to poor or quickly declining quality of lessons online tutors

are almost always more cost-effective

If you want to get online fast and take high quality online sessions with a

tutor a great resource is wwwitalkicom You can find both paid tutors

and unpaid language exchange partners here Invest a few dollars and

hours a month and it will pay off hugely for you

Italki offers tutoring in a huge range of lanugages but the vast majority of

the teachers just use skype for their lessons This is fine but you may be

surprised at the level of functionality of other Chinese-only services such

as wwwtutormandarincom

Instead of just a video call you get a live visual presentation showing

text and highlighted areas that makes everything much clearer and

more engaging This way you can practice your reading alongside your

speaking and listening all with live instruction

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

33

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

They offer a free 1-to-1 consultation and language evaluation before you

signup for anything so it canrsquot hurt to try them out

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to talk about immersion and how you

can do it regardless of your lifestyle or location to greatly improve

your speaking ability

Take control of your time with tutors making sure to point out clearly beforehand what you need from them and what your expectations are

Online tutors used in the capacity wersquove suggested are generally more time and cost-effective than face-to-face tutors even if you are in China Make the most of your study time by going for the former unless you have a guarantee of value

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

Tutors should be treated as a learning resource rather than your study gurus Their main function is to serve as a great communicator who can help you activate vocabulary and stay motivated

KEY POINTS

34

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

6IMMERSE YOURSELF

Be with Chinese as often as possible

IN CHINESE

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion deserves itrsquos own e-book all by itself as itrsquos such a deep and

varied topic but there are a few things to remember that will allow you

to immerse yourself in Chinese easily wherever you are

HOW TO IMMERSE YOURSELF First of all immersion doesnrsquot necessarily entail never speaking your

native language and ignoring your friends and family Immersion in itrsquos

most manageable form is simply being in touch with Chinese

regularly throughout the day This is doable outside China and even

with a family and a full-time job to boot Herersquos how we do it

CHANGE YOUR ENVIRONMENT

Make sure that Chinese is within 1 foot of your body at all times Ten

years ago that would have meant taping books and Chinese people

around your waist which would have been inconvenient and almost

definitely illegal Now we have these magical devices in our pockets

everywhere we go and most of us have computers or tablets as well

Always be looking for more and more level-appropriate reading and

listening materials and fill your devices with them Whenever you get

bored or frustrated with something drop it for something else You can

be picky even at beginner level Most of the time if you donrsquot enjoy

something itrsquos because you arenrsquot ready for it yet anyway Just go back

to it a few weeks or months down the line

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

36

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Organize the apps on your smart phone for reading listening speaking

and even writing Chinese so you can tap them whenever you have a

spare few minutes This makes it as easy as possible to immerse yourself

in something wherever and whenever

MAKE BETTER USE OF YOUR TIME

Listen to Chinese whenever yoursquore traveling anywhere working out

doing flashcards or housework If you have your eyes andor mouth free

as well do some interleaved learning or shadowing (see tip 4)

The key is starting not finishing Just do something for 1-15 minutes

10-20 times a day as opposed to trying to set aside large chunks of time

which either cause you to procrastinate or burn out

TALK TO LANGUAGE EXCHANGE PARTNERS

It might get expensive meeting with paid tutors every day which creates

an excuse to not practice speaking But there are more and more great

apps that allow you to connect and exchange with native Chinese

speakers for free Our favorite language exchange apps are pictured

on the next page

TALK TO YOURSELF

Yes it might feel a bit weird but it works as a decent substitute to a paid

tutor or language exchange partner Anything going through your head

just try to blurt out in Chinese Wear earphones to make it appear you are

talking on the phone so you donrsquot get placed into a mental institution

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

37

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoTime is what we want most but what we use worstrdquo

- William Penn

38

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion is doable regardless of your lifestyle Just be around Chinese many times throughout the day

Listen while doing pretty much anything Itrsquos the part of language learning that takes the least conscious effort to improve

Connect with language exchange partners via free apps Spend a few minutes chatting here and there Even talking to yourself can be really effective

KEY POINTS

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk about how to maintain a calm and positive

attitude when struggling to improve your speaking skills Wersquoll

also go into how to take criticism well and even enjoy making

mistakes6

IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

39

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

BE COOL7

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot be touchy when you get corrections or criticism even if it comes

across as harsh People rarely correct you for free and if you react

badly when they do that will probably be the last time they help you

When you arenrsquot understood just assume itrsquos never their problem It

actually might be sometimes but just assume it isnrsquot

People tend to put a lot of their pride and ego into their Chinese ability

because it takes a lot of time and effort to get good and it is a very rare

skill However just know that only when you really start to get good at

something do you realize how little you know Donrsquot fall into that trap

because you will be in for a rude awakening down the line Take your

ego out of the equation and have a great time Laugh at yourself

Itrsquos all just a game

LEARN TO ACCEPT UNCERTAINTY You will forget words yoursquove reviewed and heard for months

You will forget grammar structures yoursquove spoken correctly 10 times

before

You will get utterly lost in conversation after thinking yoursquove had a

breakthrough in your skill level

Take a deep breath Itrsquos all part of the process

7BE COOL

41

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoCriticism may not be agreeable but it is necessary It fulfils the same function as pain

in the human body It calls attention to an

unhealthy state of things - Winston Churchill

42

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Wersquove already mentioned the importance of good output Too many

mistakes without being corrected can lead to bad habits but mistakes

are inevitable Even if you follow our advice you will still have trouble

sometimes Enjoy being wronghellipevery mistake or misunderstanding

can bring you closer to fluency The key is to not worry about what you

canrsquot say just take note of it and take action Try to say something and it

came out as gibberish Make a note and try it out next time you get the

chance Get a flashcard completely wrong Good Less likely to next time

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to be sharing with you our favorite

speaking hacks that will instantly have you speaking Chinese

much more like a native and with less effort

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously Learning Chinese is just a game Enjoy yourself and take criticism with a smile

Mistakes when speaking and reviewing are inevitable and an important part of the learning process

KEY POINTS

7BE COOL

43

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

8USE THESE

Speak ldquorealrdquo Chinese

SPEAKING HACKS

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

OUR FAVORITE SPEAKING HACKS Apply even one of these techniques to your day-to-day speaking and

you will not only sound more native but will also find it much easier

to speak in general

SPEAK WITH FLUENCY

Fluency is not knowing every word It is simply the ability to say what it is

you want to say accurately using the vocabulary that you have Donrsquot

know how to say ldquointernational traderdquo Just say ldquowhen one country buys

and sells things with another countryrdquo After you say this your

conversation partner will likely say ldquooh yeah thatrsquos lsquointernational tradersquordquo

Boom New word learned within the emotional context of the

conversation to boot The key is when you donrsquot know a word donrsquot

just give up Instead do your best to explain what you want to say

with the vocabulary you have

SLOW DOWN

Speaking at around 80 of your normal rate wonrsquot sound weird at all and

it will improve both your pronunciation and your fluency instantly

Speaking more slowly gives your mouth and tongue muscles time to

get into position before a sound is made which is very helpful for those

sounds that donrsquot exist in English Plus it gives you a few extra

microseconds to think of something to say in conversation Combine

this with the next 2 hacks and yoursquore really in businesshellip

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

45

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoFake it until you make itrdquo - Steven Tyler

46

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

USE ldquoFILLERSrdquo

Everyone (including Chinese people) use these all the time in their

various native languages Why would you give yourself less of a chance

than a native speaker would to sound fluent Thatrsquos just crazy Here are

the top five uhh er umhelliprdquofillersrdquo

ēnhellip jiugraveshihellip negraveigehellip zhegraveigehellip raacutenhograveuhellip

Throw one or more of these utterances anywhere you like Put them in

every sentence if you feel the need Chinese people wonrsquot notice as they

do it too

USE CONVERSATION CONNECTORS

This is a term coined by Anthony Lauder referring to those everyday

fixed phrases that you say at the beginning middle or end of a sentence

to dress up what you want to say Here are some examples

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

我想告诉你hellip woacute xiǎng gagraveosu nǐhellip

Irsquod like you to know thathellip

你别介意不过hellip nǐ bieacute jiegraveyigrave buacuteguogravehellip Dont be upset buthellip

就像你已经知道的hellip jiugrave xiagraveng niacute yǐjīng zhīdagraveo dehellip

As you already know

多数情况hellip dagrave duō shugrave qiacutengkuagraveng

Most of the timehellip

47

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot give up so easily if you canrsquot think of a word you want to use Just use more common words to describe it

Speaking a bit slower will give you more time to think of what to say and will usually go unnoticed by a native speaker

Throw in fillers and fixed expressions to sound more like a native speaker and give yourself more time to speak at the same time

You can even thrown in English words to fill in the gaps if the above suggestions arenrsquot on the table Many young educated Chinese people do this anyway

KEY POINTS

USE ENGLISH WORDS

As a last ditch effort if you really donrsquot have the energy to ldquouse fluencyrdquo to

describe a word yoursquove forgotten just say the English word Younger

more educated Chinese speakers are likely to have a decent English

level and they themselves also like to throw in the odd English word into

conversation so itrsquos fine to follow suit At very least it keeps conversation

going to the next topic where you remember the Chinese words

NEXT TIME For our next installment in this series wersquore going to

get into the role writing has on your speaking how to write what

to write and where amp when to write Itrsquos not at all as intimidating

(or boring) as you may think

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

48

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Combine any and all of these tips to your speaking at any time to make yourself speak better instantly8

USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

49

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

WRITE REGULARLY9

Supercharge your active vocabulary

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Many beginners (and higher levels too) struggle with the frustration of

not being able to express their thoughts and feelings properly in

Chinese Even with many months and years of practice they can still feel

like the words just arenrsquot there when they need them Wersquove already

given you a bunch of steps you can take to solve this problem and we

realize that writing may be an unexpected additional step but trust us

when we say how valuable it can be

WHY WRITING IMPROVES SPEAKING IT DEMANDS FOCUS AND ATTENTION

Writing practice is the aspect of language learning that involves the

most focus and attention as you have to think about every word as you

write Just like reading writing is a slow process at first but after a short

period of regular practice you can almost hear the ldquoclicksrdquo as the words

you write become part of your vocabulary which can now be used

when you practice speaking with your tutor After all writing and

speaking are both expressive forms of communication using similar

mental processes

IT ACTIVATES VOCABULARY VERY EFFECTIVELY

Writing may just be the ultimate way to solidify your understanding of

the words and phrases yoursquove acquired through reading and listening It

may be even more effective than speaking

9WRITEREGULARLY

51

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WRITING IS MORE PERSONAL

After some practice you can start to write in your own personal style

using your own ldquovoicerdquo which naturally makes the process much more

enjoyable Writing a journal is the best way to access this benefit Posting

thoughts in Chinese on social media is another option especially for

lower levels

WRITING GIVES YOU MORE TIME TO FORMULATE THOUGHTS

Writing gives you time to think and practice the language

simultaneously whereas with speaking there is little opportunity to

really contemplate all the various ways of expressing a thought unless

you have an extremely patient (and masochistic) paid tutor

EVEN IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER YOU CAN STILL WRITE

If you donrsquot have much vocabulary you can still practice writing Just

write individual sentences or phrases Look at example sentences and

try to re-write them using slightly different vocabulary Remember just as

the incredible graded readers we talked about in chapter 4 can be

written with just a few select words and characters you too can write a

surprising amount using the small vocabulary you have at your disposal

5 INCREDIBLE WRITING TIPS GO FOR QUANTITY

Write every day Write a blog or WeChat post write individual sentences

9WRITEREGULARLY

52

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoWriting to me is simply thinking through my fingersrdquo

- Isaac Asimov

53

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

write a question on how to write something write anything You should

write something everyday and make a routine out of it The more

content the better but donrsquot ask too much of yourself or you will burn out

and not want to do it for weeks

An added bonus to writing regularly is the ability to look back on your

previous writing practice after a few weeks or months and see how far

yoursquove come This is called ldquobenchmarkingrdquo which wersquoll talk about more

next time

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT

Write about something or someone you love Write about a problem

yoursquore having Write about your goals and dreams Write about a book

you read or a youtube video you watched Write about what yoursquove

learned or would like to learn Write a journal When you do this your

own personality will shine through in your writing which will make the

words and structures you practice far more memorable

9WRITEREGULARLY

54

AIM FOR ZERO MISTAKES

Thatrsquos correct ZERO mistakes Think about what you write Take your time

to think before you put pen to paper or keyboard and look up example

sentences for words you donrsquot quite know how to use If you do these

things you will produce correct output which is fantastic for your

language skills Bad output leads to what Thatrsquos right bad habits

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

GET CORRECTIONS

Writing and getting corrections will help you notice very quickly the

patterns and structures in Chinese This attentiveness will pay off when

it comes to speaking reading and listening too

USE A WRITING SOFTWARE

Try Ommwriter Flowstate Awriter or similar writing apps designed for

writers to get you into the flow of writing

MAKE FLASHCARDS OUT OF YOUR MISTAKES

Create ultra-personalised reviewable content by taking any corrected

sentences and making a flashcard out of it

Try to combine regular speaking practice with regular writing

practice from now on and see for yourself how fast your fluency

improves

NEXT TIME For our final installment in this series wersquore going to

focus on continuing to improve your Chinese when you start to

plateau and the going getrsquos tough

9WRITEREGULARLY

55

Share your writing with a paid language exchange partner or tutor Check

out HiNative for a great place to get corrections on your writing and ask

general questions about how to use Chinese from native speakers

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Writing is a similar mental process as speaking with some important differences that can make it a more attractive outputting method under certain circumstances

Writing makes you more easily notice things about Chinese helps you activate passive vocabulary creates more personal connections to the language and gives you more time to convey your thoughts than speaking does

You can write at any level

Write as often as you can but donrsquot burn out

Write about things you care about and are passionate about so you can really enjoy the process and create more emotional connections that improve your retention

Aim not to make any mistakes because bad output means bad habits This is much easier to accomplish than with speaking as you have more time to think

Get your writing corrected by paid or free native speakers Make flashcards for words or structures you get wrong

KEY POINTS9WRITEREGULARLY

56

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

10SHARPEN THE SAW

Keep moving forward

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 7: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Speaking practice activates all that lovely passive vocabulary yoursquove

been building up Our advice would be to make sure you invest

between 30 minutes and 2 hours every day in reading and listening

When you feel ready to start improving your speaking we suggest

booking time with a tutor for an hour or so once or twice a week

Wersquoll guide you through our best methods of using tutors and language

exchange partners in chapter 5

SEEK OUT ENGAGING CONTENT Consuming content you enjoy creates emotional connections that

make it much easier to acquire vocabulary It also makes it easier to

consume more challenging content as you care so much more about the

messages you are trying to decipher If you are a beginner then this is

more challenging After all you donrsquot have enough of a skill level to be

too picky However as you improve you can expand to more varied

content that suits your interests As for exactly what content where to

find it and how to use it effectively wersquoll talk about that later in this ebook

series

NEXT CHAPTER Wersquoll be talking about how many words

you actually need to reach various levels of fluency and

where exactly to find these words Itrsquos not as simple as

you may think See you then

1FOCUS ON INPUT

7

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT SUPPORTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Speaking only makes you better at saying what you already know Input increases your knowledge Input should therefore be the main focus throughout your study

Speaking practice has the very important function of activating passive vocabulary but passive vocabulary is always much larger than active vocablulary

Invest between 30 minutes and 2 hours every day on listening and reading to comprehensible and engaging material Throw in some regular speaking practice with a tutor when yoursquore ready

Focus on content that engages you whether that be sci-fi comic books or horror movies Doing this will make learning new words much easier and more enjoyable

KEY POINTS1FOCUS ON INPUT

8

LEARN THE 2

Prioritise spoken frequency

RIGHT WORDS

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WHICH WORDS SHOULD YOU LEARN Like most people when starting to learn Chinese we went straight for

textbooks not knowing what else to do We were soon bored senseless

by them never able to make it halfway though one before dropping it

for something else Later we realized our boredom stemmed from

many of the words being too advanced andor irrelevant for that vital

early stage There was little in the way of real life application for the

content One textbook even had tang dynasty poems in it You did not

read that incorrectly Tang dynasty poems in a beginner textbook Sigh

The thing is you donrsquot need that many words to be able to

communicate on a fairly wide variety of topics (ie basic fluency) The

most common 1000 spoken words make up around 90 of spoken

Chinese (or any language really) and should therefore be your main

focus from the get-go As these words become part of your active

vocabulary you will be able to access more and more content that suits

your interests and this is when your progress will really start to take off

HOW TO FIND A GOOD WORD LIST Itrsquos actually a lot harder than you might think to find a good word list for

Chinese spoken words as frequency is usually determined by scanning

written documents The same even goes for those in the HSK exam

(Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary lists The lower levels are ok but

generally the more advanced your level the less relevant the

vocabulary tends to become The lower levels (levels 1-3) of the HSK

2LEARN THERIGHT WORDS

10

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoThe journey of a thousand miles begins with a single steprdquo

- Laozi

11

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

arenrsquot that bad although they do have a lot of written vocabulary

peppered in throughout Not to worry though here are a few ways you

can get started

1 Here is a spoken frequency list based on TV and movie subtitles

2 Check out Gabriel Wynerrsquos base vocabulary list of 625 words that

apply to any language Wersquore great supporters of his work

3 Here are the HSK vocabulary lists Like we said the earlier levels (1-3)

are ok for spoken vocabulary

After yoursquove started the process of getting the first 1000 or so words into

your active vocabulary you will be able to learn less common written and

spoken words by consuming engaging content more suited to your

personal goals and interests But how best to acquire these words in

the first place This will be explained in detail in the next chapter

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk all about HOW to truly acquire any words

you need QUICKLY without forgetting them Wersquoll go through

many resources you can access instantly online to do this and

walk you through how to use them effectively On top of that wersquoll

share with you the favorite study techniques used by top

language learners that will supercharge your acquisition

2LEARN THERIGHT WORDS

12

4 Our new course ldquoThe Mandarin Blueprint Methodrdquo covers the most

common 1500 characters and 4000 words Check it out

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You only need around 1000 high frequency spoken words for basic fluency This is around 90 of the spoken language

Words found in textbooks and vocabulary lists become less and less relevant the higher your level Donrsquot rely on them too much

Once yoursquove got a foundation of common vocabulary yoursquoll have the ability to start consuming more engaging content suited to your personal interests

KEY POINTS

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT SUPPORTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

2LEARN THERIGHT WORDS

13

LEARN WORDS THE3

Rote learning doesnrsquot work

RIGHT WAY

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Speaking a language fluently is essentially just remembering the

right words at the right time Here are the most efficient and enjoyable

ways to truly acquire new Chinese words so they are always there for

you when you need them

USE SRS (SPACED REPETITION SOFTWARE) SRS prevents you from forgetting what yoursquove learned in the most

efficient and rewarding way possible Despite having a bit of a learning

curve Anki is definitely the best choice of SRS because you can make

your own flashcards although shared decks are also available There

are a bunch of web and mobile language learning apps that use SRS-

powered flashcards

Our huge video curriculum The Mandarin Blueprint Method provides

you with over 7000 flashcards to learn how to read understand write

and speak the most common 1000 Chinese words Check it out here

THINGS TO REMEMBER ABOUT SRS

1 Set realistic goals The more new cards you do the more reviews

will build up Be careful not to over-do it

2 Finish your reviews every day The algorithm can only guarantee

90-95 retention if you finish your reviews every day

3 SRS is not a learning tool itrsquos a reviewing tool Learn the word first

then use SRS to review otherwise you are just rote learning and that

is proven to be ineffective (and incredibly boring)

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

15

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

SO WHATrsquoS THE BEST WAY

TO LEARN A CHINESE WORD

LEARN CHARACTERS

Make sure to make learning characters a part of your daily study routine

ldquoBut hey I want to learn speaking I donrsquot care about the characters Irsquoll

learn them later if at allrdquo While this is an understandable response itrsquos a

trap that slows you down in the long run To speak fluently you need

vocabulary To get vocabulary you need to read and listen a lot To

read you need characters

LEARN WORDS IN CONTEXT

The first step towards learning a word is to learn itrsquos definition However

this is the equivalent of shaking someonersquos hand and learning their

name Thatrsquos it See that person several more times in different contexts

and yoursquoll really get to know them Words need context to truly become

part of your vocabulary

To truly acquire a word you need to see that word in a sentence and

depending on the complexity of the word you will need to see it in

several contexts many times before it can be fully acquired and used

Find at least one sentence for each usage of the word in question and

make a flashcard Here are some quick tips regarding sentences and

sentence flashcards

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

16

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You will first need to get at least a couple of hundred of the most

common words under your belt before being ready to start reading

sentences

Sentences should be 4-9 words in length on average Long enough

to show a decent level of context and demonstrate a grammatical

structure or two but not so long that it becomes too hard to focus on

a single concept

Your sentences should be informal so they can be applicable to real

life

Just reading sentences is a good start but using the ldquocloze deleterdquo

function with anki (shown below) or wwwclozemastercom is

especially effective as it forces you to work a little harder

Add an image or two to sum up the ldquomessagerdquo of the sentence and

create deeper connections to the word(s)

At the time of writing this chapter our favorite resource for finding

Chinese sentences is bingcomdict (pictured left)

Our new course The Mandarin Blueprint Method contains all of the

flashcards and memory techniques you need to learn the most

common 1000 Chinese words Click below to start your free trial

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

17

LEARN MORE

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

After starting to review words in sentences move onto the next vital

resourcehellip

GRADED READERS You donrsquot have to wait until yoursquove acquired 1000s of characters and

words before you start reading Not by a long shot You can start

reading articles short stories and podcast transcripts with as little

as 150 characters and words Here are our favorite resources to do so

LINGQ (PICTURED)

LingQ is an aggregated graded reader that has content sourced from all

over the internet including tons of proprietary material Higher level

learners can also import any content they want from elsewhere We are

currently reading A Song of Ice and Fire in Chinese using LingQ and are

addicted to itrsquos incredible functionality The best part about it is that itrsquos

quick look-up feature allows you to read material above your level that

would normally be far too frustrating in book form As if that wasnrsquot good

enough they also have excellent SRS functionality amp the ability to export

words to Anki

THE CHAIRMANrsquoS BAO (TCB)

The Chairmanrsquos Bao have real news articles edited for different HSK

levels (even HSK 1) Yes with only a couple of hundred characters and

words you can be reading real news articles in Chinese This site is being

updated with new fantastic features all the time and has a great app too

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

18

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoYou donrsquot know a person because you know their

name and you donrsquot know a word because you know itrsquos

definitionrdquo- Khatzumoto of ajattcom

19

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

MANDARIN COMPANION

Do you prefer the feel of a real book in your hands These books can be

read with only 300-450 characters under your belt They have a bunch of

classics for lower levels that are still compelling despite being heavily

edited

GO FOR EFFICIENCY To get the most out of that precious hour or two each day that most of

us can spare for language learning make sure you use the following

techniques for maximum return on your time investment

INTERLEAVING

Studies have shown that it is more efficient in the long term to flit

between various different types of content within a study session than to

learn one thing at a time in blocks This is referred to as ldquointerleavingrdquo or

ldquointerleaved learningrdquo Donrsquot spend hours pouring over the same material

mix it up Not only will this be way more engaging yoursquoll also progress

faster

TIMEBOXING

Using timeboxing (also known as ldquoThe Pomodoro Techniquerdquo) will

greatly enhance the efficiency and enjoyment of your study

Traditionally you should study for 25 minutes then rest for 5 minutes

then repeat This means 50 minutes of focused study per hour instead of

15 minutes of study and 45 minutes daydreaming and looking at

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

20

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You can also do all sorts of time-boxes for variety Anywhere from 30

seconds to 25 minutes with 25 minutes being the maximum We love to

combine timeboxing with interleaving working on 2 or 3 different study

resources at a time with really short time-boxes For example a few

minutes on learning characters then reviewing flashcards then listening

to a podcast then resting This turns a study session into a fun game

doing wonders for your motivation

LISTEN WHILE READING

Listening is the easiest and most convenient way of improving learning as

itrsquos hands-free and you can focus on other things while doing it However

if you can read what you hear at the same time the benefits multiply

to be greater than the sum of its parts The reading makes it easier to

understand what you hear and what you hear improves your reading

speed If you choose material either at or slightly above your level and try

this technique out it really feels like yoursquore super-charging your Chinese

ability

SHADOWING

This is a technique made famous by Professor Alexander Arguelles

Shadowing is reading listening and speaking all at the same time Do

it while out and about for best results Just a few minutes a day of this will

improve pronunciation spoken fluency reading and listening

simultaneously We do it almost everyday and it really does speed up the

acquisition process more than anything else wersquove tried Just make sure

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

21

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

you choose a voice to imitate that yoursquod actually like to sound like

(especially when you choose the dialect or gender of the speaker) Herersquos

a video of The prof himself talking about the technique in more detail

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk to you all about how good pronunciation

practice improves your speaking ability listening ability amp even

reading ability plus wersquoll talk about where to find the best

resources to pronounce Chinese like a native speaker

Using spaced repetition is vital for your early days learning Chinese (or any language for that matter)

Learning characters is an unavoidable step in learning Chinese

You must see new words in a sentence before you can acquire them Reading graded readers is even better as it provides more context and engaging topics

Incorporate interleaved learning shadowing and timeboxing into your daily study routine for the most efficient results

KEY POINTS

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

22

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

LEARN PRONUNCIATION4

It will pay off huge dividends later

EARLY AND WELL

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

At Mandarin Blueprint we take pronunciation very seriously This is

mainly because we know first-hand the negative effects of poor

pronunciation instruction

Bad pronunciation slows the development of your listening reading

and speaking ability which is bad enough But by far the most

profoundly painful outcome of poor pronunciation is the damage done

to your lsquolearnerrsquos egorsquo early on When you are misunderstood partially

understood or not at all understood it hurts your confidence You then

associate speaking Chinese with negative emotions and become less

and less willing to start talking Itrsquos a vicious cycle of negativity that we

want you to avoid

HERErsquoS A PROBLEM WE WANT YOU TO HAVE 1 A Chinese person asks you a simple question that you understand

2 You answer the question with simple Chinese but with great

pronunciation

3 The Chinese person listening to you immediately assumes you

speak incredible Chinese and proceeds to unload a litany of

questions and comments

4 After an awkward silence you say 听不不懂 (tīngbudǒng) which

means ldquoI donrsquot understandrdquo

5 The Chinese person laughs asks a few more questions before

realizing you were actually serious Awkwardness intensifies

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

24

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

THE SKINNY ON MANDARIN PRONUNCIATION If you want excellent spoken Chinese you first need to be completely

aware of how to produce understand and read all of the sounds of the

language Some people can do all this naturally by ear with very little

training Unfortunately the law of averages states that you are most likely

not in this group Sorry -(

Not to worry though With only 409 different-sounding syllables (1200 if

you include tones) Chinese has relatively little to learn in terms of

pronunciation especially when compared to the 16000+ syllables of

English There are however many challenging and potentially confusing

aspects to Chinese pronunciation which means that you can learn what

you need to know about pronunciation in a relatively short time but you

need high quality expert guidance and study materials to do it

TUTORS ARENrsquoT ALWAYS THE WAY TO GO If you want to learn pronunciation it seems like a logical decision would

be to look for a tutor right Unfortunately most teachers do not have

the knowledge or experience to teach you Chinese pronunciation

well But why is this Well theyrsquove spoken mandarin since they can

remember right They have no frame of reference for comparing tongue

positions or vowel aspiration to English so how could they explain it to a

foreigner How would they know what it feels like to learn Mandarin

pronunciation as an adult

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

25

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoThe first thing I have to do to erase my french accent is to believe itrsquos actually possiblerdquo

- Marion Cotillard

26

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

There are fantastic tutors out there who can teach you pronunciation

properly but they can be like finding a needle in a haystack Not to

mention with the hourly rates you are likely to rack up hundreds of

dollars in fees for average results

INTRODUCING ldquoPRONUNCIATION MASTERYrdquo Wersquove been training our clients on pronunciation through live sessions of

our Pronunciation Mastery course for 2 years now and the results have

been fantastic Wersquove now finally finished transforming it into an 8 hour

video course that will teach you everything you need to know about

Chinese pronunciation all from the unique perspective of us Two

Chinese learners who made the journey ourselves from beginner to

advanced fluency This is all delivered using HD video crystal clear

explanations supported with slick design over a thousand multimedia

SRS flashcards over 80 PDFs amp native audio for reference and review

Wersquove put our hearts and souls into this course along with our extensive

experience and feedback from live teaching over the past 2 years Plus

itrsquos already helped hundreds of Chinese learners around the world Itrsquos

the video course we would have wanted when we were starting out

with Mandarin

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

27

CHECK IT OUT

Luke Neale

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

NEXT TIME Wersquoll dive into the topic of Chinese tutors Wersquoll be

sharing with you where to find the best free and paid tutors how

to work with them in the most efficient and fun way possible

Pronunciation is the vital first stage for learning any language

Bad pronunciation affects all other areas of your Chinese skill but most importantly it hurts your confidence

Compared to English there is much less to learn to master Chinese pronunciation

Chinese teachers rarely have the training and experience necessary to teach you pronunciation properly

Mandarin Blueprintrsquos ldquoPronunciation Masteryrdquo course has everything you need to develop great pronunciation quickly and cheaply Check it out today

KEY POINTS

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

28

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

USE TUTORS

Connect with them regularly

EFFECTIVELY

5

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You will notice that this is way down the list of tips for speaking like a

native speaker Thatrsquos because it actually isnrsquot the highest priority straight

away at least not anymore The sheer number of resources available

to you as a Chinese learner today means that you can do most things

you need to do on your own without a tutor As avid Chinese learners

ourselves we can both attest to this fact However a tutor is an

absolutely vital part of your journey to spoken fluency and to get the

most out of them you need to know how to work with them

First off what is a tutor for exactly Itrsquos not as obvious an answer as you

may think Understandably most people get a tutor straight from the

beginning hoping to receive all the materials and guidance they need

to make them fluent and literate in Chinese This is a lot to expect of

anyone let alone someone who never actually learned Chinese as a

second language So what are reasonable expectations to have then

THE ROLE OF A CHINESE TUTOR 1) FOR ACTIVATING PASSIVE VOCABULARY

Go into a session and try to use the words yoursquove been learning through

listening and reading Focus on steering the conversation to topics

you find meaningful and interesting Agree on these topics in advance

A good tutor is a good communicator someone who can speak to you

in a way they know you understand and ask you the right questions to

keep a conversation going Push your limits of what you know and ask a

lot of questions on how to use any words you arenrsquot sure about

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

30

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Mistakes are fine but donrsquot try and make up how to use a word or phrase

if you donrsquot already know Just ask If your tutor misses mistakes too

often they could turn into bad habits and you really donrsquot want that

2) FOR IDENTIFYING AND FIXING PROBLEMS

We prefer to have a nice chat of between 5 and 30 minutes during which

the tutor is making notes about anything you need to improve upon After

the time is up or the conversation has hit a dead-end the tutor can go

through your mistakes with you and do some directed practice to fix any

recurring issues This can be done as often as you like or just at the very

end of each session Make flashcards with example sentences

targeting the words or phrases you got wrong

3) FOR PROVIDING TRUE ENCOURAGEMENT

True encouragement is when a tutor notices where yoursquove improved and

points it out but also communicates your potential for improvement

Blindly repeating ldquo真棒 zhēn bagravengrdquo (rdquoGreat jobrdquo) all the time is false

encouragement and it can lead to complacency After all Chinese

people will already be giving you plenty of compliments about your

Mandarin the last thing you need is your paid tutor making your head

even bigger If a tutor provides true encouragement regularly yoursquore

golden If not ask them to or get another tutor

4) FOR FINDING LEVEL-APPROPRIATE AND ENGAGING CONTENT

This one is not to be expected of every tutor certainly not unprompted

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

31

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Directly ask them to find you listening and reading materials that you

might be interested in You may be very surprised at what they find for

you Some incredible content may be hidden away from the mainstream

and you may need a native person to help you discover those little gems

you might otherwise miss out on

TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR STUDY Figure out a kind of lesson structure yoursquore comfortable with that

suits your goals and interests Possible approaches include

Focus on a bunch of words yoursquove been learning and how to use

them

Choose several interesting topics and have an open conversation

Discuss a news article comic book or tv episode you saw recently

Whatever it is plan it out briefly beforehand and make it clear with your

tutor how you would like the lesson to go You have to take the reins if

you want the most bang for your buck If you donrsquot what yoursquoll get is what

the tutor wants to give you which will most likely be a textbook and

discussion of boring topics

HOW TO FIND GREAT TUTORS We would highly recommend finding tutors online as opposed to face-

to-face Herersquos why

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

32

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

1 You have a reasonable guarantee of quality Community star ratings

are commonplace

2 Far more convenient You can get online and be talking to a qualified

tutor for a few dollars an hour within a few minutes Enough said

3 Much better value for money Even if yoursquore living in China tutors still

work out cheaper online When you account for the time and effort it

takes to meet with a stranger face-to-face and the higher turnover of

tutors due to poor or quickly declining quality of lessons online tutors

are almost always more cost-effective

If you want to get online fast and take high quality online sessions with a

tutor a great resource is wwwitalkicom You can find both paid tutors

and unpaid language exchange partners here Invest a few dollars and

hours a month and it will pay off hugely for you

Italki offers tutoring in a huge range of lanugages but the vast majority of

the teachers just use skype for their lessons This is fine but you may be

surprised at the level of functionality of other Chinese-only services such

as wwwtutormandarincom

Instead of just a video call you get a live visual presentation showing

text and highlighted areas that makes everything much clearer and

more engaging This way you can practice your reading alongside your

speaking and listening all with live instruction

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

33

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

They offer a free 1-to-1 consultation and language evaluation before you

signup for anything so it canrsquot hurt to try them out

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to talk about immersion and how you

can do it regardless of your lifestyle or location to greatly improve

your speaking ability

Take control of your time with tutors making sure to point out clearly beforehand what you need from them and what your expectations are

Online tutors used in the capacity wersquove suggested are generally more time and cost-effective than face-to-face tutors even if you are in China Make the most of your study time by going for the former unless you have a guarantee of value

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

Tutors should be treated as a learning resource rather than your study gurus Their main function is to serve as a great communicator who can help you activate vocabulary and stay motivated

KEY POINTS

34

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

6IMMERSE YOURSELF

Be with Chinese as often as possible

IN CHINESE

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion deserves itrsquos own e-book all by itself as itrsquos such a deep and

varied topic but there are a few things to remember that will allow you

to immerse yourself in Chinese easily wherever you are

HOW TO IMMERSE YOURSELF First of all immersion doesnrsquot necessarily entail never speaking your

native language and ignoring your friends and family Immersion in itrsquos

most manageable form is simply being in touch with Chinese

regularly throughout the day This is doable outside China and even

with a family and a full-time job to boot Herersquos how we do it

CHANGE YOUR ENVIRONMENT

Make sure that Chinese is within 1 foot of your body at all times Ten

years ago that would have meant taping books and Chinese people

around your waist which would have been inconvenient and almost

definitely illegal Now we have these magical devices in our pockets

everywhere we go and most of us have computers or tablets as well

Always be looking for more and more level-appropriate reading and

listening materials and fill your devices with them Whenever you get

bored or frustrated with something drop it for something else You can

be picky even at beginner level Most of the time if you donrsquot enjoy

something itrsquos because you arenrsquot ready for it yet anyway Just go back

to it a few weeks or months down the line

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

36

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Organize the apps on your smart phone for reading listening speaking

and even writing Chinese so you can tap them whenever you have a

spare few minutes This makes it as easy as possible to immerse yourself

in something wherever and whenever

MAKE BETTER USE OF YOUR TIME

Listen to Chinese whenever yoursquore traveling anywhere working out

doing flashcards or housework If you have your eyes andor mouth free

as well do some interleaved learning or shadowing (see tip 4)

The key is starting not finishing Just do something for 1-15 minutes

10-20 times a day as opposed to trying to set aside large chunks of time

which either cause you to procrastinate or burn out

TALK TO LANGUAGE EXCHANGE PARTNERS

It might get expensive meeting with paid tutors every day which creates

an excuse to not practice speaking But there are more and more great

apps that allow you to connect and exchange with native Chinese

speakers for free Our favorite language exchange apps are pictured

on the next page

TALK TO YOURSELF

Yes it might feel a bit weird but it works as a decent substitute to a paid

tutor or language exchange partner Anything going through your head

just try to blurt out in Chinese Wear earphones to make it appear you are

talking on the phone so you donrsquot get placed into a mental institution

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

37

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoTime is what we want most but what we use worstrdquo

- William Penn

38

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion is doable regardless of your lifestyle Just be around Chinese many times throughout the day

Listen while doing pretty much anything Itrsquos the part of language learning that takes the least conscious effort to improve

Connect with language exchange partners via free apps Spend a few minutes chatting here and there Even talking to yourself can be really effective

KEY POINTS

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk about how to maintain a calm and positive

attitude when struggling to improve your speaking skills Wersquoll

also go into how to take criticism well and even enjoy making

mistakes6

IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

39

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

BE COOL7

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot be touchy when you get corrections or criticism even if it comes

across as harsh People rarely correct you for free and if you react

badly when they do that will probably be the last time they help you

When you arenrsquot understood just assume itrsquos never their problem It

actually might be sometimes but just assume it isnrsquot

People tend to put a lot of their pride and ego into their Chinese ability

because it takes a lot of time and effort to get good and it is a very rare

skill However just know that only when you really start to get good at

something do you realize how little you know Donrsquot fall into that trap

because you will be in for a rude awakening down the line Take your

ego out of the equation and have a great time Laugh at yourself

Itrsquos all just a game

LEARN TO ACCEPT UNCERTAINTY You will forget words yoursquove reviewed and heard for months

You will forget grammar structures yoursquove spoken correctly 10 times

before

You will get utterly lost in conversation after thinking yoursquove had a

breakthrough in your skill level

Take a deep breath Itrsquos all part of the process

7BE COOL

41

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoCriticism may not be agreeable but it is necessary It fulfils the same function as pain

in the human body It calls attention to an

unhealthy state of things - Winston Churchill

42

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Wersquove already mentioned the importance of good output Too many

mistakes without being corrected can lead to bad habits but mistakes

are inevitable Even if you follow our advice you will still have trouble

sometimes Enjoy being wronghellipevery mistake or misunderstanding

can bring you closer to fluency The key is to not worry about what you

canrsquot say just take note of it and take action Try to say something and it

came out as gibberish Make a note and try it out next time you get the

chance Get a flashcard completely wrong Good Less likely to next time

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to be sharing with you our favorite

speaking hacks that will instantly have you speaking Chinese

much more like a native and with less effort

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously Learning Chinese is just a game Enjoy yourself and take criticism with a smile

Mistakes when speaking and reviewing are inevitable and an important part of the learning process

KEY POINTS

7BE COOL

43

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

8USE THESE

Speak ldquorealrdquo Chinese

SPEAKING HACKS

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

OUR FAVORITE SPEAKING HACKS Apply even one of these techniques to your day-to-day speaking and

you will not only sound more native but will also find it much easier

to speak in general

SPEAK WITH FLUENCY

Fluency is not knowing every word It is simply the ability to say what it is

you want to say accurately using the vocabulary that you have Donrsquot

know how to say ldquointernational traderdquo Just say ldquowhen one country buys

and sells things with another countryrdquo After you say this your

conversation partner will likely say ldquooh yeah thatrsquos lsquointernational tradersquordquo

Boom New word learned within the emotional context of the

conversation to boot The key is when you donrsquot know a word donrsquot

just give up Instead do your best to explain what you want to say

with the vocabulary you have

SLOW DOWN

Speaking at around 80 of your normal rate wonrsquot sound weird at all and

it will improve both your pronunciation and your fluency instantly

Speaking more slowly gives your mouth and tongue muscles time to

get into position before a sound is made which is very helpful for those

sounds that donrsquot exist in English Plus it gives you a few extra

microseconds to think of something to say in conversation Combine

this with the next 2 hacks and yoursquore really in businesshellip

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

45

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoFake it until you make itrdquo - Steven Tyler

46

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

USE ldquoFILLERSrdquo

Everyone (including Chinese people) use these all the time in their

various native languages Why would you give yourself less of a chance

than a native speaker would to sound fluent Thatrsquos just crazy Here are

the top five uhh er umhelliprdquofillersrdquo

ēnhellip jiugraveshihellip negraveigehellip zhegraveigehellip raacutenhograveuhellip

Throw one or more of these utterances anywhere you like Put them in

every sentence if you feel the need Chinese people wonrsquot notice as they

do it too

USE CONVERSATION CONNECTORS

This is a term coined by Anthony Lauder referring to those everyday

fixed phrases that you say at the beginning middle or end of a sentence

to dress up what you want to say Here are some examples

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

我想告诉你hellip woacute xiǎng gagraveosu nǐhellip

Irsquod like you to know thathellip

你别介意不过hellip nǐ bieacute jiegraveyigrave buacuteguogravehellip Dont be upset buthellip

就像你已经知道的hellip jiugrave xiagraveng niacute yǐjīng zhīdagraveo dehellip

As you already know

多数情况hellip dagrave duō shugrave qiacutengkuagraveng

Most of the timehellip

47

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot give up so easily if you canrsquot think of a word you want to use Just use more common words to describe it

Speaking a bit slower will give you more time to think of what to say and will usually go unnoticed by a native speaker

Throw in fillers and fixed expressions to sound more like a native speaker and give yourself more time to speak at the same time

You can even thrown in English words to fill in the gaps if the above suggestions arenrsquot on the table Many young educated Chinese people do this anyway

KEY POINTS

USE ENGLISH WORDS

As a last ditch effort if you really donrsquot have the energy to ldquouse fluencyrdquo to

describe a word yoursquove forgotten just say the English word Younger

more educated Chinese speakers are likely to have a decent English

level and they themselves also like to throw in the odd English word into

conversation so itrsquos fine to follow suit At very least it keeps conversation

going to the next topic where you remember the Chinese words

NEXT TIME For our next installment in this series wersquore going to

get into the role writing has on your speaking how to write what

to write and where amp when to write Itrsquos not at all as intimidating

(or boring) as you may think

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

48

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Combine any and all of these tips to your speaking at any time to make yourself speak better instantly8

USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

49

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

WRITE REGULARLY9

Supercharge your active vocabulary

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Many beginners (and higher levels too) struggle with the frustration of

not being able to express their thoughts and feelings properly in

Chinese Even with many months and years of practice they can still feel

like the words just arenrsquot there when they need them Wersquove already

given you a bunch of steps you can take to solve this problem and we

realize that writing may be an unexpected additional step but trust us

when we say how valuable it can be

WHY WRITING IMPROVES SPEAKING IT DEMANDS FOCUS AND ATTENTION

Writing practice is the aspect of language learning that involves the

most focus and attention as you have to think about every word as you

write Just like reading writing is a slow process at first but after a short

period of regular practice you can almost hear the ldquoclicksrdquo as the words

you write become part of your vocabulary which can now be used

when you practice speaking with your tutor After all writing and

speaking are both expressive forms of communication using similar

mental processes

IT ACTIVATES VOCABULARY VERY EFFECTIVELY

Writing may just be the ultimate way to solidify your understanding of

the words and phrases yoursquove acquired through reading and listening It

may be even more effective than speaking

9WRITEREGULARLY

51

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WRITING IS MORE PERSONAL

After some practice you can start to write in your own personal style

using your own ldquovoicerdquo which naturally makes the process much more

enjoyable Writing a journal is the best way to access this benefit Posting

thoughts in Chinese on social media is another option especially for

lower levels

WRITING GIVES YOU MORE TIME TO FORMULATE THOUGHTS

Writing gives you time to think and practice the language

simultaneously whereas with speaking there is little opportunity to

really contemplate all the various ways of expressing a thought unless

you have an extremely patient (and masochistic) paid tutor

EVEN IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER YOU CAN STILL WRITE

If you donrsquot have much vocabulary you can still practice writing Just

write individual sentences or phrases Look at example sentences and

try to re-write them using slightly different vocabulary Remember just as

the incredible graded readers we talked about in chapter 4 can be

written with just a few select words and characters you too can write a

surprising amount using the small vocabulary you have at your disposal

5 INCREDIBLE WRITING TIPS GO FOR QUANTITY

Write every day Write a blog or WeChat post write individual sentences

9WRITEREGULARLY

52

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoWriting to me is simply thinking through my fingersrdquo

- Isaac Asimov

53

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

write a question on how to write something write anything You should

write something everyday and make a routine out of it The more

content the better but donrsquot ask too much of yourself or you will burn out

and not want to do it for weeks

An added bonus to writing regularly is the ability to look back on your

previous writing practice after a few weeks or months and see how far

yoursquove come This is called ldquobenchmarkingrdquo which wersquoll talk about more

next time

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT

Write about something or someone you love Write about a problem

yoursquore having Write about your goals and dreams Write about a book

you read or a youtube video you watched Write about what yoursquove

learned or would like to learn Write a journal When you do this your

own personality will shine through in your writing which will make the

words and structures you practice far more memorable

9WRITEREGULARLY

54

AIM FOR ZERO MISTAKES

Thatrsquos correct ZERO mistakes Think about what you write Take your time

to think before you put pen to paper or keyboard and look up example

sentences for words you donrsquot quite know how to use If you do these

things you will produce correct output which is fantastic for your

language skills Bad output leads to what Thatrsquos right bad habits

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

GET CORRECTIONS

Writing and getting corrections will help you notice very quickly the

patterns and structures in Chinese This attentiveness will pay off when

it comes to speaking reading and listening too

USE A WRITING SOFTWARE

Try Ommwriter Flowstate Awriter or similar writing apps designed for

writers to get you into the flow of writing

MAKE FLASHCARDS OUT OF YOUR MISTAKES

Create ultra-personalised reviewable content by taking any corrected

sentences and making a flashcard out of it

Try to combine regular speaking practice with regular writing

practice from now on and see for yourself how fast your fluency

improves

NEXT TIME For our final installment in this series wersquore going to

focus on continuing to improve your Chinese when you start to

plateau and the going getrsquos tough

9WRITEREGULARLY

55

Share your writing with a paid language exchange partner or tutor Check

out HiNative for a great place to get corrections on your writing and ask

general questions about how to use Chinese from native speakers

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Writing is a similar mental process as speaking with some important differences that can make it a more attractive outputting method under certain circumstances

Writing makes you more easily notice things about Chinese helps you activate passive vocabulary creates more personal connections to the language and gives you more time to convey your thoughts than speaking does

You can write at any level

Write as often as you can but donrsquot burn out

Write about things you care about and are passionate about so you can really enjoy the process and create more emotional connections that improve your retention

Aim not to make any mistakes because bad output means bad habits This is much easier to accomplish than with speaking as you have more time to think

Get your writing corrected by paid or free native speakers Make flashcards for words or structures you get wrong

KEY POINTS9WRITEREGULARLY

56

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

10SHARPEN THE SAW

Keep moving forward

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 8: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT SUPPORTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Speaking only makes you better at saying what you already know Input increases your knowledge Input should therefore be the main focus throughout your study

Speaking practice has the very important function of activating passive vocabulary but passive vocabulary is always much larger than active vocablulary

Invest between 30 minutes and 2 hours every day on listening and reading to comprehensible and engaging material Throw in some regular speaking practice with a tutor when yoursquore ready

Focus on content that engages you whether that be sci-fi comic books or horror movies Doing this will make learning new words much easier and more enjoyable

KEY POINTS1FOCUS ON INPUT

8

LEARN THE 2

Prioritise spoken frequency

RIGHT WORDS

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WHICH WORDS SHOULD YOU LEARN Like most people when starting to learn Chinese we went straight for

textbooks not knowing what else to do We were soon bored senseless

by them never able to make it halfway though one before dropping it

for something else Later we realized our boredom stemmed from

many of the words being too advanced andor irrelevant for that vital

early stage There was little in the way of real life application for the

content One textbook even had tang dynasty poems in it You did not

read that incorrectly Tang dynasty poems in a beginner textbook Sigh

The thing is you donrsquot need that many words to be able to

communicate on a fairly wide variety of topics (ie basic fluency) The

most common 1000 spoken words make up around 90 of spoken

Chinese (or any language really) and should therefore be your main

focus from the get-go As these words become part of your active

vocabulary you will be able to access more and more content that suits

your interests and this is when your progress will really start to take off

HOW TO FIND A GOOD WORD LIST Itrsquos actually a lot harder than you might think to find a good word list for

Chinese spoken words as frequency is usually determined by scanning

written documents The same even goes for those in the HSK exam

(Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary lists The lower levels are ok but

generally the more advanced your level the less relevant the

vocabulary tends to become The lower levels (levels 1-3) of the HSK

2LEARN THERIGHT WORDS

10

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoThe journey of a thousand miles begins with a single steprdquo

- Laozi

11

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

arenrsquot that bad although they do have a lot of written vocabulary

peppered in throughout Not to worry though here are a few ways you

can get started

1 Here is a spoken frequency list based on TV and movie subtitles

2 Check out Gabriel Wynerrsquos base vocabulary list of 625 words that

apply to any language Wersquore great supporters of his work

3 Here are the HSK vocabulary lists Like we said the earlier levels (1-3)

are ok for spoken vocabulary

After yoursquove started the process of getting the first 1000 or so words into

your active vocabulary you will be able to learn less common written and

spoken words by consuming engaging content more suited to your

personal goals and interests But how best to acquire these words in

the first place This will be explained in detail in the next chapter

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk all about HOW to truly acquire any words

you need QUICKLY without forgetting them Wersquoll go through

many resources you can access instantly online to do this and

walk you through how to use them effectively On top of that wersquoll

share with you the favorite study techniques used by top

language learners that will supercharge your acquisition

2LEARN THERIGHT WORDS

12

4 Our new course ldquoThe Mandarin Blueprint Methodrdquo covers the most

common 1500 characters and 4000 words Check it out

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You only need around 1000 high frequency spoken words for basic fluency This is around 90 of the spoken language

Words found in textbooks and vocabulary lists become less and less relevant the higher your level Donrsquot rely on them too much

Once yoursquove got a foundation of common vocabulary yoursquoll have the ability to start consuming more engaging content suited to your personal interests

KEY POINTS

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT SUPPORTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

2LEARN THERIGHT WORDS

13

LEARN WORDS THE3

Rote learning doesnrsquot work

RIGHT WAY

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Speaking a language fluently is essentially just remembering the

right words at the right time Here are the most efficient and enjoyable

ways to truly acquire new Chinese words so they are always there for

you when you need them

USE SRS (SPACED REPETITION SOFTWARE) SRS prevents you from forgetting what yoursquove learned in the most

efficient and rewarding way possible Despite having a bit of a learning

curve Anki is definitely the best choice of SRS because you can make

your own flashcards although shared decks are also available There

are a bunch of web and mobile language learning apps that use SRS-

powered flashcards

Our huge video curriculum The Mandarin Blueprint Method provides

you with over 7000 flashcards to learn how to read understand write

and speak the most common 1000 Chinese words Check it out here

THINGS TO REMEMBER ABOUT SRS

1 Set realistic goals The more new cards you do the more reviews

will build up Be careful not to over-do it

2 Finish your reviews every day The algorithm can only guarantee

90-95 retention if you finish your reviews every day

3 SRS is not a learning tool itrsquos a reviewing tool Learn the word first

then use SRS to review otherwise you are just rote learning and that

is proven to be ineffective (and incredibly boring)

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

15

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

SO WHATrsquoS THE BEST WAY

TO LEARN A CHINESE WORD

LEARN CHARACTERS

Make sure to make learning characters a part of your daily study routine

ldquoBut hey I want to learn speaking I donrsquot care about the characters Irsquoll

learn them later if at allrdquo While this is an understandable response itrsquos a

trap that slows you down in the long run To speak fluently you need

vocabulary To get vocabulary you need to read and listen a lot To

read you need characters

LEARN WORDS IN CONTEXT

The first step towards learning a word is to learn itrsquos definition However

this is the equivalent of shaking someonersquos hand and learning their

name Thatrsquos it See that person several more times in different contexts

and yoursquoll really get to know them Words need context to truly become

part of your vocabulary

To truly acquire a word you need to see that word in a sentence and

depending on the complexity of the word you will need to see it in

several contexts many times before it can be fully acquired and used

Find at least one sentence for each usage of the word in question and

make a flashcard Here are some quick tips regarding sentences and

sentence flashcards

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

16

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You will first need to get at least a couple of hundred of the most

common words under your belt before being ready to start reading

sentences

Sentences should be 4-9 words in length on average Long enough

to show a decent level of context and demonstrate a grammatical

structure or two but not so long that it becomes too hard to focus on

a single concept

Your sentences should be informal so they can be applicable to real

life

Just reading sentences is a good start but using the ldquocloze deleterdquo

function with anki (shown below) or wwwclozemastercom is

especially effective as it forces you to work a little harder

Add an image or two to sum up the ldquomessagerdquo of the sentence and

create deeper connections to the word(s)

At the time of writing this chapter our favorite resource for finding

Chinese sentences is bingcomdict (pictured left)

Our new course The Mandarin Blueprint Method contains all of the

flashcards and memory techniques you need to learn the most

common 1000 Chinese words Click below to start your free trial

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

17

LEARN MORE

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

After starting to review words in sentences move onto the next vital

resourcehellip

GRADED READERS You donrsquot have to wait until yoursquove acquired 1000s of characters and

words before you start reading Not by a long shot You can start

reading articles short stories and podcast transcripts with as little

as 150 characters and words Here are our favorite resources to do so

LINGQ (PICTURED)

LingQ is an aggregated graded reader that has content sourced from all

over the internet including tons of proprietary material Higher level

learners can also import any content they want from elsewhere We are

currently reading A Song of Ice and Fire in Chinese using LingQ and are

addicted to itrsquos incredible functionality The best part about it is that itrsquos

quick look-up feature allows you to read material above your level that

would normally be far too frustrating in book form As if that wasnrsquot good

enough they also have excellent SRS functionality amp the ability to export

words to Anki

THE CHAIRMANrsquoS BAO (TCB)

The Chairmanrsquos Bao have real news articles edited for different HSK

levels (even HSK 1) Yes with only a couple of hundred characters and

words you can be reading real news articles in Chinese This site is being

updated with new fantastic features all the time and has a great app too

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

18

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoYou donrsquot know a person because you know their

name and you donrsquot know a word because you know itrsquos

definitionrdquo- Khatzumoto of ajattcom

19

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

MANDARIN COMPANION

Do you prefer the feel of a real book in your hands These books can be

read with only 300-450 characters under your belt They have a bunch of

classics for lower levels that are still compelling despite being heavily

edited

GO FOR EFFICIENCY To get the most out of that precious hour or two each day that most of

us can spare for language learning make sure you use the following

techniques for maximum return on your time investment

INTERLEAVING

Studies have shown that it is more efficient in the long term to flit

between various different types of content within a study session than to

learn one thing at a time in blocks This is referred to as ldquointerleavingrdquo or

ldquointerleaved learningrdquo Donrsquot spend hours pouring over the same material

mix it up Not only will this be way more engaging yoursquoll also progress

faster

TIMEBOXING

Using timeboxing (also known as ldquoThe Pomodoro Techniquerdquo) will

greatly enhance the efficiency and enjoyment of your study

Traditionally you should study for 25 minutes then rest for 5 minutes

then repeat This means 50 minutes of focused study per hour instead of

15 minutes of study and 45 minutes daydreaming and looking at

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

20

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You can also do all sorts of time-boxes for variety Anywhere from 30

seconds to 25 minutes with 25 minutes being the maximum We love to

combine timeboxing with interleaving working on 2 or 3 different study

resources at a time with really short time-boxes For example a few

minutes on learning characters then reviewing flashcards then listening

to a podcast then resting This turns a study session into a fun game

doing wonders for your motivation

LISTEN WHILE READING

Listening is the easiest and most convenient way of improving learning as

itrsquos hands-free and you can focus on other things while doing it However

if you can read what you hear at the same time the benefits multiply

to be greater than the sum of its parts The reading makes it easier to

understand what you hear and what you hear improves your reading

speed If you choose material either at or slightly above your level and try

this technique out it really feels like yoursquore super-charging your Chinese

ability

SHADOWING

This is a technique made famous by Professor Alexander Arguelles

Shadowing is reading listening and speaking all at the same time Do

it while out and about for best results Just a few minutes a day of this will

improve pronunciation spoken fluency reading and listening

simultaneously We do it almost everyday and it really does speed up the

acquisition process more than anything else wersquove tried Just make sure

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

21

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

you choose a voice to imitate that yoursquod actually like to sound like

(especially when you choose the dialect or gender of the speaker) Herersquos

a video of The prof himself talking about the technique in more detail

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk to you all about how good pronunciation

practice improves your speaking ability listening ability amp even

reading ability plus wersquoll talk about where to find the best

resources to pronounce Chinese like a native speaker

Using spaced repetition is vital for your early days learning Chinese (or any language for that matter)

Learning characters is an unavoidable step in learning Chinese

You must see new words in a sentence before you can acquire them Reading graded readers is even better as it provides more context and engaging topics

Incorporate interleaved learning shadowing and timeboxing into your daily study routine for the most efficient results

KEY POINTS

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

22

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

LEARN PRONUNCIATION4

It will pay off huge dividends later

EARLY AND WELL

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

At Mandarin Blueprint we take pronunciation very seriously This is

mainly because we know first-hand the negative effects of poor

pronunciation instruction

Bad pronunciation slows the development of your listening reading

and speaking ability which is bad enough But by far the most

profoundly painful outcome of poor pronunciation is the damage done

to your lsquolearnerrsquos egorsquo early on When you are misunderstood partially

understood or not at all understood it hurts your confidence You then

associate speaking Chinese with negative emotions and become less

and less willing to start talking Itrsquos a vicious cycle of negativity that we

want you to avoid

HERErsquoS A PROBLEM WE WANT YOU TO HAVE 1 A Chinese person asks you a simple question that you understand

2 You answer the question with simple Chinese but with great

pronunciation

3 The Chinese person listening to you immediately assumes you

speak incredible Chinese and proceeds to unload a litany of

questions and comments

4 After an awkward silence you say 听不不懂 (tīngbudǒng) which

means ldquoI donrsquot understandrdquo

5 The Chinese person laughs asks a few more questions before

realizing you were actually serious Awkwardness intensifies

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

24

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

THE SKINNY ON MANDARIN PRONUNCIATION If you want excellent spoken Chinese you first need to be completely

aware of how to produce understand and read all of the sounds of the

language Some people can do all this naturally by ear with very little

training Unfortunately the law of averages states that you are most likely

not in this group Sorry -(

Not to worry though With only 409 different-sounding syllables (1200 if

you include tones) Chinese has relatively little to learn in terms of

pronunciation especially when compared to the 16000+ syllables of

English There are however many challenging and potentially confusing

aspects to Chinese pronunciation which means that you can learn what

you need to know about pronunciation in a relatively short time but you

need high quality expert guidance and study materials to do it

TUTORS ARENrsquoT ALWAYS THE WAY TO GO If you want to learn pronunciation it seems like a logical decision would

be to look for a tutor right Unfortunately most teachers do not have

the knowledge or experience to teach you Chinese pronunciation

well But why is this Well theyrsquove spoken mandarin since they can

remember right They have no frame of reference for comparing tongue

positions or vowel aspiration to English so how could they explain it to a

foreigner How would they know what it feels like to learn Mandarin

pronunciation as an adult

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

25

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoThe first thing I have to do to erase my french accent is to believe itrsquos actually possiblerdquo

- Marion Cotillard

26

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

There are fantastic tutors out there who can teach you pronunciation

properly but they can be like finding a needle in a haystack Not to

mention with the hourly rates you are likely to rack up hundreds of

dollars in fees for average results

INTRODUCING ldquoPRONUNCIATION MASTERYrdquo Wersquove been training our clients on pronunciation through live sessions of

our Pronunciation Mastery course for 2 years now and the results have

been fantastic Wersquove now finally finished transforming it into an 8 hour

video course that will teach you everything you need to know about

Chinese pronunciation all from the unique perspective of us Two

Chinese learners who made the journey ourselves from beginner to

advanced fluency This is all delivered using HD video crystal clear

explanations supported with slick design over a thousand multimedia

SRS flashcards over 80 PDFs amp native audio for reference and review

Wersquove put our hearts and souls into this course along with our extensive

experience and feedback from live teaching over the past 2 years Plus

itrsquos already helped hundreds of Chinese learners around the world Itrsquos

the video course we would have wanted when we were starting out

with Mandarin

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

27

CHECK IT OUT

Luke Neale

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

NEXT TIME Wersquoll dive into the topic of Chinese tutors Wersquoll be

sharing with you where to find the best free and paid tutors how

to work with them in the most efficient and fun way possible

Pronunciation is the vital first stage for learning any language

Bad pronunciation affects all other areas of your Chinese skill but most importantly it hurts your confidence

Compared to English there is much less to learn to master Chinese pronunciation

Chinese teachers rarely have the training and experience necessary to teach you pronunciation properly

Mandarin Blueprintrsquos ldquoPronunciation Masteryrdquo course has everything you need to develop great pronunciation quickly and cheaply Check it out today

KEY POINTS

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

28

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

USE TUTORS

Connect with them regularly

EFFECTIVELY

5

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You will notice that this is way down the list of tips for speaking like a

native speaker Thatrsquos because it actually isnrsquot the highest priority straight

away at least not anymore The sheer number of resources available

to you as a Chinese learner today means that you can do most things

you need to do on your own without a tutor As avid Chinese learners

ourselves we can both attest to this fact However a tutor is an

absolutely vital part of your journey to spoken fluency and to get the

most out of them you need to know how to work with them

First off what is a tutor for exactly Itrsquos not as obvious an answer as you

may think Understandably most people get a tutor straight from the

beginning hoping to receive all the materials and guidance they need

to make them fluent and literate in Chinese This is a lot to expect of

anyone let alone someone who never actually learned Chinese as a

second language So what are reasonable expectations to have then

THE ROLE OF A CHINESE TUTOR 1) FOR ACTIVATING PASSIVE VOCABULARY

Go into a session and try to use the words yoursquove been learning through

listening and reading Focus on steering the conversation to topics

you find meaningful and interesting Agree on these topics in advance

A good tutor is a good communicator someone who can speak to you

in a way they know you understand and ask you the right questions to

keep a conversation going Push your limits of what you know and ask a

lot of questions on how to use any words you arenrsquot sure about

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

30

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Mistakes are fine but donrsquot try and make up how to use a word or phrase

if you donrsquot already know Just ask If your tutor misses mistakes too

often they could turn into bad habits and you really donrsquot want that

2) FOR IDENTIFYING AND FIXING PROBLEMS

We prefer to have a nice chat of between 5 and 30 minutes during which

the tutor is making notes about anything you need to improve upon After

the time is up or the conversation has hit a dead-end the tutor can go

through your mistakes with you and do some directed practice to fix any

recurring issues This can be done as often as you like or just at the very

end of each session Make flashcards with example sentences

targeting the words or phrases you got wrong

3) FOR PROVIDING TRUE ENCOURAGEMENT

True encouragement is when a tutor notices where yoursquove improved and

points it out but also communicates your potential for improvement

Blindly repeating ldquo真棒 zhēn bagravengrdquo (rdquoGreat jobrdquo) all the time is false

encouragement and it can lead to complacency After all Chinese

people will already be giving you plenty of compliments about your

Mandarin the last thing you need is your paid tutor making your head

even bigger If a tutor provides true encouragement regularly yoursquore

golden If not ask them to or get another tutor

4) FOR FINDING LEVEL-APPROPRIATE AND ENGAGING CONTENT

This one is not to be expected of every tutor certainly not unprompted

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

31

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Directly ask them to find you listening and reading materials that you

might be interested in You may be very surprised at what they find for

you Some incredible content may be hidden away from the mainstream

and you may need a native person to help you discover those little gems

you might otherwise miss out on

TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR STUDY Figure out a kind of lesson structure yoursquore comfortable with that

suits your goals and interests Possible approaches include

Focus on a bunch of words yoursquove been learning and how to use

them

Choose several interesting topics and have an open conversation

Discuss a news article comic book or tv episode you saw recently

Whatever it is plan it out briefly beforehand and make it clear with your

tutor how you would like the lesson to go You have to take the reins if

you want the most bang for your buck If you donrsquot what yoursquoll get is what

the tutor wants to give you which will most likely be a textbook and

discussion of boring topics

HOW TO FIND GREAT TUTORS We would highly recommend finding tutors online as opposed to face-

to-face Herersquos why

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

32

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

1 You have a reasonable guarantee of quality Community star ratings

are commonplace

2 Far more convenient You can get online and be talking to a qualified

tutor for a few dollars an hour within a few minutes Enough said

3 Much better value for money Even if yoursquore living in China tutors still

work out cheaper online When you account for the time and effort it

takes to meet with a stranger face-to-face and the higher turnover of

tutors due to poor or quickly declining quality of lessons online tutors

are almost always more cost-effective

If you want to get online fast and take high quality online sessions with a

tutor a great resource is wwwitalkicom You can find both paid tutors

and unpaid language exchange partners here Invest a few dollars and

hours a month and it will pay off hugely for you

Italki offers tutoring in a huge range of lanugages but the vast majority of

the teachers just use skype for their lessons This is fine but you may be

surprised at the level of functionality of other Chinese-only services such

as wwwtutormandarincom

Instead of just a video call you get a live visual presentation showing

text and highlighted areas that makes everything much clearer and

more engaging This way you can practice your reading alongside your

speaking and listening all with live instruction

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

33

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

They offer a free 1-to-1 consultation and language evaluation before you

signup for anything so it canrsquot hurt to try them out

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to talk about immersion and how you

can do it regardless of your lifestyle or location to greatly improve

your speaking ability

Take control of your time with tutors making sure to point out clearly beforehand what you need from them and what your expectations are

Online tutors used in the capacity wersquove suggested are generally more time and cost-effective than face-to-face tutors even if you are in China Make the most of your study time by going for the former unless you have a guarantee of value

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

Tutors should be treated as a learning resource rather than your study gurus Their main function is to serve as a great communicator who can help you activate vocabulary and stay motivated

KEY POINTS

34

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

6IMMERSE YOURSELF

Be with Chinese as often as possible

IN CHINESE

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion deserves itrsquos own e-book all by itself as itrsquos such a deep and

varied topic but there are a few things to remember that will allow you

to immerse yourself in Chinese easily wherever you are

HOW TO IMMERSE YOURSELF First of all immersion doesnrsquot necessarily entail never speaking your

native language and ignoring your friends and family Immersion in itrsquos

most manageable form is simply being in touch with Chinese

regularly throughout the day This is doable outside China and even

with a family and a full-time job to boot Herersquos how we do it

CHANGE YOUR ENVIRONMENT

Make sure that Chinese is within 1 foot of your body at all times Ten

years ago that would have meant taping books and Chinese people

around your waist which would have been inconvenient and almost

definitely illegal Now we have these magical devices in our pockets

everywhere we go and most of us have computers or tablets as well

Always be looking for more and more level-appropriate reading and

listening materials and fill your devices with them Whenever you get

bored or frustrated with something drop it for something else You can

be picky even at beginner level Most of the time if you donrsquot enjoy

something itrsquos because you arenrsquot ready for it yet anyway Just go back

to it a few weeks or months down the line

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

36

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Organize the apps on your smart phone for reading listening speaking

and even writing Chinese so you can tap them whenever you have a

spare few minutes This makes it as easy as possible to immerse yourself

in something wherever and whenever

MAKE BETTER USE OF YOUR TIME

Listen to Chinese whenever yoursquore traveling anywhere working out

doing flashcards or housework If you have your eyes andor mouth free

as well do some interleaved learning or shadowing (see tip 4)

The key is starting not finishing Just do something for 1-15 minutes

10-20 times a day as opposed to trying to set aside large chunks of time

which either cause you to procrastinate or burn out

TALK TO LANGUAGE EXCHANGE PARTNERS

It might get expensive meeting with paid tutors every day which creates

an excuse to not practice speaking But there are more and more great

apps that allow you to connect and exchange with native Chinese

speakers for free Our favorite language exchange apps are pictured

on the next page

TALK TO YOURSELF

Yes it might feel a bit weird but it works as a decent substitute to a paid

tutor or language exchange partner Anything going through your head

just try to blurt out in Chinese Wear earphones to make it appear you are

talking on the phone so you donrsquot get placed into a mental institution

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

37

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoTime is what we want most but what we use worstrdquo

- William Penn

38

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion is doable regardless of your lifestyle Just be around Chinese many times throughout the day

Listen while doing pretty much anything Itrsquos the part of language learning that takes the least conscious effort to improve

Connect with language exchange partners via free apps Spend a few minutes chatting here and there Even talking to yourself can be really effective

KEY POINTS

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk about how to maintain a calm and positive

attitude when struggling to improve your speaking skills Wersquoll

also go into how to take criticism well and even enjoy making

mistakes6

IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

39

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

BE COOL7

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot be touchy when you get corrections or criticism even if it comes

across as harsh People rarely correct you for free and if you react

badly when they do that will probably be the last time they help you

When you arenrsquot understood just assume itrsquos never their problem It

actually might be sometimes but just assume it isnrsquot

People tend to put a lot of their pride and ego into their Chinese ability

because it takes a lot of time and effort to get good and it is a very rare

skill However just know that only when you really start to get good at

something do you realize how little you know Donrsquot fall into that trap

because you will be in for a rude awakening down the line Take your

ego out of the equation and have a great time Laugh at yourself

Itrsquos all just a game

LEARN TO ACCEPT UNCERTAINTY You will forget words yoursquove reviewed and heard for months

You will forget grammar structures yoursquove spoken correctly 10 times

before

You will get utterly lost in conversation after thinking yoursquove had a

breakthrough in your skill level

Take a deep breath Itrsquos all part of the process

7BE COOL

41

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoCriticism may not be agreeable but it is necessary It fulfils the same function as pain

in the human body It calls attention to an

unhealthy state of things - Winston Churchill

42

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Wersquove already mentioned the importance of good output Too many

mistakes without being corrected can lead to bad habits but mistakes

are inevitable Even if you follow our advice you will still have trouble

sometimes Enjoy being wronghellipevery mistake or misunderstanding

can bring you closer to fluency The key is to not worry about what you

canrsquot say just take note of it and take action Try to say something and it

came out as gibberish Make a note and try it out next time you get the

chance Get a flashcard completely wrong Good Less likely to next time

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to be sharing with you our favorite

speaking hacks that will instantly have you speaking Chinese

much more like a native and with less effort

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously Learning Chinese is just a game Enjoy yourself and take criticism with a smile

Mistakes when speaking and reviewing are inevitable and an important part of the learning process

KEY POINTS

7BE COOL

43

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

8USE THESE

Speak ldquorealrdquo Chinese

SPEAKING HACKS

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

OUR FAVORITE SPEAKING HACKS Apply even one of these techniques to your day-to-day speaking and

you will not only sound more native but will also find it much easier

to speak in general

SPEAK WITH FLUENCY

Fluency is not knowing every word It is simply the ability to say what it is

you want to say accurately using the vocabulary that you have Donrsquot

know how to say ldquointernational traderdquo Just say ldquowhen one country buys

and sells things with another countryrdquo After you say this your

conversation partner will likely say ldquooh yeah thatrsquos lsquointernational tradersquordquo

Boom New word learned within the emotional context of the

conversation to boot The key is when you donrsquot know a word donrsquot

just give up Instead do your best to explain what you want to say

with the vocabulary you have

SLOW DOWN

Speaking at around 80 of your normal rate wonrsquot sound weird at all and

it will improve both your pronunciation and your fluency instantly

Speaking more slowly gives your mouth and tongue muscles time to

get into position before a sound is made which is very helpful for those

sounds that donrsquot exist in English Plus it gives you a few extra

microseconds to think of something to say in conversation Combine

this with the next 2 hacks and yoursquore really in businesshellip

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

45

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoFake it until you make itrdquo - Steven Tyler

46

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

USE ldquoFILLERSrdquo

Everyone (including Chinese people) use these all the time in their

various native languages Why would you give yourself less of a chance

than a native speaker would to sound fluent Thatrsquos just crazy Here are

the top five uhh er umhelliprdquofillersrdquo

ēnhellip jiugraveshihellip negraveigehellip zhegraveigehellip raacutenhograveuhellip

Throw one or more of these utterances anywhere you like Put them in

every sentence if you feel the need Chinese people wonrsquot notice as they

do it too

USE CONVERSATION CONNECTORS

This is a term coined by Anthony Lauder referring to those everyday

fixed phrases that you say at the beginning middle or end of a sentence

to dress up what you want to say Here are some examples

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

我想告诉你hellip woacute xiǎng gagraveosu nǐhellip

Irsquod like you to know thathellip

你别介意不过hellip nǐ bieacute jiegraveyigrave buacuteguogravehellip Dont be upset buthellip

就像你已经知道的hellip jiugrave xiagraveng niacute yǐjīng zhīdagraveo dehellip

As you already know

多数情况hellip dagrave duō shugrave qiacutengkuagraveng

Most of the timehellip

47

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot give up so easily if you canrsquot think of a word you want to use Just use more common words to describe it

Speaking a bit slower will give you more time to think of what to say and will usually go unnoticed by a native speaker

Throw in fillers and fixed expressions to sound more like a native speaker and give yourself more time to speak at the same time

You can even thrown in English words to fill in the gaps if the above suggestions arenrsquot on the table Many young educated Chinese people do this anyway

KEY POINTS

USE ENGLISH WORDS

As a last ditch effort if you really donrsquot have the energy to ldquouse fluencyrdquo to

describe a word yoursquove forgotten just say the English word Younger

more educated Chinese speakers are likely to have a decent English

level and they themselves also like to throw in the odd English word into

conversation so itrsquos fine to follow suit At very least it keeps conversation

going to the next topic where you remember the Chinese words

NEXT TIME For our next installment in this series wersquore going to

get into the role writing has on your speaking how to write what

to write and where amp when to write Itrsquos not at all as intimidating

(or boring) as you may think

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

48

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Combine any and all of these tips to your speaking at any time to make yourself speak better instantly8

USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

49

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

WRITE REGULARLY9

Supercharge your active vocabulary

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Many beginners (and higher levels too) struggle with the frustration of

not being able to express their thoughts and feelings properly in

Chinese Even with many months and years of practice they can still feel

like the words just arenrsquot there when they need them Wersquove already

given you a bunch of steps you can take to solve this problem and we

realize that writing may be an unexpected additional step but trust us

when we say how valuable it can be

WHY WRITING IMPROVES SPEAKING IT DEMANDS FOCUS AND ATTENTION

Writing practice is the aspect of language learning that involves the

most focus and attention as you have to think about every word as you

write Just like reading writing is a slow process at first but after a short

period of regular practice you can almost hear the ldquoclicksrdquo as the words

you write become part of your vocabulary which can now be used

when you practice speaking with your tutor After all writing and

speaking are both expressive forms of communication using similar

mental processes

IT ACTIVATES VOCABULARY VERY EFFECTIVELY

Writing may just be the ultimate way to solidify your understanding of

the words and phrases yoursquove acquired through reading and listening It

may be even more effective than speaking

9WRITEREGULARLY

51

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WRITING IS MORE PERSONAL

After some practice you can start to write in your own personal style

using your own ldquovoicerdquo which naturally makes the process much more

enjoyable Writing a journal is the best way to access this benefit Posting

thoughts in Chinese on social media is another option especially for

lower levels

WRITING GIVES YOU MORE TIME TO FORMULATE THOUGHTS

Writing gives you time to think and practice the language

simultaneously whereas with speaking there is little opportunity to

really contemplate all the various ways of expressing a thought unless

you have an extremely patient (and masochistic) paid tutor

EVEN IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER YOU CAN STILL WRITE

If you donrsquot have much vocabulary you can still practice writing Just

write individual sentences or phrases Look at example sentences and

try to re-write them using slightly different vocabulary Remember just as

the incredible graded readers we talked about in chapter 4 can be

written with just a few select words and characters you too can write a

surprising amount using the small vocabulary you have at your disposal

5 INCREDIBLE WRITING TIPS GO FOR QUANTITY

Write every day Write a blog or WeChat post write individual sentences

9WRITEREGULARLY

52

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoWriting to me is simply thinking through my fingersrdquo

- Isaac Asimov

53

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

write a question on how to write something write anything You should

write something everyday and make a routine out of it The more

content the better but donrsquot ask too much of yourself or you will burn out

and not want to do it for weeks

An added bonus to writing regularly is the ability to look back on your

previous writing practice after a few weeks or months and see how far

yoursquove come This is called ldquobenchmarkingrdquo which wersquoll talk about more

next time

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT

Write about something or someone you love Write about a problem

yoursquore having Write about your goals and dreams Write about a book

you read or a youtube video you watched Write about what yoursquove

learned or would like to learn Write a journal When you do this your

own personality will shine through in your writing which will make the

words and structures you practice far more memorable

9WRITEREGULARLY

54

AIM FOR ZERO MISTAKES

Thatrsquos correct ZERO mistakes Think about what you write Take your time

to think before you put pen to paper or keyboard and look up example

sentences for words you donrsquot quite know how to use If you do these

things you will produce correct output which is fantastic for your

language skills Bad output leads to what Thatrsquos right bad habits

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

GET CORRECTIONS

Writing and getting corrections will help you notice very quickly the

patterns and structures in Chinese This attentiveness will pay off when

it comes to speaking reading and listening too

USE A WRITING SOFTWARE

Try Ommwriter Flowstate Awriter or similar writing apps designed for

writers to get you into the flow of writing

MAKE FLASHCARDS OUT OF YOUR MISTAKES

Create ultra-personalised reviewable content by taking any corrected

sentences and making a flashcard out of it

Try to combine regular speaking practice with regular writing

practice from now on and see for yourself how fast your fluency

improves

NEXT TIME For our final installment in this series wersquore going to

focus on continuing to improve your Chinese when you start to

plateau and the going getrsquos tough

9WRITEREGULARLY

55

Share your writing with a paid language exchange partner or tutor Check

out HiNative for a great place to get corrections on your writing and ask

general questions about how to use Chinese from native speakers

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Writing is a similar mental process as speaking with some important differences that can make it a more attractive outputting method under certain circumstances

Writing makes you more easily notice things about Chinese helps you activate passive vocabulary creates more personal connections to the language and gives you more time to convey your thoughts than speaking does

You can write at any level

Write as often as you can but donrsquot burn out

Write about things you care about and are passionate about so you can really enjoy the process and create more emotional connections that improve your retention

Aim not to make any mistakes because bad output means bad habits This is much easier to accomplish than with speaking as you have more time to think

Get your writing corrected by paid or free native speakers Make flashcards for words or structures you get wrong

KEY POINTS9WRITEREGULARLY

56

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

10SHARPEN THE SAW

Keep moving forward

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 9: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

LEARN THE 2

Prioritise spoken frequency

RIGHT WORDS

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WHICH WORDS SHOULD YOU LEARN Like most people when starting to learn Chinese we went straight for

textbooks not knowing what else to do We were soon bored senseless

by them never able to make it halfway though one before dropping it

for something else Later we realized our boredom stemmed from

many of the words being too advanced andor irrelevant for that vital

early stage There was little in the way of real life application for the

content One textbook even had tang dynasty poems in it You did not

read that incorrectly Tang dynasty poems in a beginner textbook Sigh

The thing is you donrsquot need that many words to be able to

communicate on a fairly wide variety of topics (ie basic fluency) The

most common 1000 spoken words make up around 90 of spoken

Chinese (or any language really) and should therefore be your main

focus from the get-go As these words become part of your active

vocabulary you will be able to access more and more content that suits

your interests and this is when your progress will really start to take off

HOW TO FIND A GOOD WORD LIST Itrsquos actually a lot harder than you might think to find a good word list for

Chinese spoken words as frequency is usually determined by scanning

written documents The same even goes for those in the HSK exam

(Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary lists The lower levels are ok but

generally the more advanced your level the less relevant the

vocabulary tends to become The lower levels (levels 1-3) of the HSK

2LEARN THERIGHT WORDS

10

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoThe journey of a thousand miles begins with a single steprdquo

- Laozi

11

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

arenrsquot that bad although they do have a lot of written vocabulary

peppered in throughout Not to worry though here are a few ways you

can get started

1 Here is a spoken frequency list based on TV and movie subtitles

2 Check out Gabriel Wynerrsquos base vocabulary list of 625 words that

apply to any language Wersquore great supporters of his work

3 Here are the HSK vocabulary lists Like we said the earlier levels (1-3)

are ok for spoken vocabulary

After yoursquove started the process of getting the first 1000 or so words into

your active vocabulary you will be able to learn less common written and

spoken words by consuming engaging content more suited to your

personal goals and interests But how best to acquire these words in

the first place This will be explained in detail in the next chapter

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk all about HOW to truly acquire any words

you need QUICKLY without forgetting them Wersquoll go through

many resources you can access instantly online to do this and

walk you through how to use them effectively On top of that wersquoll

share with you the favorite study techniques used by top

language learners that will supercharge your acquisition

2LEARN THERIGHT WORDS

12

4 Our new course ldquoThe Mandarin Blueprint Methodrdquo covers the most

common 1500 characters and 4000 words Check it out

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You only need around 1000 high frequency spoken words for basic fluency This is around 90 of the spoken language

Words found in textbooks and vocabulary lists become less and less relevant the higher your level Donrsquot rely on them too much

Once yoursquove got a foundation of common vocabulary yoursquoll have the ability to start consuming more engaging content suited to your personal interests

KEY POINTS

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT SUPPORTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

2LEARN THERIGHT WORDS

13

LEARN WORDS THE3

Rote learning doesnrsquot work

RIGHT WAY

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Speaking a language fluently is essentially just remembering the

right words at the right time Here are the most efficient and enjoyable

ways to truly acquire new Chinese words so they are always there for

you when you need them

USE SRS (SPACED REPETITION SOFTWARE) SRS prevents you from forgetting what yoursquove learned in the most

efficient and rewarding way possible Despite having a bit of a learning

curve Anki is definitely the best choice of SRS because you can make

your own flashcards although shared decks are also available There

are a bunch of web and mobile language learning apps that use SRS-

powered flashcards

Our huge video curriculum The Mandarin Blueprint Method provides

you with over 7000 flashcards to learn how to read understand write

and speak the most common 1000 Chinese words Check it out here

THINGS TO REMEMBER ABOUT SRS

1 Set realistic goals The more new cards you do the more reviews

will build up Be careful not to over-do it

2 Finish your reviews every day The algorithm can only guarantee

90-95 retention if you finish your reviews every day

3 SRS is not a learning tool itrsquos a reviewing tool Learn the word first

then use SRS to review otherwise you are just rote learning and that

is proven to be ineffective (and incredibly boring)

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

15

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

SO WHATrsquoS THE BEST WAY

TO LEARN A CHINESE WORD

LEARN CHARACTERS

Make sure to make learning characters a part of your daily study routine

ldquoBut hey I want to learn speaking I donrsquot care about the characters Irsquoll

learn them later if at allrdquo While this is an understandable response itrsquos a

trap that slows you down in the long run To speak fluently you need

vocabulary To get vocabulary you need to read and listen a lot To

read you need characters

LEARN WORDS IN CONTEXT

The first step towards learning a word is to learn itrsquos definition However

this is the equivalent of shaking someonersquos hand and learning their

name Thatrsquos it See that person several more times in different contexts

and yoursquoll really get to know them Words need context to truly become

part of your vocabulary

To truly acquire a word you need to see that word in a sentence and

depending on the complexity of the word you will need to see it in

several contexts many times before it can be fully acquired and used

Find at least one sentence for each usage of the word in question and

make a flashcard Here are some quick tips regarding sentences and

sentence flashcards

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

16

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You will first need to get at least a couple of hundred of the most

common words under your belt before being ready to start reading

sentences

Sentences should be 4-9 words in length on average Long enough

to show a decent level of context and demonstrate a grammatical

structure or two but not so long that it becomes too hard to focus on

a single concept

Your sentences should be informal so they can be applicable to real

life

Just reading sentences is a good start but using the ldquocloze deleterdquo

function with anki (shown below) or wwwclozemastercom is

especially effective as it forces you to work a little harder

Add an image or two to sum up the ldquomessagerdquo of the sentence and

create deeper connections to the word(s)

At the time of writing this chapter our favorite resource for finding

Chinese sentences is bingcomdict (pictured left)

Our new course The Mandarin Blueprint Method contains all of the

flashcards and memory techniques you need to learn the most

common 1000 Chinese words Click below to start your free trial

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

17

LEARN MORE

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

After starting to review words in sentences move onto the next vital

resourcehellip

GRADED READERS You donrsquot have to wait until yoursquove acquired 1000s of characters and

words before you start reading Not by a long shot You can start

reading articles short stories and podcast transcripts with as little

as 150 characters and words Here are our favorite resources to do so

LINGQ (PICTURED)

LingQ is an aggregated graded reader that has content sourced from all

over the internet including tons of proprietary material Higher level

learners can also import any content they want from elsewhere We are

currently reading A Song of Ice and Fire in Chinese using LingQ and are

addicted to itrsquos incredible functionality The best part about it is that itrsquos

quick look-up feature allows you to read material above your level that

would normally be far too frustrating in book form As if that wasnrsquot good

enough they also have excellent SRS functionality amp the ability to export

words to Anki

THE CHAIRMANrsquoS BAO (TCB)

The Chairmanrsquos Bao have real news articles edited for different HSK

levels (even HSK 1) Yes with only a couple of hundred characters and

words you can be reading real news articles in Chinese This site is being

updated with new fantastic features all the time and has a great app too

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

18

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoYou donrsquot know a person because you know their

name and you donrsquot know a word because you know itrsquos

definitionrdquo- Khatzumoto of ajattcom

19

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

MANDARIN COMPANION

Do you prefer the feel of a real book in your hands These books can be

read with only 300-450 characters under your belt They have a bunch of

classics for lower levels that are still compelling despite being heavily

edited

GO FOR EFFICIENCY To get the most out of that precious hour or two each day that most of

us can spare for language learning make sure you use the following

techniques for maximum return on your time investment

INTERLEAVING

Studies have shown that it is more efficient in the long term to flit

between various different types of content within a study session than to

learn one thing at a time in blocks This is referred to as ldquointerleavingrdquo or

ldquointerleaved learningrdquo Donrsquot spend hours pouring over the same material

mix it up Not only will this be way more engaging yoursquoll also progress

faster

TIMEBOXING

Using timeboxing (also known as ldquoThe Pomodoro Techniquerdquo) will

greatly enhance the efficiency and enjoyment of your study

Traditionally you should study for 25 minutes then rest for 5 minutes

then repeat This means 50 minutes of focused study per hour instead of

15 minutes of study and 45 minutes daydreaming and looking at

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

20

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You can also do all sorts of time-boxes for variety Anywhere from 30

seconds to 25 minutes with 25 minutes being the maximum We love to

combine timeboxing with interleaving working on 2 or 3 different study

resources at a time with really short time-boxes For example a few

minutes on learning characters then reviewing flashcards then listening

to a podcast then resting This turns a study session into a fun game

doing wonders for your motivation

LISTEN WHILE READING

Listening is the easiest and most convenient way of improving learning as

itrsquos hands-free and you can focus on other things while doing it However

if you can read what you hear at the same time the benefits multiply

to be greater than the sum of its parts The reading makes it easier to

understand what you hear and what you hear improves your reading

speed If you choose material either at or slightly above your level and try

this technique out it really feels like yoursquore super-charging your Chinese

ability

SHADOWING

This is a technique made famous by Professor Alexander Arguelles

Shadowing is reading listening and speaking all at the same time Do

it while out and about for best results Just a few minutes a day of this will

improve pronunciation spoken fluency reading and listening

simultaneously We do it almost everyday and it really does speed up the

acquisition process more than anything else wersquove tried Just make sure

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

21

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

you choose a voice to imitate that yoursquod actually like to sound like

(especially when you choose the dialect or gender of the speaker) Herersquos

a video of The prof himself talking about the technique in more detail

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk to you all about how good pronunciation

practice improves your speaking ability listening ability amp even

reading ability plus wersquoll talk about where to find the best

resources to pronounce Chinese like a native speaker

Using spaced repetition is vital for your early days learning Chinese (or any language for that matter)

Learning characters is an unavoidable step in learning Chinese

You must see new words in a sentence before you can acquire them Reading graded readers is even better as it provides more context and engaging topics

Incorporate interleaved learning shadowing and timeboxing into your daily study routine for the most efficient results

KEY POINTS

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

22

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

LEARN PRONUNCIATION4

It will pay off huge dividends later

EARLY AND WELL

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

At Mandarin Blueprint we take pronunciation very seriously This is

mainly because we know first-hand the negative effects of poor

pronunciation instruction

Bad pronunciation slows the development of your listening reading

and speaking ability which is bad enough But by far the most

profoundly painful outcome of poor pronunciation is the damage done

to your lsquolearnerrsquos egorsquo early on When you are misunderstood partially

understood or not at all understood it hurts your confidence You then

associate speaking Chinese with negative emotions and become less

and less willing to start talking Itrsquos a vicious cycle of negativity that we

want you to avoid

HERErsquoS A PROBLEM WE WANT YOU TO HAVE 1 A Chinese person asks you a simple question that you understand

2 You answer the question with simple Chinese but with great

pronunciation

3 The Chinese person listening to you immediately assumes you

speak incredible Chinese and proceeds to unload a litany of

questions and comments

4 After an awkward silence you say 听不不懂 (tīngbudǒng) which

means ldquoI donrsquot understandrdquo

5 The Chinese person laughs asks a few more questions before

realizing you were actually serious Awkwardness intensifies

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

24

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

THE SKINNY ON MANDARIN PRONUNCIATION If you want excellent spoken Chinese you first need to be completely

aware of how to produce understand and read all of the sounds of the

language Some people can do all this naturally by ear with very little

training Unfortunately the law of averages states that you are most likely

not in this group Sorry -(

Not to worry though With only 409 different-sounding syllables (1200 if

you include tones) Chinese has relatively little to learn in terms of

pronunciation especially when compared to the 16000+ syllables of

English There are however many challenging and potentially confusing

aspects to Chinese pronunciation which means that you can learn what

you need to know about pronunciation in a relatively short time but you

need high quality expert guidance and study materials to do it

TUTORS ARENrsquoT ALWAYS THE WAY TO GO If you want to learn pronunciation it seems like a logical decision would

be to look for a tutor right Unfortunately most teachers do not have

the knowledge or experience to teach you Chinese pronunciation

well But why is this Well theyrsquove spoken mandarin since they can

remember right They have no frame of reference for comparing tongue

positions or vowel aspiration to English so how could they explain it to a

foreigner How would they know what it feels like to learn Mandarin

pronunciation as an adult

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

25

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoThe first thing I have to do to erase my french accent is to believe itrsquos actually possiblerdquo

- Marion Cotillard

26

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

There are fantastic tutors out there who can teach you pronunciation

properly but they can be like finding a needle in a haystack Not to

mention with the hourly rates you are likely to rack up hundreds of

dollars in fees for average results

INTRODUCING ldquoPRONUNCIATION MASTERYrdquo Wersquove been training our clients on pronunciation through live sessions of

our Pronunciation Mastery course for 2 years now and the results have

been fantastic Wersquove now finally finished transforming it into an 8 hour

video course that will teach you everything you need to know about

Chinese pronunciation all from the unique perspective of us Two

Chinese learners who made the journey ourselves from beginner to

advanced fluency This is all delivered using HD video crystal clear

explanations supported with slick design over a thousand multimedia

SRS flashcards over 80 PDFs amp native audio for reference and review

Wersquove put our hearts and souls into this course along with our extensive

experience and feedback from live teaching over the past 2 years Plus

itrsquos already helped hundreds of Chinese learners around the world Itrsquos

the video course we would have wanted when we were starting out

with Mandarin

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

27

CHECK IT OUT

Luke Neale

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

NEXT TIME Wersquoll dive into the topic of Chinese tutors Wersquoll be

sharing with you where to find the best free and paid tutors how

to work with them in the most efficient and fun way possible

Pronunciation is the vital first stage for learning any language

Bad pronunciation affects all other areas of your Chinese skill but most importantly it hurts your confidence

Compared to English there is much less to learn to master Chinese pronunciation

Chinese teachers rarely have the training and experience necessary to teach you pronunciation properly

Mandarin Blueprintrsquos ldquoPronunciation Masteryrdquo course has everything you need to develop great pronunciation quickly and cheaply Check it out today

KEY POINTS

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

28

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

USE TUTORS

Connect with them regularly

EFFECTIVELY

5

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You will notice that this is way down the list of tips for speaking like a

native speaker Thatrsquos because it actually isnrsquot the highest priority straight

away at least not anymore The sheer number of resources available

to you as a Chinese learner today means that you can do most things

you need to do on your own without a tutor As avid Chinese learners

ourselves we can both attest to this fact However a tutor is an

absolutely vital part of your journey to spoken fluency and to get the

most out of them you need to know how to work with them

First off what is a tutor for exactly Itrsquos not as obvious an answer as you

may think Understandably most people get a tutor straight from the

beginning hoping to receive all the materials and guidance they need

to make them fluent and literate in Chinese This is a lot to expect of

anyone let alone someone who never actually learned Chinese as a

second language So what are reasonable expectations to have then

THE ROLE OF A CHINESE TUTOR 1) FOR ACTIVATING PASSIVE VOCABULARY

Go into a session and try to use the words yoursquove been learning through

listening and reading Focus on steering the conversation to topics

you find meaningful and interesting Agree on these topics in advance

A good tutor is a good communicator someone who can speak to you

in a way they know you understand and ask you the right questions to

keep a conversation going Push your limits of what you know and ask a

lot of questions on how to use any words you arenrsquot sure about

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

30

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Mistakes are fine but donrsquot try and make up how to use a word or phrase

if you donrsquot already know Just ask If your tutor misses mistakes too

often they could turn into bad habits and you really donrsquot want that

2) FOR IDENTIFYING AND FIXING PROBLEMS

We prefer to have a nice chat of between 5 and 30 minutes during which

the tutor is making notes about anything you need to improve upon After

the time is up or the conversation has hit a dead-end the tutor can go

through your mistakes with you and do some directed practice to fix any

recurring issues This can be done as often as you like or just at the very

end of each session Make flashcards with example sentences

targeting the words or phrases you got wrong

3) FOR PROVIDING TRUE ENCOURAGEMENT

True encouragement is when a tutor notices where yoursquove improved and

points it out but also communicates your potential for improvement

Blindly repeating ldquo真棒 zhēn bagravengrdquo (rdquoGreat jobrdquo) all the time is false

encouragement and it can lead to complacency After all Chinese

people will already be giving you plenty of compliments about your

Mandarin the last thing you need is your paid tutor making your head

even bigger If a tutor provides true encouragement regularly yoursquore

golden If not ask them to or get another tutor

4) FOR FINDING LEVEL-APPROPRIATE AND ENGAGING CONTENT

This one is not to be expected of every tutor certainly not unprompted

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

31

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Directly ask them to find you listening and reading materials that you

might be interested in You may be very surprised at what they find for

you Some incredible content may be hidden away from the mainstream

and you may need a native person to help you discover those little gems

you might otherwise miss out on

TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR STUDY Figure out a kind of lesson structure yoursquore comfortable with that

suits your goals and interests Possible approaches include

Focus on a bunch of words yoursquove been learning and how to use

them

Choose several interesting topics and have an open conversation

Discuss a news article comic book or tv episode you saw recently

Whatever it is plan it out briefly beforehand and make it clear with your

tutor how you would like the lesson to go You have to take the reins if

you want the most bang for your buck If you donrsquot what yoursquoll get is what

the tutor wants to give you which will most likely be a textbook and

discussion of boring topics

HOW TO FIND GREAT TUTORS We would highly recommend finding tutors online as opposed to face-

to-face Herersquos why

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

32

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

1 You have a reasonable guarantee of quality Community star ratings

are commonplace

2 Far more convenient You can get online and be talking to a qualified

tutor for a few dollars an hour within a few minutes Enough said

3 Much better value for money Even if yoursquore living in China tutors still

work out cheaper online When you account for the time and effort it

takes to meet with a stranger face-to-face and the higher turnover of

tutors due to poor or quickly declining quality of lessons online tutors

are almost always more cost-effective

If you want to get online fast and take high quality online sessions with a

tutor a great resource is wwwitalkicom You can find both paid tutors

and unpaid language exchange partners here Invest a few dollars and

hours a month and it will pay off hugely for you

Italki offers tutoring in a huge range of lanugages but the vast majority of

the teachers just use skype for their lessons This is fine but you may be

surprised at the level of functionality of other Chinese-only services such

as wwwtutormandarincom

Instead of just a video call you get a live visual presentation showing

text and highlighted areas that makes everything much clearer and

more engaging This way you can practice your reading alongside your

speaking and listening all with live instruction

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

33

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

They offer a free 1-to-1 consultation and language evaluation before you

signup for anything so it canrsquot hurt to try them out

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to talk about immersion and how you

can do it regardless of your lifestyle or location to greatly improve

your speaking ability

Take control of your time with tutors making sure to point out clearly beforehand what you need from them and what your expectations are

Online tutors used in the capacity wersquove suggested are generally more time and cost-effective than face-to-face tutors even if you are in China Make the most of your study time by going for the former unless you have a guarantee of value

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

Tutors should be treated as a learning resource rather than your study gurus Their main function is to serve as a great communicator who can help you activate vocabulary and stay motivated

KEY POINTS

34

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

6IMMERSE YOURSELF

Be with Chinese as often as possible

IN CHINESE

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion deserves itrsquos own e-book all by itself as itrsquos such a deep and

varied topic but there are a few things to remember that will allow you

to immerse yourself in Chinese easily wherever you are

HOW TO IMMERSE YOURSELF First of all immersion doesnrsquot necessarily entail never speaking your

native language and ignoring your friends and family Immersion in itrsquos

most manageable form is simply being in touch with Chinese

regularly throughout the day This is doable outside China and even

with a family and a full-time job to boot Herersquos how we do it

CHANGE YOUR ENVIRONMENT

Make sure that Chinese is within 1 foot of your body at all times Ten

years ago that would have meant taping books and Chinese people

around your waist which would have been inconvenient and almost

definitely illegal Now we have these magical devices in our pockets

everywhere we go and most of us have computers or tablets as well

Always be looking for more and more level-appropriate reading and

listening materials and fill your devices with them Whenever you get

bored or frustrated with something drop it for something else You can

be picky even at beginner level Most of the time if you donrsquot enjoy

something itrsquos because you arenrsquot ready for it yet anyway Just go back

to it a few weeks or months down the line

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

36

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Organize the apps on your smart phone for reading listening speaking

and even writing Chinese so you can tap them whenever you have a

spare few minutes This makes it as easy as possible to immerse yourself

in something wherever and whenever

MAKE BETTER USE OF YOUR TIME

Listen to Chinese whenever yoursquore traveling anywhere working out

doing flashcards or housework If you have your eyes andor mouth free

as well do some interleaved learning or shadowing (see tip 4)

The key is starting not finishing Just do something for 1-15 minutes

10-20 times a day as opposed to trying to set aside large chunks of time

which either cause you to procrastinate or burn out

TALK TO LANGUAGE EXCHANGE PARTNERS

It might get expensive meeting with paid tutors every day which creates

an excuse to not practice speaking But there are more and more great

apps that allow you to connect and exchange with native Chinese

speakers for free Our favorite language exchange apps are pictured

on the next page

TALK TO YOURSELF

Yes it might feel a bit weird but it works as a decent substitute to a paid

tutor or language exchange partner Anything going through your head

just try to blurt out in Chinese Wear earphones to make it appear you are

talking on the phone so you donrsquot get placed into a mental institution

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

37

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoTime is what we want most but what we use worstrdquo

- William Penn

38

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion is doable regardless of your lifestyle Just be around Chinese many times throughout the day

Listen while doing pretty much anything Itrsquos the part of language learning that takes the least conscious effort to improve

Connect with language exchange partners via free apps Spend a few minutes chatting here and there Even talking to yourself can be really effective

KEY POINTS

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk about how to maintain a calm and positive

attitude when struggling to improve your speaking skills Wersquoll

also go into how to take criticism well and even enjoy making

mistakes6

IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

39

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

BE COOL7

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot be touchy when you get corrections or criticism even if it comes

across as harsh People rarely correct you for free and if you react

badly when they do that will probably be the last time they help you

When you arenrsquot understood just assume itrsquos never their problem It

actually might be sometimes but just assume it isnrsquot

People tend to put a lot of their pride and ego into their Chinese ability

because it takes a lot of time and effort to get good and it is a very rare

skill However just know that only when you really start to get good at

something do you realize how little you know Donrsquot fall into that trap

because you will be in for a rude awakening down the line Take your

ego out of the equation and have a great time Laugh at yourself

Itrsquos all just a game

LEARN TO ACCEPT UNCERTAINTY You will forget words yoursquove reviewed and heard for months

You will forget grammar structures yoursquove spoken correctly 10 times

before

You will get utterly lost in conversation after thinking yoursquove had a

breakthrough in your skill level

Take a deep breath Itrsquos all part of the process

7BE COOL

41

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoCriticism may not be agreeable but it is necessary It fulfils the same function as pain

in the human body It calls attention to an

unhealthy state of things - Winston Churchill

42

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Wersquove already mentioned the importance of good output Too many

mistakes without being corrected can lead to bad habits but mistakes

are inevitable Even if you follow our advice you will still have trouble

sometimes Enjoy being wronghellipevery mistake or misunderstanding

can bring you closer to fluency The key is to not worry about what you

canrsquot say just take note of it and take action Try to say something and it

came out as gibberish Make a note and try it out next time you get the

chance Get a flashcard completely wrong Good Less likely to next time

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to be sharing with you our favorite

speaking hacks that will instantly have you speaking Chinese

much more like a native and with less effort

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously Learning Chinese is just a game Enjoy yourself and take criticism with a smile

Mistakes when speaking and reviewing are inevitable and an important part of the learning process

KEY POINTS

7BE COOL

43

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

8USE THESE

Speak ldquorealrdquo Chinese

SPEAKING HACKS

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

OUR FAVORITE SPEAKING HACKS Apply even one of these techniques to your day-to-day speaking and

you will not only sound more native but will also find it much easier

to speak in general

SPEAK WITH FLUENCY

Fluency is not knowing every word It is simply the ability to say what it is

you want to say accurately using the vocabulary that you have Donrsquot

know how to say ldquointernational traderdquo Just say ldquowhen one country buys

and sells things with another countryrdquo After you say this your

conversation partner will likely say ldquooh yeah thatrsquos lsquointernational tradersquordquo

Boom New word learned within the emotional context of the

conversation to boot The key is when you donrsquot know a word donrsquot

just give up Instead do your best to explain what you want to say

with the vocabulary you have

SLOW DOWN

Speaking at around 80 of your normal rate wonrsquot sound weird at all and

it will improve both your pronunciation and your fluency instantly

Speaking more slowly gives your mouth and tongue muscles time to

get into position before a sound is made which is very helpful for those

sounds that donrsquot exist in English Plus it gives you a few extra

microseconds to think of something to say in conversation Combine

this with the next 2 hacks and yoursquore really in businesshellip

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

45

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoFake it until you make itrdquo - Steven Tyler

46

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

USE ldquoFILLERSrdquo

Everyone (including Chinese people) use these all the time in their

various native languages Why would you give yourself less of a chance

than a native speaker would to sound fluent Thatrsquos just crazy Here are

the top five uhh er umhelliprdquofillersrdquo

ēnhellip jiugraveshihellip negraveigehellip zhegraveigehellip raacutenhograveuhellip

Throw one or more of these utterances anywhere you like Put them in

every sentence if you feel the need Chinese people wonrsquot notice as they

do it too

USE CONVERSATION CONNECTORS

This is a term coined by Anthony Lauder referring to those everyday

fixed phrases that you say at the beginning middle or end of a sentence

to dress up what you want to say Here are some examples

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

我想告诉你hellip woacute xiǎng gagraveosu nǐhellip

Irsquod like you to know thathellip

你别介意不过hellip nǐ bieacute jiegraveyigrave buacuteguogravehellip Dont be upset buthellip

就像你已经知道的hellip jiugrave xiagraveng niacute yǐjīng zhīdagraveo dehellip

As you already know

多数情况hellip dagrave duō shugrave qiacutengkuagraveng

Most of the timehellip

47

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot give up so easily if you canrsquot think of a word you want to use Just use more common words to describe it

Speaking a bit slower will give you more time to think of what to say and will usually go unnoticed by a native speaker

Throw in fillers and fixed expressions to sound more like a native speaker and give yourself more time to speak at the same time

You can even thrown in English words to fill in the gaps if the above suggestions arenrsquot on the table Many young educated Chinese people do this anyway

KEY POINTS

USE ENGLISH WORDS

As a last ditch effort if you really donrsquot have the energy to ldquouse fluencyrdquo to

describe a word yoursquove forgotten just say the English word Younger

more educated Chinese speakers are likely to have a decent English

level and they themselves also like to throw in the odd English word into

conversation so itrsquos fine to follow suit At very least it keeps conversation

going to the next topic where you remember the Chinese words

NEXT TIME For our next installment in this series wersquore going to

get into the role writing has on your speaking how to write what

to write and where amp when to write Itrsquos not at all as intimidating

(or boring) as you may think

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

48

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Combine any and all of these tips to your speaking at any time to make yourself speak better instantly8

USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

49

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

WRITE REGULARLY9

Supercharge your active vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Many beginners (and higher levels too) struggle with the frustration of

not being able to express their thoughts and feelings properly in

Chinese Even with many months and years of practice they can still feel

like the words just arenrsquot there when they need them Wersquove already

given you a bunch of steps you can take to solve this problem and we

realize that writing may be an unexpected additional step but trust us

when we say how valuable it can be

WHY WRITING IMPROVES SPEAKING IT DEMANDS FOCUS AND ATTENTION

Writing practice is the aspect of language learning that involves the

most focus and attention as you have to think about every word as you

write Just like reading writing is a slow process at first but after a short

period of regular practice you can almost hear the ldquoclicksrdquo as the words

you write become part of your vocabulary which can now be used

when you practice speaking with your tutor After all writing and

speaking are both expressive forms of communication using similar

mental processes

IT ACTIVATES VOCABULARY VERY EFFECTIVELY

Writing may just be the ultimate way to solidify your understanding of

the words and phrases yoursquove acquired through reading and listening It

may be even more effective than speaking

9WRITEREGULARLY

51

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WRITING IS MORE PERSONAL

After some practice you can start to write in your own personal style

using your own ldquovoicerdquo which naturally makes the process much more

enjoyable Writing a journal is the best way to access this benefit Posting

thoughts in Chinese on social media is another option especially for

lower levels

WRITING GIVES YOU MORE TIME TO FORMULATE THOUGHTS

Writing gives you time to think and practice the language

simultaneously whereas with speaking there is little opportunity to

really contemplate all the various ways of expressing a thought unless

you have an extremely patient (and masochistic) paid tutor

EVEN IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER YOU CAN STILL WRITE

If you donrsquot have much vocabulary you can still practice writing Just

write individual sentences or phrases Look at example sentences and

try to re-write them using slightly different vocabulary Remember just as

the incredible graded readers we talked about in chapter 4 can be

written with just a few select words and characters you too can write a

surprising amount using the small vocabulary you have at your disposal

5 INCREDIBLE WRITING TIPS GO FOR QUANTITY

Write every day Write a blog or WeChat post write individual sentences

9WRITEREGULARLY

52

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoWriting to me is simply thinking through my fingersrdquo

- Isaac Asimov

53

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

write a question on how to write something write anything You should

write something everyday and make a routine out of it The more

content the better but donrsquot ask too much of yourself or you will burn out

and not want to do it for weeks

An added bonus to writing regularly is the ability to look back on your

previous writing practice after a few weeks or months and see how far

yoursquove come This is called ldquobenchmarkingrdquo which wersquoll talk about more

next time

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT

Write about something or someone you love Write about a problem

yoursquore having Write about your goals and dreams Write about a book

you read or a youtube video you watched Write about what yoursquove

learned or would like to learn Write a journal When you do this your

own personality will shine through in your writing which will make the

words and structures you practice far more memorable

9WRITEREGULARLY

54

AIM FOR ZERO MISTAKES

Thatrsquos correct ZERO mistakes Think about what you write Take your time

to think before you put pen to paper or keyboard and look up example

sentences for words you donrsquot quite know how to use If you do these

things you will produce correct output which is fantastic for your

language skills Bad output leads to what Thatrsquos right bad habits

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

GET CORRECTIONS

Writing and getting corrections will help you notice very quickly the

patterns and structures in Chinese This attentiveness will pay off when

it comes to speaking reading and listening too

USE A WRITING SOFTWARE

Try Ommwriter Flowstate Awriter or similar writing apps designed for

writers to get you into the flow of writing

MAKE FLASHCARDS OUT OF YOUR MISTAKES

Create ultra-personalised reviewable content by taking any corrected

sentences and making a flashcard out of it

Try to combine regular speaking practice with regular writing

practice from now on and see for yourself how fast your fluency

improves

NEXT TIME For our final installment in this series wersquore going to

focus on continuing to improve your Chinese when you start to

plateau and the going getrsquos tough

9WRITEREGULARLY

55

Share your writing with a paid language exchange partner or tutor Check

out HiNative for a great place to get corrections on your writing and ask

general questions about how to use Chinese from native speakers

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Writing is a similar mental process as speaking with some important differences that can make it a more attractive outputting method under certain circumstances

Writing makes you more easily notice things about Chinese helps you activate passive vocabulary creates more personal connections to the language and gives you more time to convey your thoughts than speaking does

You can write at any level

Write as often as you can but donrsquot burn out

Write about things you care about and are passionate about so you can really enjoy the process and create more emotional connections that improve your retention

Aim not to make any mistakes because bad output means bad habits This is much easier to accomplish than with speaking as you have more time to think

Get your writing corrected by paid or free native speakers Make flashcards for words or structures you get wrong

KEY POINTS9WRITEREGULARLY

56

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

10SHARPEN THE SAW

Keep moving forward

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 10: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WHICH WORDS SHOULD YOU LEARN Like most people when starting to learn Chinese we went straight for

textbooks not knowing what else to do We were soon bored senseless

by them never able to make it halfway though one before dropping it

for something else Later we realized our boredom stemmed from

many of the words being too advanced andor irrelevant for that vital

early stage There was little in the way of real life application for the

content One textbook even had tang dynasty poems in it You did not

read that incorrectly Tang dynasty poems in a beginner textbook Sigh

The thing is you donrsquot need that many words to be able to

communicate on a fairly wide variety of topics (ie basic fluency) The

most common 1000 spoken words make up around 90 of spoken

Chinese (or any language really) and should therefore be your main

focus from the get-go As these words become part of your active

vocabulary you will be able to access more and more content that suits

your interests and this is when your progress will really start to take off

HOW TO FIND A GOOD WORD LIST Itrsquos actually a lot harder than you might think to find a good word list for

Chinese spoken words as frequency is usually determined by scanning

written documents The same even goes for those in the HSK exam

(Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary lists The lower levels are ok but

generally the more advanced your level the less relevant the

vocabulary tends to become The lower levels (levels 1-3) of the HSK

2LEARN THERIGHT WORDS

10

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoThe journey of a thousand miles begins with a single steprdquo

- Laozi

11

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

arenrsquot that bad although they do have a lot of written vocabulary

peppered in throughout Not to worry though here are a few ways you

can get started

1 Here is a spoken frequency list based on TV and movie subtitles

2 Check out Gabriel Wynerrsquos base vocabulary list of 625 words that

apply to any language Wersquore great supporters of his work

3 Here are the HSK vocabulary lists Like we said the earlier levels (1-3)

are ok for spoken vocabulary

After yoursquove started the process of getting the first 1000 or so words into

your active vocabulary you will be able to learn less common written and

spoken words by consuming engaging content more suited to your

personal goals and interests But how best to acquire these words in

the first place This will be explained in detail in the next chapter

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk all about HOW to truly acquire any words

you need QUICKLY without forgetting them Wersquoll go through

many resources you can access instantly online to do this and

walk you through how to use them effectively On top of that wersquoll

share with you the favorite study techniques used by top

language learners that will supercharge your acquisition

2LEARN THERIGHT WORDS

12

4 Our new course ldquoThe Mandarin Blueprint Methodrdquo covers the most

common 1500 characters and 4000 words Check it out

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You only need around 1000 high frequency spoken words for basic fluency This is around 90 of the spoken language

Words found in textbooks and vocabulary lists become less and less relevant the higher your level Donrsquot rely on them too much

Once yoursquove got a foundation of common vocabulary yoursquoll have the ability to start consuming more engaging content suited to your personal interests

KEY POINTS

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT SUPPORTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

2LEARN THERIGHT WORDS

13

LEARN WORDS THE3

Rote learning doesnrsquot work

RIGHT WAY

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Speaking a language fluently is essentially just remembering the

right words at the right time Here are the most efficient and enjoyable

ways to truly acquire new Chinese words so they are always there for

you when you need them

USE SRS (SPACED REPETITION SOFTWARE) SRS prevents you from forgetting what yoursquove learned in the most

efficient and rewarding way possible Despite having a bit of a learning

curve Anki is definitely the best choice of SRS because you can make

your own flashcards although shared decks are also available There

are a bunch of web and mobile language learning apps that use SRS-

powered flashcards

Our huge video curriculum The Mandarin Blueprint Method provides

you with over 7000 flashcards to learn how to read understand write

and speak the most common 1000 Chinese words Check it out here

THINGS TO REMEMBER ABOUT SRS

1 Set realistic goals The more new cards you do the more reviews

will build up Be careful not to over-do it

2 Finish your reviews every day The algorithm can only guarantee

90-95 retention if you finish your reviews every day

3 SRS is not a learning tool itrsquos a reviewing tool Learn the word first

then use SRS to review otherwise you are just rote learning and that

is proven to be ineffective (and incredibly boring)

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

15

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

SO WHATrsquoS THE BEST WAY

TO LEARN A CHINESE WORD

LEARN CHARACTERS

Make sure to make learning characters a part of your daily study routine

ldquoBut hey I want to learn speaking I donrsquot care about the characters Irsquoll

learn them later if at allrdquo While this is an understandable response itrsquos a

trap that slows you down in the long run To speak fluently you need

vocabulary To get vocabulary you need to read and listen a lot To

read you need characters

LEARN WORDS IN CONTEXT

The first step towards learning a word is to learn itrsquos definition However

this is the equivalent of shaking someonersquos hand and learning their

name Thatrsquos it See that person several more times in different contexts

and yoursquoll really get to know them Words need context to truly become

part of your vocabulary

To truly acquire a word you need to see that word in a sentence and

depending on the complexity of the word you will need to see it in

several contexts many times before it can be fully acquired and used

Find at least one sentence for each usage of the word in question and

make a flashcard Here are some quick tips regarding sentences and

sentence flashcards

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

16

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You will first need to get at least a couple of hundred of the most

common words under your belt before being ready to start reading

sentences

Sentences should be 4-9 words in length on average Long enough

to show a decent level of context and demonstrate a grammatical

structure or two but not so long that it becomes too hard to focus on

a single concept

Your sentences should be informal so they can be applicable to real

life

Just reading sentences is a good start but using the ldquocloze deleterdquo

function with anki (shown below) or wwwclozemastercom is

especially effective as it forces you to work a little harder

Add an image or two to sum up the ldquomessagerdquo of the sentence and

create deeper connections to the word(s)

At the time of writing this chapter our favorite resource for finding

Chinese sentences is bingcomdict (pictured left)

Our new course The Mandarin Blueprint Method contains all of the

flashcards and memory techniques you need to learn the most

common 1000 Chinese words Click below to start your free trial

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

17

LEARN MORE

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

After starting to review words in sentences move onto the next vital

resourcehellip

GRADED READERS You donrsquot have to wait until yoursquove acquired 1000s of characters and

words before you start reading Not by a long shot You can start

reading articles short stories and podcast transcripts with as little

as 150 characters and words Here are our favorite resources to do so

LINGQ (PICTURED)

LingQ is an aggregated graded reader that has content sourced from all

over the internet including tons of proprietary material Higher level

learners can also import any content they want from elsewhere We are

currently reading A Song of Ice and Fire in Chinese using LingQ and are

addicted to itrsquos incredible functionality The best part about it is that itrsquos

quick look-up feature allows you to read material above your level that

would normally be far too frustrating in book form As if that wasnrsquot good

enough they also have excellent SRS functionality amp the ability to export

words to Anki

THE CHAIRMANrsquoS BAO (TCB)

The Chairmanrsquos Bao have real news articles edited for different HSK

levels (even HSK 1) Yes with only a couple of hundred characters and

words you can be reading real news articles in Chinese This site is being

updated with new fantastic features all the time and has a great app too

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

18

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoYou donrsquot know a person because you know their

name and you donrsquot know a word because you know itrsquos

definitionrdquo- Khatzumoto of ajattcom

19

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

MANDARIN COMPANION

Do you prefer the feel of a real book in your hands These books can be

read with only 300-450 characters under your belt They have a bunch of

classics for lower levels that are still compelling despite being heavily

edited

GO FOR EFFICIENCY To get the most out of that precious hour or two each day that most of

us can spare for language learning make sure you use the following

techniques for maximum return on your time investment

INTERLEAVING

Studies have shown that it is more efficient in the long term to flit

between various different types of content within a study session than to

learn one thing at a time in blocks This is referred to as ldquointerleavingrdquo or

ldquointerleaved learningrdquo Donrsquot spend hours pouring over the same material

mix it up Not only will this be way more engaging yoursquoll also progress

faster

TIMEBOXING

Using timeboxing (also known as ldquoThe Pomodoro Techniquerdquo) will

greatly enhance the efficiency and enjoyment of your study

Traditionally you should study for 25 minutes then rest for 5 minutes

then repeat This means 50 minutes of focused study per hour instead of

15 minutes of study and 45 minutes daydreaming and looking at

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

20

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You can also do all sorts of time-boxes for variety Anywhere from 30

seconds to 25 minutes with 25 minutes being the maximum We love to

combine timeboxing with interleaving working on 2 or 3 different study

resources at a time with really short time-boxes For example a few

minutes on learning characters then reviewing flashcards then listening

to a podcast then resting This turns a study session into a fun game

doing wonders for your motivation

LISTEN WHILE READING

Listening is the easiest and most convenient way of improving learning as

itrsquos hands-free and you can focus on other things while doing it However

if you can read what you hear at the same time the benefits multiply

to be greater than the sum of its parts The reading makes it easier to

understand what you hear and what you hear improves your reading

speed If you choose material either at or slightly above your level and try

this technique out it really feels like yoursquore super-charging your Chinese

ability

SHADOWING

This is a technique made famous by Professor Alexander Arguelles

Shadowing is reading listening and speaking all at the same time Do

it while out and about for best results Just a few minutes a day of this will

improve pronunciation spoken fluency reading and listening

simultaneously We do it almost everyday and it really does speed up the

acquisition process more than anything else wersquove tried Just make sure

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

21

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

you choose a voice to imitate that yoursquod actually like to sound like

(especially when you choose the dialect or gender of the speaker) Herersquos

a video of The prof himself talking about the technique in more detail

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk to you all about how good pronunciation

practice improves your speaking ability listening ability amp even

reading ability plus wersquoll talk about where to find the best

resources to pronounce Chinese like a native speaker

Using spaced repetition is vital for your early days learning Chinese (or any language for that matter)

Learning characters is an unavoidable step in learning Chinese

You must see new words in a sentence before you can acquire them Reading graded readers is even better as it provides more context and engaging topics

Incorporate interleaved learning shadowing and timeboxing into your daily study routine for the most efficient results

KEY POINTS

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

22

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

LEARN PRONUNCIATION4

It will pay off huge dividends later

EARLY AND WELL

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

At Mandarin Blueprint we take pronunciation very seriously This is

mainly because we know first-hand the negative effects of poor

pronunciation instruction

Bad pronunciation slows the development of your listening reading

and speaking ability which is bad enough But by far the most

profoundly painful outcome of poor pronunciation is the damage done

to your lsquolearnerrsquos egorsquo early on When you are misunderstood partially

understood or not at all understood it hurts your confidence You then

associate speaking Chinese with negative emotions and become less

and less willing to start talking Itrsquos a vicious cycle of negativity that we

want you to avoid

HERErsquoS A PROBLEM WE WANT YOU TO HAVE 1 A Chinese person asks you a simple question that you understand

2 You answer the question with simple Chinese but with great

pronunciation

3 The Chinese person listening to you immediately assumes you

speak incredible Chinese and proceeds to unload a litany of

questions and comments

4 After an awkward silence you say 听不不懂 (tīngbudǒng) which

means ldquoI donrsquot understandrdquo

5 The Chinese person laughs asks a few more questions before

realizing you were actually serious Awkwardness intensifies

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

24

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

THE SKINNY ON MANDARIN PRONUNCIATION If you want excellent spoken Chinese you first need to be completely

aware of how to produce understand and read all of the sounds of the

language Some people can do all this naturally by ear with very little

training Unfortunately the law of averages states that you are most likely

not in this group Sorry -(

Not to worry though With only 409 different-sounding syllables (1200 if

you include tones) Chinese has relatively little to learn in terms of

pronunciation especially when compared to the 16000+ syllables of

English There are however many challenging and potentially confusing

aspects to Chinese pronunciation which means that you can learn what

you need to know about pronunciation in a relatively short time but you

need high quality expert guidance and study materials to do it

TUTORS ARENrsquoT ALWAYS THE WAY TO GO If you want to learn pronunciation it seems like a logical decision would

be to look for a tutor right Unfortunately most teachers do not have

the knowledge or experience to teach you Chinese pronunciation

well But why is this Well theyrsquove spoken mandarin since they can

remember right They have no frame of reference for comparing tongue

positions or vowel aspiration to English so how could they explain it to a

foreigner How would they know what it feels like to learn Mandarin

pronunciation as an adult

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

25

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoThe first thing I have to do to erase my french accent is to believe itrsquos actually possiblerdquo

- Marion Cotillard

26

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

There are fantastic tutors out there who can teach you pronunciation

properly but they can be like finding a needle in a haystack Not to

mention with the hourly rates you are likely to rack up hundreds of

dollars in fees for average results

INTRODUCING ldquoPRONUNCIATION MASTERYrdquo Wersquove been training our clients on pronunciation through live sessions of

our Pronunciation Mastery course for 2 years now and the results have

been fantastic Wersquove now finally finished transforming it into an 8 hour

video course that will teach you everything you need to know about

Chinese pronunciation all from the unique perspective of us Two

Chinese learners who made the journey ourselves from beginner to

advanced fluency This is all delivered using HD video crystal clear

explanations supported with slick design over a thousand multimedia

SRS flashcards over 80 PDFs amp native audio for reference and review

Wersquove put our hearts and souls into this course along with our extensive

experience and feedback from live teaching over the past 2 years Plus

itrsquos already helped hundreds of Chinese learners around the world Itrsquos

the video course we would have wanted when we were starting out

with Mandarin

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

27

CHECK IT OUT

Luke Neale

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

NEXT TIME Wersquoll dive into the topic of Chinese tutors Wersquoll be

sharing with you where to find the best free and paid tutors how

to work with them in the most efficient and fun way possible

Pronunciation is the vital first stage for learning any language

Bad pronunciation affects all other areas of your Chinese skill but most importantly it hurts your confidence

Compared to English there is much less to learn to master Chinese pronunciation

Chinese teachers rarely have the training and experience necessary to teach you pronunciation properly

Mandarin Blueprintrsquos ldquoPronunciation Masteryrdquo course has everything you need to develop great pronunciation quickly and cheaply Check it out today

KEY POINTS

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

28

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

USE TUTORS

Connect with them regularly

EFFECTIVELY

5

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You will notice that this is way down the list of tips for speaking like a

native speaker Thatrsquos because it actually isnrsquot the highest priority straight

away at least not anymore The sheer number of resources available

to you as a Chinese learner today means that you can do most things

you need to do on your own without a tutor As avid Chinese learners

ourselves we can both attest to this fact However a tutor is an

absolutely vital part of your journey to spoken fluency and to get the

most out of them you need to know how to work with them

First off what is a tutor for exactly Itrsquos not as obvious an answer as you

may think Understandably most people get a tutor straight from the

beginning hoping to receive all the materials and guidance they need

to make them fluent and literate in Chinese This is a lot to expect of

anyone let alone someone who never actually learned Chinese as a

second language So what are reasonable expectations to have then

THE ROLE OF A CHINESE TUTOR 1) FOR ACTIVATING PASSIVE VOCABULARY

Go into a session and try to use the words yoursquove been learning through

listening and reading Focus on steering the conversation to topics

you find meaningful and interesting Agree on these topics in advance

A good tutor is a good communicator someone who can speak to you

in a way they know you understand and ask you the right questions to

keep a conversation going Push your limits of what you know and ask a

lot of questions on how to use any words you arenrsquot sure about

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

30

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Mistakes are fine but donrsquot try and make up how to use a word or phrase

if you donrsquot already know Just ask If your tutor misses mistakes too

often they could turn into bad habits and you really donrsquot want that

2) FOR IDENTIFYING AND FIXING PROBLEMS

We prefer to have a nice chat of between 5 and 30 minutes during which

the tutor is making notes about anything you need to improve upon After

the time is up or the conversation has hit a dead-end the tutor can go

through your mistakes with you and do some directed practice to fix any

recurring issues This can be done as often as you like or just at the very

end of each session Make flashcards with example sentences

targeting the words or phrases you got wrong

3) FOR PROVIDING TRUE ENCOURAGEMENT

True encouragement is when a tutor notices where yoursquove improved and

points it out but also communicates your potential for improvement

Blindly repeating ldquo真棒 zhēn bagravengrdquo (rdquoGreat jobrdquo) all the time is false

encouragement and it can lead to complacency After all Chinese

people will already be giving you plenty of compliments about your

Mandarin the last thing you need is your paid tutor making your head

even bigger If a tutor provides true encouragement regularly yoursquore

golden If not ask them to or get another tutor

4) FOR FINDING LEVEL-APPROPRIATE AND ENGAGING CONTENT

This one is not to be expected of every tutor certainly not unprompted

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

31

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Directly ask them to find you listening and reading materials that you

might be interested in You may be very surprised at what they find for

you Some incredible content may be hidden away from the mainstream

and you may need a native person to help you discover those little gems

you might otherwise miss out on

TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR STUDY Figure out a kind of lesson structure yoursquore comfortable with that

suits your goals and interests Possible approaches include

Focus on a bunch of words yoursquove been learning and how to use

them

Choose several interesting topics and have an open conversation

Discuss a news article comic book or tv episode you saw recently

Whatever it is plan it out briefly beforehand and make it clear with your

tutor how you would like the lesson to go You have to take the reins if

you want the most bang for your buck If you donrsquot what yoursquoll get is what

the tutor wants to give you which will most likely be a textbook and

discussion of boring topics

HOW TO FIND GREAT TUTORS We would highly recommend finding tutors online as opposed to face-

to-face Herersquos why

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

32

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

1 You have a reasonable guarantee of quality Community star ratings

are commonplace

2 Far more convenient You can get online and be talking to a qualified

tutor for a few dollars an hour within a few minutes Enough said

3 Much better value for money Even if yoursquore living in China tutors still

work out cheaper online When you account for the time and effort it

takes to meet with a stranger face-to-face and the higher turnover of

tutors due to poor or quickly declining quality of lessons online tutors

are almost always more cost-effective

If you want to get online fast and take high quality online sessions with a

tutor a great resource is wwwitalkicom You can find both paid tutors

and unpaid language exchange partners here Invest a few dollars and

hours a month and it will pay off hugely for you

Italki offers tutoring in a huge range of lanugages but the vast majority of

the teachers just use skype for their lessons This is fine but you may be

surprised at the level of functionality of other Chinese-only services such

as wwwtutormandarincom

Instead of just a video call you get a live visual presentation showing

text and highlighted areas that makes everything much clearer and

more engaging This way you can practice your reading alongside your

speaking and listening all with live instruction

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

33

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

They offer a free 1-to-1 consultation and language evaluation before you

signup for anything so it canrsquot hurt to try them out

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to talk about immersion and how you

can do it regardless of your lifestyle or location to greatly improve

your speaking ability

Take control of your time with tutors making sure to point out clearly beforehand what you need from them and what your expectations are

Online tutors used in the capacity wersquove suggested are generally more time and cost-effective than face-to-face tutors even if you are in China Make the most of your study time by going for the former unless you have a guarantee of value

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

Tutors should be treated as a learning resource rather than your study gurus Their main function is to serve as a great communicator who can help you activate vocabulary and stay motivated

KEY POINTS

34

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

6IMMERSE YOURSELF

Be with Chinese as often as possible

IN CHINESE

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion deserves itrsquos own e-book all by itself as itrsquos such a deep and

varied topic but there are a few things to remember that will allow you

to immerse yourself in Chinese easily wherever you are

HOW TO IMMERSE YOURSELF First of all immersion doesnrsquot necessarily entail never speaking your

native language and ignoring your friends and family Immersion in itrsquos

most manageable form is simply being in touch with Chinese

regularly throughout the day This is doable outside China and even

with a family and a full-time job to boot Herersquos how we do it

CHANGE YOUR ENVIRONMENT

Make sure that Chinese is within 1 foot of your body at all times Ten

years ago that would have meant taping books and Chinese people

around your waist which would have been inconvenient and almost

definitely illegal Now we have these magical devices in our pockets

everywhere we go and most of us have computers or tablets as well

Always be looking for more and more level-appropriate reading and

listening materials and fill your devices with them Whenever you get

bored or frustrated with something drop it for something else You can

be picky even at beginner level Most of the time if you donrsquot enjoy

something itrsquos because you arenrsquot ready for it yet anyway Just go back

to it a few weeks or months down the line

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

36

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Organize the apps on your smart phone for reading listening speaking

and even writing Chinese so you can tap them whenever you have a

spare few minutes This makes it as easy as possible to immerse yourself

in something wherever and whenever

MAKE BETTER USE OF YOUR TIME

Listen to Chinese whenever yoursquore traveling anywhere working out

doing flashcards or housework If you have your eyes andor mouth free

as well do some interleaved learning or shadowing (see tip 4)

The key is starting not finishing Just do something for 1-15 minutes

10-20 times a day as opposed to trying to set aside large chunks of time

which either cause you to procrastinate or burn out

TALK TO LANGUAGE EXCHANGE PARTNERS

It might get expensive meeting with paid tutors every day which creates

an excuse to not practice speaking But there are more and more great

apps that allow you to connect and exchange with native Chinese

speakers for free Our favorite language exchange apps are pictured

on the next page

TALK TO YOURSELF

Yes it might feel a bit weird but it works as a decent substitute to a paid

tutor or language exchange partner Anything going through your head

just try to blurt out in Chinese Wear earphones to make it appear you are

talking on the phone so you donrsquot get placed into a mental institution

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

37

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoTime is what we want most but what we use worstrdquo

- William Penn

38

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion is doable regardless of your lifestyle Just be around Chinese many times throughout the day

Listen while doing pretty much anything Itrsquos the part of language learning that takes the least conscious effort to improve

Connect with language exchange partners via free apps Spend a few minutes chatting here and there Even talking to yourself can be really effective

KEY POINTS

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk about how to maintain a calm and positive

attitude when struggling to improve your speaking skills Wersquoll

also go into how to take criticism well and even enjoy making

mistakes6

IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

39

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

BE COOL7

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot be touchy when you get corrections or criticism even if it comes

across as harsh People rarely correct you for free and if you react

badly when they do that will probably be the last time they help you

When you arenrsquot understood just assume itrsquos never their problem It

actually might be sometimes but just assume it isnrsquot

People tend to put a lot of their pride and ego into their Chinese ability

because it takes a lot of time and effort to get good and it is a very rare

skill However just know that only when you really start to get good at

something do you realize how little you know Donrsquot fall into that trap

because you will be in for a rude awakening down the line Take your

ego out of the equation and have a great time Laugh at yourself

Itrsquos all just a game

LEARN TO ACCEPT UNCERTAINTY You will forget words yoursquove reviewed and heard for months

You will forget grammar structures yoursquove spoken correctly 10 times

before

You will get utterly lost in conversation after thinking yoursquove had a

breakthrough in your skill level

Take a deep breath Itrsquos all part of the process

7BE COOL

41

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoCriticism may not be agreeable but it is necessary It fulfils the same function as pain

in the human body It calls attention to an

unhealthy state of things - Winston Churchill

42

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Wersquove already mentioned the importance of good output Too many

mistakes without being corrected can lead to bad habits but mistakes

are inevitable Even if you follow our advice you will still have trouble

sometimes Enjoy being wronghellipevery mistake or misunderstanding

can bring you closer to fluency The key is to not worry about what you

canrsquot say just take note of it and take action Try to say something and it

came out as gibberish Make a note and try it out next time you get the

chance Get a flashcard completely wrong Good Less likely to next time

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to be sharing with you our favorite

speaking hacks that will instantly have you speaking Chinese

much more like a native and with less effort

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously Learning Chinese is just a game Enjoy yourself and take criticism with a smile

Mistakes when speaking and reviewing are inevitable and an important part of the learning process

KEY POINTS

7BE COOL

43

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

8USE THESE

Speak ldquorealrdquo Chinese

SPEAKING HACKS

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

OUR FAVORITE SPEAKING HACKS Apply even one of these techniques to your day-to-day speaking and

you will not only sound more native but will also find it much easier

to speak in general

SPEAK WITH FLUENCY

Fluency is not knowing every word It is simply the ability to say what it is

you want to say accurately using the vocabulary that you have Donrsquot

know how to say ldquointernational traderdquo Just say ldquowhen one country buys

and sells things with another countryrdquo After you say this your

conversation partner will likely say ldquooh yeah thatrsquos lsquointernational tradersquordquo

Boom New word learned within the emotional context of the

conversation to boot The key is when you donrsquot know a word donrsquot

just give up Instead do your best to explain what you want to say

with the vocabulary you have

SLOW DOWN

Speaking at around 80 of your normal rate wonrsquot sound weird at all and

it will improve both your pronunciation and your fluency instantly

Speaking more slowly gives your mouth and tongue muscles time to

get into position before a sound is made which is very helpful for those

sounds that donrsquot exist in English Plus it gives you a few extra

microseconds to think of something to say in conversation Combine

this with the next 2 hacks and yoursquore really in businesshellip

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

45

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoFake it until you make itrdquo - Steven Tyler

46

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

USE ldquoFILLERSrdquo

Everyone (including Chinese people) use these all the time in their

various native languages Why would you give yourself less of a chance

than a native speaker would to sound fluent Thatrsquos just crazy Here are

the top five uhh er umhelliprdquofillersrdquo

ēnhellip jiugraveshihellip negraveigehellip zhegraveigehellip raacutenhograveuhellip

Throw one or more of these utterances anywhere you like Put them in

every sentence if you feel the need Chinese people wonrsquot notice as they

do it too

USE CONVERSATION CONNECTORS

This is a term coined by Anthony Lauder referring to those everyday

fixed phrases that you say at the beginning middle or end of a sentence

to dress up what you want to say Here are some examples

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

我想告诉你hellip woacute xiǎng gagraveosu nǐhellip

Irsquod like you to know thathellip

你别介意不过hellip nǐ bieacute jiegraveyigrave buacuteguogravehellip Dont be upset buthellip

就像你已经知道的hellip jiugrave xiagraveng niacute yǐjīng zhīdagraveo dehellip

As you already know

多数情况hellip dagrave duō shugrave qiacutengkuagraveng

Most of the timehellip

47

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot give up so easily if you canrsquot think of a word you want to use Just use more common words to describe it

Speaking a bit slower will give you more time to think of what to say and will usually go unnoticed by a native speaker

Throw in fillers and fixed expressions to sound more like a native speaker and give yourself more time to speak at the same time

You can even thrown in English words to fill in the gaps if the above suggestions arenrsquot on the table Many young educated Chinese people do this anyway

KEY POINTS

USE ENGLISH WORDS

As a last ditch effort if you really donrsquot have the energy to ldquouse fluencyrdquo to

describe a word yoursquove forgotten just say the English word Younger

more educated Chinese speakers are likely to have a decent English

level and they themselves also like to throw in the odd English word into

conversation so itrsquos fine to follow suit At very least it keeps conversation

going to the next topic where you remember the Chinese words

NEXT TIME For our next installment in this series wersquore going to

get into the role writing has on your speaking how to write what

to write and where amp when to write Itrsquos not at all as intimidating

(or boring) as you may think

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

48

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Combine any and all of these tips to your speaking at any time to make yourself speak better instantly8

USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

49

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

WRITE REGULARLY9

Supercharge your active vocabulary

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Many beginners (and higher levels too) struggle with the frustration of

not being able to express their thoughts and feelings properly in

Chinese Even with many months and years of practice they can still feel

like the words just arenrsquot there when they need them Wersquove already

given you a bunch of steps you can take to solve this problem and we

realize that writing may be an unexpected additional step but trust us

when we say how valuable it can be

WHY WRITING IMPROVES SPEAKING IT DEMANDS FOCUS AND ATTENTION

Writing practice is the aspect of language learning that involves the

most focus and attention as you have to think about every word as you

write Just like reading writing is a slow process at first but after a short

period of regular practice you can almost hear the ldquoclicksrdquo as the words

you write become part of your vocabulary which can now be used

when you practice speaking with your tutor After all writing and

speaking are both expressive forms of communication using similar

mental processes

IT ACTIVATES VOCABULARY VERY EFFECTIVELY

Writing may just be the ultimate way to solidify your understanding of

the words and phrases yoursquove acquired through reading and listening It

may be even more effective than speaking

9WRITEREGULARLY

51

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WRITING IS MORE PERSONAL

After some practice you can start to write in your own personal style

using your own ldquovoicerdquo which naturally makes the process much more

enjoyable Writing a journal is the best way to access this benefit Posting

thoughts in Chinese on social media is another option especially for

lower levels

WRITING GIVES YOU MORE TIME TO FORMULATE THOUGHTS

Writing gives you time to think and practice the language

simultaneously whereas with speaking there is little opportunity to

really contemplate all the various ways of expressing a thought unless

you have an extremely patient (and masochistic) paid tutor

EVEN IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER YOU CAN STILL WRITE

If you donrsquot have much vocabulary you can still practice writing Just

write individual sentences or phrases Look at example sentences and

try to re-write them using slightly different vocabulary Remember just as

the incredible graded readers we talked about in chapter 4 can be

written with just a few select words and characters you too can write a

surprising amount using the small vocabulary you have at your disposal

5 INCREDIBLE WRITING TIPS GO FOR QUANTITY

Write every day Write a blog or WeChat post write individual sentences

9WRITEREGULARLY

52

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoWriting to me is simply thinking through my fingersrdquo

- Isaac Asimov

53

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

write a question on how to write something write anything You should

write something everyday and make a routine out of it The more

content the better but donrsquot ask too much of yourself or you will burn out

and not want to do it for weeks

An added bonus to writing regularly is the ability to look back on your

previous writing practice after a few weeks or months and see how far

yoursquove come This is called ldquobenchmarkingrdquo which wersquoll talk about more

next time

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT

Write about something or someone you love Write about a problem

yoursquore having Write about your goals and dreams Write about a book

you read or a youtube video you watched Write about what yoursquove

learned or would like to learn Write a journal When you do this your

own personality will shine through in your writing which will make the

words and structures you practice far more memorable

9WRITEREGULARLY

54

AIM FOR ZERO MISTAKES

Thatrsquos correct ZERO mistakes Think about what you write Take your time

to think before you put pen to paper or keyboard and look up example

sentences for words you donrsquot quite know how to use If you do these

things you will produce correct output which is fantastic for your

language skills Bad output leads to what Thatrsquos right bad habits

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

GET CORRECTIONS

Writing and getting corrections will help you notice very quickly the

patterns and structures in Chinese This attentiveness will pay off when

it comes to speaking reading and listening too

USE A WRITING SOFTWARE

Try Ommwriter Flowstate Awriter or similar writing apps designed for

writers to get you into the flow of writing

MAKE FLASHCARDS OUT OF YOUR MISTAKES

Create ultra-personalised reviewable content by taking any corrected

sentences and making a flashcard out of it

Try to combine regular speaking practice with regular writing

practice from now on and see for yourself how fast your fluency

improves

NEXT TIME For our final installment in this series wersquore going to

focus on continuing to improve your Chinese when you start to

plateau and the going getrsquos tough

9WRITEREGULARLY

55

Share your writing with a paid language exchange partner or tutor Check

out HiNative for a great place to get corrections on your writing and ask

general questions about how to use Chinese from native speakers

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Writing is a similar mental process as speaking with some important differences that can make it a more attractive outputting method under certain circumstances

Writing makes you more easily notice things about Chinese helps you activate passive vocabulary creates more personal connections to the language and gives you more time to convey your thoughts than speaking does

You can write at any level

Write as often as you can but donrsquot burn out

Write about things you care about and are passionate about so you can really enjoy the process and create more emotional connections that improve your retention

Aim not to make any mistakes because bad output means bad habits This is much easier to accomplish than with speaking as you have more time to think

Get your writing corrected by paid or free native speakers Make flashcards for words or structures you get wrong

KEY POINTS9WRITEREGULARLY

56

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

10SHARPEN THE SAW

Keep moving forward

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 11: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoThe journey of a thousand miles begins with a single steprdquo

- Laozi

11

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

arenrsquot that bad although they do have a lot of written vocabulary

peppered in throughout Not to worry though here are a few ways you

can get started

1 Here is a spoken frequency list based on TV and movie subtitles

2 Check out Gabriel Wynerrsquos base vocabulary list of 625 words that

apply to any language Wersquore great supporters of his work

3 Here are the HSK vocabulary lists Like we said the earlier levels (1-3)

are ok for spoken vocabulary

After yoursquove started the process of getting the first 1000 or so words into

your active vocabulary you will be able to learn less common written and

spoken words by consuming engaging content more suited to your

personal goals and interests But how best to acquire these words in

the first place This will be explained in detail in the next chapter

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk all about HOW to truly acquire any words

you need QUICKLY without forgetting them Wersquoll go through

many resources you can access instantly online to do this and

walk you through how to use them effectively On top of that wersquoll

share with you the favorite study techniques used by top

language learners that will supercharge your acquisition

2LEARN THERIGHT WORDS

12

4 Our new course ldquoThe Mandarin Blueprint Methodrdquo covers the most

common 1500 characters and 4000 words Check it out

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You only need around 1000 high frequency spoken words for basic fluency This is around 90 of the spoken language

Words found in textbooks and vocabulary lists become less and less relevant the higher your level Donrsquot rely on them too much

Once yoursquove got a foundation of common vocabulary yoursquoll have the ability to start consuming more engaging content suited to your personal interests

KEY POINTS

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT SUPPORTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

2LEARN THERIGHT WORDS

13

LEARN WORDS THE3

Rote learning doesnrsquot work

RIGHT WAY

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Speaking a language fluently is essentially just remembering the

right words at the right time Here are the most efficient and enjoyable

ways to truly acquire new Chinese words so they are always there for

you when you need them

USE SRS (SPACED REPETITION SOFTWARE) SRS prevents you from forgetting what yoursquove learned in the most

efficient and rewarding way possible Despite having a bit of a learning

curve Anki is definitely the best choice of SRS because you can make

your own flashcards although shared decks are also available There

are a bunch of web and mobile language learning apps that use SRS-

powered flashcards

Our huge video curriculum The Mandarin Blueprint Method provides

you with over 7000 flashcards to learn how to read understand write

and speak the most common 1000 Chinese words Check it out here

THINGS TO REMEMBER ABOUT SRS

1 Set realistic goals The more new cards you do the more reviews

will build up Be careful not to over-do it

2 Finish your reviews every day The algorithm can only guarantee

90-95 retention if you finish your reviews every day

3 SRS is not a learning tool itrsquos a reviewing tool Learn the word first

then use SRS to review otherwise you are just rote learning and that

is proven to be ineffective (and incredibly boring)

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

15

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

SO WHATrsquoS THE BEST WAY

TO LEARN A CHINESE WORD

LEARN CHARACTERS

Make sure to make learning characters a part of your daily study routine

ldquoBut hey I want to learn speaking I donrsquot care about the characters Irsquoll

learn them later if at allrdquo While this is an understandable response itrsquos a

trap that slows you down in the long run To speak fluently you need

vocabulary To get vocabulary you need to read and listen a lot To

read you need characters

LEARN WORDS IN CONTEXT

The first step towards learning a word is to learn itrsquos definition However

this is the equivalent of shaking someonersquos hand and learning their

name Thatrsquos it See that person several more times in different contexts

and yoursquoll really get to know them Words need context to truly become

part of your vocabulary

To truly acquire a word you need to see that word in a sentence and

depending on the complexity of the word you will need to see it in

several contexts many times before it can be fully acquired and used

Find at least one sentence for each usage of the word in question and

make a flashcard Here are some quick tips regarding sentences and

sentence flashcards

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

16

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You will first need to get at least a couple of hundred of the most

common words under your belt before being ready to start reading

sentences

Sentences should be 4-9 words in length on average Long enough

to show a decent level of context and demonstrate a grammatical

structure or two but not so long that it becomes too hard to focus on

a single concept

Your sentences should be informal so they can be applicable to real

life

Just reading sentences is a good start but using the ldquocloze deleterdquo

function with anki (shown below) or wwwclozemastercom is

especially effective as it forces you to work a little harder

Add an image or two to sum up the ldquomessagerdquo of the sentence and

create deeper connections to the word(s)

At the time of writing this chapter our favorite resource for finding

Chinese sentences is bingcomdict (pictured left)

Our new course The Mandarin Blueprint Method contains all of the

flashcards and memory techniques you need to learn the most

common 1000 Chinese words Click below to start your free trial

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

17

LEARN MORE

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

After starting to review words in sentences move onto the next vital

resourcehellip

GRADED READERS You donrsquot have to wait until yoursquove acquired 1000s of characters and

words before you start reading Not by a long shot You can start

reading articles short stories and podcast transcripts with as little

as 150 characters and words Here are our favorite resources to do so

LINGQ (PICTURED)

LingQ is an aggregated graded reader that has content sourced from all

over the internet including tons of proprietary material Higher level

learners can also import any content they want from elsewhere We are

currently reading A Song of Ice and Fire in Chinese using LingQ and are

addicted to itrsquos incredible functionality The best part about it is that itrsquos

quick look-up feature allows you to read material above your level that

would normally be far too frustrating in book form As if that wasnrsquot good

enough they also have excellent SRS functionality amp the ability to export

words to Anki

THE CHAIRMANrsquoS BAO (TCB)

The Chairmanrsquos Bao have real news articles edited for different HSK

levels (even HSK 1) Yes with only a couple of hundred characters and

words you can be reading real news articles in Chinese This site is being

updated with new fantastic features all the time and has a great app too

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

18

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoYou donrsquot know a person because you know their

name and you donrsquot know a word because you know itrsquos

definitionrdquo- Khatzumoto of ajattcom

19

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

MANDARIN COMPANION

Do you prefer the feel of a real book in your hands These books can be

read with only 300-450 characters under your belt They have a bunch of

classics for lower levels that are still compelling despite being heavily

edited

GO FOR EFFICIENCY To get the most out of that precious hour or two each day that most of

us can spare for language learning make sure you use the following

techniques for maximum return on your time investment

INTERLEAVING

Studies have shown that it is more efficient in the long term to flit

between various different types of content within a study session than to

learn one thing at a time in blocks This is referred to as ldquointerleavingrdquo or

ldquointerleaved learningrdquo Donrsquot spend hours pouring over the same material

mix it up Not only will this be way more engaging yoursquoll also progress

faster

TIMEBOXING

Using timeboxing (also known as ldquoThe Pomodoro Techniquerdquo) will

greatly enhance the efficiency and enjoyment of your study

Traditionally you should study for 25 minutes then rest for 5 minutes

then repeat This means 50 minutes of focused study per hour instead of

15 minutes of study and 45 minutes daydreaming and looking at

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

20

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You can also do all sorts of time-boxes for variety Anywhere from 30

seconds to 25 minutes with 25 minutes being the maximum We love to

combine timeboxing with interleaving working on 2 or 3 different study

resources at a time with really short time-boxes For example a few

minutes on learning characters then reviewing flashcards then listening

to a podcast then resting This turns a study session into a fun game

doing wonders for your motivation

LISTEN WHILE READING

Listening is the easiest and most convenient way of improving learning as

itrsquos hands-free and you can focus on other things while doing it However

if you can read what you hear at the same time the benefits multiply

to be greater than the sum of its parts The reading makes it easier to

understand what you hear and what you hear improves your reading

speed If you choose material either at or slightly above your level and try

this technique out it really feels like yoursquore super-charging your Chinese

ability

SHADOWING

This is a technique made famous by Professor Alexander Arguelles

Shadowing is reading listening and speaking all at the same time Do

it while out and about for best results Just a few minutes a day of this will

improve pronunciation spoken fluency reading and listening

simultaneously We do it almost everyday and it really does speed up the

acquisition process more than anything else wersquove tried Just make sure

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

21

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

you choose a voice to imitate that yoursquod actually like to sound like

(especially when you choose the dialect or gender of the speaker) Herersquos

a video of The prof himself talking about the technique in more detail

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk to you all about how good pronunciation

practice improves your speaking ability listening ability amp even

reading ability plus wersquoll talk about where to find the best

resources to pronounce Chinese like a native speaker

Using spaced repetition is vital for your early days learning Chinese (or any language for that matter)

Learning characters is an unavoidable step in learning Chinese

You must see new words in a sentence before you can acquire them Reading graded readers is even better as it provides more context and engaging topics

Incorporate interleaved learning shadowing and timeboxing into your daily study routine for the most efficient results

KEY POINTS

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

22

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

LEARN PRONUNCIATION4

It will pay off huge dividends later

EARLY AND WELL

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

At Mandarin Blueprint we take pronunciation very seriously This is

mainly because we know first-hand the negative effects of poor

pronunciation instruction

Bad pronunciation slows the development of your listening reading

and speaking ability which is bad enough But by far the most

profoundly painful outcome of poor pronunciation is the damage done

to your lsquolearnerrsquos egorsquo early on When you are misunderstood partially

understood or not at all understood it hurts your confidence You then

associate speaking Chinese with negative emotions and become less

and less willing to start talking Itrsquos a vicious cycle of negativity that we

want you to avoid

HERErsquoS A PROBLEM WE WANT YOU TO HAVE 1 A Chinese person asks you a simple question that you understand

2 You answer the question with simple Chinese but with great

pronunciation

3 The Chinese person listening to you immediately assumes you

speak incredible Chinese and proceeds to unload a litany of

questions and comments

4 After an awkward silence you say 听不不懂 (tīngbudǒng) which

means ldquoI donrsquot understandrdquo

5 The Chinese person laughs asks a few more questions before

realizing you were actually serious Awkwardness intensifies

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

24

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

THE SKINNY ON MANDARIN PRONUNCIATION If you want excellent spoken Chinese you first need to be completely

aware of how to produce understand and read all of the sounds of the

language Some people can do all this naturally by ear with very little

training Unfortunately the law of averages states that you are most likely

not in this group Sorry -(

Not to worry though With only 409 different-sounding syllables (1200 if

you include tones) Chinese has relatively little to learn in terms of

pronunciation especially when compared to the 16000+ syllables of

English There are however many challenging and potentially confusing

aspects to Chinese pronunciation which means that you can learn what

you need to know about pronunciation in a relatively short time but you

need high quality expert guidance and study materials to do it

TUTORS ARENrsquoT ALWAYS THE WAY TO GO If you want to learn pronunciation it seems like a logical decision would

be to look for a tutor right Unfortunately most teachers do not have

the knowledge or experience to teach you Chinese pronunciation

well But why is this Well theyrsquove spoken mandarin since they can

remember right They have no frame of reference for comparing tongue

positions or vowel aspiration to English so how could they explain it to a

foreigner How would they know what it feels like to learn Mandarin

pronunciation as an adult

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

25

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoThe first thing I have to do to erase my french accent is to believe itrsquos actually possiblerdquo

- Marion Cotillard

26

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

There are fantastic tutors out there who can teach you pronunciation

properly but they can be like finding a needle in a haystack Not to

mention with the hourly rates you are likely to rack up hundreds of

dollars in fees for average results

INTRODUCING ldquoPRONUNCIATION MASTERYrdquo Wersquove been training our clients on pronunciation through live sessions of

our Pronunciation Mastery course for 2 years now and the results have

been fantastic Wersquove now finally finished transforming it into an 8 hour

video course that will teach you everything you need to know about

Chinese pronunciation all from the unique perspective of us Two

Chinese learners who made the journey ourselves from beginner to

advanced fluency This is all delivered using HD video crystal clear

explanations supported with slick design over a thousand multimedia

SRS flashcards over 80 PDFs amp native audio for reference and review

Wersquove put our hearts and souls into this course along with our extensive

experience and feedback from live teaching over the past 2 years Plus

itrsquos already helped hundreds of Chinese learners around the world Itrsquos

the video course we would have wanted when we were starting out

with Mandarin

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

27

CHECK IT OUT

Luke Neale

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

NEXT TIME Wersquoll dive into the topic of Chinese tutors Wersquoll be

sharing with you where to find the best free and paid tutors how

to work with them in the most efficient and fun way possible

Pronunciation is the vital first stage for learning any language

Bad pronunciation affects all other areas of your Chinese skill but most importantly it hurts your confidence

Compared to English there is much less to learn to master Chinese pronunciation

Chinese teachers rarely have the training and experience necessary to teach you pronunciation properly

Mandarin Blueprintrsquos ldquoPronunciation Masteryrdquo course has everything you need to develop great pronunciation quickly and cheaply Check it out today

KEY POINTS

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

28

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

USE TUTORS

Connect with them regularly

EFFECTIVELY

5

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You will notice that this is way down the list of tips for speaking like a

native speaker Thatrsquos because it actually isnrsquot the highest priority straight

away at least not anymore The sheer number of resources available

to you as a Chinese learner today means that you can do most things

you need to do on your own without a tutor As avid Chinese learners

ourselves we can both attest to this fact However a tutor is an

absolutely vital part of your journey to spoken fluency and to get the

most out of them you need to know how to work with them

First off what is a tutor for exactly Itrsquos not as obvious an answer as you

may think Understandably most people get a tutor straight from the

beginning hoping to receive all the materials and guidance they need

to make them fluent and literate in Chinese This is a lot to expect of

anyone let alone someone who never actually learned Chinese as a

second language So what are reasonable expectations to have then

THE ROLE OF A CHINESE TUTOR 1) FOR ACTIVATING PASSIVE VOCABULARY

Go into a session and try to use the words yoursquove been learning through

listening and reading Focus on steering the conversation to topics

you find meaningful and interesting Agree on these topics in advance

A good tutor is a good communicator someone who can speak to you

in a way they know you understand and ask you the right questions to

keep a conversation going Push your limits of what you know and ask a

lot of questions on how to use any words you arenrsquot sure about

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

30

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Mistakes are fine but donrsquot try and make up how to use a word or phrase

if you donrsquot already know Just ask If your tutor misses mistakes too

often they could turn into bad habits and you really donrsquot want that

2) FOR IDENTIFYING AND FIXING PROBLEMS

We prefer to have a nice chat of between 5 and 30 minutes during which

the tutor is making notes about anything you need to improve upon After

the time is up or the conversation has hit a dead-end the tutor can go

through your mistakes with you and do some directed practice to fix any

recurring issues This can be done as often as you like or just at the very

end of each session Make flashcards with example sentences

targeting the words or phrases you got wrong

3) FOR PROVIDING TRUE ENCOURAGEMENT

True encouragement is when a tutor notices where yoursquove improved and

points it out but also communicates your potential for improvement

Blindly repeating ldquo真棒 zhēn bagravengrdquo (rdquoGreat jobrdquo) all the time is false

encouragement and it can lead to complacency After all Chinese

people will already be giving you plenty of compliments about your

Mandarin the last thing you need is your paid tutor making your head

even bigger If a tutor provides true encouragement regularly yoursquore

golden If not ask them to or get another tutor

4) FOR FINDING LEVEL-APPROPRIATE AND ENGAGING CONTENT

This one is not to be expected of every tutor certainly not unprompted

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

31

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Directly ask them to find you listening and reading materials that you

might be interested in You may be very surprised at what they find for

you Some incredible content may be hidden away from the mainstream

and you may need a native person to help you discover those little gems

you might otherwise miss out on

TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR STUDY Figure out a kind of lesson structure yoursquore comfortable with that

suits your goals and interests Possible approaches include

Focus on a bunch of words yoursquove been learning and how to use

them

Choose several interesting topics and have an open conversation

Discuss a news article comic book or tv episode you saw recently

Whatever it is plan it out briefly beforehand and make it clear with your

tutor how you would like the lesson to go You have to take the reins if

you want the most bang for your buck If you donrsquot what yoursquoll get is what

the tutor wants to give you which will most likely be a textbook and

discussion of boring topics

HOW TO FIND GREAT TUTORS We would highly recommend finding tutors online as opposed to face-

to-face Herersquos why

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

32

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

1 You have a reasonable guarantee of quality Community star ratings

are commonplace

2 Far more convenient You can get online and be talking to a qualified

tutor for a few dollars an hour within a few minutes Enough said

3 Much better value for money Even if yoursquore living in China tutors still

work out cheaper online When you account for the time and effort it

takes to meet with a stranger face-to-face and the higher turnover of

tutors due to poor or quickly declining quality of lessons online tutors

are almost always more cost-effective

If you want to get online fast and take high quality online sessions with a

tutor a great resource is wwwitalkicom You can find both paid tutors

and unpaid language exchange partners here Invest a few dollars and

hours a month and it will pay off hugely for you

Italki offers tutoring in a huge range of lanugages but the vast majority of

the teachers just use skype for their lessons This is fine but you may be

surprised at the level of functionality of other Chinese-only services such

as wwwtutormandarincom

Instead of just a video call you get a live visual presentation showing

text and highlighted areas that makes everything much clearer and

more engaging This way you can practice your reading alongside your

speaking and listening all with live instruction

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

33

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

They offer a free 1-to-1 consultation and language evaluation before you

signup for anything so it canrsquot hurt to try them out

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to talk about immersion and how you

can do it regardless of your lifestyle or location to greatly improve

your speaking ability

Take control of your time with tutors making sure to point out clearly beforehand what you need from them and what your expectations are

Online tutors used in the capacity wersquove suggested are generally more time and cost-effective than face-to-face tutors even if you are in China Make the most of your study time by going for the former unless you have a guarantee of value

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

Tutors should be treated as a learning resource rather than your study gurus Their main function is to serve as a great communicator who can help you activate vocabulary and stay motivated

KEY POINTS

34

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

6IMMERSE YOURSELF

Be with Chinese as often as possible

IN CHINESE

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion deserves itrsquos own e-book all by itself as itrsquos such a deep and

varied topic but there are a few things to remember that will allow you

to immerse yourself in Chinese easily wherever you are

HOW TO IMMERSE YOURSELF First of all immersion doesnrsquot necessarily entail never speaking your

native language and ignoring your friends and family Immersion in itrsquos

most manageable form is simply being in touch with Chinese

regularly throughout the day This is doable outside China and even

with a family and a full-time job to boot Herersquos how we do it

CHANGE YOUR ENVIRONMENT

Make sure that Chinese is within 1 foot of your body at all times Ten

years ago that would have meant taping books and Chinese people

around your waist which would have been inconvenient and almost

definitely illegal Now we have these magical devices in our pockets

everywhere we go and most of us have computers or tablets as well

Always be looking for more and more level-appropriate reading and

listening materials and fill your devices with them Whenever you get

bored or frustrated with something drop it for something else You can

be picky even at beginner level Most of the time if you donrsquot enjoy

something itrsquos because you arenrsquot ready for it yet anyway Just go back

to it a few weeks or months down the line

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

36

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Organize the apps on your smart phone for reading listening speaking

and even writing Chinese so you can tap them whenever you have a

spare few minutes This makes it as easy as possible to immerse yourself

in something wherever and whenever

MAKE BETTER USE OF YOUR TIME

Listen to Chinese whenever yoursquore traveling anywhere working out

doing flashcards or housework If you have your eyes andor mouth free

as well do some interleaved learning or shadowing (see tip 4)

The key is starting not finishing Just do something for 1-15 minutes

10-20 times a day as opposed to trying to set aside large chunks of time

which either cause you to procrastinate or burn out

TALK TO LANGUAGE EXCHANGE PARTNERS

It might get expensive meeting with paid tutors every day which creates

an excuse to not practice speaking But there are more and more great

apps that allow you to connect and exchange with native Chinese

speakers for free Our favorite language exchange apps are pictured

on the next page

TALK TO YOURSELF

Yes it might feel a bit weird but it works as a decent substitute to a paid

tutor or language exchange partner Anything going through your head

just try to blurt out in Chinese Wear earphones to make it appear you are

talking on the phone so you donrsquot get placed into a mental institution

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

37

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoTime is what we want most but what we use worstrdquo

- William Penn

38

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion is doable regardless of your lifestyle Just be around Chinese many times throughout the day

Listen while doing pretty much anything Itrsquos the part of language learning that takes the least conscious effort to improve

Connect with language exchange partners via free apps Spend a few minutes chatting here and there Even talking to yourself can be really effective

KEY POINTS

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk about how to maintain a calm and positive

attitude when struggling to improve your speaking skills Wersquoll

also go into how to take criticism well and even enjoy making

mistakes6

IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

39

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

BE COOL7

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot be touchy when you get corrections or criticism even if it comes

across as harsh People rarely correct you for free and if you react

badly when they do that will probably be the last time they help you

When you arenrsquot understood just assume itrsquos never their problem It

actually might be sometimes but just assume it isnrsquot

People tend to put a lot of their pride and ego into their Chinese ability

because it takes a lot of time and effort to get good and it is a very rare

skill However just know that only when you really start to get good at

something do you realize how little you know Donrsquot fall into that trap

because you will be in for a rude awakening down the line Take your

ego out of the equation and have a great time Laugh at yourself

Itrsquos all just a game

LEARN TO ACCEPT UNCERTAINTY You will forget words yoursquove reviewed and heard for months

You will forget grammar structures yoursquove spoken correctly 10 times

before

You will get utterly lost in conversation after thinking yoursquove had a

breakthrough in your skill level

Take a deep breath Itrsquos all part of the process

7BE COOL

41

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoCriticism may not be agreeable but it is necessary It fulfils the same function as pain

in the human body It calls attention to an

unhealthy state of things - Winston Churchill

42

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Wersquove already mentioned the importance of good output Too many

mistakes without being corrected can lead to bad habits but mistakes

are inevitable Even if you follow our advice you will still have trouble

sometimes Enjoy being wronghellipevery mistake or misunderstanding

can bring you closer to fluency The key is to not worry about what you

canrsquot say just take note of it and take action Try to say something and it

came out as gibberish Make a note and try it out next time you get the

chance Get a flashcard completely wrong Good Less likely to next time

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to be sharing with you our favorite

speaking hacks that will instantly have you speaking Chinese

much more like a native and with less effort

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously Learning Chinese is just a game Enjoy yourself and take criticism with a smile

Mistakes when speaking and reviewing are inevitable and an important part of the learning process

KEY POINTS

7BE COOL

43

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

8USE THESE

Speak ldquorealrdquo Chinese

SPEAKING HACKS

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

OUR FAVORITE SPEAKING HACKS Apply even one of these techniques to your day-to-day speaking and

you will not only sound more native but will also find it much easier

to speak in general

SPEAK WITH FLUENCY

Fluency is not knowing every word It is simply the ability to say what it is

you want to say accurately using the vocabulary that you have Donrsquot

know how to say ldquointernational traderdquo Just say ldquowhen one country buys

and sells things with another countryrdquo After you say this your

conversation partner will likely say ldquooh yeah thatrsquos lsquointernational tradersquordquo

Boom New word learned within the emotional context of the

conversation to boot The key is when you donrsquot know a word donrsquot

just give up Instead do your best to explain what you want to say

with the vocabulary you have

SLOW DOWN

Speaking at around 80 of your normal rate wonrsquot sound weird at all and

it will improve both your pronunciation and your fluency instantly

Speaking more slowly gives your mouth and tongue muscles time to

get into position before a sound is made which is very helpful for those

sounds that donrsquot exist in English Plus it gives you a few extra

microseconds to think of something to say in conversation Combine

this with the next 2 hacks and yoursquore really in businesshellip

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

45

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoFake it until you make itrdquo - Steven Tyler

46

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

USE ldquoFILLERSrdquo

Everyone (including Chinese people) use these all the time in their

various native languages Why would you give yourself less of a chance

than a native speaker would to sound fluent Thatrsquos just crazy Here are

the top five uhh er umhelliprdquofillersrdquo

ēnhellip jiugraveshihellip negraveigehellip zhegraveigehellip raacutenhograveuhellip

Throw one or more of these utterances anywhere you like Put them in

every sentence if you feel the need Chinese people wonrsquot notice as they

do it too

USE CONVERSATION CONNECTORS

This is a term coined by Anthony Lauder referring to those everyday

fixed phrases that you say at the beginning middle or end of a sentence

to dress up what you want to say Here are some examples

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

我想告诉你hellip woacute xiǎng gagraveosu nǐhellip

Irsquod like you to know thathellip

你别介意不过hellip nǐ bieacute jiegraveyigrave buacuteguogravehellip Dont be upset buthellip

就像你已经知道的hellip jiugrave xiagraveng niacute yǐjīng zhīdagraveo dehellip

As you already know

多数情况hellip dagrave duō shugrave qiacutengkuagraveng

Most of the timehellip

47

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot give up so easily if you canrsquot think of a word you want to use Just use more common words to describe it

Speaking a bit slower will give you more time to think of what to say and will usually go unnoticed by a native speaker

Throw in fillers and fixed expressions to sound more like a native speaker and give yourself more time to speak at the same time

You can even thrown in English words to fill in the gaps if the above suggestions arenrsquot on the table Many young educated Chinese people do this anyway

KEY POINTS

USE ENGLISH WORDS

As a last ditch effort if you really donrsquot have the energy to ldquouse fluencyrdquo to

describe a word yoursquove forgotten just say the English word Younger

more educated Chinese speakers are likely to have a decent English

level and they themselves also like to throw in the odd English word into

conversation so itrsquos fine to follow suit At very least it keeps conversation

going to the next topic where you remember the Chinese words

NEXT TIME For our next installment in this series wersquore going to

get into the role writing has on your speaking how to write what

to write and where amp when to write Itrsquos not at all as intimidating

(or boring) as you may think

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

48

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Combine any and all of these tips to your speaking at any time to make yourself speak better instantly8

USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

49

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

WRITE REGULARLY9

Supercharge your active vocabulary

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Many beginners (and higher levels too) struggle with the frustration of

not being able to express their thoughts and feelings properly in

Chinese Even with many months and years of practice they can still feel

like the words just arenrsquot there when they need them Wersquove already

given you a bunch of steps you can take to solve this problem and we

realize that writing may be an unexpected additional step but trust us

when we say how valuable it can be

WHY WRITING IMPROVES SPEAKING IT DEMANDS FOCUS AND ATTENTION

Writing practice is the aspect of language learning that involves the

most focus and attention as you have to think about every word as you

write Just like reading writing is a slow process at first but after a short

period of regular practice you can almost hear the ldquoclicksrdquo as the words

you write become part of your vocabulary which can now be used

when you practice speaking with your tutor After all writing and

speaking are both expressive forms of communication using similar

mental processes

IT ACTIVATES VOCABULARY VERY EFFECTIVELY

Writing may just be the ultimate way to solidify your understanding of

the words and phrases yoursquove acquired through reading and listening It

may be even more effective than speaking

9WRITEREGULARLY

51

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WRITING IS MORE PERSONAL

After some practice you can start to write in your own personal style

using your own ldquovoicerdquo which naturally makes the process much more

enjoyable Writing a journal is the best way to access this benefit Posting

thoughts in Chinese on social media is another option especially for

lower levels

WRITING GIVES YOU MORE TIME TO FORMULATE THOUGHTS

Writing gives you time to think and practice the language

simultaneously whereas with speaking there is little opportunity to

really contemplate all the various ways of expressing a thought unless

you have an extremely patient (and masochistic) paid tutor

EVEN IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER YOU CAN STILL WRITE

If you donrsquot have much vocabulary you can still practice writing Just

write individual sentences or phrases Look at example sentences and

try to re-write them using slightly different vocabulary Remember just as

the incredible graded readers we talked about in chapter 4 can be

written with just a few select words and characters you too can write a

surprising amount using the small vocabulary you have at your disposal

5 INCREDIBLE WRITING TIPS GO FOR QUANTITY

Write every day Write a blog or WeChat post write individual sentences

9WRITEREGULARLY

52

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoWriting to me is simply thinking through my fingersrdquo

- Isaac Asimov

53

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

write a question on how to write something write anything You should

write something everyday and make a routine out of it The more

content the better but donrsquot ask too much of yourself or you will burn out

and not want to do it for weeks

An added bonus to writing regularly is the ability to look back on your

previous writing practice after a few weeks or months and see how far

yoursquove come This is called ldquobenchmarkingrdquo which wersquoll talk about more

next time

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT

Write about something or someone you love Write about a problem

yoursquore having Write about your goals and dreams Write about a book

you read or a youtube video you watched Write about what yoursquove

learned or would like to learn Write a journal When you do this your

own personality will shine through in your writing which will make the

words and structures you practice far more memorable

9WRITEREGULARLY

54

AIM FOR ZERO MISTAKES

Thatrsquos correct ZERO mistakes Think about what you write Take your time

to think before you put pen to paper or keyboard and look up example

sentences for words you donrsquot quite know how to use If you do these

things you will produce correct output which is fantastic for your

language skills Bad output leads to what Thatrsquos right bad habits

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

GET CORRECTIONS

Writing and getting corrections will help you notice very quickly the

patterns and structures in Chinese This attentiveness will pay off when

it comes to speaking reading and listening too

USE A WRITING SOFTWARE

Try Ommwriter Flowstate Awriter or similar writing apps designed for

writers to get you into the flow of writing

MAKE FLASHCARDS OUT OF YOUR MISTAKES

Create ultra-personalised reviewable content by taking any corrected

sentences and making a flashcard out of it

Try to combine regular speaking practice with regular writing

practice from now on and see for yourself how fast your fluency

improves

NEXT TIME For our final installment in this series wersquore going to

focus on continuing to improve your Chinese when you start to

plateau and the going getrsquos tough

9WRITEREGULARLY

55

Share your writing with a paid language exchange partner or tutor Check

out HiNative for a great place to get corrections on your writing and ask

general questions about how to use Chinese from native speakers

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Writing is a similar mental process as speaking with some important differences that can make it a more attractive outputting method under certain circumstances

Writing makes you more easily notice things about Chinese helps you activate passive vocabulary creates more personal connections to the language and gives you more time to convey your thoughts than speaking does

You can write at any level

Write as often as you can but donrsquot burn out

Write about things you care about and are passionate about so you can really enjoy the process and create more emotional connections that improve your retention

Aim not to make any mistakes because bad output means bad habits This is much easier to accomplish than with speaking as you have more time to think

Get your writing corrected by paid or free native speakers Make flashcards for words or structures you get wrong

KEY POINTS9WRITEREGULARLY

56

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

10SHARPEN THE SAW

Keep moving forward

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 12: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

arenrsquot that bad although they do have a lot of written vocabulary

peppered in throughout Not to worry though here are a few ways you

can get started

1 Here is a spoken frequency list based on TV and movie subtitles

2 Check out Gabriel Wynerrsquos base vocabulary list of 625 words that

apply to any language Wersquore great supporters of his work

3 Here are the HSK vocabulary lists Like we said the earlier levels (1-3)

are ok for spoken vocabulary

After yoursquove started the process of getting the first 1000 or so words into

your active vocabulary you will be able to learn less common written and

spoken words by consuming engaging content more suited to your

personal goals and interests But how best to acquire these words in

the first place This will be explained in detail in the next chapter

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk all about HOW to truly acquire any words

you need QUICKLY without forgetting them Wersquoll go through

many resources you can access instantly online to do this and

walk you through how to use them effectively On top of that wersquoll

share with you the favorite study techniques used by top

language learners that will supercharge your acquisition

2LEARN THERIGHT WORDS

12

4 Our new course ldquoThe Mandarin Blueprint Methodrdquo covers the most

common 1500 characters and 4000 words Check it out

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You only need around 1000 high frequency spoken words for basic fluency This is around 90 of the spoken language

Words found in textbooks and vocabulary lists become less and less relevant the higher your level Donrsquot rely on them too much

Once yoursquove got a foundation of common vocabulary yoursquoll have the ability to start consuming more engaging content suited to your personal interests

KEY POINTS

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT SUPPORTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

2LEARN THERIGHT WORDS

13

LEARN WORDS THE3

Rote learning doesnrsquot work

RIGHT WAY

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Speaking a language fluently is essentially just remembering the

right words at the right time Here are the most efficient and enjoyable

ways to truly acquire new Chinese words so they are always there for

you when you need them

USE SRS (SPACED REPETITION SOFTWARE) SRS prevents you from forgetting what yoursquove learned in the most

efficient and rewarding way possible Despite having a bit of a learning

curve Anki is definitely the best choice of SRS because you can make

your own flashcards although shared decks are also available There

are a bunch of web and mobile language learning apps that use SRS-

powered flashcards

Our huge video curriculum The Mandarin Blueprint Method provides

you with over 7000 flashcards to learn how to read understand write

and speak the most common 1000 Chinese words Check it out here

THINGS TO REMEMBER ABOUT SRS

1 Set realistic goals The more new cards you do the more reviews

will build up Be careful not to over-do it

2 Finish your reviews every day The algorithm can only guarantee

90-95 retention if you finish your reviews every day

3 SRS is not a learning tool itrsquos a reviewing tool Learn the word first

then use SRS to review otherwise you are just rote learning and that

is proven to be ineffective (and incredibly boring)

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

15

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

SO WHATrsquoS THE BEST WAY

TO LEARN A CHINESE WORD

LEARN CHARACTERS

Make sure to make learning characters a part of your daily study routine

ldquoBut hey I want to learn speaking I donrsquot care about the characters Irsquoll

learn them later if at allrdquo While this is an understandable response itrsquos a

trap that slows you down in the long run To speak fluently you need

vocabulary To get vocabulary you need to read and listen a lot To

read you need characters

LEARN WORDS IN CONTEXT

The first step towards learning a word is to learn itrsquos definition However

this is the equivalent of shaking someonersquos hand and learning their

name Thatrsquos it See that person several more times in different contexts

and yoursquoll really get to know them Words need context to truly become

part of your vocabulary

To truly acquire a word you need to see that word in a sentence and

depending on the complexity of the word you will need to see it in

several contexts many times before it can be fully acquired and used

Find at least one sentence for each usage of the word in question and

make a flashcard Here are some quick tips regarding sentences and

sentence flashcards

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

16

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You will first need to get at least a couple of hundred of the most

common words under your belt before being ready to start reading

sentences

Sentences should be 4-9 words in length on average Long enough

to show a decent level of context and demonstrate a grammatical

structure or two but not so long that it becomes too hard to focus on

a single concept

Your sentences should be informal so they can be applicable to real

life

Just reading sentences is a good start but using the ldquocloze deleterdquo

function with anki (shown below) or wwwclozemastercom is

especially effective as it forces you to work a little harder

Add an image or two to sum up the ldquomessagerdquo of the sentence and

create deeper connections to the word(s)

At the time of writing this chapter our favorite resource for finding

Chinese sentences is bingcomdict (pictured left)

Our new course The Mandarin Blueprint Method contains all of the

flashcards and memory techniques you need to learn the most

common 1000 Chinese words Click below to start your free trial

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

17

LEARN MORE

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

After starting to review words in sentences move onto the next vital

resourcehellip

GRADED READERS You donrsquot have to wait until yoursquove acquired 1000s of characters and

words before you start reading Not by a long shot You can start

reading articles short stories and podcast transcripts with as little

as 150 characters and words Here are our favorite resources to do so

LINGQ (PICTURED)

LingQ is an aggregated graded reader that has content sourced from all

over the internet including tons of proprietary material Higher level

learners can also import any content they want from elsewhere We are

currently reading A Song of Ice and Fire in Chinese using LingQ and are

addicted to itrsquos incredible functionality The best part about it is that itrsquos

quick look-up feature allows you to read material above your level that

would normally be far too frustrating in book form As if that wasnrsquot good

enough they also have excellent SRS functionality amp the ability to export

words to Anki

THE CHAIRMANrsquoS BAO (TCB)

The Chairmanrsquos Bao have real news articles edited for different HSK

levels (even HSK 1) Yes with only a couple of hundred characters and

words you can be reading real news articles in Chinese This site is being

updated with new fantastic features all the time and has a great app too

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

18

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoYou donrsquot know a person because you know their

name and you donrsquot know a word because you know itrsquos

definitionrdquo- Khatzumoto of ajattcom

19

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

MANDARIN COMPANION

Do you prefer the feel of a real book in your hands These books can be

read with only 300-450 characters under your belt They have a bunch of

classics for lower levels that are still compelling despite being heavily

edited

GO FOR EFFICIENCY To get the most out of that precious hour or two each day that most of

us can spare for language learning make sure you use the following

techniques for maximum return on your time investment

INTERLEAVING

Studies have shown that it is more efficient in the long term to flit

between various different types of content within a study session than to

learn one thing at a time in blocks This is referred to as ldquointerleavingrdquo or

ldquointerleaved learningrdquo Donrsquot spend hours pouring over the same material

mix it up Not only will this be way more engaging yoursquoll also progress

faster

TIMEBOXING

Using timeboxing (also known as ldquoThe Pomodoro Techniquerdquo) will

greatly enhance the efficiency and enjoyment of your study

Traditionally you should study for 25 minutes then rest for 5 minutes

then repeat This means 50 minutes of focused study per hour instead of

15 minutes of study and 45 minutes daydreaming and looking at

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

20

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You can also do all sorts of time-boxes for variety Anywhere from 30

seconds to 25 minutes with 25 minutes being the maximum We love to

combine timeboxing with interleaving working on 2 or 3 different study

resources at a time with really short time-boxes For example a few

minutes on learning characters then reviewing flashcards then listening

to a podcast then resting This turns a study session into a fun game

doing wonders for your motivation

LISTEN WHILE READING

Listening is the easiest and most convenient way of improving learning as

itrsquos hands-free and you can focus on other things while doing it However

if you can read what you hear at the same time the benefits multiply

to be greater than the sum of its parts The reading makes it easier to

understand what you hear and what you hear improves your reading

speed If you choose material either at or slightly above your level and try

this technique out it really feels like yoursquore super-charging your Chinese

ability

SHADOWING

This is a technique made famous by Professor Alexander Arguelles

Shadowing is reading listening and speaking all at the same time Do

it while out and about for best results Just a few minutes a day of this will

improve pronunciation spoken fluency reading and listening

simultaneously We do it almost everyday and it really does speed up the

acquisition process more than anything else wersquove tried Just make sure

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

21

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

you choose a voice to imitate that yoursquod actually like to sound like

(especially when you choose the dialect or gender of the speaker) Herersquos

a video of The prof himself talking about the technique in more detail

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk to you all about how good pronunciation

practice improves your speaking ability listening ability amp even

reading ability plus wersquoll talk about where to find the best

resources to pronounce Chinese like a native speaker

Using spaced repetition is vital for your early days learning Chinese (or any language for that matter)

Learning characters is an unavoidable step in learning Chinese

You must see new words in a sentence before you can acquire them Reading graded readers is even better as it provides more context and engaging topics

Incorporate interleaved learning shadowing and timeboxing into your daily study routine for the most efficient results

KEY POINTS

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

22

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

LEARN PRONUNCIATION4

It will pay off huge dividends later

EARLY AND WELL

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

At Mandarin Blueprint we take pronunciation very seriously This is

mainly because we know first-hand the negative effects of poor

pronunciation instruction

Bad pronunciation slows the development of your listening reading

and speaking ability which is bad enough But by far the most

profoundly painful outcome of poor pronunciation is the damage done

to your lsquolearnerrsquos egorsquo early on When you are misunderstood partially

understood or not at all understood it hurts your confidence You then

associate speaking Chinese with negative emotions and become less

and less willing to start talking Itrsquos a vicious cycle of negativity that we

want you to avoid

HERErsquoS A PROBLEM WE WANT YOU TO HAVE 1 A Chinese person asks you a simple question that you understand

2 You answer the question with simple Chinese but with great

pronunciation

3 The Chinese person listening to you immediately assumes you

speak incredible Chinese and proceeds to unload a litany of

questions and comments

4 After an awkward silence you say 听不不懂 (tīngbudǒng) which

means ldquoI donrsquot understandrdquo

5 The Chinese person laughs asks a few more questions before

realizing you were actually serious Awkwardness intensifies

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

24

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

THE SKINNY ON MANDARIN PRONUNCIATION If you want excellent spoken Chinese you first need to be completely

aware of how to produce understand and read all of the sounds of the

language Some people can do all this naturally by ear with very little

training Unfortunately the law of averages states that you are most likely

not in this group Sorry -(

Not to worry though With only 409 different-sounding syllables (1200 if

you include tones) Chinese has relatively little to learn in terms of

pronunciation especially when compared to the 16000+ syllables of

English There are however many challenging and potentially confusing

aspects to Chinese pronunciation which means that you can learn what

you need to know about pronunciation in a relatively short time but you

need high quality expert guidance and study materials to do it

TUTORS ARENrsquoT ALWAYS THE WAY TO GO If you want to learn pronunciation it seems like a logical decision would

be to look for a tutor right Unfortunately most teachers do not have

the knowledge or experience to teach you Chinese pronunciation

well But why is this Well theyrsquove spoken mandarin since they can

remember right They have no frame of reference for comparing tongue

positions or vowel aspiration to English so how could they explain it to a

foreigner How would they know what it feels like to learn Mandarin

pronunciation as an adult

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

25

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoThe first thing I have to do to erase my french accent is to believe itrsquos actually possiblerdquo

- Marion Cotillard

26

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

There are fantastic tutors out there who can teach you pronunciation

properly but they can be like finding a needle in a haystack Not to

mention with the hourly rates you are likely to rack up hundreds of

dollars in fees for average results

INTRODUCING ldquoPRONUNCIATION MASTERYrdquo Wersquove been training our clients on pronunciation through live sessions of

our Pronunciation Mastery course for 2 years now and the results have

been fantastic Wersquove now finally finished transforming it into an 8 hour

video course that will teach you everything you need to know about

Chinese pronunciation all from the unique perspective of us Two

Chinese learners who made the journey ourselves from beginner to

advanced fluency This is all delivered using HD video crystal clear

explanations supported with slick design over a thousand multimedia

SRS flashcards over 80 PDFs amp native audio for reference and review

Wersquove put our hearts and souls into this course along with our extensive

experience and feedback from live teaching over the past 2 years Plus

itrsquos already helped hundreds of Chinese learners around the world Itrsquos

the video course we would have wanted when we were starting out

with Mandarin

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

27

CHECK IT OUT

Luke Neale

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

NEXT TIME Wersquoll dive into the topic of Chinese tutors Wersquoll be

sharing with you where to find the best free and paid tutors how

to work with them in the most efficient and fun way possible

Pronunciation is the vital first stage for learning any language

Bad pronunciation affects all other areas of your Chinese skill but most importantly it hurts your confidence

Compared to English there is much less to learn to master Chinese pronunciation

Chinese teachers rarely have the training and experience necessary to teach you pronunciation properly

Mandarin Blueprintrsquos ldquoPronunciation Masteryrdquo course has everything you need to develop great pronunciation quickly and cheaply Check it out today

KEY POINTS

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

28

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

USE TUTORS

Connect with them regularly

EFFECTIVELY

5

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You will notice that this is way down the list of tips for speaking like a

native speaker Thatrsquos because it actually isnrsquot the highest priority straight

away at least not anymore The sheer number of resources available

to you as a Chinese learner today means that you can do most things

you need to do on your own without a tutor As avid Chinese learners

ourselves we can both attest to this fact However a tutor is an

absolutely vital part of your journey to spoken fluency and to get the

most out of them you need to know how to work with them

First off what is a tutor for exactly Itrsquos not as obvious an answer as you

may think Understandably most people get a tutor straight from the

beginning hoping to receive all the materials and guidance they need

to make them fluent and literate in Chinese This is a lot to expect of

anyone let alone someone who never actually learned Chinese as a

second language So what are reasonable expectations to have then

THE ROLE OF A CHINESE TUTOR 1) FOR ACTIVATING PASSIVE VOCABULARY

Go into a session and try to use the words yoursquove been learning through

listening and reading Focus on steering the conversation to topics

you find meaningful and interesting Agree on these topics in advance

A good tutor is a good communicator someone who can speak to you

in a way they know you understand and ask you the right questions to

keep a conversation going Push your limits of what you know and ask a

lot of questions on how to use any words you arenrsquot sure about

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

30

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Mistakes are fine but donrsquot try and make up how to use a word or phrase

if you donrsquot already know Just ask If your tutor misses mistakes too

often they could turn into bad habits and you really donrsquot want that

2) FOR IDENTIFYING AND FIXING PROBLEMS

We prefer to have a nice chat of between 5 and 30 minutes during which

the tutor is making notes about anything you need to improve upon After

the time is up or the conversation has hit a dead-end the tutor can go

through your mistakes with you and do some directed practice to fix any

recurring issues This can be done as often as you like or just at the very

end of each session Make flashcards with example sentences

targeting the words or phrases you got wrong

3) FOR PROVIDING TRUE ENCOURAGEMENT

True encouragement is when a tutor notices where yoursquove improved and

points it out but also communicates your potential for improvement

Blindly repeating ldquo真棒 zhēn bagravengrdquo (rdquoGreat jobrdquo) all the time is false

encouragement and it can lead to complacency After all Chinese

people will already be giving you plenty of compliments about your

Mandarin the last thing you need is your paid tutor making your head

even bigger If a tutor provides true encouragement regularly yoursquore

golden If not ask them to or get another tutor

4) FOR FINDING LEVEL-APPROPRIATE AND ENGAGING CONTENT

This one is not to be expected of every tutor certainly not unprompted

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

31

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Directly ask them to find you listening and reading materials that you

might be interested in You may be very surprised at what they find for

you Some incredible content may be hidden away from the mainstream

and you may need a native person to help you discover those little gems

you might otherwise miss out on

TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR STUDY Figure out a kind of lesson structure yoursquore comfortable with that

suits your goals and interests Possible approaches include

Focus on a bunch of words yoursquove been learning and how to use

them

Choose several interesting topics and have an open conversation

Discuss a news article comic book or tv episode you saw recently

Whatever it is plan it out briefly beforehand and make it clear with your

tutor how you would like the lesson to go You have to take the reins if

you want the most bang for your buck If you donrsquot what yoursquoll get is what

the tutor wants to give you which will most likely be a textbook and

discussion of boring topics

HOW TO FIND GREAT TUTORS We would highly recommend finding tutors online as opposed to face-

to-face Herersquos why

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

32

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

1 You have a reasonable guarantee of quality Community star ratings

are commonplace

2 Far more convenient You can get online and be talking to a qualified

tutor for a few dollars an hour within a few minutes Enough said

3 Much better value for money Even if yoursquore living in China tutors still

work out cheaper online When you account for the time and effort it

takes to meet with a stranger face-to-face and the higher turnover of

tutors due to poor or quickly declining quality of lessons online tutors

are almost always more cost-effective

If you want to get online fast and take high quality online sessions with a

tutor a great resource is wwwitalkicom You can find both paid tutors

and unpaid language exchange partners here Invest a few dollars and

hours a month and it will pay off hugely for you

Italki offers tutoring in a huge range of lanugages but the vast majority of

the teachers just use skype for their lessons This is fine but you may be

surprised at the level of functionality of other Chinese-only services such

as wwwtutormandarincom

Instead of just a video call you get a live visual presentation showing

text and highlighted areas that makes everything much clearer and

more engaging This way you can practice your reading alongside your

speaking and listening all with live instruction

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

33

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

They offer a free 1-to-1 consultation and language evaluation before you

signup for anything so it canrsquot hurt to try them out

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to talk about immersion and how you

can do it regardless of your lifestyle or location to greatly improve

your speaking ability

Take control of your time with tutors making sure to point out clearly beforehand what you need from them and what your expectations are

Online tutors used in the capacity wersquove suggested are generally more time and cost-effective than face-to-face tutors even if you are in China Make the most of your study time by going for the former unless you have a guarantee of value

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

Tutors should be treated as a learning resource rather than your study gurus Their main function is to serve as a great communicator who can help you activate vocabulary and stay motivated

KEY POINTS

34

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

6IMMERSE YOURSELF

Be with Chinese as often as possible

IN CHINESE

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion deserves itrsquos own e-book all by itself as itrsquos such a deep and

varied topic but there are a few things to remember that will allow you

to immerse yourself in Chinese easily wherever you are

HOW TO IMMERSE YOURSELF First of all immersion doesnrsquot necessarily entail never speaking your

native language and ignoring your friends and family Immersion in itrsquos

most manageable form is simply being in touch with Chinese

regularly throughout the day This is doable outside China and even

with a family and a full-time job to boot Herersquos how we do it

CHANGE YOUR ENVIRONMENT

Make sure that Chinese is within 1 foot of your body at all times Ten

years ago that would have meant taping books and Chinese people

around your waist which would have been inconvenient and almost

definitely illegal Now we have these magical devices in our pockets

everywhere we go and most of us have computers or tablets as well

Always be looking for more and more level-appropriate reading and

listening materials and fill your devices with them Whenever you get

bored or frustrated with something drop it for something else You can

be picky even at beginner level Most of the time if you donrsquot enjoy

something itrsquos because you arenrsquot ready for it yet anyway Just go back

to it a few weeks or months down the line

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

36

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Organize the apps on your smart phone for reading listening speaking

and even writing Chinese so you can tap them whenever you have a

spare few minutes This makes it as easy as possible to immerse yourself

in something wherever and whenever

MAKE BETTER USE OF YOUR TIME

Listen to Chinese whenever yoursquore traveling anywhere working out

doing flashcards or housework If you have your eyes andor mouth free

as well do some interleaved learning or shadowing (see tip 4)

The key is starting not finishing Just do something for 1-15 minutes

10-20 times a day as opposed to trying to set aside large chunks of time

which either cause you to procrastinate or burn out

TALK TO LANGUAGE EXCHANGE PARTNERS

It might get expensive meeting with paid tutors every day which creates

an excuse to not practice speaking But there are more and more great

apps that allow you to connect and exchange with native Chinese

speakers for free Our favorite language exchange apps are pictured

on the next page

TALK TO YOURSELF

Yes it might feel a bit weird but it works as a decent substitute to a paid

tutor or language exchange partner Anything going through your head

just try to blurt out in Chinese Wear earphones to make it appear you are

talking on the phone so you donrsquot get placed into a mental institution

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

37

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoTime is what we want most but what we use worstrdquo

- William Penn

38

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion is doable regardless of your lifestyle Just be around Chinese many times throughout the day

Listen while doing pretty much anything Itrsquos the part of language learning that takes the least conscious effort to improve

Connect with language exchange partners via free apps Spend a few minutes chatting here and there Even talking to yourself can be really effective

KEY POINTS

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk about how to maintain a calm and positive

attitude when struggling to improve your speaking skills Wersquoll

also go into how to take criticism well and even enjoy making

mistakes6

IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

39

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

BE COOL7

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot be touchy when you get corrections or criticism even if it comes

across as harsh People rarely correct you for free and if you react

badly when they do that will probably be the last time they help you

When you arenrsquot understood just assume itrsquos never their problem It

actually might be sometimes but just assume it isnrsquot

People tend to put a lot of their pride and ego into their Chinese ability

because it takes a lot of time and effort to get good and it is a very rare

skill However just know that only when you really start to get good at

something do you realize how little you know Donrsquot fall into that trap

because you will be in for a rude awakening down the line Take your

ego out of the equation and have a great time Laugh at yourself

Itrsquos all just a game

LEARN TO ACCEPT UNCERTAINTY You will forget words yoursquove reviewed and heard for months

You will forget grammar structures yoursquove spoken correctly 10 times

before

You will get utterly lost in conversation after thinking yoursquove had a

breakthrough in your skill level

Take a deep breath Itrsquos all part of the process

7BE COOL

41

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoCriticism may not be agreeable but it is necessary It fulfils the same function as pain

in the human body It calls attention to an

unhealthy state of things - Winston Churchill

42

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Wersquove already mentioned the importance of good output Too many

mistakes without being corrected can lead to bad habits but mistakes

are inevitable Even if you follow our advice you will still have trouble

sometimes Enjoy being wronghellipevery mistake or misunderstanding

can bring you closer to fluency The key is to not worry about what you

canrsquot say just take note of it and take action Try to say something and it

came out as gibberish Make a note and try it out next time you get the

chance Get a flashcard completely wrong Good Less likely to next time

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to be sharing with you our favorite

speaking hacks that will instantly have you speaking Chinese

much more like a native and with less effort

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously Learning Chinese is just a game Enjoy yourself and take criticism with a smile

Mistakes when speaking and reviewing are inevitable and an important part of the learning process

KEY POINTS

7BE COOL

43

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

8USE THESE

Speak ldquorealrdquo Chinese

SPEAKING HACKS

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

OUR FAVORITE SPEAKING HACKS Apply even one of these techniques to your day-to-day speaking and

you will not only sound more native but will also find it much easier

to speak in general

SPEAK WITH FLUENCY

Fluency is not knowing every word It is simply the ability to say what it is

you want to say accurately using the vocabulary that you have Donrsquot

know how to say ldquointernational traderdquo Just say ldquowhen one country buys

and sells things with another countryrdquo After you say this your

conversation partner will likely say ldquooh yeah thatrsquos lsquointernational tradersquordquo

Boom New word learned within the emotional context of the

conversation to boot The key is when you donrsquot know a word donrsquot

just give up Instead do your best to explain what you want to say

with the vocabulary you have

SLOW DOWN

Speaking at around 80 of your normal rate wonrsquot sound weird at all and

it will improve both your pronunciation and your fluency instantly

Speaking more slowly gives your mouth and tongue muscles time to

get into position before a sound is made which is very helpful for those

sounds that donrsquot exist in English Plus it gives you a few extra

microseconds to think of something to say in conversation Combine

this with the next 2 hacks and yoursquore really in businesshellip

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

45

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoFake it until you make itrdquo - Steven Tyler

46

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

USE ldquoFILLERSrdquo

Everyone (including Chinese people) use these all the time in their

various native languages Why would you give yourself less of a chance

than a native speaker would to sound fluent Thatrsquos just crazy Here are

the top five uhh er umhelliprdquofillersrdquo

ēnhellip jiugraveshihellip negraveigehellip zhegraveigehellip raacutenhograveuhellip

Throw one or more of these utterances anywhere you like Put them in

every sentence if you feel the need Chinese people wonrsquot notice as they

do it too

USE CONVERSATION CONNECTORS

This is a term coined by Anthony Lauder referring to those everyday

fixed phrases that you say at the beginning middle or end of a sentence

to dress up what you want to say Here are some examples

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

我想告诉你hellip woacute xiǎng gagraveosu nǐhellip

Irsquod like you to know thathellip

你别介意不过hellip nǐ bieacute jiegraveyigrave buacuteguogravehellip Dont be upset buthellip

就像你已经知道的hellip jiugrave xiagraveng niacute yǐjīng zhīdagraveo dehellip

As you already know

多数情况hellip dagrave duō shugrave qiacutengkuagraveng

Most of the timehellip

47

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot give up so easily if you canrsquot think of a word you want to use Just use more common words to describe it

Speaking a bit slower will give you more time to think of what to say and will usually go unnoticed by a native speaker

Throw in fillers and fixed expressions to sound more like a native speaker and give yourself more time to speak at the same time

You can even thrown in English words to fill in the gaps if the above suggestions arenrsquot on the table Many young educated Chinese people do this anyway

KEY POINTS

USE ENGLISH WORDS

As a last ditch effort if you really donrsquot have the energy to ldquouse fluencyrdquo to

describe a word yoursquove forgotten just say the English word Younger

more educated Chinese speakers are likely to have a decent English

level and they themselves also like to throw in the odd English word into

conversation so itrsquos fine to follow suit At very least it keeps conversation

going to the next topic where you remember the Chinese words

NEXT TIME For our next installment in this series wersquore going to

get into the role writing has on your speaking how to write what

to write and where amp when to write Itrsquos not at all as intimidating

(or boring) as you may think

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

48

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Combine any and all of these tips to your speaking at any time to make yourself speak better instantly8

USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

49

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

WRITE REGULARLY9

Supercharge your active vocabulary

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Many beginners (and higher levels too) struggle with the frustration of

not being able to express their thoughts and feelings properly in

Chinese Even with many months and years of practice they can still feel

like the words just arenrsquot there when they need them Wersquove already

given you a bunch of steps you can take to solve this problem and we

realize that writing may be an unexpected additional step but trust us

when we say how valuable it can be

WHY WRITING IMPROVES SPEAKING IT DEMANDS FOCUS AND ATTENTION

Writing practice is the aspect of language learning that involves the

most focus and attention as you have to think about every word as you

write Just like reading writing is a slow process at first but after a short

period of regular practice you can almost hear the ldquoclicksrdquo as the words

you write become part of your vocabulary which can now be used

when you practice speaking with your tutor After all writing and

speaking are both expressive forms of communication using similar

mental processes

IT ACTIVATES VOCABULARY VERY EFFECTIVELY

Writing may just be the ultimate way to solidify your understanding of

the words and phrases yoursquove acquired through reading and listening It

may be even more effective than speaking

9WRITEREGULARLY

51

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WRITING IS MORE PERSONAL

After some practice you can start to write in your own personal style

using your own ldquovoicerdquo which naturally makes the process much more

enjoyable Writing a journal is the best way to access this benefit Posting

thoughts in Chinese on social media is another option especially for

lower levels

WRITING GIVES YOU MORE TIME TO FORMULATE THOUGHTS

Writing gives you time to think and practice the language

simultaneously whereas with speaking there is little opportunity to

really contemplate all the various ways of expressing a thought unless

you have an extremely patient (and masochistic) paid tutor

EVEN IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER YOU CAN STILL WRITE

If you donrsquot have much vocabulary you can still practice writing Just

write individual sentences or phrases Look at example sentences and

try to re-write them using slightly different vocabulary Remember just as

the incredible graded readers we talked about in chapter 4 can be

written with just a few select words and characters you too can write a

surprising amount using the small vocabulary you have at your disposal

5 INCREDIBLE WRITING TIPS GO FOR QUANTITY

Write every day Write a blog or WeChat post write individual sentences

9WRITEREGULARLY

52

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoWriting to me is simply thinking through my fingersrdquo

- Isaac Asimov

53

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

write a question on how to write something write anything You should

write something everyday and make a routine out of it The more

content the better but donrsquot ask too much of yourself or you will burn out

and not want to do it for weeks

An added bonus to writing regularly is the ability to look back on your

previous writing practice after a few weeks or months and see how far

yoursquove come This is called ldquobenchmarkingrdquo which wersquoll talk about more

next time

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT

Write about something or someone you love Write about a problem

yoursquore having Write about your goals and dreams Write about a book

you read or a youtube video you watched Write about what yoursquove

learned or would like to learn Write a journal When you do this your

own personality will shine through in your writing which will make the

words and structures you practice far more memorable

9WRITEREGULARLY

54

AIM FOR ZERO MISTAKES

Thatrsquos correct ZERO mistakes Think about what you write Take your time

to think before you put pen to paper or keyboard and look up example

sentences for words you donrsquot quite know how to use If you do these

things you will produce correct output which is fantastic for your

language skills Bad output leads to what Thatrsquos right bad habits

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

GET CORRECTIONS

Writing and getting corrections will help you notice very quickly the

patterns and structures in Chinese This attentiveness will pay off when

it comes to speaking reading and listening too

USE A WRITING SOFTWARE

Try Ommwriter Flowstate Awriter or similar writing apps designed for

writers to get you into the flow of writing

MAKE FLASHCARDS OUT OF YOUR MISTAKES

Create ultra-personalised reviewable content by taking any corrected

sentences and making a flashcard out of it

Try to combine regular speaking practice with regular writing

practice from now on and see for yourself how fast your fluency

improves

NEXT TIME For our final installment in this series wersquore going to

focus on continuing to improve your Chinese when you start to

plateau and the going getrsquos tough

9WRITEREGULARLY

55

Share your writing with a paid language exchange partner or tutor Check

out HiNative for a great place to get corrections on your writing and ask

general questions about how to use Chinese from native speakers

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Writing is a similar mental process as speaking with some important differences that can make it a more attractive outputting method under certain circumstances

Writing makes you more easily notice things about Chinese helps you activate passive vocabulary creates more personal connections to the language and gives you more time to convey your thoughts than speaking does

You can write at any level

Write as often as you can but donrsquot burn out

Write about things you care about and are passionate about so you can really enjoy the process and create more emotional connections that improve your retention

Aim not to make any mistakes because bad output means bad habits This is much easier to accomplish than with speaking as you have more time to think

Get your writing corrected by paid or free native speakers Make flashcards for words or structures you get wrong

KEY POINTS9WRITEREGULARLY

56

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

10SHARPEN THE SAW

Keep moving forward

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 13: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You only need around 1000 high frequency spoken words for basic fluency This is around 90 of the spoken language

Words found in textbooks and vocabulary lists become less and less relevant the higher your level Donrsquot rely on them too much

Once yoursquove got a foundation of common vocabulary yoursquoll have the ability to start consuming more engaging content suited to your personal interests

KEY POINTS

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT SUPPORTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

2LEARN THERIGHT WORDS

13

LEARN WORDS THE3

Rote learning doesnrsquot work

RIGHT WAY

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Speaking a language fluently is essentially just remembering the

right words at the right time Here are the most efficient and enjoyable

ways to truly acquire new Chinese words so they are always there for

you when you need them

USE SRS (SPACED REPETITION SOFTWARE) SRS prevents you from forgetting what yoursquove learned in the most

efficient and rewarding way possible Despite having a bit of a learning

curve Anki is definitely the best choice of SRS because you can make

your own flashcards although shared decks are also available There

are a bunch of web and mobile language learning apps that use SRS-

powered flashcards

Our huge video curriculum The Mandarin Blueprint Method provides

you with over 7000 flashcards to learn how to read understand write

and speak the most common 1000 Chinese words Check it out here

THINGS TO REMEMBER ABOUT SRS

1 Set realistic goals The more new cards you do the more reviews

will build up Be careful not to over-do it

2 Finish your reviews every day The algorithm can only guarantee

90-95 retention if you finish your reviews every day

3 SRS is not a learning tool itrsquos a reviewing tool Learn the word first

then use SRS to review otherwise you are just rote learning and that

is proven to be ineffective (and incredibly boring)

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

15

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

SO WHATrsquoS THE BEST WAY

TO LEARN A CHINESE WORD

LEARN CHARACTERS

Make sure to make learning characters a part of your daily study routine

ldquoBut hey I want to learn speaking I donrsquot care about the characters Irsquoll

learn them later if at allrdquo While this is an understandable response itrsquos a

trap that slows you down in the long run To speak fluently you need

vocabulary To get vocabulary you need to read and listen a lot To

read you need characters

LEARN WORDS IN CONTEXT

The first step towards learning a word is to learn itrsquos definition However

this is the equivalent of shaking someonersquos hand and learning their

name Thatrsquos it See that person several more times in different contexts

and yoursquoll really get to know them Words need context to truly become

part of your vocabulary

To truly acquire a word you need to see that word in a sentence and

depending on the complexity of the word you will need to see it in

several contexts many times before it can be fully acquired and used

Find at least one sentence for each usage of the word in question and

make a flashcard Here are some quick tips regarding sentences and

sentence flashcards

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

16

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You will first need to get at least a couple of hundred of the most

common words under your belt before being ready to start reading

sentences

Sentences should be 4-9 words in length on average Long enough

to show a decent level of context and demonstrate a grammatical

structure or two but not so long that it becomes too hard to focus on

a single concept

Your sentences should be informal so they can be applicable to real

life

Just reading sentences is a good start but using the ldquocloze deleterdquo

function with anki (shown below) or wwwclozemastercom is

especially effective as it forces you to work a little harder

Add an image or two to sum up the ldquomessagerdquo of the sentence and

create deeper connections to the word(s)

At the time of writing this chapter our favorite resource for finding

Chinese sentences is bingcomdict (pictured left)

Our new course The Mandarin Blueprint Method contains all of the

flashcards and memory techniques you need to learn the most

common 1000 Chinese words Click below to start your free trial

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

17

LEARN MORE

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

After starting to review words in sentences move onto the next vital

resourcehellip

GRADED READERS You donrsquot have to wait until yoursquove acquired 1000s of characters and

words before you start reading Not by a long shot You can start

reading articles short stories and podcast transcripts with as little

as 150 characters and words Here are our favorite resources to do so

LINGQ (PICTURED)

LingQ is an aggregated graded reader that has content sourced from all

over the internet including tons of proprietary material Higher level

learners can also import any content they want from elsewhere We are

currently reading A Song of Ice and Fire in Chinese using LingQ and are

addicted to itrsquos incredible functionality The best part about it is that itrsquos

quick look-up feature allows you to read material above your level that

would normally be far too frustrating in book form As if that wasnrsquot good

enough they also have excellent SRS functionality amp the ability to export

words to Anki

THE CHAIRMANrsquoS BAO (TCB)

The Chairmanrsquos Bao have real news articles edited for different HSK

levels (even HSK 1) Yes with only a couple of hundred characters and

words you can be reading real news articles in Chinese This site is being

updated with new fantastic features all the time and has a great app too

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

18

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoYou donrsquot know a person because you know their

name and you donrsquot know a word because you know itrsquos

definitionrdquo- Khatzumoto of ajattcom

19

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

MANDARIN COMPANION

Do you prefer the feel of a real book in your hands These books can be

read with only 300-450 characters under your belt They have a bunch of

classics for lower levels that are still compelling despite being heavily

edited

GO FOR EFFICIENCY To get the most out of that precious hour or two each day that most of

us can spare for language learning make sure you use the following

techniques for maximum return on your time investment

INTERLEAVING

Studies have shown that it is more efficient in the long term to flit

between various different types of content within a study session than to

learn one thing at a time in blocks This is referred to as ldquointerleavingrdquo or

ldquointerleaved learningrdquo Donrsquot spend hours pouring over the same material

mix it up Not only will this be way more engaging yoursquoll also progress

faster

TIMEBOXING

Using timeboxing (also known as ldquoThe Pomodoro Techniquerdquo) will

greatly enhance the efficiency and enjoyment of your study

Traditionally you should study for 25 minutes then rest for 5 minutes

then repeat This means 50 minutes of focused study per hour instead of

15 minutes of study and 45 minutes daydreaming and looking at

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

20

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You can also do all sorts of time-boxes for variety Anywhere from 30

seconds to 25 minutes with 25 minutes being the maximum We love to

combine timeboxing with interleaving working on 2 or 3 different study

resources at a time with really short time-boxes For example a few

minutes on learning characters then reviewing flashcards then listening

to a podcast then resting This turns a study session into a fun game

doing wonders for your motivation

LISTEN WHILE READING

Listening is the easiest and most convenient way of improving learning as

itrsquos hands-free and you can focus on other things while doing it However

if you can read what you hear at the same time the benefits multiply

to be greater than the sum of its parts The reading makes it easier to

understand what you hear and what you hear improves your reading

speed If you choose material either at or slightly above your level and try

this technique out it really feels like yoursquore super-charging your Chinese

ability

SHADOWING

This is a technique made famous by Professor Alexander Arguelles

Shadowing is reading listening and speaking all at the same time Do

it while out and about for best results Just a few minutes a day of this will

improve pronunciation spoken fluency reading and listening

simultaneously We do it almost everyday and it really does speed up the

acquisition process more than anything else wersquove tried Just make sure

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

21

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

you choose a voice to imitate that yoursquod actually like to sound like

(especially when you choose the dialect or gender of the speaker) Herersquos

a video of The prof himself talking about the technique in more detail

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk to you all about how good pronunciation

practice improves your speaking ability listening ability amp even

reading ability plus wersquoll talk about where to find the best

resources to pronounce Chinese like a native speaker

Using spaced repetition is vital for your early days learning Chinese (or any language for that matter)

Learning characters is an unavoidable step in learning Chinese

You must see new words in a sentence before you can acquire them Reading graded readers is even better as it provides more context and engaging topics

Incorporate interleaved learning shadowing and timeboxing into your daily study routine for the most efficient results

KEY POINTS

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

22

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

LEARN PRONUNCIATION4

It will pay off huge dividends later

EARLY AND WELL

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

At Mandarin Blueprint we take pronunciation very seriously This is

mainly because we know first-hand the negative effects of poor

pronunciation instruction

Bad pronunciation slows the development of your listening reading

and speaking ability which is bad enough But by far the most

profoundly painful outcome of poor pronunciation is the damage done

to your lsquolearnerrsquos egorsquo early on When you are misunderstood partially

understood or not at all understood it hurts your confidence You then

associate speaking Chinese with negative emotions and become less

and less willing to start talking Itrsquos a vicious cycle of negativity that we

want you to avoid

HERErsquoS A PROBLEM WE WANT YOU TO HAVE 1 A Chinese person asks you a simple question that you understand

2 You answer the question with simple Chinese but with great

pronunciation

3 The Chinese person listening to you immediately assumes you

speak incredible Chinese and proceeds to unload a litany of

questions and comments

4 After an awkward silence you say 听不不懂 (tīngbudǒng) which

means ldquoI donrsquot understandrdquo

5 The Chinese person laughs asks a few more questions before

realizing you were actually serious Awkwardness intensifies

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

24

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

THE SKINNY ON MANDARIN PRONUNCIATION If you want excellent spoken Chinese you first need to be completely

aware of how to produce understand and read all of the sounds of the

language Some people can do all this naturally by ear with very little

training Unfortunately the law of averages states that you are most likely

not in this group Sorry -(

Not to worry though With only 409 different-sounding syllables (1200 if

you include tones) Chinese has relatively little to learn in terms of

pronunciation especially when compared to the 16000+ syllables of

English There are however many challenging and potentially confusing

aspects to Chinese pronunciation which means that you can learn what

you need to know about pronunciation in a relatively short time but you

need high quality expert guidance and study materials to do it

TUTORS ARENrsquoT ALWAYS THE WAY TO GO If you want to learn pronunciation it seems like a logical decision would

be to look for a tutor right Unfortunately most teachers do not have

the knowledge or experience to teach you Chinese pronunciation

well But why is this Well theyrsquove spoken mandarin since they can

remember right They have no frame of reference for comparing tongue

positions or vowel aspiration to English so how could they explain it to a

foreigner How would they know what it feels like to learn Mandarin

pronunciation as an adult

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

25

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoThe first thing I have to do to erase my french accent is to believe itrsquos actually possiblerdquo

- Marion Cotillard

26

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

There are fantastic tutors out there who can teach you pronunciation

properly but they can be like finding a needle in a haystack Not to

mention with the hourly rates you are likely to rack up hundreds of

dollars in fees for average results

INTRODUCING ldquoPRONUNCIATION MASTERYrdquo Wersquove been training our clients on pronunciation through live sessions of

our Pronunciation Mastery course for 2 years now and the results have

been fantastic Wersquove now finally finished transforming it into an 8 hour

video course that will teach you everything you need to know about

Chinese pronunciation all from the unique perspective of us Two

Chinese learners who made the journey ourselves from beginner to

advanced fluency This is all delivered using HD video crystal clear

explanations supported with slick design over a thousand multimedia

SRS flashcards over 80 PDFs amp native audio for reference and review

Wersquove put our hearts and souls into this course along with our extensive

experience and feedback from live teaching over the past 2 years Plus

itrsquos already helped hundreds of Chinese learners around the world Itrsquos

the video course we would have wanted when we were starting out

with Mandarin

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

27

CHECK IT OUT

Luke Neale

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

NEXT TIME Wersquoll dive into the topic of Chinese tutors Wersquoll be

sharing with you where to find the best free and paid tutors how

to work with them in the most efficient and fun way possible

Pronunciation is the vital first stage for learning any language

Bad pronunciation affects all other areas of your Chinese skill but most importantly it hurts your confidence

Compared to English there is much less to learn to master Chinese pronunciation

Chinese teachers rarely have the training and experience necessary to teach you pronunciation properly

Mandarin Blueprintrsquos ldquoPronunciation Masteryrdquo course has everything you need to develop great pronunciation quickly and cheaply Check it out today

KEY POINTS

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

28

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

USE TUTORS

Connect with them regularly

EFFECTIVELY

5

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You will notice that this is way down the list of tips for speaking like a

native speaker Thatrsquos because it actually isnrsquot the highest priority straight

away at least not anymore The sheer number of resources available

to you as a Chinese learner today means that you can do most things

you need to do on your own without a tutor As avid Chinese learners

ourselves we can both attest to this fact However a tutor is an

absolutely vital part of your journey to spoken fluency and to get the

most out of them you need to know how to work with them

First off what is a tutor for exactly Itrsquos not as obvious an answer as you

may think Understandably most people get a tutor straight from the

beginning hoping to receive all the materials and guidance they need

to make them fluent and literate in Chinese This is a lot to expect of

anyone let alone someone who never actually learned Chinese as a

second language So what are reasonable expectations to have then

THE ROLE OF A CHINESE TUTOR 1) FOR ACTIVATING PASSIVE VOCABULARY

Go into a session and try to use the words yoursquove been learning through

listening and reading Focus on steering the conversation to topics

you find meaningful and interesting Agree on these topics in advance

A good tutor is a good communicator someone who can speak to you

in a way they know you understand and ask you the right questions to

keep a conversation going Push your limits of what you know and ask a

lot of questions on how to use any words you arenrsquot sure about

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

30

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Mistakes are fine but donrsquot try and make up how to use a word or phrase

if you donrsquot already know Just ask If your tutor misses mistakes too

often they could turn into bad habits and you really donrsquot want that

2) FOR IDENTIFYING AND FIXING PROBLEMS

We prefer to have a nice chat of between 5 and 30 minutes during which

the tutor is making notes about anything you need to improve upon After

the time is up or the conversation has hit a dead-end the tutor can go

through your mistakes with you and do some directed practice to fix any

recurring issues This can be done as often as you like or just at the very

end of each session Make flashcards with example sentences

targeting the words or phrases you got wrong

3) FOR PROVIDING TRUE ENCOURAGEMENT

True encouragement is when a tutor notices where yoursquove improved and

points it out but also communicates your potential for improvement

Blindly repeating ldquo真棒 zhēn bagravengrdquo (rdquoGreat jobrdquo) all the time is false

encouragement and it can lead to complacency After all Chinese

people will already be giving you plenty of compliments about your

Mandarin the last thing you need is your paid tutor making your head

even bigger If a tutor provides true encouragement regularly yoursquore

golden If not ask them to or get another tutor

4) FOR FINDING LEVEL-APPROPRIATE AND ENGAGING CONTENT

This one is not to be expected of every tutor certainly not unprompted

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

31

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Directly ask them to find you listening and reading materials that you

might be interested in You may be very surprised at what they find for

you Some incredible content may be hidden away from the mainstream

and you may need a native person to help you discover those little gems

you might otherwise miss out on

TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR STUDY Figure out a kind of lesson structure yoursquore comfortable with that

suits your goals and interests Possible approaches include

Focus on a bunch of words yoursquove been learning and how to use

them

Choose several interesting topics and have an open conversation

Discuss a news article comic book or tv episode you saw recently

Whatever it is plan it out briefly beforehand and make it clear with your

tutor how you would like the lesson to go You have to take the reins if

you want the most bang for your buck If you donrsquot what yoursquoll get is what

the tutor wants to give you which will most likely be a textbook and

discussion of boring topics

HOW TO FIND GREAT TUTORS We would highly recommend finding tutors online as opposed to face-

to-face Herersquos why

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

32

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

1 You have a reasonable guarantee of quality Community star ratings

are commonplace

2 Far more convenient You can get online and be talking to a qualified

tutor for a few dollars an hour within a few minutes Enough said

3 Much better value for money Even if yoursquore living in China tutors still

work out cheaper online When you account for the time and effort it

takes to meet with a stranger face-to-face and the higher turnover of

tutors due to poor or quickly declining quality of lessons online tutors

are almost always more cost-effective

If you want to get online fast and take high quality online sessions with a

tutor a great resource is wwwitalkicom You can find both paid tutors

and unpaid language exchange partners here Invest a few dollars and

hours a month and it will pay off hugely for you

Italki offers tutoring in a huge range of lanugages but the vast majority of

the teachers just use skype for their lessons This is fine but you may be

surprised at the level of functionality of other Chinese-only services such

as wwwtutormandarincom

Instead of just a video call you get a live visual presentation showing

text and highlighted areas that makes everything much clearer and

more engaging This way you can practice your reading alongside your

speaking and listening all with live instruction

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

33

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

They offer a free 1-to-1 consultation and language evaluation before you

signup for anything so it canrsquot hurt to try them out

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to talk about immersion and how you

can do it regardless of your lifestyle or location to greatly improve

your speaking ability

Take control of your time with tutors making sure to point out clearly beforehand what you need from them and what your expectations are

Online tutors used in the capacity wersquove suggested are generally more time and cost-effective than face-to-face tutors even if you are in China Make the most of your study time by going for the former unless you have a guarantee of value

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

Tutors should be treated as a learning resource rather than your study gurus Their main function is to serve as a great communicator who can help you activate vocabulary and stay motivated

KEY POINTS

34

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

6IMMERSE YOURSELF

Be with Chinese as often as possible

IN CHINESE

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion deserves itrsquos own e-book all by itself as itrsquos such a deep and

varied topic but there are a few things to remember that will allow you

to immerse yourself in Chinese easily wherever you are

HOW TO IMMERSE YOURSELF First of all immersion doesnrsquot necessarily entail never speaking your

native language and ignoring your friends and family Immersion in itrsquos

most manageable form is simply being in touch with Chinese

regularly throughout the day This is doable outside China and even

with a family and a full-time job to boot Herersquos how we do it

CHANGE YOUR ENVIRONMENT

Make sure that Chinese is within 1 foot of your body at all times Ten

years ago that would have meant taping books and Chinese people

around your waist which would have been inconvenient and almost

definitely illegal Now we have these magical devices in our pockets

everywhere we go and most of us have computers or tablets as well

Always be looking for more and more level-appropriate reading and

listening materials and fill your devices with them Whenever you get

bored or frustrated with something drop it for something else You can

be picky even at beginner level Most of the time if you donrsquot enjoy

something itrsquos because you arenrsquot ready for it yet anyway Just go back

to it a few weeks or months down the line

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

36

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Organize the apps on your smart phone for reading listening speaking

and even writing Chinese so you can tap them whenever you have a

spare few minutes This makes it as easy as possible to immerse yourself

in something wherever and whenever

MAKE BETTER USE OF YOUR TIME

Listen to Chinese whenever yoursquore traveling anywhere working out

doing flashcards or housework If you have your eyes andor mouth free

as well do some interleaved learning or shadowing (see tip 4)

The key is starting not finishing Just do something for 1-15 minutes

10-20 times a day as opposed to trying to set aside large chunks of time

which either cause you to procrastinate or burn out

TALK TO LANGUAGE EXCHANGE PARTNERS

It might get expensive meeting with paid tutors every day which creates

an excuse to not practice speaking But there are more and more great

apps that allow you to connect and exchange with native Chinese

speakers for free Our favorite language exchange apps are pictured

on the next page

TALK TO YOURSELF

Yes it might feel a bit weird but it works as a decent substitute to a paid

tutor or language exchange partner Anything going through your head

just try to blurt out in Chinese Wear earphones to make it appear you are

talking on the phone so you donrsquot get placed into a mental institution

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

37

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoTime is what we want most but what we use worstrdquo

- William Penn

38

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion is doable regardless of your lifestyle Just be around Chinese many times throughout the day

Listen while doing pretty much anything Itrsquos the part of language learning that takes the least conscious effort to improve

Connect with language exchange partners via free apps Spend a few minutes chatting here and there Even talking to yourself can be really effective

KEY POINTS

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk about how to maintain a calm and positive

attitude when struggling to improve your speaking skills Wersquoll

also go into how to take criticism well and even enjoy making

mistakes6

IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

39

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

BE COOL7

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot be touchy when you get corrections or criticism even if it comes

across as harsh People rarely correct you for free and if you react

badly when they do that will probably be the last time they help you

When you arenrsquot understood just assume itrsquos never their problem It

actually might be sometimes but just assume it isnrsquot

People tend to put a lot of their pride and ego into their Chinese ability

because it takes a lot of time and effort to get good and it is a very rare

skill However just know that only when you really start to get good at

something do you realize how little you know Donrsquot fall into that trap

because you will be in for a rude awakening down the line Take your

ego out of the equation and have a great time Laugh at yourself

Itrsquos all just a game

LEARN TO ACCEPT UNCERTAINTY You will forget words yoursquove reviewed and heard for months

You will forget grammar structures yoursquove spoken correctly 10 times

before

You will get utterly lost in conversation after thinking yoursquove had a

breakthrough in your skill level

Take a deep breath Itrsquos all part of the process

7BE COOL

41

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoCriticism may not be agreeable but it is necessary It fulfils the same function as pain

in the human body It calls attention to an

unhealthy state of things - Winston Churchill

42

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Wersquove already mentioned the importance of good output Too many

mistakes without being corrected can lead to bad habits but mistakes

are inevitable Even if you follow our advice you will still have trouble

sometimes Enjoy being wronghellipevery mistake or misunderstanding

can bring you closer to fluency The key is to not worry about what you

canrsquot say just take note of it and take action Try to say something and it

came out as gibberish Make a note and try it out next time you get the

chance Get a flashcard completely wrong Good Less likely to next time

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to be sharing with you our favorite

speaking hacks that will instantly have you speaking Chinese

much more like a native and with less effort

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously Learning Chinese is just a game Enjoy yourself and take criticism with a smile

Mistakes when speaking and reviewing are inevitable and an important part of the learning process

KEY POINTS

7BE COOL

43

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

8USE THESE

Speak ldquorealrdquo Chinese

SPEAKING HACKS

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

OUR FAVORITE SPEAKING HACKS Apply even one of these techniques to your day-to-day speaking and

you will not only sound more native but will also find it much easier

to speak in general

SPEAK WITH FLUENCY

Fluency is not knowing every word It is simply the ability to say what it is

you want to say accurately using the vocabulary that you have Donrsquot

know how to say ldquointernational traderdquo Just say ldquowhen one country buys

and sells things with another countryrdquo After you say this your

conversation partner will likely say ldquooh yeah thatrsquos lsquointernational tradersquordquo

Boom New word learned within the emotional context of the

conversation to boot The key is when you donrsquot know a word donrsquot

just give up Instead do your best to explain what you want to say

with the vocabulary you have

SLOW DOWN

Speaking at around 80 of your normal rate wonrsquot sound weird at all and

it will improve both your pronunciation and your fluency instantly

Speaking more slowly gives your mouth and tongue muscles time to

get into position before a sound is made which is very helpful for those

sounds that donrsquot exist in English Plus it gives you a few extra

microseconds to think of something to say in conversation Combine

this with the next 2 hacks and yoursquore really in businesshellip

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

45

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoFake it until you make itrdquo - Steven Tyler

46

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

USE ldquoFILLERSrdquo

Everyone (including Chinese people) use these all the time in their

various native languages Why would you give yourself less of a chance

than a native speaker would to sound fluent Thatrsquos just crazy Here are

the top five uhh er umhelliprdquofillersrdquo

ēnhellip jiugraveshihellip negraveigehellip zhegraveigehellip raacutenhograveuhellip

Throw one or more of these utterances anywhere you like Put them in

every sentence if you feel the need Chinese people wonrsquot notice as they

do it too

USE CONVERSATION CONNECTORS

This is a term coined by Anthony Lauder referring to those everyday

fixed phrases that you say at the beginning middle or end of a sentence

to dress up what you want to say Here are some examples

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

我想告诉你hellip woacute xiǎng gagraveosu nǐhellip

Irsquod like you to know thathellip

你别介意不过hellip nǐ bieacute jiegraveyigrave buacuteguogravehellip Dont be upset buthellip

就像你已经知道的hellip jiugrave xiagraveng niacute yǐjīng zhīdagraveo dehellip

As you already know

多数情况hellip dagrave duō shugrave qiacutengkuagraveng

Most of the timehellip

47

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot give up so easily if you canrsquot think of a word you want to use Just use more common words to describe it

Speaking a bit slower will give you more time to think of what to say and will usually go unnoticed by a native speaker

Throw in fillers and fixed expressions to sound more like a native speaker and give yourself more time to speak at the same time

You can even thrown in English words to fill in the gaps if the above suggestions arenrsquot on the table Many young educated Chinese people do this anyway

KEY POINTS

USE ENGLISH WORDS

As a last ditch effort if you really donrsquot have the energy to ldquouse fluencyrdquo to

describe a word yoursquove forgotten just say the English word Younger

more educated Chinese speakers are likely to have a decent English

level and they themselves also like to throw in the odd English word into

conversation so itrsquos fine to follow suit At very least it keeps conversation

going to the next topic where you remember the Chinese words

NEXT TIME For our next installment in this series wersquore going to

get into the role writing has on your speaking how to write what

to write and where amp when to write Itrsquos not at all as intimidating

(or boring) as you may think

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

48

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Combine any and all of these tips to your speaking at any time to make yourself speak better instantly8

USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

49

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

WRITE REGULARLY9

Supercharge your active vocabulary

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Many beginners (and higher levels too) struggle with the frustration of

not being able to express their thoughts and feelings properly in

Chinese Even with many months and years of practice they can still feel

like the words just arenrsquot there when they need them Wersquove already

given you a bunch of steps you can take to solve this problem and we

realize that writing may be an unexpected additional step but trust us

when we say how valuable it can be

WHY WRITING IMPROVES SPEAKING IT DEMANDS FOCUS AND ATTENTION

Writing practice is the aspect of language learning that involves the

most focus and attention as you have to think about every word as you

write Just like reading writing is a slow process at first but after a short

period of regular practice you can almost hear the ldquoclicksrdquo as the words

you write become part of your vocabulary which can now be used

when you practice speaking with your tutor After all writing and

speaking are both expressive forms of communication using similar

mental processes

IT ACTIVATES VOCABULARY VERY EFFECTIVELY

Writing may just be the ultimate way to solidify your understanding of

the words and phrases yoursquove acquired through reading and listening It

may be even more effective than speaking

9WRITEREGULARLY

51

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WRITING IS MORE PERSONAL

After some practice you can start to write in your own personal style

using your own ldquovoicerdquo which naturally makes the process much more

enjoyable Writing a journal is the best way to access this benefit Posting

thoughts in Chinese on social media is another option especially for

lower levels

WRITING GIVES YOU MORE TIME TO FORMULATE THOUGHTS

Writing gives you time to think and practice the language

simultaneously whereas with speaking there is little opportunity to

really contemplate all the various ways of expressing a thought unless

you have an extremely patient (and masochistic) paid tutor

EVEN IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER YOU CAN STILL WRITE

If you donrsquot have much vocabulary you can still practice writing Just

write individual sentences or phrases Look at example sentences and

try to re-write them using slightly different vocabulary Remember just as

the incredible graded readers we talked about in chapter 4 can be

written with just a few select words and characters you too can write a

surprising amount using the small vocabulary you have at your disposal

5 INCREDIBLE WRITING TIPS GO FOR QUANTITY

Write every day Write a blog or WeChat post write individual sentences

9WRITEREGULARLY

52

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoWriting to me is simply thinking through my fingersrdquo

- Isaac Asimov

53

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

write a question on how to write something write anything You should

write something everyday and make a routine out of it The more

content the better but donrsquot ask too much of yourself or you will burn out

and not want to do it for weeks

An added bonus to writing regularly is the ability to look back on your

previous writing practice after a few weeks or months and see how far

yoursquove come This is called ldquobenchmarkingrdquo which wersquoll talk about more

next time

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT

Write about something or someone you love Write about a problem

yoursquore having Write about your goals and dreams Write about a book

you read or a youtube video you watched Write about what yoursquove

learned or would like to learn Write a journal When you do this your

own personality will shine through in your writing which will make the

words and structures you practice far more memorable

9WRITEREGULARLY

54

AIM FOR ZERO MISTAKES

Thatrsquos correct ZERO mistakes Think about what you write Take your time

to think before you put pen to paper or keyboard and look up example

sentences for words you donrsquot quite know how to use If you do these

things you will produce correct output which is fantastic for your

language skills Bad output leads to what Thatrsquos right bad habits

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

GET CORRECTIONS

Writing and getting corrections will help you notice very quickly the

patterns and structures in Chinese This attentiveness will pay off when

it comes to speaking reading and listening too

USE A WRITING SOFTWARE

Try Ommwriter Flowstate Awriter or similar writing apps designed for

writers to get you into the flow of writing

MAKE FLASHCARDS OUT OF YOUR MISTAKES

Create ultra-personalised reviewable content by taking any corrected

sentences and making a flashcard out of it

Try to combine regular speaking practice with regular writing

practice from now on and see for yourself how fast your fluency

improves

NEXT TIME For our final installment in this series wersquore going to

focus on continuing to improve your Chinese when you start to

plateau and the going getrsquos tough

9WRITEREGULARLY

55

Share your writing with a paid language exchange partner or tutor Check

out HiNative for a great place to get corrections on your writing and ask

general questions about how to use Chinese from native speakers

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Writing is a similar mental process as speaking with some important differences that can make it a more attractive outputting method under certain circumstances

Writing makes you more easily notice things about Chinese helps you activate passive vocabulary creates more personal connections to the language and gives you more time to convey your thoughts than speaking does

You can write at any level

Write as often as you can but donrsquot burn out

Write about things you care about and are passionate about so you can really enjoy the process and create more emotional connections that improve your retention

Aim not to make any mistakes because bad output means bad habits This is much easier to accomplish than with speaking as you have more time to think

Get your writing corrected by paid or free native speakers Make flashcards for words or structures you get wrong

KEY POINTS9WRITEREGULARLY

56

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

10SHARPEN THE SAW

Keep moving forward

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 14: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

LEARN WORDS THE3

Rote learning doesnrsquot work

RIGHT WAY

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Speaking a language fluently is essentially just remembering the

right words at the right time Here are the most efficient and enjoyable

ways to truly acquire new Chinese words so they are always there for

you when you need them

USE SRS (SPACED REPETITION SOFTWARE) SRS prevents you from forgetting what yoursquove learned in the most

efficient and rewarding way possible Despite having a bit of a learning

curve Anki is definitely the best choice of SRS because you can make

your own flashcards although shared decks are also available There

are a bunch of web and mobile language learning apps that use SRS-

powered flashcards

Our huge video curriculum The Mandarin Blueprint Method provides

you with over 7000 flashcards to learn how to read understand write

and speak the most common 1000 Chinese words Check it out here

THINGS TO REMEMBER ABOUT SRS

1 Set realistic goals The more new cards you do the more reviews

will build up Be careful not to over-do it

2 Finish your reviews every day The algorithm can only guarantee

90-95 retention if you finish your reviews every day

3 SRS is not a learning tool itrsquos a reviewing tool Learn the word first

then use SRS to review otherwise you are just rote learning and that

is proven to be ineffective (and incredibly boring)

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

15

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

SO WHATrsquoS THE BEST WAY

TO LEARN A CHINESE WORD

LEARN CHARACTERS

Make sure to make learning characters a part of your daily study routine

ldquoBut hey I want to learn speaking I donrsquot care about the characters Irsquoll

learn them later if at allrdquo While this is an understandable response itrsquos a

trap that slows you down in the long run To speak fluently you need

vocabulary To get vocabulary you need to read and listen a lot To

read you need characters

LEARN WORDS IN CONTEXT

The first step towards learning a word is to learn itrsquos definition However

this is the equivalent of shaking someonersquos hand and learning their

name Thatrsquos it See that person several more times in different contexts

and yoursquoll really get to know them Words need context to truly become

part of your vocabulary

To truly acquire a word you need to see that word in a sentence and

depending on the complexity of the word you will need to see it in

several contexts many times before it can be fully acquired and used

Find at least one sentence for each usage of the word in question and

make a flashcard Here are some quick tips regarding sentences and

sentence flashcards

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

16

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You will first need to get at least a couple of hundred of the most

common words under your belt before being ready to start reading

sentences

Sentences should be 4-9 words in length on average Long enough

to show a decent level of context and demonstrate a grammatical

structure or two but not so long that it becomes too hard to focus on

a single concept

Your sentences should be informal so they can be applicable to real

life

Just reading sentences is a good start but using the ldquocloze deleterdquo

function with anki (shown below) or wwwclozemastercom is

especially effective as it forces you to work a little harder

Add an image or two to sum up the ldquomessagerdquo of the sentence and

create deeper connections to the word(s)

At the time of writing this chapter our favorite resource for finding

Chinese sentences is bingcomdict (pictured left)

Our new course The Mandarin Blueprint Method contains all of the

flashcards and memory techniques you need to learn the most

common 1000 Chinese words Click below to start your free trial

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

17

LEARN MORE

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

After starting to review words in sentences move onto the next vital

resourcehellip

GRADED READERS You donrsquot have to wait until yoursquove acquired 1000s of characters and

words before you start reading Not by a long shot You can start

reading articles short stories and podcast transcripts with as little

as 150 characters and words Here are our favorite resources to do so

LINGQ (PICTURED)

LingQ is an aggregated graded reader that has content sourced from all

over the internet including tons of proprietary material Higher level

learners can also import any content they want from elsewhere We are

currently reading A Song of Ice and Fire in Chinese using LingQ and are

addicted to itrsquos incredible functionality The best part about it is that itrsquos

quick look-up feature allows you to read material above your level that

would normally be far too frustrating in book form As if that wasnrsquot good

enough they also have excellent SRS functionality amp the ability to export

words to Anki

THE CHAIRMANrsquoS BAO (TCB)

The Chairmanrsquos Bao have real news articles edited for different HSK

levels (even HSK 1) Yes with only a couple of hundred characters and

words you can be reading real news articles in Chinese This site is being

updated with new fantastic features all the time and has a great app too

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

18

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoYou donrsquot know a person because you know their

name and you donrsquot know a word because you know itrsquos

definitionrdquo- Khatzumoto of ajattcom

19

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

MANDARIN COMPANION

Do you prefer the feel of a real book in your hands These books can be

read with only 300-450 characters under your belt They have a bunch of

classics for lower levels that are still compelling despite being heavily

edited

GO FOR EFFICIENCY To get the most out of that precious hour or two each day that most of

us can spare for language learning make sure you use the following

techniques for maximum return on your time investment

INTERLEAVING

Studies have shown that it is more efficient in the long term to flit

between various different types of content within a study session than to

learn one thing at a time in blocks This is referred to as ldquointerleavingrdquo or

ldquointerleaved learningrdquo Donrsquot spend hours pouring over the same material

mix it up Not only will this be way more engaging yoursquoll also progress

faster

TIMEBOXING

Using timeboxing (also known as ldquoThe Pomodoro Techniquerdquo) will

greatly enhance the efficiency and enjoyment of your study

Traditionally you should study for 25 minutes then rest for 5 minutes

then repeat This means 50 minutes of focused study per hour instead of

15 minutes of study and 45 minutes daydreaming and looking at

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

20

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You can also do all sorts of time-boxes for variety Anywhere from 30

seconds to 25 minutes with 25 minutes being the maximum We love to

combine timeboxing with interleaving working on 2 or 3 different study

resources at a time with really short time-boxes For example a few

minutes on learning characters then reviewing flashcards then listening

to a podcast then resting This turns a study session into a fun game

doing wonders for your motivation

LISTEN WHILE READING

Listening is the easiest and most convenient way of improving learning as

itrsquos hands-free and you can focus on other things while doing it However

if you can read what you hear at the same time the benefits multiply

to be greater than the sum of its parts The reading makes it easier to

understand what you hear and what you hear improves your reading

speed If you choose material either at or slightly above your level and try

this technique out it really feels like yoursquore super-charging your Chinese

ability

SHADOWING

This is a technique made famous by Professor Alexander Arguelles

Shadowing is reading listening and speaking all at the same time Do

it while out and about for best results Just a few minutes a day of this will

improve pronunciation spoken fluency reading and listening

simultaneously We do it almost everyday and it really does speed up the

acquisition process more than anything else wersquove tried Just make sure

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

21

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

you choose a voice to imitate that yoursquod actually like to sound like

(especially when you choose the dialect or gender of the speaker) Herersquos

a video of The prof himself talking about the technique in more detail

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk to you all about how good pronunciation

practice improves your speaking ability listening ability amp even

reading ability plus wersquoll talk about where to find the best

resources to pronounce Chinese like a native speaker

Using spaced repetition is vital for your early days learning Chinese (or any language for that matter)

Learning characters is an unavoidable step in learning Chinese

You must see new words in a sentence before you can acquire them Reading graded readers is even better as it provides more context and engaging topics

Incorporate interleaved learning shadowing and timeboxing into your daily study routine for the most efficient results

KEY POINTS

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

22

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

LEARN PRONUNCIATION4

It will pay off huge dividends later

EARLY AND WELL

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

At Mandarin Blueprint we take pronunciation very seriously This is

mainly because we know first-hand the negative effects of poor

pronunciation instruction

Bad pronunciation slows the development of your listening reading

and speaking ability which is bad enough But by far the most

profoundly painful outcome of poor pronunciation is the damage done

to your lsquolearnerrsquos egorsquo early on When you are misunderstood partially

understood or not at all understood it hurts your confidence You then

associate speaking Chinese with negative emotions and become less

and less willing to start talking Itrsquos a vicious cycle of negativity that we

want you to avoid

HERErsquoS A PROBLEM WE WANT YOU TO HAVE 1 A Chinese person asks you a simple question that you understand

2 You answer the question with simple Chinese but with great

pronunciation

3 The Chinese person listening to you immediately assumes you

speak incredible Chinese and proceeds to unload a litany of

questions and comments

4 After an awkward silence you say 听不不懂 (tīngbudǒng) which

means ldquoI donrsquot understandrdquo

5 The Chinese person laughs asks a few more questions before

realizing you were actually serious Awkwardness intensifies

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

24

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

THE SKINNY ON MANDARIN PRONUNCIATION If you want excellent spoken Chinese you first need to be completely

aware of how to produce understand and read all of the sounds of the

language Some people can do all this naturally by ear with very little

training Unfortunately the law of averages states that you are most likely

not in this group Sorry -(

Not to worry though With only 409 different-sounding syllables (1200 if

you include tones) Chinese has relatively little to learn in terms of

pronunciation especially when compared to the 16000+ syllables of

English There are however many challenging and potentially confusing

aspects to Chinese pronunciation which means that you can learn what

you need to know about pronunciation in a relatively short time but you

need high quality expert guidance and study materials to do it

TUTORS ARENrsquoT ALWAYS THE WAY TO GO If you want to learn pronunciation it seems like a logical decision would

be to look for a tutor right Unfortunately most teachers do not have

the knowledge or experience to teach you Chinese pronunciation

well But why is this Well theyrsquove spoken mandarin since they can

remember right They have no frame of reference for comparing tongue

positions or vowel aspiration to English so how could they explain it to a

foreigner How would they know what it feels like to learn Mandarin

pronunciation as an adult

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

25

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoThe first thing I have to do to erase my french accent is to believe itrsquos actually possiblerdquo

- Marion Cotillard

26

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

There are fantastic tutors out there who can teach you pronunciation

properly but they can be like finding a needle in a haystack Not to

mention with the hourly rates you are likely to rack up hundreds of

dollars in fees for average results

INTRODUCING ldquoPRONUNCIATION MASTERYrdquo Wersquove been training our clients on pronunciation through live sessions of

our Pronunciation Mastery course for 2 years now and the results have

been fantastic Wersquove now finally finished transforming it into an 8 hour

video course that will teach you everything you need to know about

Chinese pronunciation all from the unique perspective of us Two

Chinese learners who made the journey ourselves from beginner to

advanced fluency This is all delivered using HD video crystal clear

explanations supported with slick design over a thousand multimedia

SRS flashcards over 80 PDFs amp native audio for reference and review

Wersquove put our hearts and souls into this course along with our extensive

experience and feedback from live teaching over the past 2 years Plus

itrsquos already helped hundreds of Chinese learners around the world Itrsquos

the video course we would have wanted when we were starting out

with Mandarin

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

27

CHECK IT OUT

Luke Neale

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

NEXT TIME Wersquoll dive into the topic of Chinese tutors Wersquoll be

sharing with you where to find the best free and paid tutors how

to work with them in the most efficient and fun way possible

Pronunciation is the vital first stage for learning any language

Bad pronunciation affects all other areas of your Chinese skill but most importantly it hurts your confidence

Compared to English there is much less to learn to master Chinese pronunciation

Chinese teachers rarely have the training and experience necessary to teach you pronunciation properly

Mandarin Blueprintrsquos ldquoPronunciation Masteryrdquo course has everything you need to develop great pronunciation quickly and cheaply Check it out today

KEY POINTS

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

28

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

USE TUTORS

Connect with them regularly

EFFECTIVELY

5

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You will notice that this is way down the list of tips for speaking like a

native speaker Thatrsquos because it actually isnrsquot the highest priority straight

away at least not anymore The sheer number of resources available

to you as a Chinese learner today means that you can do most things

you need to do on your own without a tutor As avid Chinese learners

ourselves we can both attest to this fact However a tutor is an

absolutely vital part of your journey to spoken fluency and to get the

most out of them you need to know how to work with them

First off what is a tutor for exactly Itrsquos not as obvious an answer as you

may think Understandably most people get a tutor straight from the

beginning hoping to receive all the materials and guidance they need

to make them fluent and literate in Chinese This is a lot to expect of

anyone let alone someone who never actually learned Chinese as a

second language So what are reasonable expectations to have then

THE ROLE OF A CHINESE TUTOR 1) FOR ACTIVATING PASSIVE VOCABULARY

Go into a session and try to use the words yoursquove been learning through

listening and reading Focus on steering the conversation to topics

you find meaningful and interesting Agree on these topics in advance

A good tutor is a good communicator someone who can speak to you

in a way they know you understand and ask you the right questions to

keep a conversation going Push your limits of what you know and ask a

lot of questions on how to use any words you arenrsquot sure about

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

30

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Mistakes are fine but donrsquot try and make up how to use a word or phrase

if you donrsquot already know Just ask If your tutor misses mistakes too

often they could turn into bad habits and you really donrsquot want that

2) FOR IDENTIFYING AND FIXING PROBLEMS

We prefer to have a nice chat of between 5 and 30 minutes during which

the tutor is making notes about anything you need to improve upon After

the time is up or the conversation has hit a dead-end the tutor can go

through your mistakes with you and do some directed practice to fix any

recurring issues This can be done as often as you like or just at the very

end of each session Make flashcards with example sentences

targeting the words or phrases you got wrong

3) FOR PROVIDING TRUE ENCOURAGEMENT

True encouragement is when a tutor notices where yoursquove improved and

points it out but also communicates your potential for improvement

Blindly repeating ldquo真棒 zhēn bagravengrdquo (rdquoGreat jobrdquo) all the time is false

encouragement and it can lead to complacency After all Chinese

people will already be giving you plenty of compliments about your

Mandarin the last thing you need is your paid tutor making your head

even bigger If a tutor provides true encouragement regularly yoursquore

golden If not ask them to or get another tutor

4) FOR FINDING LEVEL-APPROPRIATE AND ENGAGING CONTENT

This one is not to be expected of every tutor certainly not unprompted

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

31

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Directly ask them to find you listening and reading materials that you

might be interested in You may be very surprised at what they find for

you Some incredible content may be hidden away from the mainstream

and you may need a native person to help you discover those little gems

you might otherwise miss out on

TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR STUDY Figure out a kind of lesson structure yoursquore comfortable with that

suits your goals and interests Possible approaches include

Focus on a bunch of words yoursquove been learning and how to use

them

Choose several interesting topics and have an open conversation

Discuss a news article comic book or tv episode you saw recently

Whatever it is plan it out briefly beforehand and make it clear with your

tutor how you would like the lesson to go You have to take the reins if

you want the most bang for your buck If you donrsquot what yoursquoll get is what

the tutor wants to give you which will most likely be a textbook and

discussion of boring topics

HOW TO FIND GREAT TUTORS We would highly recommend finding tutors online as opposed to face-

to-face Herersquos why

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

32

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

1 You have a reasonable guarantee of quality Community star ratings

are commonplace

2 Far more convenient You can get online and be talking to a qualified

tutor for a few dollars an hour within a few minutes Enough said

3 Much better value for money Even if yoursquore living in China tutors still

work out cheaper online When you account for the time and effort it

takes to meet with a stranger face-to-face and the higher turnover of

tutors due to poor or quickly declining quality of lessons online tutors

are almost always more cost-effective

If you want to get online fast and take high quality online sessions with a

tutor a great resource is wwwitalkicom You can find both paid tutors

and unpaid language exchange partners here Invest a few dollars and

hours a month and it will pay off hugely for you

Italki offers tutoring in a huge range of lanugages but the vast majority of

the teachers just use skype for their lessons This is fine but you may be

surprised at the level of functionality of other Chinese-only services such

as wwwtutormandarincom

Instead of just a video call you get a live visual presentation showing

text and highlighted areas that makes everything much clearer and

more engaging This way you can practice your reading alongside your

speaking and listening all with live instruction

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

33

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

They offer a free 1-to-1 consultation and language evaluation before you

signup for anything so it canrsquot hurt to try them out

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to talk about immersion and how you

can do it regardless of your lifestyle or location to greatly improve

your speaking ability

Take control of your time with tutors making sure to point out clearly beforehand what you need from them and what your expectations are

Online tutors used in the capacity wersquove suggested are generally more time and cost-effective than face-to-face tutors even if you are in China Make the most of your study time by going for the former unless you have a guarantee of value

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

Tutors should be treated as a learning resource rather than your study gurus Their main function is to serve as a great communicator who can help you activate vocabulary and stay motivated

KEY POINTS

34

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

6IMMERSE YOURSELF

Be with Chinese as often as possible

IN CHINESE

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion deserves itrsquos own e-book all by itself as itrsquos such a deep and

varied topic but there are a few things to remember that will allow you

to immerse yourself in Chinese easily wherever you are

HOW TO IMMERSE YOURSELF First of all immersion doesnrsquot necessarily entail never speaking your

native language and ignoring your friends and family Immersion in itrsquos

most manageable form is simply being in touch with Chinese

regularly throughout the day This is doable outside China and even

with a family and a full-time job to boot Herersquos how we do it

CHANGE YOUR ENVIRONMENT

Make sure that Chinese is within 1 foot of your body at all times Ten

years ago that would have meant taping books and Chinese people

around your waist which would have been inconvenient and almost

definitely illegal Now we have these magical devices in our pockets

everywhere we go and most of us have computers or tablets as well

Always be looking for more and more level-appropriate reading and

listening materials and fill your devices with them Whenever you get

bored or frustrated with something drop it for something else You can

be picky even at beginner level Most of the time if you donrsquot enjoy

something itrsquos because you arenrsquot ready for it yet anyway Just go back

to it a few weeks or months down the line

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

36

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Organize the apps on your smart phone for reading listening speaking

and even writing Chinese so you can tap them whenever you have a

spare few minutes This makes it as easy as possible to immerse yourself

in something wherever and whenever

MAKE BETTER USE OF YOUR TIME

Listen to Chinese whenever yoursquore traveling anywhere working out

doing flashcards or housework If you have your eyes andor mouth free

as well do some interleaved learning or shadowing (see tip 4)

The key is starting not finishing Just do something for 1-15 minutes

10-20 times a day as opposed to trying to set aside large chunks of time

which either cause you to procrastinate or burn out

TALK TO LANGUAGE EXCHANGE PARTNERS

It might get expensive meeting with paid tutors every day which creates

an excuse to not practice speaking But there are more and more great

apps that allow you to connect and exchange with native Chinese

speakers for free Our favorite language exchange apps are pictured

on the next page

TALK TO YOURSELF

Yes it might feel a bit weird but it works as a decent substitute to a paid

tutor or language exchange partner Anything going through your head

just try to blurt out in Chinese Wear earphones to make it appear you are

talking on the phone so you donrsquot get placed into a mental institution

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

37

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoTime is what we want most but what we use worstrdquo

- William Penn

38

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion is doable regardless of your lifestyle Just be around Chinese many times throughout the day

Listen while doing pretty much anything Itrsquos the part of language learning that takes the least conscious effort to improve

Connect with language exchange partners via free apps Spend a few minutes chatting here and there Even talking to yourself can be really effective

KEY POINTS

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk about how to maintain a calm and positive

attitude when struggling to improve your speaking skills Wersquoll

also go into how to take criticism well and even enjoy making

mistakes6

IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

39

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

BE COOL7

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot be touchy when you get corrections or criticism even if it comes

across as harsh People rarely correct you for free and if you react

badly when they do that will probably be the last time they help you

When you arenrsquot understood just assume itrsquos never their problem It

actually might be sometimes but just assume it isnrsquot

People tend to put a lot of their pride and ego into their Chinese ability

because it takes a lot of time and effort to get good and it is a very rare

skill However just know that only when you really start to get good at

something do you realize how little you know Donrsquot fall into that trap

because you will be in for a rude awakening down the line Take your

ego out of the equation and have a great time Laugh at yourself

Itrsquos all just a game

LEARN TO ACCEPT UNCERTAINTY You will forget words yoursquove reviewed and heard for months

You will forget grammar structures yoursquove spoken correctly 10 times

before

You will get utterly lost in conversation after thinking yoursquove had a

breakthrough in your skill level

Take a deep breath Itrsquos all part of the process

7BE COOL

41

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoCriticism may not be agreeable but it is necessary It fulfils the same function as pain

in the human body It calls attention to an

unhealthy state of things - Winston Churchill

42

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Wersquove already mentioned the importance of good output Too many

mistakes without being corrected can lead to bad habits but mistakes

are inevitable Even if you follow our advice you will still have trouble

sometimes Enjoy being wronghellipevery mistake or misunderstanding

can bring you closer to fluency The key is to not worry about what you

canrsquot say just take note of it and take action Try to say something and it

came out as gibberish Make a note and try it out next time you get the

chance Get a flashcard completely wrong Good Less likely to next time

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to be sharing with you our favorite

speaking hacks that will instantly have you speaking Chinese

much more like a native and with less effort

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously Learning Chinese is just a game Enjoy yourself and take criticism with a smile

Mistakes when speaking and reviewing are inevitable and an important part of the learning process

KEY POINTS

7BE COOL

43

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

8USE THESE

Speak ldquorealrdquo Chinese

SPEAKING HACKS

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

OUR FAVORITE SPEAKING HACKS Apply even one of these techniques to your day-to-day speaking and

you will not only sound more native but will also find it much easier

to speak in general

SPEAK WITH FLUENCY

Fluency is not knowing every word It is simply the ability to say what it is

you want to say accurately using the vocabulary that you have Donrsquot

know how to say ldquointernational traderdquo Just say ldquowhen one country buys

and sells things with another countryrdquo After you say this your

conversation partner will likely say ldquooh yeah thatrsquos lsquointernational tradersquordquo

Boom New word learned within the emotional context of the

conversation to boot The key is when you donrsquot know a word donrsquot

just give up Instead do your best to explain what you want to say

with the vocabulary you have

SLOW DOWN

Speaking at around 80 of your normal rate wonrsquot sound weird at all and

it will improve both your pronunciation and your fluency instantly

Speaking more slowly gives your mouth and tongue muscles time to

get into position before a sound is made which is very helpful for those

sounds that donrsquot exist in English Plus it gives you a few extra

microseconds to think of something to say in conversation Combine

this with the next 2 hacks and yoursquore really in businesshellip

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

45

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoFake it until you make itrdquo - Steven Tyler

46

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

USE ldquoFILLERSrdquo

Everyone (including Chinese people) use these all the time in their

various native languages Why would you give yourself less of a chance

than a native speaker would to sound fluent Thatrsquos just crazy Here are

the top five uhh er umhelliprdquofillersrdquo

ēnhellip jiugraveshihellip negraveigehellip zhegraveigehellip raacutenhograveuhellip

Throw one or more of these utterances anywhere you like Put them in

every sentence if you feel the need Chinese people wonrsquot notice as they

do it too

USE CONVERSATION CONNECTORS

This is a term coined by Anthony Lauder referring to those everyday

fixed phrases that you say at the beginning middle or end of a sentence

to dress up what you want to say Here are some examples

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

我想告诉你hellip woacute xiǎng gagraveosu nǐhellip

Irsquod like you to know thathellip

你别介意不过hellip nǐ bieacute jiegraveyigrave buacuteguogravehellip Dont be upset buthellip

就像你已经知道的hellip jiugrave xiagraveng niacute yǐjīng zhīdagraveo dehellip

As you already know

多数情况hellip dagrave duō shugrave qiacutengkuagraveng

Most of the timehellip

47

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot give up so easily if you canrsquot think of a word you want to use Just use more common words to describe it

Speaking a bit slower will give you more time to think of what to say and will usually go unnoticed by a native speaker

Throw in fillers and fixed expressions to sound more like a native speaker and give yourself more time to speak at the same time

You can even thrown in English words to fill in the gaps if the above suggestions arenrsquot on the table Many young educated Chinese people do this anyway

KEY POINTS

USE ENGLISH WORDS

As a last ditch effort if you really donrsquot have the energy to ldquouse fluencyrdquo to

describe a word yoursquove forgotten just say the English word Younger

more educated Chinese speakers are likely to have a decent English

level and they themselves also like to throw in the odd English word into

conversation so itrsquos fine to follow suit At very least it keeps conversation

going to the next topic where you remember the Chinese words

NEXT TIME For our next installment in this series wersquore going to

get into the role writing has on your speaking how to write what

to write and where amp when to write Itrsquos not at all as intimidating

(or boring) as you may think

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

48

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Combine any and all of these tips to your speaking at any time to make yourself speak better instantly8

USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

49

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

WRITE REGULARLY9

Supercharge your active vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Many beginners (and higher levels too) struggle with the frustration of

not being able to express their thoughts and feelings properly in

Chinese Even with many months and years of practice they can still feel

like the words just arenrsquot there when they need them Wersquove already

given you a bunch of steps you can take to solve this problem and we

realize that writing may be an unexpected additional step but trust us

when we say how valuable it can be

WHY WRITING IMPROVES SPEAKING IT DEMANDS FOCUS AND ATTENTION

Writing practice is the aspect of language learning that involves the

most focus and attention as you have to think about every word as you

write Just like reading writing is a slow process at first but after a short

period of regular practice you can almost hear the ldquoclicksrdquo as the words

you write become part of your vocabulary which can now be used

when you practice speaking with your tutor After all writing and

speaking are both expressive forms of communication using similar

mental processes

IT ACTIVATES VOCABULARY VERY EFFECTIVELY

Writing may just be the ultimate way to solidify your understanding of

the words and phrases yoursquove acquired through reading and listening It

may be even more effective than speaking

9WRITEREGULARLY

51

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WRITING IS MORE PERSONAL

After some practice you can start to write in your own personal style

using your own ldquovoicerdquo which naturally makes the process much more

enjoyable Writing a journal is the best way to access this benefit Posting

thoughts in Chinese on social media is another option especially for

lower levels

WRITING GIVES YOU MORE TIME TO FORMULATE THOUGHTS

Writing gives you time to think and practice the language

simultaneously whereas with speaking there is little opportunity to

really contemplate all the various ways of expressing a thought unless

you have an extremely patient (and masochistic) paid tutor

EVEN IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER YOU CAN STILL WRITE

If you donrsquot have much vocabulary you can still practice writing Just

write individual sentences or phrases Look at example sentences and

try to re-write them using slightly different vocabulary Remember just as

the incredible graded readers we talked about in chapter 4 can be

written with just a few select words and characters you too can write a

surprising amount using the small vocabulary you have at your disposal

5 INCREDIBLE WRITING TIPS GO FOR QUANTITY

Write every day Write a blog or WeChat post write individual sentences

9WRITEREGULARLY

52

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoWriting to me is simply thinking through my fingersrdquo

- Isaac Asimov

53

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

write a question on how to write something write anything You should

write something everyday and make a routine out of it The more

content the better but donrsquot ask too much of yourself or you will burn out

and not want to do it for weeks

An added bonus to writing regularly is the ability to look back on your

previous writing practice after a few weeks or months and see how far

yoursquove come This is called ldquobenchmarkingrdquo which wersquoll talk about more

next time

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT

Write about something or someone you love Write about a problem

yoursquore having Write about your goals and dreams Write about a book

you read or a youtube video you watched Write about what yoursquove

learned or would like to learn Write a journal When you do this your

own personality will shine through in your writing which will make the

words and structures you practice far more memorable

9WRITEREGULARLY

54

AIM FOR ZERO MISTAKES

Thatrsquos correct ZERO mistakes Think about what you write Take your time

to think before you put pen to paper or keyboard and look up example

sentences for words you donrsquot quite know how to use If you do these

things you will produce correct output which is fantastic for your

language skills Bad output leads to what Thatrsquos right bad habits

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

GET CORRECTIONS

Writing and getting corrections will help you notice very quickly the

patterns and structures in Chinese This attentiveness will pay off when

it comes to speaking reading and listening too

USE A WRITING SOFTWARE

Try Ommwriter Flowstate Awriter or similar writing apps designed for

writers to get you into the flow of writing

MAKE FLASHCARDS OUT OF YOUR MISTAKES

Create ultra-personalised reviewable content by taking any corrected

sentences and making a flashcard out of it

Try to combine regular speaking practice with regular writing

practice from now on and see for yourself how fast your fluency

improves

NEXT TIME For our final installment in this series wersquore going to

focus on continuing to improve your Chinese when you start to

plateau and the going getrsquos tough

9WRITEREGULARLY

55

Share your writing with a paid language exchange partner or tutor Check

out HiNative for a great place to get corrections on your writing and ask

general questions about how to use Chinese from native speakers

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Writing is a similar mental process as speaking with some important differences that can make it a more attractive outputting method under certain circumstances

Writing makes you more easily notice things about Chinese helps you activate passive vocabulary creates more personal connections to the language and gives you more time to convey your thoughts than speaking does

You can write at any level

Write as often as you can but donrsquot burn out

Write about things you care about and are passionate about so you can really enjoy the process and create more emotional connections that improve your retention

Aim not to make any mistakes because bad output means bad habits This is much easier to accomplish than with speaking as you have more time to think

Get your writing corrected by paid or free native speakers Make flashcards for words or structures you get wrong

KEY POINTS9WRITEREGULARLY

56

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

10SHARPEN THE SAW

Keep moving forward

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 15: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Speaking a language fluently is essentially just remembering the

right words at the right time Here are the most efficient and enjoyable

ways to truly acquire new Chinese words so they are always there for

you when you need them

USE SRS (SPACED REPETITION SOFTWARE) SRS prevents you from forgetting what yoursquove learned in the most

efficient and rewarding way possible Despite having a bit of a learning

curve Anki is definitely the best choice of SRS because you can make

your own flashcards although shared decks are also available There

are a bunch of web and mobile language learning apps that use SRS-

powered flashcards

Our huge video curriculum The Mandarin Blueprint Method provides

you with over 7000 flashcards to learn how to read understand write

and speak the most common 1000 Chinese words Check it out here

THINGS TO REMEMBER ABOUT SRS

1 Set realistic goals The more new cards you do the more reviews

will build up Be careful not to over-do it

2 Finish your reviews every day The algorithm can only guarantee

90-95 retention if you finish your reviews every day

3 SRS is not a learning tool itrsquos a reviewing tool Learn the word first

then use SRS to review otherwise you are just rote learning and that

is proven to be ineffective (and incredibly boring)

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

15

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

SO WHATrsquoS THE BEST WAY

TO LEARN A CHINESE WORD

LEARN CHARACTERS

Make sure to make learning characters a part of your daily study routine

ldquoBut hey I want to learn speaking I donrsquot care about the characters Irsquoll

learn them later if at allrdquo While this is an understandable response itrsquos a

trap that slows you down in the long run To speak fluently you need

vocabulary To get vocabulary you need to read and listen a lot To

read you need characters

LEARN WORDS IN CONTEXT

The first step towards learning a word is to learn itrsquos definition However

this is the equivalent of shaking someonersquos hand and learning their

name Thatrsquos it See that person several more times in different contexts

and yoursquoll really get to know them Words need context to truly become

part of your vocabulary

To truly acquire a word you need to see that word in a sentence and

depending on the complexity of the word you will need to see it in

several contexts many times before it can be fully acquired and used

Find at least one sentence for each usage of the word in question and

make a flashcard Here are some quick tips regarding sentences and

sentence flashcards

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

16

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You will first need to get at least a couple of hundred of the most

common words under your belt before being ready to start reading

sentences

Sentences should be 4-9 words in length on average Long enough

to show a decent level of context and demonstrate a grammatical

structure or two but not so long that it becomes too hard to focus on

a single concept

Your sentences should be informal so they can be applicable to real

life

Just reading sentences is a good start but using the ldquocloze deleterdquo

function with anki (shown below) or wwwclozemastercom is

especially effective as it forces you to work a little harder

Add an image or two to sum up the ldquomessagerdquo of the sentence and

create deeper connections to the word(s)

At the time of writing this chapter our favorite resource for finding

Chinese sentences is bingcomdict (pictured left)

Our new course The Mandarin Blueprint Method contains all of the

flashcards and memory techniques you need to learn the most

common 1000 Chinese words Click below to start your free trial

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

17

LEARN MORE

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

After starting to review words in sentences move onto the next vital

resourcehellip

GRADED READERS You donrsquot have to wait until yoursquove acquired 1000s of characters and

words before you start reading Not by a long shot You can start

reading articles short stories and podcast transcripts with as little

as 150 characters and words Here are our favorite resources to do so

LINGQ (PICTURED)

LingQ is an aggregated graded reader that has content sourced from all

over the internet including tons of proprietary material Higher level

learners can also import any content they want from elsewhere We are

currently reading A Song of Ice and Fire in Chinese using LingQ and are

addicted to itrsquos incredible functionality The best part about it is that itrsquos

quick look-up feature allows you to read material above your level that

would normally be far too frustrating in book form As if that wasnrsquot good

enough they also have excellent SRS functionality amp the ability to export

words to Anki

THE CHAIRMANrsquoS BAO (TCB)

The Chairmanrsquos Bao have real news articles edited for different HSK

levels (even HSK 1) Yes with only a couple of hundred characters and

words you can be reading real news articles in Chinese This site is being

updated with new fantastic features all the time and has a great app too

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

18

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoYou donrsquot know a person because you know their

name and you donrsquot know a word because you know itrsquos

definitionrdquo- Khatzumoto of ajattcom

19

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

MANDARIN COMPANION

Do you prefer the feel of a real book in your hands These books can be

read with only 300-450 characters under your belt They have a bunch of

classics for lower levels that are still compelling despite being heavily

edited

GO FOR EFFICIENCY To get the most out of that precious hour or two each day that most of

us can spare for language learning make sure you use the following

techniques for maximum return on your time investment

INTERLEAVING

Studies have shown that it is more efficient in the long term to flit

between various different types of content within a study session than to

learn one thing at a time in blocks This is referred to as ldquointerleavingrdquo or

ldquointerleaved learningrdquo Donrsquot spend hours pouring over the same material

mix it up Not only will this be way more engaging yoursquoll also progress

faster

TIMEBOXING

Using timeboxing (also known as ldquoThe Pomodoro Techniquerdquo) will

greatly enhance the efficiency and enjoyment of your study

Traditionally you should study for 25 minutes then rest for 5 minutes

then repeat This means 50 minutes of focused study per hour instead of

15 minutes of study and 45 minutes daydreaming and looking at

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

20

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You can also do all sorts of time-boxes for variety Anywhere from 30

seconds to 25 minutes with 25 minutes being the maximum We love to

combine timeboxing with interleaving working on 2 or 3 different study

resources at a time with really short time-boxes For example a few

minutes on learning characters then reviewing flashcards then listening

to a podcast then resting This turns a study session into a fun game

doing wonders for your motivation

LISTEN WHILE READING

Listening is the easiest and most convenient way of improving learning as

itrsquos hands-free and you can focus on other things while doing it However

if you can read what you hear at the same time the benefits multiply

to be greater than the sum of its parts The reading makes it easier to

understand what you hear and what you hear improves your reading

speed If you choose material either at or slightly above your level and try

this technique out it really feels like yoursquore super-charging your Chinese

ability

SHADOWING

This is a technique made famous by Professor Alexander Arguelles

Shadowing is reading listening and speaking all at the same time Do

it while out and about for best results Just a few minutes a day of this will

improve pronunciation spoken fluency reading and listening

simultaneously We do it almost everyday and it really does speed up the

acquisition process more than anything else wersquove tried Just make sure

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

21

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

you choose a voice to imitate that yoursquod actually like to sound like

(especially when you choose the dialect or gender of the speaker) Herersquos

a video of The prof himself talking about the technique in more detail

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk to you all about how good pronunciation

practice improves your speaking ability listening ability amp even

reading ability plus wersquoll talk about where to find the best

resources to pronounce Chinese like a native speaker

Using spaced repetition is vital for your early days learning Chinese (or any language for that matter)

Learning characters is an unavoidable step in learning Chinese

You must see new words in a sentence before you can acquire them Reading graded readers is even better as it provides more context and engaging topics

Incorporate interleaved learning shadowing and timeboxing into your daily study routine for the most efficient results

KEY POINTS

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

22

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

LEARN PRONUNCIATION4

It will pay off huge dividends later

EARLY AND WELL

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

At Mandarin Blueprint we take pronunciation very seriously This is

mainly because we know first-hand the negative effects of poor

pronunciation instruction

Bad pronunciation slows the development of your listening reading

and speaking ability which is bad enough But by far the most

profoundly painful outcome of poor pronunciation is the damage done

to your lsquolearnerrsquos egorsquo early on When you are misunderstood partially

understood or not at all understood it hurts your confidence You then

associate speaking Chinese with negative emotions and become less

and less willing to start talking Itrsquos a vicious cycle of negativity that we

want you to avoid

HERErsquoS A PROBLEM WE WANT YOU TO HAVE 1 A Chinese person asks you a simple question that you understand

2 You answer the question with simple Chinese but with great

pronunciation

3 The Chinese person listening to you immediately assumes you

speak incredible Chinese and proceeds to unload a litany of

questions and comments

4 After an awkward silence you say 听不不懂 (tīngbudǒng) which

means ldquoI donrsquot understandrdquo

5 The Chinese person laughs asks a few more questions before

realizing you were actually serious Awkwardness intensifies

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

24

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

THE SKINNY ON MANDARIN PRONUNCIATION If you want excellent spoken Chinese you first need to be completely

aware of how to produce understand and read all of the sounds of the

language Some people can do all this naturally by ear with very little

training Unfortunately the law of averages states that you are most likely

not in this group Sorry -(

Not to worry though With only 409 different-sounding syllables (1200 if

you include tones) Chinese has relatively little to learn in terms of

pronunciation especially when compared to the 16000+ syllables of

English There are however many challenging and potentially confusing

aspects to Chinese pronunciation which means that you can learn what

you need to know about pronunciation in a relatively short time but you

need high quality expert guidance and study materials to do it

TUTORS ARENrsquoT ALWAYS THE WAY TO GO If you want to learn pronunciation it seems like a logical decision would

be to look for a tutor right Unfortunately most teachers do not have

the knowledge or experience to teach you Chinese pronunciation

well But why is this Well theyrsquove spoken mandarin since they can

remember right They have no frame of reference for comparing tongue

positions or vowel aspiration to English so how could they explain it to a

foreigner How would they know what it feels like to learn Mandarin

pronunciation as an adult

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

25

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoThe first thing I have to do to erase my french accent is to believe itrsquos actually possiblerdquo

- Marion Cotillard

26

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

There are fantastic tutors out there who can teach you pronunciation

properly but they can be like finding a needle in a haystack Not to

mention with the hourly rates you are likely to rack up hundreds of

dollars in fees for average results

INTRODUCING ldquoPRONUNCIATION MASTERYrdquo Wersquove been training our clients on pronunciation through live sessions of

our Pronunciation Mastery course for 2 years now and the results have

been fantastic Wersquove now finally finished transforming it into an 8 hour

video course that will teach you everything you need to know about

Chinese pronunciation all from the unique perspective of us Two

Chinese learners who made the journey ourselves from beginner to

advanced fluency This is all delivered using HD video crystal clear

explanations supported with slick design over a thousand multimedia

SRS flashcards over 80 PDFs amp native audio for reference and review

Wersquove put our hearts and souls into this course along with our extensive

experience and feedback from live teaching over the past 2 years Plus

itrsquos already helped hundreds of Chinese learners around the world Itrsquos

the video course we would have wanted when we were starting out

with Mandarin

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

27

CHECK IT OUT

Luke Neale

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

NEXT TIME Wersquoll dive into the topic of Chinese tutors Wersquoll be

sharing with you where to find the best free and paid tutors how

to work with them in the most efficient and fun way possible

Pronunciation is the vital first stage for learning any language

Bad pronunciation affects all other areas of your Chinese skill but most importantly it hurts your confidence

Compared to English there is much less to learn to master Chinese pronunciation

Chinese teachers rarely have the training and experience necessary to teach you pronunciation properly

Mandarin Blueprintrsquos ldquoPronunciation Masteryrdquo course has everything you need to develop great pronunciation quickly and cheaply Check it out today

KEY POINTS

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

28

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

USE TUTORS

Connect with them regularly

EFFECTIVELY

5

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You will notice that this is way down the list of tips for speaking like a

native speaker Thatrsquos because it actually isnrsquot the highest priority straight

away at least not anymore The sheer number of resources available

to you as a Chinese learner today means that you can do most things

you need to do on your own without a tutor As avid Chinese learners

ourselves we can both attest to this fact However a tutor is an

absolutely vital part of your journey to spoken fluency and to get the

most out of them you need to know how to work with them

First off what is a tutor for exactly Itrsquos not as obvious an answer as you

may think Understandably most people get a tutor straight from the

beginning hoping to receive all the materials and guidance they need

to make them fluent and literate in Chinese This is a lot to expect of

anyone let alone someone who never actually learned Chinese as a

second language So what are reasonable expectations to have then

THE ROLE OF A CHINESE TUTOR 1) FOR ACTIVATING PASSIVE VOCABULARY

Go into a session and try to use the words yoursquove been learning through

listening and reading Focus on steering the conversation to topics

you find meaningful and interesting Agree on these topics in advance

A good tutor is a good communicator someone who can speak to you

in a way they know you understand and ask you the right questions to

keep a conversation going Push your limits of what you know and ask a

lot of questions on how to use any words you arenrsquot sure about

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

30

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Mistakes are fine but donrsquot try and make up how to use a word or phrase

if you donrsquot already know Just ask If your tutor misses mistakes too

often they could turn into bad habits and you really donrsquot want that

2) FOR IDENTIFYING AND FIXING PROBLEMS

We prefer to have a nice chat of between 5 and 30 minutes during which

the tutor is making notes about anything you need to improve upon After

the time is up or the conversation has hit a dead-end the tutor can go

through your mistakes with you and do some directed practice to fix any

recurring issues This can be done as often as you like or just at the very

end of each session Make flashcards with example sentences

targeting the words or phrases you got wrong

3) FOR PROVIDING TRUE ENCOURAGEMENT

True encouragement is when a tutor notices where yoursquove improved and

points it out but also communicates your potential for improvement

Blindly repeating ldquo真棒 zhēn bagravengrdquo (rdquoGreat jobrdquo) all the time is false

encouragement and it can lead to complacency After all Chinese

people will already be giving you plenty of compliments about your

Mandarin the last thing you need is your paid tutor making your head

even bigger If a tutor provides true encouragement regularly yoursquore

golden If not ask them to or get another tutor

4) FOR FINDING LEVEL-APPROPRIATE AND ENGAGING CONTENT

This one is not to be expected of every tutor certainly not unprompted

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

31

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Directly ask them to find you listening and reading materials that you

might be interested in You may be very surprised at what they find for

you Some incredible content may be hidden away from the mainstream

and you may need a native person to help you discover those little gems

you might otherwise miss out on

TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR STUDY Figure out a kind of lesson structure yoursquore comfortable with that

suits your goals and interests Possible approaches include

Focus on a bunch of words yoursquove been learning and how to use

them

Choose several interesting topics and have an open conversation

Discuss a news article comic book or tv episode you saw recently

Whatever it is plan it out briefly beforehand and make it clear with your

tutor how you would like the lesson to go You have to take the reins if

you want the most bang for your buck If you donrsquot what yoursquoll get is what

the tutor wants to give you which will most likely be a textbook and

discussion of boring topics

HOW TO FIND GREAT TUTORS We would highly recommend finding tutors online as opposed to face-

to-face Herersquos why

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

32

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

1 You have a reasonable guarantee of quality Community star ratings

are commonplace

2 Far more convenient You can get online and be talking to a qualified

tutor for a few dollars an hour within a few minutes Enough said

3 Much better value for money Even if yoursquore living in China tutors still

work out cheaper online When you account for the time and effort it

takes to meet with a stranger face-to-face and the higher turnover of

tutors due to poor or quickly declining quality of lessons online tutors

are almost always more cost-effective

If you want to get online fast and take high quality online sessions with a

tutor a great resource is wwwitalkicom You can find both paid tutors

and unpaid language exchange partners here Invest a few dollars and

hours a month and it will pay off hugely for you

Italki offers tutoring in a huge range of lanugages but the vast majority of

the teachers just use skype for their lessons This is fine but you may be

surprised at the level of functionality of other Chinese-only services such

as wwwtutormandarincom

Instead of just a video call you get a live visual presentation showing

text and highlighted areas that makes everything much clearer and

more engaging This way you can practice your reading alongside your

speaking and listening all with live instruction

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

33

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

They offer a free 1-to-1 consultation and language evaluation before you

signup for anything so it canrsquot hurt to try them out

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to talk about immersion and how you

can do it regardless of your lifestyle or location to greatly improve

your speaking ability

Take control of your time with tutors making sure to point out clearly beforehand what you need from them and what your expectations are

Online tutors used in the capacity wersquove suggested are generally more time and cost-effective than face-to-face tutors even if you are in China Make the most of your study time by going for the former unless you have a guarantee of value

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

Tutors should be treated as a learning resource rather than your study gurus Their main function is to serve as a great communicator who can help you activate vocabulary and stay motivated

KEY POINTS

34

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

6IMMERSE YOURSELF

Be with Chinese as often as possible

IN CHINESE

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion deserves itrsquos own e-book all by itself as itrsquos such a deep and

varied topic but there are a few things to remember that will allow you

to immerse yourself in Chinese easily wherever you are

HOW TO IMMERSE YOURSELF First of all immersion doesnrsquot necessarily entail never speaking your

native language and ignoring your friends and family Immersion in itrsquos

most manageable form is simply being in touch with Chinese

regularly throughout the day This is doable outside China and even

with a family and a full-time job to boot Herersquos how we do it

CHANGE YOUR ENVIRONMENT

Make sure that Chinese is within 1 foot of your body at all times Ten

years ago that would have meant taping books and Chinese people

around your waist which would have been inconvenient and almost

definitely illegal Now we have these magical devices in our pockets

everywhere we go and most of us have computers or tablets as well

Always be looking for more and more level-appropriate reading and

listening materials and fill your devices with them Whenever you get

bored or frustrated with something drop it for something else You can

be picky even at beginner level Most of the time if you donrsquot enjoy

something itrsquos because you arenrsquot ready for it yet anyway Just go back

to it a few weeks or months down the line

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

36

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Organize the apps on your smart phone for reading listening speaking

and even writing Chinese so you can tap them whenever you have a

spare few minutes This makes it as easy as possible to immerse yourself

in something wherever and whenever

MAKE BETTER USE OF YOUR TIME

Listen to Chinese whenever yoursquore traveling anywhere working out

doing flashcards or housework If you have your eyes andor mouth free

as well do some interleaved learning or shadowing (see tip 4)

The key is starting not finishing Just do something for 1-15 minutes

10-20 times a day as opposed to trying to set aside large chunks of time

which either cause you to procrastinate or burn out

TALK TO LANGUAGE EXCHANGE PARTNERS

It might get expensive meeting with paid tutors every day which creates

an excuse to not practice speaking But there are more and more great

apps that allow you to connect and exchange with native Chinese

speakers for free Our favorite language exchange apps are pictured

on the next page

TALK TO YOURSELF

Yes it might feel a bit weird but it works as a decent substitute to a paid

tutor or language exchange partner Anything going through your head

just try to blurt out in Chinese Wear earphones to make it appear you are

talking on the phone so you donrsquot get placed into a mental institution

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

37

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoTime is what we want most but what we use worstrdquo

- William Penn

38

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion is doable regardless of your lifestyle Just be around Chinese many times throughout the day

Listen while doing pretty much anything Itrsquos the part of language learning that takes the least conscious effort to improve

Connect with language exchange partners via free apps Spend a few minutes chatting here and there Even talking to yourself can be really effective

KEY POINTS

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk about how to maintain a calm and positive

attitude when struggling to improve your speaking skills Wersquoll

also go into how to take criticism well and even enjoy making

mistakes6

IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

39

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

BE COOL7

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot be touchy when you get corrections or criticism even if it comes

across as harsh People rarely correct you for free and if you react

badly when they do that will probably be the last time they help you

When you arenrsquot understood just assume itrsquos never their problem It

actually might be sometimes but just assume it isnrsquot

People tend to put a lot of their pride and ego into their Chinese ability

because it takes a lot of time and effort to get good and it is a very rare

skill However just know that only when you really start to get good at

something do you realize how little you know Donrsquot fall into that trap

because you will be in for a rude awakening down the line Take your

ego out of the equation and have a great time Laugh at yourself

Itrsquos all just a game

LEARN TO ACCEPT UNCERTAINTY You will forget words yoursquove reviewed and heard for months

You will forget grammar structures yoursquove spoken correctly 10 times

before

You will get utterly lost in conversation after thinking yoursquove had a

breakthrough in your skill level

Take a deep breath Itrsquos all part of the process

7BE COOL

41

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoCriticism may not be agreeable but it is necessary It fulfils the same function as pain

in the human body It calls attention to an

unhealthy state of things - Winston Churchill

42

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Wersquove already mentioned the importance of good output Too many

mistakes without being corrected can lead to bad habits but mistakes

are inevitable Even if you follow our advice you will still have trouble

sometimes Enjoy being wronghellipevery mistake or misunderstanding

can bring you closer to fluency The key is to not worry about what you

canrsquot say just take note of it and take action Try to say something and it

came out as gibberish Make a note and try it out next time you get the

chance Get a flashcard completely wrong Good Less likely to next time

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to be sharing with you our favorite

speaking hacks that will instantly have you speaking Chinese

much more like a native and with less effort

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously Learning Chinese is just a game Enjoy yourself and take criticism with a smile

Mistakes when speaking and reviewing are inevitable and an important part of the learning process

KEY POINTS

7BE COOL

43

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

8USE THESE

Speak ldquorealrdquo Chinese

SPEAKING HACKS

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

OUR FAVORITE SPEAKING HACKS Apply even one of these techniques to your day-to-day speaking and

you will not only sound more native but will also find it much easier

to speak in general

SPEAK WITH FLUENCY

Fluency is not knowing every word It is simply the ability to say what it is

you want to say accurately using the vocabulary that you have Donrsquot

know how to say ldquointernational traderdquo Just say ldquowhen one country buys

and sells things with another countryrdquo After you say this your

conversation partner will likely say ldquooh yeah thatrsquos lsquointernational tradersquordquo

Boom New word learned within the emotional context of the

conversation to boot The key is when you donrsquot know a word donrsquot

just give up Instead do your best to explain what you want to say

with the vocabulary you have

SLOW DOWN

Speaking at around 80 of your normal rate wonrsquot sound weird at all and

it will improve both your pronunciation and your fluency instantly

Speaking more slowly gives your mouth and tongue muscles time to

get into position before a sound is made which is very helpful for those

sounds that donrsquot exist in English Plus it gives you a few extra

microseconds to think of something to say in conversation Combine

this with the next 2 hacks and yoursquore really in businesshellip

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

45

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoFake it until you make itrdquo - Steven Tyler

46

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

USE ldquoFILLERSrdquo

Everyone (including Chinese people) use these all the time in their

various native languages Why would you give yourself less of a chance

than a native speaker would to sound fluent Thatrsquos just crazy Here are

the top five uhh er umhelliprdquofillersrdquo

ēnhellip jiugraveshihellip negraveigehellip zhegraveigehellip raacutenhograveuhellip

Throw one or more of these utterances anywhere you like Put them in

every sentence if you feel the need Chinese people wonrsquot notice as they

do it too

USE CONVERSATION CONNECTORS

This is a term coined by Anthony Lauder referring to those everyday

fixed phrases that you say at the beginning middle or end of a sentence

to dress up what you want to say Here are some examples

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

我想告诉你hellip woacute xiǎng gagraveosu nǐhellip

Irsquod like you to know thathellip

你别介意不过hellip nǐ bieacute jiegraveyigrave buacuteguogravehellip Dont be upset buthellip

就像你已经知道的hellip jiugrave xiagraveng niacute yǐjīng zhīdagraveo dehellip

As you already know

多数情况hellip dagrave duō shugrave qiacutengkuagraveng

Most of the timehellip

47

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot give up so easily if you canrsquot think of a word you want to use Just use more common words to describe it

Speaking a bit slower will give you more time to think of what to say and will usually go unnoticed by a native speaker

Throw in fillers and fixed expressions to sound more like a native speaker and give yourself more time to speak at the same time

You can even thrown in English words to fill in the gaps if the above suggestions arenrsquot on the table Many young educated Chinese people do this anyway

KEY POINTS

USE ENGLISH WORDS

As a last ditch effort if you really donrsquot have the energy to ldquouse fluencyrdquo to

describe a word yoursquove forgotten just say the English word Younger

more educated Chinese speakers are likely to have a decent English

level and they themselves also like to throw in the odd English word into

conversation so itrsquos fine to follow suit At very least it keeps conversation

going to the next topic where you remember the Chinese words

NEXT TIME For our next installment in this series wersquore going to

get into the role writing has on your speaking how to write what

to write and where amp when to write Itrsquos not at all as intimidating

(or boring) as you may think

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

48

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Combine any and all of these tips to your speaking at any time to make yourself speak better instantly8

USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

49

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

WRITE REGULARLY9

Supercharge your active vocabulary

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Many beginners (and higher levels too) struggle with the frustration of

not being able to express their thoughts and feelings properly in

Chinese Even with many months and years of practice they can still feel

like the words just arenrsquot there when they need them Wersquove already

given you a bunch of steps you can take to solve this problem and we

realize that writing may be an unexpected additional step but trust us

when we say how valuable it can be

WHY WRITING IMPROVES SPEAKING IT DEMANDS FOCUS AND ATTENTION

Writing practice is the aspect of language learning that involves the

most focus and attention as you have to think about every word as you

write Just like reading writing is a slow process at first but after a short

period of regular practice you can almost hear the ldquoclicksrdquo as the words

you write become part of your vocabulary which can now be used

when you practice speaking with your tutor After all writing and

speaking are both expressive forms of communication using similar

mental processes

IT ACTIVATES VOCABULARY VERY EFFECTIVELY

Writing may just be the ultimate way to solidify your understanding of

the words and phrases yoursquove acquired through reading and listening It

may be even more effective than speaking

9WRITEREGULARLY

51

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WRITING IS MORE PERSONAL

After some practice you can start to write in your own personal style

using your own ldquovoicerdquo which naturally makes the process much more

enjoyable Writing a journal is the best way to access this benefit Posting

thoughts in Chinese on social media is another option especially for

lower levels

WRITING GIVES YOU MORE TIME TO FORMULATE THOUGHTS

Writing gives you time to think and practice the language

simultaneously whereas with speaking there is little opportunity to

really contemplate all the various ways of expressing a thought unless

you have an extremely patient (and masochistic) paid tutor

EVEN IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER YOU CAN STILL WRITE

If you donrsquot have much vocabulary you can still practice writing Just

write individual sentences or phrases Look at example sentences and

try to re-write them using slightly different vocabulary Remember just as

the incredible graded readers we talked about in chapter 4 can be

written with just a few select words and characters you too can write a

surprising amount using the small vocabulary you have at your disposal

5 INCREDIBLE WRITING TIPS GO FOR QUANTITY

Write every day Write a blog or WeChat post write individual sentences

9WRITEREGULARLY

52

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoWriting to me is simply thinking through my fingersrdquo

- Isaac Asimov

53

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

write a question on how to write something write anything You should

write something everyday and make a routine out of it The more

content the better but donrsquot ask too much of yourself or you will burn out

and not want to do it for weeks

An added bonus to writing regularly is the ability to look back on your

previous writing practice after a few weeks or months and see how far

yoursquove come This is called ldquobenchmarkingrdquo which wersquoll talk about more

next time

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT

Write about something or someone you love Write about a problem

yoursquore having Write about your goals and dreams Write about a book

you read or a youtube video you watched Write about what yoursquove

learned or would like to learn Write a journal When you do this your

own personality will shine through in your writing which will make the

words and structures you practice far more memorable

9WRITEREGULARLY

54

AIM FOR ZERO MISTAKES

Thatrsquos correct ZERO mistakes Think about what you write Take your time

to think before you put pen to paper or keyboard and look up example

sentences for words you donrsquot quite know how to use If you do these

things you will produce correct output which is fantastic for your

language skills Bad output leads to what Thatrsquos right bad habits

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

GET CORRECTIONS

Writing and getting corrections will help you notice very quickly the

patterns and structures in Chinese This attentiveness will pay off when

it comes to speaking reading and listening too

USE A WRITING SOFTWARE

Try Ommwriter Flowstate Awriter or similar writing apps designed for

writers to get you into the flow of writing

MAKE FLASHCARDS OUT OF YOUR MISTAKES

Create ultra-personalised reviewable content by taking any corrected

sentences and making a flashcard out of it

Try to combine regular speaking practice with regular writing

practice from now on and see for yourself how fast your fluency

improves

NEXT TIME For our final installment in this series wersquore going to

focus on continuing to improve your Chinese when you start to

plateau and the going getrsquos tough

9WRITEREGULARLY

55

Share your writing with a paid language exchange partner or tutor Check

out HiNative for a great place to get corrections on your writing and ask

general questions about how to use Chinese from native speakers

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Writing is a similar mental process as speaking with some important differences that can make it a more attractive outputting method under certain circumstances

Writing makes you more easily notice things about Chinese helps you activate passive vocabulary creates more personal connections to the language and gives you more time to convey your thoughts than speaking does

You can write at any level

Write as often as you can but donrsquot burn out

Write about things you care about and are passionate about so you can really enjoy the process and create more emotional connections that improve your retention

Aim not to make any mistakes because bad output means bad habits This is much easier to accomplish than with speaking as you have more time to think

Get your writing corrected by paid or free native speakers Make flashcards for words or structures you get wrong

KEY POINTS9WRITEREGULARLY

56

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

10SHARPEN THE SAW

Keep moving forward

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 16: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

SO WHATrsquoS THE BEST WAY

TO LEARN A CHINESE WORD

LEARN CHARACTERS

Make sure to make learning characters a part of your daily study routine

ldquoBut hey I want to learn speaking I donrsquot care about the characters Irsquoll

learn them later if at allrdquo While this is an understandable response itrsquos a

trap that slows you down in the long run To speak fluently you need

vocabulary To get vocabulary you need to read and listen a lot To

read you need characters

LEARN WORDS IN CONTEXT

The first step towards learning a word is to learn itrsquos definition However

this is the equivalent of shaking someonersquos hand and learning their

name Thatrsquos it See that person several more times in different contexts

and yoursquoll really get to know them Words need context to truly become

part of your vocabulary

To truly acquire a word you need to see that word in a sentence and

depending on the complexity of the word you will need to see it in

several contexts many times before it can be fully acquired and used

Find at least one sentence for each usage of the word in question and

make a flashcard Here are some quick tips regarding sentences and

sentence flashcards

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

16

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You will first need to get at least a couple of hundred of the most

common words under your belt before being ready to start reading

sentences

Sentences should be 4-9 words in length on average Long enough

to show a decent level of context and demonstrate a grammatical

structure or two but not so long that it becomes too hard to focus on

a single concept

Your sentences should be informal so they can be applicable to real

life

Just reading sentences is a good start but using the ldquocloze deleterdquo

function with anki (shown below) or wwwclozemastercom is

especially effective as it forces you to work a little harder

Add an image or two to sum up the ldquomessagerdquo of the sentence and

create deeper connections to the word(s)

At the time of writing this chapter our favorite resource for finding

Chinese sentences is bingcomdict (pictured left)

Our new course The Mandarin Blueprint Method contains all of the

flashcards and memory techniques you need to learn the most

common 1000 Chinese words Click below to start your free trial

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

17

LEARN MORE

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

After starting to review words in sentences move onto the next vital

resourcehellip

GRADED READERS You donrsquot have to wait until yoursquove acquired 1000s of characters and

words before you start reading Not by a long shot You can start

reading articles short stories and podcast transcripts with as little

as 150 characters and words Here are our favorite resources to do so

LINGQ (PICTURED)

LingQ is an aggregated graded reader that has content sourced from all

over the internet including tons of proprietary material Higher level

learners can also import any content they want from elsewhere We are

currently reading A Song of Ice and Fire in Chinese using LingQ and are

addicted to itrsquos incredible functionality The best part about it is that itrsquos

quick look-up feature allows you to read material above your level that

would normally be far too frustrating in book form As if that wasnrsquot good

enough they also have excellent SRS functionality amp the ability to export

words to Anki

THE CHAIRMANrsquoS BAO (TCB)

The Chairmanrsquos Bao have real news articles edited for different HSK

levels (even HSK 1) Yes with only a couple of hundred characters and

words you can be reading real news articles in Chinese This site is being

updated with new fantastic features all the time and has a great app too

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

18

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoYou donrsquot know a person because you know their

name and you donrsquot know a word because you know itrsquos

definitionrdquo- Khatzumoto of ajattcom

19

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

MANDARIN COMPANION

Do you prefer the feel of a real book in your hands These books can be

read with only 300-450 characters under your belt They have a bunch of

classics for lower levels that are still compelling despite being heavily

edited

GO FOR EFFICIENCY To get the most out of that precious hour or two each day that most of

us can spare for language learning make sure you use the following

techniques for maximum return on your time investment

INTERLEAVING

Studies have shown that it is more efficient in the long term to flit

between various different types of content within a study session than to

learn one thing at a time in blocks This is referred to as ldquointerleavingrdquo or

ldquointerleaved learningrdquo Donrsquot spend hours pouring over the same material

mix it up Not only will this be way more engaging yoursquoll also progress

faster

TIMEBOXING

Using timeboxing (also known as ldquoThe Pomodoro Techniquerdquo) will

greatly enhance the efficiency and enjoyment of your study

Traditionally you should study for 25 minutes then rest for 5 minutes

then repeat This means 50 minutes of focused study per hour instead of

15 minutes of study and 45 minutes daydreaming and looking at

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

20

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You can also do all sorts of time-boxes for variety Anywhere from 30

seconds to 25 minutes with 25 minutes being the maximum We love to

combine timeboxing with interleaving working on 2 or 3 different study

resources at a time with really short time-boxes For example a few

minutes on learning characters then reviewing flashcards then listening

to a podcast then resting This turns a study session into a fun game

doing wonders for your motivation

LISTEN WHILE READING

Listening is the easiest and most convenient way of improving learning as

itrsquos hands-free and you can focus on other things while doing it However

if you can read what you hear at the same time the benefits multiply

to be greater than the sum of its parts The reading makes it easier to

understand what you hear and what you hear improves your reading

speed If you choose material either at or slightly above your level and try

this technique out it really feels like yoursquore super-charging your Chinese

ability

SHADOWING

This is a technique made famous by Professor Alexander Arguelles

Shadowing is reading listening and speaking all at the same time Do

it while out and about for best results Just a few minutes a day of this will

improve pronunciation spoken fluency reading and listening

simultaneously We do it almost everyday and it really does speed up the

acquisition process more than anything else wersquove tried Just make sure

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

21

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

you choose a voice to imitate that yoursquod actually like to sound like

(especially when you choose the dialect or gender of the speaker) Herersquos

a video of The prof himself talking about the technique in more detail

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk to you all about how good pronunciation

practice improves your speaking ability listening ability amp even

reading ability plus wersquoll talk about where to find the best

resources to pronounce Chinese like a native speaker

Using spaced repetition is vital for your early days learning Chinese (or any language for that matter)

Learning characters is an unavoidable step in learning Chinese

You must see new words in a sentence before you can acquire them Reading graded readers is even better as it provides more context and engaging topics

Incorporate interleaved learning shadowing and timeboxing into your daily study routine for the most efficient results

KEY POINTS

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

22

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

LEARN PRONUNCIATION4

It will pay off huge dividends later

EARLY AND WELL

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

At Mandarin Blueprint we take pronunciation very seriously This is

mainly because we know first-hand the negative effects of poor

pronunciation instruction

Bad pronunciation slows the development of your listening reading

and speaking ability which is bad enough But by far the most

profoundly painful outcome of poor pronunciation is the damage done

to your lsquolearnerrsquos egorsquo early on When you are misunderstood partially

understood or not at all understood it hurts your confidence You then

associate speaking Chinese with negative emotions and become less

and less willing to start talking Itrsquos a vicious cycle of negativity that we

want you to avoid

HERErsquoS A PROBLEM WE WANT YOU TO HAVE 1 A Chinese person asks you a simple question that you understand

2 You answer the question with simple Chinese but with great

pronunciation

3 The Chinese person listening to you immediately assumes you

speak incredible Chinese and proceeds to unload a litany of

questions and comments

4 After an awkward silence you say 听不不懂 (tīngbudǒng) which

means ldquoI donrsquot understandrdquo

5 The Chinese person laughs asks a few more questions before

realizing you were actually serious Awkwardness intensifies

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

24

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

THE SKINNY ON MANDARIN PRONUNCIATION If you want excellent spoken Chinese you first need to be completely

aware of how to produce understand and read all of the sounds of the

language Some people can do all this naturally by ear with very little

training Unfortunately the law of averages states that you are most likely

not in this group Sorry -(

Not to worry though With only 409 different-sounding syllables (1200 if

you include tones) Chinese has relatively little to learn in terms of

pronunciation especially when compared to the 16000+ syllables of

English There are however many challenging and potentially confusing

aspects to Chinese pronunciation which means that you can learn what

you need to know about pronunciation in a relatively short time but you

need high quality expert guidance and study materials to do it

TUTORS ARENrsquoT ALWAYS THE WAY TO GO If you want to learn pronunciation it seems like a logical decision would

be to look for a tutor right Unfortunately most teachers do not have

the knowledge or experience to teach you Chinese pronunciation

well But why is this Well theyrsquove spoken mandarin since they can

remember right They have no frame of reference for comparing tongue

positions or vowel aspiration to English so how could they explain it to a

foreigner How would they know what it feels like to learn Mandarin

pronunciation as an adult

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

25

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoThe first thing I have to do to erase my french accent is to believe itrsquos actually possiblerdquo

- Marion Cotillard

26

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

There are fantastic tutors out there who can teach you pronunciation

properly but they can be like finding a needle in a haystack Not to

mention with the hourly rates you are likely to rack up hundreds of

dollars in fees for average results

INTRODUCING ldquoPRONUNCIATION MASTERYrdquo Wersquove been training our clients on pronunciation through live sessions of

our Pronunciation Mastery course for 2 years now and the results have

been fantastic Wersquove now finally finished transforming it into an 8 hour

video course that will teach you everything you need to know about

Chinese pronunciation all from the unique perspective of us Two

Chinese learners who made the journey ourselves from beginner to

advanced fluency This is all delivered using HD video crystal clear

explanations supported with slick design over a thousand multimedia

SRS flashcards over 80 PDFs amp native audio for reference and review

Wersquove put our hearts and souls into this course along with our extensive

experience and feedback from live teaching over the past 2 years Plus

itrsquos already helped hundreds of Chinese learners around the world Itrsquos

the video course we would have wanted when we were starting out

with Mandarin

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

27

CHECK IT OUT

Luke Neale

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

NEXT TIME Wersquoll dive into the topic of Chinese tutors Wersquoll be

sharing with you where to find the best free and paid tutors how

to work with them in the most efficient and fun way possible

Pronunciation is the vital first stage for learning any language

Bad pronunciation affects all other areas of your Chinese skill but most importantly it hurts your confidence

Compared to English there is much less to learn to master Chinese pronunciation

Chinese teachers rarely have the training and experience necessary to teach you pronunciation properly

Mandarin Blueprintrsquos ldquoPronunciation Masteryrdquo course has everything you need to develop great pronunciation quickly and cheaply Check it out today

KEY POINTS

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

28

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

USE TUTORS

Connect with them regularly

EFFECTIVELY

5

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You will notice that this is way down the list of tips for speaking like a

native speaker Thatrsquos because it actually isnrsquot the highest priority straight

away at least not anymore The sheer number of resources available

to you as a Chinese learner today means that you can do most things

you need to do on your own without a tutor As avid Chinese learners

ourselves we can both attest to this fact However a tutor is an

absolutely vital part of your journey to spoken fluency and to get the

most out of them you need to know how to work with them

First off what is a tutor for exactly Itrsquos not as obvious an answer as you

may think Understandably most people get a tutor straight from the

beginning hoping to receive all the materials and guidance they need

to make them fluent and literate in Chinese This is a lot to expect of

anyone let alone someone who never actually learned Chinese as a

second language So what are reasonable expectations to have then

THE ROLE OF A CHINESE TUTOR 1) FOR ACTIVATING PASSIVE VOCABULARY

Go into a session and try to use the words yoursquove been learning through

listening and reading Focus on steering the conversation to topics

you find meaningful and interesting Agree on these topics in advance

A good tutor is a good communicator someone who can speak to you

in a way they know you understand and ask you the right questions to

keep a conversation going Push your limits of what you know and ask a

lot of questions on how to use any words you arenrsquot sure about

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

30

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Mistakes are fine but donrsquot try and make up how to use a word or phrase

if you donrsquot already know Just ask If your tutor misses mistakes too

often they could turn into bad habits and you really donrsquot want that

2) FOR IDENTIFYING AND FIXING PROBLEMS

We prefer to have a nice chat of between 5 and 30 minutes during which

the tutor is making notes about anything you need to improve upon After

the time is up or the conversation has hit a dead-end the tutor can go

through your mistakes with you and do some directed practice to fix any

recurring issues This can be done as often as you like or just at the very

end of each session Make flashcards with example sentences

targeting the words or phrases you got wrong

3) FOR PROVIDING TRUE ENCOURAGEMENT

True encouragement is when a tutor notices where yoursquove improved and

points it out but also communicates your potential for improvement

Blindly repeating ldquo真棒 zhēn bagravengrdquo (rdquoGreat jobrdquo) all the time is false

encouragement and it can lead to complacency After all Chinese

people will already be giving you plenty of compliments about your

Mandarin the last thing you need is your paid tutor making your head

even bigger If a tutor provides true encouragement regularly yoursquore

golden If not ask them to or get another tutor

4) FOR FINDING LEVEL-APPROPRIATE AND ENGAGING CONTENT

This one is not to be expected of every tutor certainly not unprompted

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

31

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Directly ask them to find you listening and reading materials that you

might be interested in You may be very surprised at what they find for

you Some incredible content may be hidden away from the mainstream

and you may need a native person to help you discover those little gems

you might otherwise miss out on

TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR STUDY Figure out a kind of lesson structure yoursquore comfortable with that

suits your goals and interests Possible approaches include

Focus on a bunch of words yoursquove been learning and how to use

them

Choose several interesting topics and have an open conversation

Discuss a news article comic book or tv episode you saw recently

Whatever it is plan it out briefly beforehand and make it clear with your

tutor how you would like the lesson to go You have to take the reins if

you want the most bang for your buck If you donrsquot what yoursquoll get is what

the tutor wants to give you which will most likely be a textbook and

discussion of boring topics

HOW TO FIND GREAT TUTORS We would highly recommend finding tutors online as opposed to face-

to-face Herersquos why

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

32

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

1 You have a reasonable guarantee of quality Community star ratings

are commonplace

2 Far more convenient You can get online and be talking to a qualified

tutor for a few dollars an hour within a few minutes Enough said

3 Much better value for money Even if yoursquore living in China tutors still

work out cheaper online When you account for the time and effort it

takes to meet with a stranger face-to-face and the higher turnover of

tutors due to poor or quickly declining quality of lessons online tutors

are almost always more cost-effective

If you want to get online fast and take high quality online sessions with a

tutor a great resource is wwwitalkicom You can find both paid tutors

and unpaid language exchange partners here Invest a few dollars and

hours a month and it will pay off hugely for you

Italki offers tutoring in a huge range of lanugages but the vast majority of

the teachers just use skype for their lessons This is fine but you may be

surprised at the level of functionality of other Chinese-only services such

as wwwtutormandarincom

Instead of just a video call you get a live visual presentation showing

text and highlighted areas that makes everything much clearer and

more engaging This way you can practice your reading alongside your

speaking and listening all with live instruction

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

33

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

They offer a free 1-to-1 consultation and language evaluation before you

signup for anything so it canrsquot hurt to try them out

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to talk about immersion and how you

can do it regardless of your lifestyle or location to greatly improve

your speaking ability

Take control of your time with tutors making sure to point out clearly beforehand what you need from them and what your expectations are

Online tutors used in the capacity wersquove suggested are generally more time and cost-effective than face-to-face tutors even if you are in China Make the most of your study time by going for the former unless you have a guarantee of value

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

Tutors should be treated as a learning resource rather than your study gurus Their main function is to serve as a great communicator who can help you activate vocabulary and stay motivated

KEY POINTS

34

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

6IMMERSE YOURSELF

Be with Chinese as often as possible

IN CHINESE

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion deserves itrsquos own e-book all by itself as itrsquos such a deep and

varied topic but there are a few things to remember that will allow you

to immerse yourself in Chinese easily wherever you are

HOW TO IMMERSE YOURSELF First of all immersion doesnrsquot necessarily entail never speaking your

native language and ignoring your friends and family Immersion in itrsquos

most manageable form is simply being in touch with Chinese

regularly throughout the day This is doable outside China and even

with a family and a full-time job to boot Herersquos how we do it

CHANGE YOUR ENVIRONMENT

Make sure that Chinese is within 1 foot of your body at all times Ten

years ago that would have meant taping books and Chinese people

around your waist which would have been inconvenient and almost

definitely illegal Now we have these magical devices in our pockets

everywhere we go and most of us have computers or tablets as well

Always be looking for more and more level-appropriate reading and

listening materials and fill your devices with them Whenever you get

bored or frustrated with something drop it for something else You can

be picky even at beginner level Most of the time if you donrsquot enjoy

something itrsquos because you arenrsquot ready for it yet anyway Just go back

to it a few weeks or months down the line

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

36

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Organize the apps on your smart phone for reading listening speaking

and even writing Chinese so you can tap them whenever you have a

spare few minutes This makes it as easy as possible to immerse yourself

in something wherever and whenever

MAKE BETTER USE OF YOUR TIME

Listen to Chinese whenever yoursquore traveling anywhere working out

doing flashcards or housework If you have your eyes andor mouth free

as well do some interleaved learning or shadowing (see tip 4)

The key is starting not finishing Just do something for 1-15 minutes

10-20 times a day as opposed to trying to set aside large chunks of time

which either cause you to procrastinate or burn out

TALK TO LANGUAGE EXCHANGE PARTNERS

It might get expensive meeting with paid tutors every day which creates

an excuse to not practice speaking But there are more and more great

apps that allow you to connect and exchange with native Chinese

speakers for free Our favorite language exchange apps are pictured

on the next page

TALK TO YOURSELF

Yes it might feel a bit weird but it works as a decent substitute to a paid

tutor or language exchange partner Anything going through your head

just try to blurt out in Chinese Wear earphones to make it appear you are

talking on the phone so you donrsquot get placed into a mental institution

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

37

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoTime is what we want most but what we use worstrdquo

- William Penn

38

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion is doable regardless of your lifestyle Just be around Chinese many times throughout the day

Listen while doing pretty much anything Itrsquos the part of language learning that takes the least conscious effort to improve

Connect with language exchange partners via free apps Spend a few minutes chatting here and there Even talking to yourself can be really effective

KEY POINTS

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk about how to maintain a calm and positive

attitude when struggling to improve your speaking skills Wersquoll

also go into how to take criticism well and even enjoy making

mistakes6

IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

39

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

BE COOL7

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot be touchy when you get corrections or criticism even if it comes

across as harsh People rarely correct you for free and if you react

badly when they do that will probably be the last time they help you

When you arenrsquot understood just assume itrsquos never their problem It

actually might be sometimes but just assume it isnrsquot

People tend to put a lot of their pride and ego into their Chinese ability

because it takes a lot of time and effort to get good and it is a very rare

skill However just know that only when you really start to get good at

something do you realize how little you know Donrsquot fall into that trap

because you will be in for a rude awakening down the line Take your

ego out of the equation and have a great time Laugh at yourself

Itrsquos all just a game

LEARN TO ACCEPT UNCERTAINTY You will forget words yoursquove reviewed and heard for months

You will forget grammar structures yoursquove spoken correctly 10 times

before

You will get utterly lost in conversation after thinking yoursquove had a

breakthrough in your skill level

Take a deep breath Itrsquos all part of the process

7BE COOL

41

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoCriticism may not be agreeable but it is necessary It fulfils the same function as pain

in the human body It calls attention to an

unhealthy state of things - Winston Churchill

42

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Wersquove already mentioned the importance of good output Too many

mistakes without being corrected can lead to bad habits but mistakes

are inevitable Even if you follow our advice you will still have trouble

sometimes Enjoy being wronghellipevery mistake or misunderstanding

can bring you closer to fluency The key is to not worry about what you

canrsquot say just take note of it and take action Try to say something and it

came out as gibberish Make a note and try it out next time you get the

chance Get a flashcard completely wrong Good Less likely to next time

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to be sharing with you our favorite

speaking hacks that will instantly have you speaking Chinese

much more like a native and with less effort

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously Learning Chinese is just a game Enjoy yourself and take criticism with a smile

Mistakes when speaking and reviewing are inevitable and an important part of the learning process

KEY POINTS

7BE COOL

43

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

8USE THESE

Speak ldquorealrdquo Chinese

SPEAKING HACKS

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

OUR FAVORITE SPEAKING HACKS Apply even one of these techniques to your day-to-day speaking and

you will not only sound more native but will also find it much easier

to speak in general

SPEAK WITH FLUENCY

Fluency is not knowing every word It is simply the ability to say what it is

you want to say accurately using the vocabulary that you have Donrsquot

know how to say ldquointernational traderdquo Just say ldquowhen one country buys

and sells things with another countryrdquo After you say this your

conversation partner will likely say ldquooh yeah thatrsquos lsquointernational tradersquordquo

Boom New word learned within the emotional context of the

conversation to boot The key is when you donrsquot know a word donrsquot

just give up Instead do your best to explain what you want to say

with the vocabulary you have

SLOW DOWN

Speaking at around 80 of your normal rate wonrsquot sound weird at all and

it will improve both your pronunciation and your fluency instantly

Speaking more slowly gives your mouth and tongue muscles time to

get into position before a sound is made which is very helpful for those

sounds that donrsquot exist in English Plus it gives you a few extra

microseconds to think of something to say in conversation Combine

this with the next 2 hacks and yoursquore really in businesshellip

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

45

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoFake it until you make itrdquo - Steven Tyler

46

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

USE ldquoFILLERSrdquo

Everyone (including Chinese people) use these all the time in their

various native languages Why would you give yourself less of a chance

than a native speaker would to sound fluent Thatrsquos just crazy Here are

the top five uhh er umhelliprdquofillersrdquo

ēnhellip jiugraveshihellip negraveigehellip zhegraveigehellip raacutenhograveuhellip

Throw one or more of these utterances anywhere you like Put them in

every sentence if you feel the need Chinese people wonrsquot notice as they

do it too

USE CONVERSATION CONNECTORS

This is a term coined by Anthony Lauder referring to those everyday

fixed phrases that you say at the beginning middle or end of a sentence

to dress up what you want to say Here are some examples

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

我想告诉你hellip woacute xiǎng gagraveosu nǐhellip

Irsquod like you to know thathellip

你别介意不过hellip nǐ bieacute jiegraveyigrave buacuteguogravehellip Dont be upset buthellip

就像你已经知道的hellip jiugrave xiagraveng niacute yǐjīng zhīdagraveo dehellip

As you already know

多数情况hellip dagrave duō shugrave qiacutengkuagraveng

Most of the timehellip

47

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot give up so easily if you canrsquot think of a word you want to use Just use more common words to describe it

Speaking a bit slower will give you more time to think of what to say and will usually go unnoticed by a native speaker

Throw in fillers and fixed expressions to sound more like a native speaker and give yourself more time to speak at the same time

You can even thrown in English words to fill in the gaps if the above suggestions arenrsquot on the table Many young educated Chinese people do this anyway

KEY POINTS

USE ENGLISH WORDS

As a last ditch effort if you really donrsquot have the energy to ldquouse fluencyrdquo to

describe a word yoursquove forgotten just say the English word Younger

more educated Chinese speakers are likely to have a decent English

level and they themselves also like to throw in the odd English word into

conversation so itrsquos fine to follow suit At very least it keeps conversation

going to the next topic where you remember the Chinese words

NEXT TIME For our next installment in this series wersquore going to

get into the role writing has on your speaking how to write what

to write and where amp when to write Itrsquos not at all as intimidating

(or boring) as you may think

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

48

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Combine any and all of these tips to your speaking at any time to make yourself speak better instantly8

USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

49

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

WRITE REGULARLY9

Supercharge your active vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Many beginners (and higher levels too) struggle with the frustration of

not being able to express their thoughts and feelings properly in

Chinese Even with many months and years of practice they can still feel

like the words just arenrsquot there when they need them Wersquove already

given you a bunch of steps you can take to solve this problem and we

realize that writing may be an unexpected additional step but trust us

when we say how valuable it can be

WHY WRITING IMPROVES SPEAKING IT DEMANDS FOCUS AND ATTENTION

Writing practice is the aspect of language learning that involves the

most focus and attention as you have to think about every word as you

write Just like reading writing is a slow process at first but after a short

period of regular practice you can almost hear the ldquoclicksrdquo as the words

you write become part of your vocabulary which can now be used

when you practice speaking with your tutor After all writing and

speaking are both expressive forms of communication using similar

mental processes

IT ACTIVATES VOCABULARY VERY EFFECTIVELY

Writing may just be the ultimate way to solidify your understanding of

the words and phrases yoursquove acquired through reading and listening It

may be even more effective than speaking

9WRITEREGULARLY

51

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WRITING IS MORE PERSONAL

After some practice you can start to write in your own personal style

using your own ldquovoicerdquo which naturally makes the process much more

enjoyable Writing a journal is the best way to access this benefit Posting

thoughts in Chinese on social media is another option especially for

lower levels

WRITING GIVES YOU MORE TIME TO FORMULATE THOUGHTS

Writing gives you time to think and practice the language

simultaneously whereas with speaking there is little opportunity to

really contemplate all the various ways of expressing a thought unless

you have an extremely patient (and masochistic) paid tutor

EVEN IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER YOU CAN STILL WRITE

If you donrsquot have much vocabulary you can still practice writing Just

write individual sentences or phrases Look at example sentences and

try to re-write them using slightly different vocabulary Remember just as

the incredible graded readers we talked about in chapter 4 can be

written with just a few select words and characters you too can write a

surprising amount using the small vocabulary you have at your disposal

5 INCREDIBLE WRITING TIPS GO FOR QUANTITY

Write every day Write a blog or WeChat post write individual sentences

9WRITEREGULARLY

52

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoWriting to me is simply thinking through my fingersrdquo

- Isaac Asimov

53

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

write a question on how to write something write anything You should

write something everyday and make a routine out of it The more

content the better but donrsquot ask too much of yourself or you will burn out

and not want to do it for weeks

An added bonus to writing regularly is the ability to look back on your

previous writing practice after a few weeks or months and see how far

yoursquove come This is called ldquobenchmarkingrdquo which wersquoll talk about more

next time

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT

Write about something or someone you love Write about a problem

yoursquore having Write about your goals and dreams Write about a book

you read or a youtube video you watched Write about what yoursquove

learned or would like to learn Write a journal When you do this your

own personality will shine through in your writing which will make the

words and structures you practice far more memorable

9WRITEREGULARLY

54

AIM FOR ZERO MISTAKES

Thatrsquos correct ZERO mistakes Think about what you write Take your time

to think before you put pen to paper or keyboard and look up example

sentences for words you donrsquot quite know how to use If you do these

things you will produce correct output which is fantastic for your

language skills Bad output leads to what Thatrsquos right bad habits

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

GET CORRECTIONS

Writing and getting corrections will help you notice very quickly the

patterns and structures in Chinese This attentiveness will pay off when

it comes to speaking reading and listening too

USE A WRITING SOFTWARE

Try Ommwriter Flowstate Awriter or similar writing apps designed for

writers to get you into the flow of writing

MAKE FLASHCARDS OUT OF YOUR MISTAKES

Create ultra-personalised reviewable content by taking any corrected

sentences and making a flashcard out of it

Try to combine regular speaking practice with regular writing

practice from now on and see for yourself how fast your fluency

improves

NEXT TIME For our final installment in this series wersquore going to

focus on continuing to improve your Chinese when you start to

plateau and the going getrsquos tough

9WRITEREGULARLY

55

Share your writing with a paid language exchange partner or tutor Check

out HiNative for a great place to get corrections on your writing and ask

general questions about how to use Chinese from native speakers

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Writing is a similar mental process as speaking with some important differences that can make it a more attractive outputting method under certain circumstances

Writing makes you more easily notice things about Chinese helps you activate passive vocabulary creates more personal connections to the language and gives you more time to convey your thoughts than speaking does

You can write at any level

Write as often as you can but donrsquot burn out

Write about things you care about and are passionate about so you can really enjoy the process and create more emotional connections that improve your retention

Aim not to make any mistakes because bad output means bad habits This is much easier to accomplish than with speaking as you have more time to think

Get your writing corrected by paid or free native speakers Make flashcards for words or structures you get wrong

KEY POINTS9WRITEREGULARLY

56

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

10SHARPEN THE SAW

Keep moving forward

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 17: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You will first need to get at least a couple of hundred of the most

common words under your belt before being ready to start reading

sentences

Sentences should be 4-9 words in length on average Long enough

to show a decent level of context and demonstrate a grammatical

structure or two but not so long that it becomes too hard to focus on

a single concept

Your sentences should be informal so they can be applicable to real

life

Just reading sentences is a good start but using the ldquocloze deleterdquo

function with anki (shown below) or wwwclozemastercom is

especially effective as it forces you to work a little harder

Add an image or two to sum up the ldquomessagerdquo of the sentence and

create deeper connections to the word(s)

At the time of writing this chapter our favorite resource for finding

Chinese sentences is bingcomdict (pictured left)

Our new course The Mandarin Blueprint Method contains all of the

flashcards and memory techniques you need to learn the most

common 1000 Chinese words Click below to start your free trial

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

17

LEARN MORE

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

After starting to review words in sentences move onto the next vital

resourcehellip

GRADED READERS You donrsquot have to wait until yoursquove acquired 1000s of characters and

words before you start reading Not by a long shot You can start

reading articles short stories and podcast transcripts with as little

as 150 characters and words Here are our favorite resources to do so

LINGQ (PICTURED)

LingQ is an aggregated graded reader that has content sourced from all

over the internet including tons of proprietary material Higher level

learners can also import any content they want from elsewhere We are

currently reading A Song of Ice and Fire in Chinese using LingQ and are

addicted to itrsquos incredible functionality The best part about it is that itrsquos

quick look-up feature allows you to read material above your level that

would normally be far too frustrating in book form As if that wasnrsquot good

enough they also have excellent SRS functionality amp the ability to export

words to Anki

THE CHAIRMANrsquoS BAO (TCB)

The Chairmanrsquos Bao have real news articles edited for different HSK

levels (even HSK 1) Yes with only a couple of hundred characters and

words you can be reading real news articles in Chinese This site is being

updated with new fantastic features all the time and has a great app too

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

18

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoYou donrsquot know a person because you know their

name and you donrsquot know a word because you know itrsquos

definitionrdquo- Khatzumoto of ajattcom

19

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

MANDARIN COMPANION

Do you prefer the feel of a real book in your hands These books can be

read with only 300-450 characters under your belt They have a bunch of

classics for lower levels that are still compelling despite being heavily

edited

GO FOR EFFICIENCY To get the most out of that precious hour or two each day that most of

us can spare for language learning make sure you use the following

techniques for maximum return on your time investment

INTERLEAVING

Studies have shown that it is more efficient in the long term to flit

between various different types of content within a study session than to

learn one thing at a time in blocks This is referred to as ldquointerleavingrdquo or

ldquointerleaved learningrdquo Donrsquot spend hours pouring over the same material

mix it up Not only will this be way more engaging yoursquoll also progress

faster

TIMEBOXING

Using timeboxing (also known as ldquoThe Pomodoro Techniquerdquo) will

greatly enhance the efficiency and enjoyment of your study

Traditionally you should study for 25 minutes then rest for 5 minutes

then repeat This means 50 minutes of focused study per hour instead of

15 minutes of study and 45 minutes daydreaming and looking at

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

20

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You can also do all sorts of time-boxes for variety Anywhere from 30

seconds to 25 minutes with 25 minutes being the maximum We love to

combine timeboxing with interleaving working on 2 or 3 different study

resources at a time with really short time-boxes For example a few

minutes on learning characters then reviewing flashcards then listening

to a podcast then resting This turns a study session into a fun game

doing wonders for your motivation

LISTEN WHILE READING

Listening is the easiest and most convenient way of improving learning as

itrsquos hands-free and you can focus on other things while doing it However

if you can read what you hear at the same time the benefits multiply

to be greater than the sum of its parts The reading makes it easier to

understand what you hear and what you hear improves your reading

speed If you choose material either at or slightly above your level and try

this technique out it really feels like yoursquore super-charging your Chinese

ability

SHADOWING

This is a technique made famous by Professor Alexander Arguelles

Shadowing is reading listening and speaking all at the same time Do

it while out and about for best results Just a few minutes a day of this will

improve pronunciation spoken fluency reading and listening

simultaneously We do it almost everyday and it really does speed up the

acquisition process more than anything else wersquove tried Just make sure

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

21

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

you choose a voice to imitate that yoursquod actually like to sound like

(especially when you choose the dialect or gender of the speaker) Herersquos

a video of The prof himself talking about the technique in more detail

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk to you all about how good pronunciation

practice improves your speaking ability listening ability amp even

reading ability plus wersquoll talk about where to find the best

resources to pronounce Chinese like a native speaker

Using spaced repetition is vital for your early days learning Chinese (or any language for that matter)

Learning characters is an unavoidable step in learning Chinese

You must see new words in a sentence before you can acquire them Reading graded readers is even better as it provides more context and engaging topics

Incorporate interleaved learning shadowing and timeboxing into your daily study routine for the most efficient results

KEY POINTS

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

22

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

LEARN PRONUNCIATION4

It will pay off huge dividends later

EARLY AND WELL

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

At Mandarin Blueprint we take pronunciation very seriously This is

mainly because we know first-hand the negative effects of poor

pronunciation instruction

Bad pronunciation slows the development of your listening reading

and speaking ability which is bad enough But by far the most

profoundly painful outcome of poor pronunciation is the damage done

to your lsquolearnerrsquos egorsquo early on When you are misunderstood partially

understood or not at all understood it hurts your confidence You then

associate speaking Chinese with negative emotions and become less

and less willing to start talking Itrsquos a vicious cycle of negativity that we

want you to avoid

HERErsquoS A PROBLEM WE WANT YOU TO HAVE 1 A Chinese person asks you a simple question that you understand

2 You answer the question with simple Chinese but with great

pronunciation

3 The Chinese person listening to you immediately assumes you

speak incredible Chinese and proceeds to unload a litany of

questions and comments

4 After an awkward silence you say 听不不懂 (tīngbudǒng) which

means ldquoI donrsquot understandrdquo

5 The Chinese person laughs asks a few more questions before

realizing you were actually serious Awkwardness intensifies

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

24

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

THE SKINNY ON MANDARIN PRONUNCIATION If you want excellent spoken Chinese you first need to be completely

aware of how to produce understand and read all of the sounds of the

language Some people can do all this naturally by ear with very little

training Unfortunately the law of averages states that you are most likely

not in this group Sorry -(

Not to worry though With only 409 different-sounding syllables (1200 if

you include tones) Chinese has relatively little to learn in terms of

pronunciation especially when compared to the 16000+ syllables of

English There are however many challenging and potentially confusing

aspects to Chinese pronunciation which means that you can learn what

you need to know about pronunciation in a relatively short time but you

need high quality expert guidance and study materials to do it

TUTORS ARENrsquoT ALWAYS THE WAY TO GO If you want to learn pronunciation it seems like a logical decision would

be to look for a tutor right Unfortunately most teachers do not have

the knowledge or experience to teach you Chinese pronunciation

well But why is this Well theyrsquove spoken mandarin since they can

remember right They have no frame of reference for comparing tongue

positions or vowel aspiration to English so how could they explain it to a

foreigner How would they know what it feels like to learn Mandarin

pronunciation as an adult

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

25

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoThe first thing I have to do to erase my french accent is to believe itrsquos actually possiblerdquo

- Marion Cotillard

26

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

There are fantastic tutors out there who can teach you pronunciation

properly but they can be like finding a needle in a haystack Not to

mention with the hourly rates you are likely to rack up hundreds of

dollars in fees for average results

INTRODUCING ldquoPRONUNCIATION MASTERYrdquo Wersquove been training our clients on pronunciation through live sessions of

our Pronunciation Mastery course for 2 years now and the results have

been fantastic Wersquove now finally finished transforming it into an 8 hour

video course that will teach you everything you need to know about

Chinese pronunciation all from the unique perspective of us Two

Chinese learners who made the journey ourselves from beginner to

advanced fluency This is all delivered using HD video crystal clear

explanations supported with slick design over a thousand multimedia

SRS flashcards over 80 PDFs amp native audio for reference and review

Wersquove put our hearts and souls into this course along with our extensive

experience and feedback from live teaching over the past 2 years Plus

itrsquos already helped hundreds of Chinese learners around the world Itrsquos

the video course we would have wanted when we were starting out

with Mandarin

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

27

CHECK IT OUT

Luke Neale

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

NEXT TIME Wersquoll dive into the topic of Chinese tutors Wersquoll be

sharing with you where to find the best free and paid tutors how

to work with them in the most efficient and fun way possible

Pronunciation is the vital first stage for learning any language

Bad pronunciation affects all other areas of your Chinese skill but most importantly it hurts your confidence

Compared to English there is much less to learn to master Chinese pronunciation

Chinese teachers rarely have the training and experience necessary to teach you pronunciation properly

Mandarin Blueprintrsquos ldquoPronunciation Masteryrdquo course has everything you need to develop great pronunciation quickly and cheaply Check it out today

KEY POINTS

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

28

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

USE TUTORS

Connect with them regularly

EFFECTIVELY

5

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You will notice that this is way down the list of tips for speaking like a

native speaker Thatrsquos because it actually isnrsquot the highest priority straight

away at least not anymore The sheer number of resources available

to you as a Chinese learner today means that you can do most things

you need to do on your own without a tutor As avid Chinese learners

ourselves we can both attest to this fact However a tutor is an

absolutely vital part of your journey to spoken fluency and to get the

most out of them you need to know how to work with them

First off what is a tutor for exactly Itrsquos not as obvious an answer as you

may think Understandably most people get a tutor straight from the

beginning hoping to receive all the materials and guidance they need

to make them fluent and literate in Chinese This is a lot to expect of

anyone let alone someone who never actually learned Chinese as a

second language So what are reasonable expectations to have then

THE ROLE OF A CHINESE TUTOR 1) FOR ACTIVATING PASSIVE VOCABULARY

Go into a session and try to use the words yoursquove been learning through

listening and reading Focus on steering the conversation to topics

you find meaningful and interesting Agree on these topics in advance

A good tutor is a good communicator someone who can speak to you

in a way they know you understand and ask you the right questions to

keep a conversation going Push your limits of what you know and ask a

lot of questions on how to use any words you arenrsquot sure about

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

30

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Mistakes are fine but donrsquot try and make up how to use a word or phrase

if you donrsquot already know Just ask If your tutor misses mistakes too

often they could turn into bad habits and you really donrsquot want that

2) FOR IDENTIFYING AND FIXING PROBLEMS

We prefer to have a nice chat of between 5 and 30 minutes during which

the tutor is making notes about anything you need to improve upon After

the time is up or the conversation has hit a dead-end the tutor can go

through your mistakes with you and do some directed practice to fix any

recurring issues This can be done as often as you like or just at the very

end of each session Make flashcards with example sentences

targeting the words or phrases you got wrong

3) FOR PROVIDING TRUE ENCOURAGEMENT

True encouragement is when a tutor notices where yoursquove improved and

points it out but also communicates your potential for improvement

Blindly repeating ldquo真棒 zhēn bagravengrdquo (rdquoGreat jobrdquo) all the time is false

encouragement and it can lead to complacency After all Chinese

people will already be giving you plenty of compliments about your

Mandarin the last thing you need is your paid tutor making your head

even bigger If a tutor provides true encouragement regularly yoursquore

golden If not ask them to or get another tutor

4) FOR FINDING LEVEL-APPROPRIATE AND ENGAGING CONTENT

This one is not to be expected of every tutor certainly not unprompted

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

31

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Directly ask them to find you listening and reading materials that you

might be interested in You may be very surprised at what they find for

you Some incredible content may be hidden away from the mainstream

and you may need a native person to help you discover those little gems

you might otherwise miss out on

TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR STUDY Figure out a kind of lesson structure yoursquore comfortable with that

suits your goals and interests Possible approaches include

Focus on a bunch of words yoursquove been learning and how to use

them

Choose several interesting topics and have an open conversation

Discuss a news article comic book or tv episode you saw recently

Whatever it is plan it out briefly beforehand and make it clear with your

tutor how you would like the lesson to go You have to take the reins if

you want the most bang for your buck If you donrsquot what yoursquoll get is what

the tutor wants to give you which will most likely be a textbook and

discussion of boring topics

HOW TO FIND GREAT TUTORS We would highly recommend finding tutors online as opposed to face-

to-face Herersquos why

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

32

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

1 You have a reasonable guarantee of quality Community star ratings

are commonplace

2 Far more convenient You can get online and be talking to a qualified

tutor for a few dollars an hour within a few minutes Enough said

3 Much better value for money Even if yoursquore living in China tutors still

work out cheaper online When you account for the time and effort it

takes to meet with a stranger face-to-face and the higher turnover of

tutors due to poor or quickly declining quality of lessons online tutors

are almost always more cost-effective

If you want to get online fast and take high quality online sessions with a

tutor a great resource is wwwitalkicom You can find both paid tutors

and unpaid language exchange partners here Invest a few dollars and

hours a month and it will pay off hugely for you

Italki offers tutoring in a huge range of lanugages but the vast majority of

the teachers just use skype for their lessons This is fine but you may be

surprised at the level of functionality of other Chinese-only services such

as wwwtutormandarincom

Instead of just a video call you get a live visual presentation showing

text and highlighted areas that makes everything much clearer and

more engaging This way you can practice your reading alongside your

speaking and listening all with live instruction

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

33

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

They offer a free 1-to-1 consultation and language evaluation before you

signup for anything so it canrsquot hurt to try them out

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to talk about immersion and how you

can do it regardless of your lifestyle or location to greatly improve

your speaking ability

Take control of your time with tutors making sure to point out clearly beforehand what you need from them and what your expectations are

Online tutors used in the capacity wersquove suggested are generally more time and cost-effective than face-to-face tutors even if you are in China Make the most of your study time by going for the former unless you have a guarantee of value

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

Tutors should be treated as a learning resource rather than your study gurus Their main function is to serve as a great communicator who can help you activate vocabulary and stay motivated

KEY POINTS

34

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

6IMMERSE YOURSELF

Be with Chinese as often as possible

IN CHINESE

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion deserves itrsquos own e-book all by itself as itrsquos such a deep and

varied topic but there are a few things to remember that will allow you

to immerse yourself in Chinese easily wherever you are

HOW TO IMMERSE YOURSELF First of all immersion doesnrsquot necessarily entail never speaking your

native language and ignoring your friends and family Immersion in itrsquos

most manageable form is simply being in touch with Chinese

regularly throughout the day This is doable outside China and even

with a family and a full-time job to boot Herersquos how we do it

CHANGE YOUR ENVIRONMENT

Make sure that Chinese is within 1 foot of your body at all times Ten

years ago that would have meant taping books and Chinese people

around your waist which would have been inconvenient and almost

definitely illegal Now we have these magical devices in our pockets

everywhere we go and most of us have computers or tablets as well

Always be looking for more and more level-appropriate reading and

listening materials and fill your devices with them Whenever you get

bored or frustrated with something drop it for something else You can

be picky even at beginner level Most of the time if you donrsquot enjoy

something itrsquos because you arenrsquot ready for it yet anyway Just go back

to it a few weeks or months down the line

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

36

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Organize the apps on your smart phone for reading listening speaking

and even writing Chinese so you can tap them whenever you have a

spare few minutes This makes it as easy as possible to immerse yourself

in something wherever and whenever

MAKE BETTER USE OF YOUR TIME

Listen to Chinese whenever yoursquore traveling anywhere working out

doing flashcards or housework If you have your eyes andor mouth free

as well do some interleaved learning or shadowing (see tip 4)

The key is starting not finishing Just do something for 1-15 minutes

10-20 times a day as opposed to trying to set aside large chunks of time

which either cause you to procrastinate or burn out

TALK TO LANGUAGE EXCHANGE PARTNERS

It might get expensive meeting with paid tutors every day which creates

an excuse to not practice speaking But there are more and more great

apps that allow you to connect and exchange with native Chinese

speakers for free Our favorite language exchange apps are pictured

on the next page

TALK TO YOURSELF

Yes it might feel a bit weird but it works as a decent substitute to a paid

tutor or language exchange partner Anything going through your head

just try to blurt out in Chinese Wear earphones to make it appear you are

talking on the phone so you donrsquot get placed into a mental institution

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

37

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoTime is what we want most but what we use worstrdquo

- William Penn

38

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion is doable regardless of your lifestyle Just be around Chinese many times throughout the day

Listen while doing pretty much anything Itrsquos the part of language learning that takes the least conscious effort to improve

Connect with language exchange partners via free apps Spend a few minutes chatting here and there Even talking to yourself can be really effective

KEY POINTS

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk about how to maintain a calm and positive

attitude when struggling to improve your speaking skills Wersquoll

also go into how to take criticism well and even enjoy making

mistakes6

IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

39

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

BE COOL7

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot be touchy when you get corrections or criticism even if it comes

across as harsh People rarely correct you for free and if you react

badly when they do that will probably be the last time they help you

When you arenrsquot understood just assume itrsquos never their problem It

actually might be sometimes but just assume it isnrsquot

People tend to put a lot of their pride and ego into their Chinese ability

because it takes a lot of time and effort to get good and it is a very rare

skill However just know that only when you really start to get good at

something do you realize how little you know Donrsquot fall into that trap

because you will be in for a rude awakening down the line Take your

ego out of the equation and have a great time Laugh at yourself

Itrsquos all just a game

LEARN TO ACCEPT UNCERTAINTY You will forget words yoursquove reviewed and heard for months

You will forget grammar structures yoursquove spoken correctly 10 times

before

You will get utterly lost in conversation after thinking yoursquove had a

breakthrough in your skill level

Take a deep breath Itrsquos all part of the process

7BE COOL

41

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoCriticism may not be agreeable but it is necessary It fulfils the same function as pain

in the human body It calls attention to an

unhealthy state of things - Winston Churchill

42

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Wersquove already mentioned the importance of good output Too many

mistakes without being corrected can lead to bad habits but mistakes

are inevitable Even if you follow our advice you will still have trouble

sometimes Enjoy being wronghellipevery mistake or misunderstanding

can bring you closer to fluency The key is to not worry about what you

canrsquot say just take note of it and take action Try to say something and it

came out as gibberish Make a note and try it out next time you get the

chance Get a flashcard completely wrong Good Less likely to next time

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to be sharing with you our favorite

speaking hacks that will instantly have you speaking Chinese

much more like a native and with less effort

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously Learning Chinese is just a game Enjoy yourself and take criticism with a smile

Mistakes when speaking and reviewing are inevitable and an important part of the learning process

KEY POINTS

7BE COOL

43

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

8USE THESE

Speak ldquorealrdquo Chinese

SPEAKING HACKS

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

OUR FAVORITE SPEAKING HACKS Apply even one of these techniques to your day-to-day speaking and

you will not only sound more native but will also find it much easier

to speak in general

SPEAK WITH FLUENCY

Fluency is not knowing every word It is simply the ability to say what it is

you want to say accurately using the vocabulary that you have Donrsquot

know how to say ldquointernational traderdquo Just say ldquowhen one country buys

and sells things with another countryrdquo After you say this your

conversation partner will likely say ldquooh yeah thatrsquos lsquointernational tradersquordquo

Boom New word learned within the emotional context of the

conversation to boot The key is when you donrsquot know a word donrsquot

just give up Instead do your best to explain what you want to say

with the vocabulary you have

SLOW DOWN

Speaking at around 80 of your normal rate wonrsquot sound weird at all and

it will improve both your pronunciation and your fluency instantly

Speaking more slowly gives your mouth and tongue muscles time to

get into position before a sound is made which is very helpful for those

sounds that donrsquot exist in English Plus it gives you a few extra

microseconds to think of something to say in conversation Combine

this with the next 2 hacks and yoursquore really in businesshellip

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

45

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoFake it until you make itrdquo - Steven Tyler

46

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

USE ldquoFILLERSrdquo

Everyone (including Chinese people) use these all the time in their

various native languages Why would you give yourself less of a chance

than a native speaker would to sound fluent Thatrsquos just crazy Here are

the top five uhh er umhelliprdquofillersrdquo

ēnhellip jiugraveshihellip negraveigehellip zhegraveigehellip raacutenhograveuhellip

Throw one or more of these utterances anywhere you like Put them in

every sentence if you feel the need Chinese people wonrsquot notice as they

do it too

USE CONVERSATION CONNECTORS

This is a term coined by Anthony Lauder referring to those everyday

fixed phrases that you say at the beginning middle or end of a sentence

to dress up what you want to say Here are some examples

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

我想告诉你hellip woacute xiǎng gagraveosu nǐhellip

Irsquod like you to know thathellip

你别介意不过hellip nǐ bieacute jiegraveyigrave buacuteguogravehellip Dont be upset buthellip

就像你已经知道的hellip jiugrave xiagraveng niacute yǐjīng zhīdagraveo dehellip

As you already know

多数情况hellip dagrave duō shugrave qiacutengkuagraveng

Most of the timehellip

47

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot give up so easily if you canrsquot think of a word you want to use Just use more common words to describe it

Speaking a bit slower will give you more time to think of what to say and will usually go unnoticed by a native speaker

Throw in fillers and fixed expressions to sound more like a native speaker and give yourself more time to speak at the same time

You can even thrown in English words to fill in the gaps if the above suggestions arenrsquot on the table Many young educated Chinese people do this anyway

KEY POINTS

USE ENGLISH WORDS

As a last ditch effort if you really donrsquot have the energy to ldquouse fluencyrdquo to

describe a word yoursquove forgotten just say the English word Younger

more educated Chinese speakers are likely to have a decent English

level and they themselves also like to throw in the odd English word into

conversation so itrsquos fine to follow suit At very least it keeps conversation

going to the next topic where you remember the Chinese words

NEXT TIME For our next installment in this series wersquore going to

get into the role writing has on your speaking how to write what

to write and where amp when to write Itrsquos not at all as intimidating

(or boring) as you may think

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

48

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Combine any and all of these tips to your speaking at any time to make yourself speak better instantly8

USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

49

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

WRITE REGULARLY9

Supercharge your active vocabulary

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Many beginners (and higher levels too) struggle with the frustration of

not being able to express their thoughts and feelings properly in

Chinese Even with many months and years of practice they can still feel

like the words just arenrsquot there when they need them Wersquove already

given you a bunch of steps you can take to solve this problem and we

realize that writing may be an unexpected additional step but trust us

when we say how valuable it can be

WHY WRITING IMPROVES SPEAKING IT DEMANDS FOCUS AND ATTENTION

Writing practice is the aspect of language learning that involves the

most focus and attention as you have to think about every word as you

write Just like reading writing is a slow process at first but after a short

period of regular practice you can almost hear the ldquoclicksrdquo as the words

you write become part of your vocabulary which can now be used

when you practice speaking with your tutor After all writing and

speaking are both expressive forms of communication using similar

mental processes

IT ACTIVATES VOCABULARY VERY EFFECTIVELY

Writing may just be the ultimate way to solidify your understanding of

the words and phrases yoursquove acquired through reading and listening It

may be even more effective than speaking

9WRITEREGULARLY

51

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WRITING IS MORE PERSONAL

After some practice you can start to write in your own personal style

using your own ldquovoicerdquo which naturally makes the process much more

enjoyable Writing a journal is the best way to access this benefit Posting

thoughts in Chinese on social media is another option especially for

lower levels

WRITING GIVES YOU MORE TIME TO FORMULATE THOUGHTS

Writing gives you time to think and practice the language

simultaneously whereas with speaking there is little opportunity to

really contemplate all the various ways of expressing a thought unless

you have an extremely patient (and masochistic) paid tutor

EVEN IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER YOU CAN STILL WRITE

If you donrsquot have much vocabulary you can still practice writing Just

write individual sentences or phrases Look at example sentences and

try to re-write them using slightly different vocabulary Remember just as

the incredible graded readers we talked about in chapter 4 can be

written with just a few select words and characters you too can write a

surprising amount using the small vocabulary you have at your disposal

5 INCREDIBLE WRITING TIPS GO FOR QUANTITY

Write every day Write a blog or WeChat post write individual sentences

9WRITEREGULARLY

52

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoWriting to me is simply thinking through my fingersrdquo

- Isaac Asimov

53

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

write a question on how to write something write anything You should

write something everyday and make a routine out of it The more

content the better but donrsquot ask too much of yourself or you will burn out

and not want to do it for weeks

An added bonus to writing regularly is the ability to look back on your

previous writing practice after a few weeks or months and see how far

yoursquove come This is called ldquobenchmarkingrdquo which wersquoll talk about more

next time

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT

Write about something or someone you love Write about a problem

yoursquore having Write about your goals and dreams Write about a book

you read or a youtube video you watched Write about what yoursquove

learned or would like to learn Write a journal When you do this your

own personality will shine through in your writing which will make the

words and structures you practice far more memorable

9WRITEREGULARLY

54

AIM FOR ZERO MISTAKES

Thatrsquos correct ZERO mistakes Think about what you write Take your time

to think before you put pen to paper or keyboard and look up example

sentences for words you donrsquot quite know how to use If you do these

things you will produce correct output which is fantastic for your

language skills Bad output leads to what Thatrsquos right bad habits

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

GET CORRECTIONS

Writing and getting corrections will help you notice very quickly the

patterns and structures in Chinese This attentiveness will pay off when

it comes to speaking reading and listening too

USE A WRITING SOFTWARE

Try Ommwriter Flowstate Awriter or similar writing apps designed for

writers to get you into the flow of writing

MAKE FLASHCARDS OUT OF YOUR MISTAKES

Create ultra-personalised reviewable content by taking any corrected

sentences and making a flashcard out of it

Try to combine regular speaking practice with regular writing

practice from now on and see for yourself how fast your fluency

improves

NEXT TIME For our final installment in this series wersquore going to

focus on continuing to improve your Chinese when you start to

plateau and the going getrsquos tough

9WRITEREGULARLY

55

Share your writing with a paid language exchange partner or tutor Check

out HiNative for a great place to get corrections on your writing and ask

general questions about how to use Chinese from native speakers

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Writing is a similar mental process as speaking with some important differences that can make it a more attractive outputting method under certain circumstances

Writing makes you more easily notice things about Chinese helps you activate passive vocabulary creates more personal connections to the language and gives you more time to convey your thoughts than speaking does

You can write at any level

Write as often as you can but donrsquot burn out

Write about things you care about and are passionate about so you can really enjoy the process and create more emotional connections that improve your retention

Aim not to make any mistakes because bad output means bad habits This is much easier to accomplish than with speaking as you have more time to think

Get your writing corrected by paid or free native speakers Make flashcards for words or structures you get wrong

KEY POINTS9WRITEREGULARLY

56

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

10SHARPEN THE SAW

Keep moving forward

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 18: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

After starting to review words in sentences move onto the next vital

resourcehellip

GRADED READERS You donrsquot have to wait until yoursquove acquired 1000s of characters and

words before you start reading Not by a long shot You can start

reading articles short stories and podcast transcripts with as little

as 150 characters and words Here are our favorite resources to do so

LINGQ (PICTURED)

LingQ is an aggregated graded reader that has content sourced from all

over the internet including tons of proprietary material Higher level

learners can also import any content they want from elsewhere We are

currently reading A Song of Ice and Fire in Chinese using LingQ and are

addicted to itrsquos incredible functionality The best part about it is that itrsquos

quick look-up feature allows you to read material above your level that

would normally be far too frustrating in book form As if that wasnrsquot good

enough they also have excellent SRS functionality amp the ability to export

words to Anki

THE CHAIRMANrsquoS BAO (TCB)

The Chairmanrsquos Bao have real news articles edited for different HSK

levels (even HSK 1) Yes with only a couple of hundred characters and

words you can be reading real news articles in Chinese This site is being

updated with new fantastic features all the time and has a great app too

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

18

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoYou donrsquot know a person because you know their

name and you donrsquot know a word because you know itrsquos

definitionrdquo- Khatzumoto of ajattcom

19

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

MANDARIN COMPANION

Do you prefer the feel of a real book in your hands These books can be

read with only 300-450 characters under your belt They have a bunch of

classics for lower levels that are still compelling despite being heavily

edited

GO FOR EFFICIENCY To get the most out of that precious hour or two each day that most of

us can spare for language learning make sure you use the following

techniques for maximum return on your time investment

INTERLEAVING

Studies have shown that it is more efficient in the long term to flit

between various different types of content within a study session than to

learn one thing at a time in blocks This is referred to as ldquointerleavingrdquo or

ldquointerleaved learningrdquo Donrsquot spend hours pouring over the same material

mix it up Not only will this be way more engaging yoursquoll also progress

faster

TIMEBOXING

Using timeboxing (also known as ldquoThe Pomodoro Techniquerdquo) will

greatly enhance the efficiency and enjoyment of your study

Traditionally you should study for 25 minutes then rest for 5 minutes

then repeat This means 50 minutes of focused study per hour instead of

15 minutes of study and 45 minutes daydreaming and looking at

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

20

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You can also do all sorts of time-boxes for variety Anywhere from 30

seconds to 25 minutes with 25 minutes being the maximum We love to

combine timeboxing with interleaving working on 2 or 3 different study

resources at a time with really short time-boxes For example a few

minutes on learning characters then reviewing flashcards then listening

to a podcast then resting This turns a study session into a fun game

doing wonders for your motivation

LISTEN WHILE READING

Listening is the easiest and most convenient way of improving learning as

itrsquos hands-free and you can focus on other things while doing it However

if you can read what you hear at the same time the benefits multiply

to be greater than the sum of its parts The reading makes it easier to

understand what you hear and what you hear improves your reading

speed If you choose material either at or slightly above your level and try

this technique out it really feels like yoursquore super-charging your Chinese

ability

SHADOWING

This is a technique made famous by Professor Alexander Arguelles

Shadowing is reading listening and speaking all at the same time Do

it while out and about for best results Just a few minutes a day of this will

improve pronunciation spoken fluency reading and listening

simultaneously We do it almost everyday and it really does speed up the

acquisition process more than anything else wersquove tried Just make sure

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

21

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

you choose a voice to imitate that yoursquod actually like to sound like

(especially when you choose the dialect or gender of the speaker) Herersquos

a video of The prof himself talking about the technique in more detail

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk to you all about how good pronunciation

practice improves your speaking ability listening ability amp even

reading ability plus wersquoll talk about where to find the best

resources to pronounce Chinese like a native speaker

Using spaced repetition is vital for your early days learning Chinese (or any language for that matter)

Learning characters is an unavoidable step in learning Chinese

You must see new words in a sentence before you can acquire them Reading graded readers is even better as it provides more context and engaging topics

Incorporate interleaved learning shadowing and timeboxing into your daily study routine for the most efficient results

KEY POINTS

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

22

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

LEARN PRONUNCIATION4

It will pay off huge dividends later

EARLY AND WELL

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

At Mandarin Blueprint we take pronunciation very seriously This is

mainly because we know first-hand the negative effects of poor

pronunciation instruction

Bad pronunciation slows the development of your listening reading

and speaking ability which is bad enough But by far the most

profoundly painful outcome of poor pronunciation is the damage done

to your lsquolearnerrsquos egorsquo early on When you are misunderstood partially

understood or not at all understood it hurts your confidence You then

associate speaking Chinese with negative emotions and become less

and less willing to start talking Itrsquos a vicious cycle of negativity that we

want you to avoid

HERErsquoS A PROBLEM WE WANT YOU TO HAVE 1 A Chinese person asks you a simple question that you understand

2 You answer the question with simple Chinese but with great

pronunciation

3 The Chinese person listening to you immediately assumes you

speak incredible Chinese and proceeds to unload a litany of

questions and comments

4 After an awkward silence you say 听不不懂 (tīngbudǒng) which

means ldquoI donrsquot understandrdquo

5 The Chinese person laughs asks a few more questions before

realizing you were actually serious Awkwardness intensifies

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

24

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

THE SKINNY ON MANDARIN PRONUNCIATION If you want excellent spoken Chinese you first need to be completely

aware of how to produce understand and read all of the sounds of the

language Some people can do all this naturally by ear with very little

training Unfortunately the law of averages states that you are most likely

not in this group Sorry -(

Not to worry though With only 409 different-sounding syllables (1200 if

you include tones) Chinese has relatively little to learn in terms of

pronunciation especially when compared to the 16000+ syllables of

English There are however many challenging and potentially confusing

aspects to Chinese pronunciation which means that you can learn what

you need to know about pronunciation in a relatively short time but you

need high quality expert guidance and study materials to do it

TUTORS ARENrsquoT ALWAYS THE WAY TO GO If you want to learn pronunciation it seems like a logical decision would

be to look for a tutor right Unfortunately most teachers do not have

the knowledge or experience to teach you Chinese pronunciation

well But why is this Well theyrsquove spoken mandarin since they can

remember right They have no frame of reference for comparing tongue

positions or vowel aspiration to English so how could they explain it to a

foreigner How would they know what it feels like to learn Mandarin

pronunciation as an adult

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

25

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoThe first thing I have to do to erase my french accent is to believe itrsquos actually possiblerdquo

- Marion Cotillard

26

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

There are fantastic tutors out there who can teach you pronunciation

properly but they can be like finding a needle in a haystack Not to

mention with the hourly rates you are likely to rack up hundreds of

dollars in fees for average results

INTRODUCING ldquoPRONUNCIATION MASTERYrdquo Wersquove been training our clients on pronunciation through live sessions of

our Pronunciation Mastery course for 2 years now and the results have

been fantastic Wersquove now finally finished transforming it into an 8 hour

video course that will teach you everything you need to know about

Chinese pronunciation all from the unique perspective of us Two

Chinese learners who made the journey ourselves from beginner to

advanced fluency This is all delivered using HD video crystal clear

explanations supported with slick design over a thousand multimedia

SRS flashcards over 80 PDFs amp native audio for reference and review

Wersquove put our hearts and souls into this course along with our extensive

experience and feedback from live teaching over the past 2 years Plus

itrsquos already helped hundreds of Chinese learners around the world Itrsquos

the video course we would have wanted when we were starting out

with Mandarin

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

27

CHECK IT OUT

Luke Neale

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

NEXT TIME Wersquoll dive into the topic of Chinese tutors Wersquoll be

sharing with you where to find the best free and paid tutors how

to work with them in the most efficient and fun way possible

Pronunciation is the vital first stage for learning any language

Bad pronunciation affects all other areas of your Chinese skill but most importantly it hurts your confidence

Compared to English there is much less to learn to master Chinese pronunciation

Chinese teachers rarely have the training and experience necessary to teach you pronunciation properly

Mandarin Blueprintrsquos ldquoPronunciation Masteryrdquo course has everything you need to develop great pronunciation quickly and cheaply Check it out today

KEY POINTS

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

28

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

USE TUTORS

Connect with them regularly

EFFECTIVELY

5

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You will notice that this is way down the list of tips for speaking like a

native speaker Thatrsquos because it actually isnrsquot the highest priority straight

away at least not anymore The sheer number of resources available

to you as a Chinese learner today means that you can do most things

you need to do on your own without a tutor As avid Chinese learners

ourselves we can both attest to this fact However a tutor is an

absolutely vital part of your journey to spoken fluency and to get the

most out of them you need to know how to work with them

First off what is a tutor for exactly Itrsquos not as obvious an answer as you

may think Understandably most people get a tutor straight from the

beginning hoping to receive all the materials and guidance they need

to make them fluent and literate in Chinese This is a lot to expect of

anyone let alone someone who never actually learned Chinese as a

second language So what are reasonable expectations to have then

THE ROLE OF A CHINESE TUTOR 1) FOR ACTIVATING PASSIVE VOCABULARY

Go into a session and try to use the words yoursquove been learning through

listening and reading Focus on steering the conversation to topics

you find meaningful and interesting Agree on these topics in advance

A good tutor is a good communicator someone who can speak to you

in a way they know you understand and ask you the right questions to

keep a conversation going Push your limits of what you know and ask a

lot of questions on how to use any words you arenrsquot sure about

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

30

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Mistakes are fine but donrsquot try and make up how to use a word or phrase

if you donrsquot already know Just ask If your tutor misses mistakes too

often they could turn into bad habits and you really donrsquot want that

2) FOR IDENTIFYING AND FIXING PROBLEMS

We prefer to have a nice chat of between 5 and 30 minutes during which

the tutor is making notes about anything you need to improve upon After

the time is up or the conversation has hit a dead-end the tutor can go

through your mistakes with you and do some directed practice to fix any

recurring issues This can be done as often as you like or just at the very

end of each session Make flashcards with example sentences

targeting the words or phrases you got wrong

3) FOR PROVIDING TRUE ENCOURAGEMENT

True encouragement is when a tutor notices where yoursquove improved and

points it out but also communicates your potential for improvement

Blindly repeating ldquo真棒 zhēn bagravengrdquo (rdquoGreat jobrdquo) all the time is false

encouragement and it can lead to complacency After all Chinese

people will already be giving you plenty of compliments about your

Mandarin the last thing you need is your paid tutor making your head

even bigger If a tutor provides true encouragement regularly yoursquore

golden If not ask them to or get another tutor

4) FOR FINDING LEVEL-APPROPRIATE AND ENGAGING CONTENT

This one is not to be expected of every tutor certainly not unprompted

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

31

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Directly ask them to find you listening and reading materials that you

might be interested in You may be very surprised at what they find for

you Some incredible content may be hidden away from the mainstream

and you may need a native person to help you discover those little gems

you might otherwise miss out on

TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR STUDY Figure out a kind of lesson structure yoursquore comfortable with that

suits your goals and interests Possible approaches include

Focus on a bunch of words yoursquove been learning and how to use

them

Choose several interesting topics and have an open conversation

Discuss a news article comic book or tv episode you saw recently

Whatever it is plan it out briefly beforehand and make it clear with your

tutor how you would like the lesson to go You have to take the reins if

you want the most bang for your buck If you donrsquot what yoursquoll get is what

the tutor wants to give you which will most likely be a textbook and

discussion of boring topics

HOW TO FIND GREAT TUTORS We would highly recommend finding tutors online as opposed to face-

to-face Herersquos why

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

32

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

1 You have a reasonable guarantee of quality Community star ratings

are commonplace

2 Far more convenient You can get online and be talking to a qualified

tutor for a few dollars an hour within a few minutes Enough said

3 Much better value for money Even if yoursquore living in China tutors still

work out cheaper online When you account for the time and effort it

takes to meet with a stranger face-to-face and the higher turnover of

tutors due to poor or quickly declining quality of lessons online tutors

are almost always more cost-effective

If you want to get online fast and take high quality online sessions with a

tutor a great resource is wwwitalkicom You can find both paid tutors

and unpaid language exchange partners here Invest a few dollars and

hours a month and it will pay off hugely for you

Italki offers tutoring in a huge range of lanugages but the vast majority of

the teachers just use skype for their lessons This is fine but you may be

surprised at the level of functionality of other Chinese-only services such

as wwwtutormandarincom

Instead of just a video call you get a live visual presentation showing

text and highlighted areas that makes everything much clearer and

more engaging This way you can practice your reading alongside your

speaking and listening all with live instruction

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

33

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

They offer a free 1-to-1 consultation and language evaluation before you

signup for anything so it canrsquot hurt to try them out

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to talk about immersion and how you

can do it regardless of your lifestyle or location to greatly improve

your speaking ability

Take control of your time with tutors making sure to point out clearly beforehand what you need from them and what your expectations are

Online tutors used in the capacity wersquove suggested are generally more time and cost-effective than face-to-face tutors even if you are in China Make the most of your study time by going for the former unless you have a guarantee of value

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

Tutors should be treated as a learning resource rather than your study gurus Their main function is to serve as a great communicator who can help you activate vocabulary and stay motivated

KEY POINTS

34

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

6IMMERSE YOURSELF

Be with Chinese as often as possible

IN CHINESE

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion deserves itrsquos own e-book all by itself as itrsquos such a deep and

varied topic but there are a few things to remember that will allow you

to immerse yourself in Chinese easily wherever you are

HOW TO IMMERSE YOURSELF First of all immersion doesnrsquot necessarily entail never speaking your

native language and ignoring your friends and family Immersion in itrsquos

most manageable form is simply being in touch with Chinese

regularly throughout the day This is doable outside China and even

with a family and a full-time job to boot Herersquos how we do it

CHANGE YOUR ENVIRONMENT

Make sure that Chinese is within 1 foot of your body at all times Ten

years ago that would have meant taping books and Chinese people

around your waist which would have been inconvenient and almost

definitely illegal Now we have these magical devices in our pockets

everywhere we go and most of us have computers or tablets as well

Always be looking for more and more level-appropriate reading and

listening materials and fill your devices with them Whenever you get

bored or frustrated with something drop it for something else You can

be picky even at beginner level Most of the time if you donrsquot enjoy

something itrsquos because you arenrsquot ready for it yet anyway Just go back

to it a few weeks or months down the line

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

36

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Organize the apps on your smart phone for reading listening speaking

and even writing Chinese so you can tap them whenever you have a

spare few minutes This makes it as easy as possible to immerse yourself

in something wherever and whenever

MAKE BETTER USE OF YOUR TIME

Listen to Chinese whenever yoursquore traveling anywhere working out

doing flashcards or housework If you have your eyes andor mouth free

as well do some interleaved learning or shadowing (see tip 4)

The key is starting not finishing Just do something for 1-15 minutes

10-20 times a day as opposed to trying to set aside large chunks of time

which either cause you to procrastinate or burn out

TALK TO LANGUAGE EXCHANGE PARTNERS

It might get expensive meeting with paid tutors every day which creates

an excuse to not practice speaking But there are more and more great

apps that allow you to connect and exchange with native Chinese

speakers for free Our favorite language exchange apps are pictured

on the next page

TALK TO YOURSELF

Yes it might feel a bit weird but it works as a decent substitute to a paid

tutor or language exchange partner Anything going through your head

just try to blurt out in Chinese Wear earphones to make it appear you are

talking on the phone so you donrsquot get placed into a mental institution

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

37

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoTime is what we want most but what we use worstrdquo

- William Penn

38

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion is doable regardless of your lifestyle Just be around Chinese many times throughout the day

Listen while doing pretty much anything Itrsquos the part of language learning that takes the least conscious effort to improve

Connect with language exchange partners via free apps Spend a few minutes chatting here and there Even talking to yourself can be really effective

KEY POINTS

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk about how to maintain a calm and positive

attitude when struggling to improve your speaking skills Wersquoll

also go into how to take criticism well and even enjoy making

mistakes6

IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

39

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

BE COOL7

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot be touchy when you get corrections or criticism even if it comes

across as harsh People rarely correct you for free and if you react

badly when they do that will probably be the last time they help you

When you arenrsquot understood just assume itrsquos never their problem It

actually might be sometimes but just assume it isnrsquot

People tend to put a lot of their pride and ego into their Chinese ability

because it takes a lot of time and effort to get good and it is a very rare

skill However just know that only when you really start to get good at

something do you realize how little you know Donrsquot fall into that trap

because you will be in for a rude awakening down the line Take your

ego out of the equation and have a great time Laugh at yourself

Itrsquos all just a game

LEARN TO ACCEPT UNCERTAINTY You will forget words yoursquove reviewed and heard for months

You will forget grammar structures yoursquove spoken correctly 10 times

before

You will get utterly lost in conversation after thinking yoursquove had a

breakthrough in your skill level

Take a deep breath Itrsquos all part of the process

7BE COOL

41

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoCriticism may not be agreeable but it is necessary It fulfils the same function as pain

in the human body It calls attention to an

unhealthy state of things - Winston Churchill

42

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Wersquove already mentioned the importance of good output Too many

mistakes without being corrected can lead to bad habits but mistakes

are inevitable Even if you follow our advice you will still have trouble

sometimes Enjoy being wronghellipevery mistake or misunderstanding

can bring you closer to fluency The key is to not worry about what you

canrsquot say just take note of it and take action Try to say something and it

came out as gibberish Make a note and try it out next time you get the

chance Get a flashcard completely wrong Good Less likely to next time

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to be sharing with you our favorite

speaking hacks that will instantly have you speaking Chinese

much more like a native and with less effort

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously Learning Chinese is just a game Enjoy yourself and take criticism with a smile

Mistakes when speaking and reviewing are inevitable and an important part of the learning process

KEY POINTS

7BE COOL

43

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

8USE THESE

Speak ldquorealrdquo Chinese

SPEAKING HACKS

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

OUR FAVORITE SPEAKING HACKS Apply even one of these techniques to your day-to-day speaking and

you will not only sound more native but will also find it much easier

to speak in general

SPEAK WITH FLUENCY

Fluency is not knowing every word It is simply the ability to say what it is

you want to say accurately using the vocabulary that you have Donrsquot

know how to say ldquointernational traderdquo Just say ldquowhen one country buys

and sells things with another countryrdquo After you say this your

conversation partner will likely say ldquooh yeah thatrsquos lsquointernational tradersquordquo

Boom New word learned within the emotional context of the

conversation to boot The key is when you donrsquot know a word donrsquot

just give up Instead do your best to explain what you want to say

with the vocabulary you have

SLOW DOWN

Speaking at around 80 of your normal rate wonrsquot sound weird at all and

it will improve both your pronunciation and your fluency instantly

Speaking more slowly gives your mouth and tongue muscles time to

get into position before a sound is made which is very helpful for those

sounds that donrsquot exist in English Plus it gives you a few extra

microseconds to think of something to say in conversation Combine

this with the next 2 hacks and yoursquore really in businesshellip

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

45

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoFake it until you make itrdquo - Steven Tyler

46

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

USE ldquoFILLERSrdquo

Everyone (including Chinese people) use these all the time in their

various native languages Why would you give yourself less of a chance

than a native speaker would to sound fluent Thatrsquos just crazy Here are

the top five uhh er umhelliprdquofillersrdquo

ēnhellip jiugraveshihellip negraveigehellip zhegraveigehellip raacutenhograveuhellip

Throw one or more of these utterances anywhere you like Put them in

every sentence if you feel the need Chinese people wonrsquot notice as they

do it too

USE CONVERSATION CONNECTORS

This is a term coined by Anthony Lauder referring to those everyday

fixed phrases that you say at the beginning middle or end of a sentence

to dress up what you want to say Here are some examples

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

我想告诉你hellip woacute xiǎng gagraveosu nǐhellip

Irsquod like you to know thathellip

你别介意不过hellip nǐ bieacute jiegraveyigrave buacuteguogravehellip Dont be upset buthellip

就像你已经知道的hellip jiugrave xiagraveng niacute yǐjīng zhīdagraveo dehellip

As you already know

多数情况hellip dagrave duō shugrave qiacutengkuagraveng

Most of the timehellip

47

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot give up so easily if you canrsquot think of a word you want to use Just use more common words to describe it

Speaking a bit slower will give you more time to think of what to say and will usually go unnoticed by a native speaker

Throw in fillers and fixed expressions to sound more like a native speaker and give yourself more time to speak at the same time

You can even thrown in English words to fill in the gaps if the above suggestions arenrsquot on the table Many young educated Chinese people do this anyway

KEY POINTS

USE ENGLISH WORDS

As a last ditch effort if you really donrsquot have the energy to ldquouse fluencyrdquo to

describe a word yoursquove forgotten just say the English word Younger

more educated Chinese speakers are likely to have a decent English

level and they themselves also like to throw in the odd English word into

conversation so itrsquos fine to follow suit At very least it keeps conversation

going to the next topic where you remember the Chinese words

NEXT TIME For our next installment in this series wersquore going to

get into the role writing has on your speaking how to write what

to write and where amp when to write Itrsquos not at all as intimidating

(or boring) as you may think

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

48

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Combine any and all of these tips to your speaking at any time to make yourself speak better instantly8

USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

49

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

WRITE REGULARLY9

Supercharge your active vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Many beginners (and higher levels too) struggle with the frustration of

not being able to express their thoughts and feelings properly in

Chinese Even with many months and years of practice they can still feel

like the words just arenrsquot there when they need them Wersquove already

given you a bunch of steps you can take to solve this problem and we

realize that writing may be an unexpected additional step but trust us

when we say how valuable it can be

WHY WRITING IMPROVES SPEAKING IT DEMANDS FOCUS AND ATTENTION

Writing practice is the aspect of language learning that involves the

most focus and attention as you have to think about every word as you

write Just like reading writing is a slow process at first but after a short

period of regular practice you can almost hear the ldquoclicksrdquo as the words

you write become part of your vocabulary which can now be used

when you practice speaking with your tutor After all writing and

speaking are both expressive forms of communication using similar

mental processes

IT ACTIVATES VOCABULARY VERY EFFECTIVELY

Writing may just be the ultimate way to solidify your understanding of

the words and phrases yoursquove acquired through reading and listening It

may be even more effective than speaking

9WRITEREGULARLY

51

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WRITING IS MORE PERSONAL

After some practice you can start to write in your own personal style

using your own ldquovoicerdquo which naturally makes the process much more

enjoyable Writing a journal is the best way to access this benefit Posting

thoughts in Chinese on social media is another option especially for

lower levels

WRITING GIVES YOU MORE TIME TO FORMULATE THOUGHTS

Writing gives you time to think and practice the language

simultaneously whereas with speaking there is little opportunity to

really contemplate all the various ways of expressing a thought unless

you have an extremely patient (and masochistic) paid tutor

EVEN IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER YOU CAN STILL WRITE

If you donrsquot have much vocabulary you can still practice writing Just

write individual sentences or phrases Look at example sentences and

try to re-write them using slightly different vocabulary Remember just as

the incredible graded readers we talked about in chapter 4 can be

written with just a few select words and characters you too can write a

surprising amount using the small vocabulary you have at your disposal

5 INCREDIBLE WRITING TIPS GO FOR QUANTITY

Write every day Write a blog or WeChat post write individual sentences

9WRITEREGULARLY

52

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoWriting to me is simply thinking through my fingersrdquo

- Isaac Asimov

53

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

write a question on how to write something write anything You should

write something everyday and make a routine out of it The more

content the better but donrsquot ask too much of yourself or you will burn out

and not want to do it for weeks

An added bonus to writing regularly is the ability to look back on your

previous writing practice after a few weeks or months and see how far

yoursquove come This is called ldquobenchmarkingrdquo which wersquoll talk about more

next time

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT

Write about something or someone you love Write about a problem

yoursquore having Write about your goals and dreams Write about a book

you read or a youtube video you watched Write about what yoursquove

learned or would like to learn Write a journal When you do this your

own personality will shine through in your writing which will make the

words and structures you practice far more memorable

9WRITEREGULARLY

54

AIM FOR ZERO MISTAKES

Thatrsquos correct ZERO mistakes Think about what you write Take your time

to think before you put pen to paper or keyboard and look up example

sentences for words you donrsquot quite know how to use If you do these

things you will produce correct output which is fantastic for your

language skills Bad output leads to what Thatrsquos right bad habits

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

GET CORRECTIONS

Writing and getting corrections will help you notice very quickly the

patterns and structures in Chinese This attentiveness will pay off when

it comes to speaking reading and listening too

USE A WRITING SOFTWARE

Try Ommwriter Flowstate Awriter or similar writing apps designed for

writers to get you into the flow of writing

MAKE FLASHCARDS OUT OF YOUR MISTAKES

Create ultra-personalised reviewable content by taking any corrected

sentences and making a flashcard out of it

Try to combine regular speaking practice with regular writing

practice from now on and see for yourself how fast your fluency

improves

NEXT TIME For our final installment in this series wersquore going to

focus on continuing to improve your Chinese when you start to

plateau and the going getrsquos tough

9WRITEREGULARLY

55

Share your writing with a paid language exchange partner or tutor Check

out HiNative for a great place to get corrections on your writing and ask

general questions about how to use Chinese from native speakers

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Writing is a similar mental process as speaking with some important differences that can make it a more attractive outputting method under certain circumstances

Writing makes you more easily notice things about Chinese helps you activate passive vocabulary creates more personal connections to the language and gives you more time to convey your thoughts than speaking does

You can write at any level

Write as often as you can but donrsquot burn out

Write about things you care about and are passionate about so you can really enjoy the process and create more emotional connections that improve your retention

Aim not to make any mistakes because bad output means bad habits This is much easier to accomplish than with speaking as you have more time to think

Get your writing corrected by paid or free native speakers Make flashcards for words or structures you get wrong

KEY POINTS9WRITEREGULARLY

56

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

10SHARPEN THE SAW

Keep moving forward

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 19: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoYou donrsquot know a person because you know their

name and you donrsquot know a word because you know itrsquos

definitionrdquo- Khatzumoto of ajattcom

19

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

MANDARIN COMPANION

Do you prefer the feel of a real book in your hands These books can be

read with only 300-450 characters under your belt They have a bunch of

classics for lower levels that are still compelling despite being heavily

edited

GO FOR EFFICIENCY To get the most out of that precious hour or two each day that most of

us can spare for language learning make sure you use the following

techniques for maximum return on your time investment

INTERLEAVING

Studies have shown that it is more efficient in the long term to flit

between various different types of content within a study session than to

learn one thing at a time in blocks This is referred to as ldquointerleavingrdquo or

ldquointerleaved learningrdquo Donrsquot spend hours pouring over the same material

mix it up Not only will this be way more engaging yoursquoll also progress

faster

TIMEBOXING

Using timeboxing (also known as ldquoThe Pomodoro Techniquerdquo) will

greatly enhance the efficiency and enjoyment of your study

Traditionally you should study for 25 minutes then rest for 5 minutes

then repeat This means 50 minutes of focused study per hour instead of

15 minutes of study and 45 minutes daydreaming and looking at

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

20

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You can also do all sorts of time-boxes for variety Anywhere from 30

seconds to 25 minutes with 25 minutes being the maximum We love to

combine timeboxing with interleaving working on 2 or 3 different study

resources at a time with really short time-boxes For example a few

minutes on learning characters then reviewing flashcards then listening

to a podcast then resting This turns a study session into a fun game

doing wonders for your motivation

LISTEN WHILE READING

Listening is the easiest and most convenient way of improving learning as

itrsquos hands-free and you can focus on other things while doing it However

if you can read what you hear at the same time the benefits multiply

to be greater than the sum of its parts The reading makes it easier to

understand what you hear and what you hear improves your reading

speed If you choose material either at or slightly above your level and try

this technique out it really feels like yoursquore super-charging your Chinese

ability

SHADOWING

This is a technique made famous by Professor Alexander Arguelles

Shadowing is reading listening and speaking all at the same time Do

it while out and about for best results Just a few minutes a day of this will

improve pronunciation spoken fluency reading and listening

simultaneously We do it almost everyday and it really does speed up the

acquisition process more than anything else wersquove tried Just make sure

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

21

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

you choose a voice to imitate that yoursquod actually like to sound like

(especially when you choose the dialect or gender of the speaker) Herersquos

a video of The prof himself talking about the technique in more detail

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk to you all about how good pronunciation

practice improves your speaking ability listening ability amp even

reading ability plus wersquoll talk about where to find the best

resources to pronounce Chinese like a native speaker

Using spaced repetition is vital for your early days learning Chinese (or any language for that matter)

Learning characters is an unavoidable step in learning Chinese

You must see new words in a sentence before you can acquire them Reading graded readers is even better as it provides more context and engaging topics

Incorporate interleaved learning shadowing and timeboxing into your daily study routine for the most efficient results

KEY POINTS

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

22

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

LEARN PRONUNCIATION4

It will pay off huge dividends later

EARLY AND WELL

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

At Mandarin Blueprint we take pronunciation very seriously This is

mainly because we know first-hand the negative effects of poor

pronunciation instruction

Bad pronunciation slows the development of your listening reading

and speaking ability which is bad enough But by far the most

profoundly painful outcome of poor pronunciation is the damage done

to your lsquolearnerrsquos egorsquo early on When you are misunderstood partially

understood or not at all understood it hurts your confidence You then

associate speaking Chinese with negative emotions and become less

and less willing to start talking Itrsquos a vicious cycle of negativity that we

want you to avoid

HERErsquoS A PROBLEM WE WANT YOU TO HAVE 1 A Chinese person asks you a simple question that you understand

2 You answer the question with simple Chinese but with great

pronunciation

3 The Chinese person listening to you immediately assumes you

speak incredible Chinese and proceeds to unload a litany of

questions and comments

4 After an awkward silence you say 听不不懂 (tīngbudǒng) which

means ldquoI donrsquot understandrdquo

5 The Chinese person laughs asks a few more questions before

realizing you were actually serious Awkwardness intensifies

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

24

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

THE SKINNY ON MANDARIN PRONUNCIATION If you want excellent spoken Chinese you first need to be completely

aware of how to produce understand and read all of the sounds of the

language Some people can do all this naturally by ear with very little

training Unfortunately the law of averages states that you are most likely

not in this group Sorry -(

Not to worry though With only 409 different-sounding syllables (1200 if

you include tones) Chinese has relatively little to learn in terms of

pronunciation especially when compared to the 16000+ syllables of

English There are however many challenging and potentially confusing

aspects to Chinese pronunciation which means that you can learn what

you need to know about pronunciation in a relatively short time but you

need high quality expert guidance and study materials to do it

TUTORS ARENrsquoT ALWAYS THE WAY TO GO If you want to learn pronunciation it seems like a logical decision would

be to look for a tutor right Unfortunately most teachers do not have

the knowledge or experience to teach you Chinese pronunciation

well But why is this Well theyrsquove spoken mandarin since they can

remember right They have no frame of reference for comparing tongue

positions or vowel aspiration to English so how could they explain it to a

foreigner How would they know what it feels like to learn Mandarin

pronunciation as an adult

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

25

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoThe first thing I have to do to erase my french accent is to believe itrsquos actually possiblerdquo

- Marion Cotillard

26

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

There are fantastic tutors out there who can teach you pronunciation

properly but they can be like finding a needle in a haystack Not to

mention with the hourly rates you are likely to rack up hundreds of

dollars in fees for average results

INTRODUCING ldquoPRONUNCIATION MASTERYrdquo Wersquove been training our clients on pronunciation through live sessions of

our Pronunciation Mastery course for 2 years now and the results have

been fantastic Wersquove now finally finished transforming it into an 8 hour

video course that will teach you everything you need to know about

Chinese pronunciation all from the unique perspective of us Two

Chinese learners who made the journey ourselves from beginner to

advanced fluency This is all delivered using HD video crystal clear

explanations supported with slick design over a thousand multimedia

SRS flashcards over 80 PDFs amp native audio for reference and review

Wersquove put our hearts and souls into this course along with our extensive

experience and feedback from live teaching over the past 2 years Plus

itrsquos already helped hundreds of Chinese learners around the world Itrsquos

the video course we would have wanted when we were starting out

with Mandarin

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

27

CHECK IT OUT

Luke Neale

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

NEXT TIME Wersquoll dive into the topic of Chinese tutors Wersquoll be

sharing with you where to find the best free and paid tutors how

to work with them in the most efficient and fun way possible

Pronunciation is the vital first stage for learning any language

Bad pronunciation affects all other areas of your Chinese skill but most importantly it hurts your confidence

Compared to English there is much less to learn to master Chinese pronunciation

Chinese teachers rarely have the training and experience necessary to teach you pronunciation properly

Mandarin Blueprintrsquos ldquoPronunciation Masteryrdquo course has everything you need to develop great pronunciation quickly and cheaply Check it out today

KEY POINTS

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

28

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

USE TUTORS

Connect with them regularly

EFFECTIVELY

5

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You will notice that this is way down the list of tips for speaking like a

native speaker Thatrsquos because it actually isnrsquot the highest priority straight

away at least not anymore The sheer number of resources available

to you as a Chinese learner today means that you can do most things

you need to do on your own without a tutor As avid Chinese learners

ourselves we can both attest to this fact However a tutor is an

absolutely vital part of your journey to spoken fluency and to get the

most out of them you need to know how to work with them

First off what is a tutor for exactly Itrsquos not as obvious an answer as you

may think Understandably most people get a tutor straight from the

beginning hoping to receive all the materials and guidance they need

to make them fluent and literate in Chinese This is a lot to expect of

anyone let alone someone who never actually learned Chinese as a

second language So what are reasonable expectations to have then

THE ROLE OF A CHINESE TUTOR 1) FOR ACTIVATING PASSIVE VOCABULARY

Go into a session and try to use the words yoursquove been learning through

listening and reading Focus on steering the conversation to topics

you find meaningful and interesting Agree on these topics in advance

A good tutor is a good communicator someone who can speak to you

in a way they know you understand and ask you the right questions to

keep a conversation going Push your limits of what you know and ask a

lot of questions on how to use any words you arenrsquot sure about

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

30

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Mistakes are fine but donrsquot try and make up how to use a word or phrase

if you donrsquot already know Just ask If your tutor misses mistakes too

often they could turn into bad habits and you really donrsquot want that

2) FOR IDENTIFYING AND FIXING PROBLEMS

We prefer to have a nice chat of between 5 and 30 minutes during which

the tutor is making notes about anything you need to improve upon After

the time is up or the conversation has hit a dead-end the tutor can go

through your mistakes with you and do some directed practice to fix any

recurring issues This can be done as often as you like or just at the very

end of each session Make flashcards with example sentences

targeting the words or phrases you got wrong

3) FOR PROVIDING TRUE ENCOURAGEMENT

True encouragement is when a tutor notices where yoursquove improved and

points it out but also communicates your potential for improvement

Blindly repeating ldquo真棒 zhēn bagravengrdquo (rdquoGreat jobrdquo) all the time is false

encouragement and it can lead to complacency After all Chinese

people will already be giving you plenty of compliments about your

Mandarin the last thing you need is your paid tutor making your head

even bigger If a tutor provides true encouragement regularly yoursquore

golden If not ask them to or get another tutor

4) FOR FINDING LEVEL-APPROPRIATE AND ENGAGING CONTENT

This one is not to be expected of every tutor certainly not unprompted

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

31

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Directly ask them to find you listening and reading materials that you

might be interested in You may be very surprised at what they find for

you Some incredible content may be hidden away from the mainstream

and you may need a native person to help you discover those little gems

you might otherwise miss out on

TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR STUDY Figure out a kind of lesson structure yoursquore comfortable with that

suits your goals and interests Possible approaches include

Focus on a bunch of words yoursquove been learning and how to use

them

Choose several interesting topics and have an open conversation

Discuss a news article comic book or tv episode you saw recently

Whatever it is plan it out briefly beforehand and make it clear with your

tutor how you would like the lesson to go You have to take the reins if

you want the most bang for your buck If you donrsquot what yoursquoll get is what

the tutor wants to give you which will most likely be a textbook and

discussion of boring topics

HOW TO FIND GREAT TUTORS We would highly recommend finding tutors online as opposed to face-

to-face Herersquos why

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

32

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

1 You have a reasonable guarantee of quality Community star ratings

are commonplace

2 Far more convenient You can get online and be talking to a qualified

tutor for a few dollars an hour within a few minutes Enough said

3 Much better value for money Even if yoursquore living in China tutors still

work out cheaper online When you account for the time and effort it

takes to meet with a stranger face-to-face and the higher turnover of

tutors due to poor or quickly declining quality of lessons online tutors

are almost always more cost-effective

If you want to get online fast and take high quality online sessions with a

tutor a great resource is wwwitalkicom You can find both paid tutors

and unpaid language exchange partners here Invest a few dollars and

hours a month and it will pay off hugely for you

Italki offers tutoring in a huge range of lanugages but the vast majority of

the teachers just use skype for their lessons This is fine but you may be

surprised at the level of functionality of other Chinese-only services such

as wwwtutormandarincom

Instead of just a video call you get a live visual presentation showing

text and highlighted areas that makes everything much clearer and

more engaging This way you can practice your reading alongside your

speaking and listening all with live instruction

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

33

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

They offer a free 1-to-1 consultation and language evaluation before you

signup for anything so it canrsquot hurt to try them out

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to talk about immersion and how you

can do it regardless of your lifestyle or location to greatly improve

your speaking ability

Take control of your time with tutors making sure to point out clearly beforehand what you need from them and what your expectations are

Online tutors used in the capacity wersquove suggested are generally more time and cost-effective than face-to-face tutors even if you are in China Make the most of your study time by going for the former unless you have a guarantee of value

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

Tutors should be treated as a learning resource rather than your study gurus Their main function is to serve as a great communicator who can help you activate vocabulary and stay motivated

KEY POINTS

34

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

6IMMERSE YOURSELF

Be with Chinese as often as possible

IN CHINESE

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion deserves itrsquos own e-book all by itself as itrsquos such a deep and

varied topic but there are a few things to remember that will allow you

to immerse yourself in Chinese easily wherever you are

HOW TO IMMERSE YOURSELF First of all immersion doesnrsquot necessarily entail never speaking your

native language and ignoring your friends and family Immersion in itrsquos

most manageable form is simply being in touch with Chinese

regularly throughout the day This is doable outside China and even

with a family and a full-time job to boot Herersquos how we do it

CHANGE YOUR ENVIRONMENT

Make sure that Chinese is within 1 foot of your body at all times Ten

years ago that would have meant taping books and Chinese people

around your waist which would have been inconvenient and almost

definitely illegal Now we have these magical devices in our pockets

everywhere we go and most of us have computers or tablets as well

Always be looking for more and more level-appropriate reading and

listening materials and fill your devices with them Whenever you get

bored or frustrated with something drop it for something else You can

be picky even at beginner level Most of the time if you donrsquot enjoy

something itrsquos because you arenrsquot ready for it yet anyway Just go back

to it a few weeks or months down the line

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

36

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Organize the apps on your smart phone for reading listening speaking

and even writing Chinese so you can tap them whenever you have a

spare few minutes This makes it as easy as possible to immerse yourself

in something wherever and whenever

MAKE BETTER USE OF YOUR TIME

Listen to Chinese whenever yoursquore traveling anywhere working out

doing flashcards or housework If you have your eyes andor mouth free

as well do some interleaved learning or shadowing (see tip 4)

The key is starting not finishing Just do something for 1-15 minutes

10-20 times a day as opposed to trying to set aside large chunks of time

which either cause you to procrastinate or burn out

TALK TO LANGUAGE EXCHANGE PARTNERS

It might get expensive meeting with paid tutors every day which creates

an excuse to not practice speaking But there are more and more great

apps that allow you to connect and exchange with native Chinese

speakers for free Our favorite language exchange apps are pictured

on the next page

TALK TO YOURSELF

Yes it might feel a bit weird but it works as a decent substitute to a paid

tutor or language exchange partner Anything going through your head

just try to blurt out in Chinese Wear earphones to make it appear you are

talking on the phone so you donrsquot get placed into a mental institution

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

37

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoTime is what we want most but what we use worstrdquo

- William Penn

38

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion is doable regardless of your lifestyle Just be around Chinese many times throughout the day

Listen while doing pretty much anything Itrsquos the part of language learning that takes the least conscious effort to improve

Connect with language exchange partners via free apps Spend a few minutes chatting here and there Even talking to yourself can be really effective

KEY POINTS

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk about how to maintain a calm and positive

attitude when struggling to improve your speaking skills Wersquoll

also go into how to take criticism well and even enjoy making

mistakes6

IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

39

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

BE COOL7

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot be touchy when you get corrections or criticism even if it comes

across as harsh People rarely correct you for free and if you react

badly when they do that will probably be the last time they help you

When you arenrsquot understood just assume itrsquos never their problem It

actually might be sometimes but just assume it isnrsquot

People tend to put a lot of their pride and ego into their Chinese ability

because it takes a lot of time and effort to get good and it is a very rare

skill However just know that only when you really start to get good at

something do you realize how little you know Donrsquot fall into that trap

because you will be in for a rude awakening down the line Take your

ego out of the equation and have a great time Laugh at yourself

Itrsquos all just a game

LEARN TO ACCEPT UNCERTAINTY You will forget words yoursquove reviewed and heard for months

You will forget grammar structures yoursquove spoken correctly 10 times

before

You will get utterly lost in conversation after thinking yoursquove had a

breakthrough in your skill level

Take a deep breath Itrsquos all part of the process

7BE COOL

41

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoCriticism may not be agreeable but it is necessary It fulfils the same function as pain

in the human body It calls attention to an

unhealthy state of things - Winston Churchill

42

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Wersquove already mentioned the importance of good output Too many

mistakes without being corrected can lead to bad habits but mistakes

are inevitable Even if you follow our advice you will still have trouble

sometimes Enjoy being wronghellipevery mistake or misunderstanding

can bring you closer to fluency The key is to not worry about what you

canrsquot say just take note of it and take action Try to say something and it

came out as gibberish Make a note and try it out next time you get the

chance Get a flashcard completely wrong Good Less likely to next time

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to be sharing with you our favorite

speaking hacks that will instantly have you speaking Chinese

much more like a native and with less effort

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously Learning Chinese is just a game Enjoy yourself and take criticism with a smile

Mistakes when speaking and reviewing are inevitable and an important part of the learning process

KEY POINTS

7BE COOL

43

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

8USE THESE

Speak ldquorealrdquo Chinese

SPEAKING HACKS

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

OUR FAVORITE SPEAKING HACKS Apply even one of these techniques to your day-to-day speaking and

you will not only sound more native but will also find it much easier

to speak in general

SPEAK WITH FLUENCY

Fluency is not knowing every word It is simply the ability to say what it is

you want to say accurately using the vocabulary that you have Donrsquot

know how to say ldquointernational traderdquo Just say ldquowhen one country buys

and sells things with another countryrdquo After you say this your

conversation partner will likely say ldquooh yeah thatrsquos lsquointernational tradersquordquo

Boom New word learned within the emotional context of the

conversation to boot The key is when you donrsquot know a word donrsquot

just give up Instead do your best to explain what you want to say

with the vocabulary you have

SLOW DOWN

Speaking at around 80 of your normal rate wonrsquot sound weird at all and

it will improve both your pronunciation and your fluency instantly

Speaking more slowly gives your mouth and tongue muscles time to

get into position before a sound is made which is very helpful for those

sounds that donrsquot exist in English Plus it gives you a few extra

microseconds to think of something to say in conversation Combine

this with the next 2 hacks and yoursquore really in businesshellip

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

45

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoFake it until you make itrdquo - Steven Tyler

46

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

USE ldquoFILLERSrdquo

Everyone (including Chinese people) use these all the time in their

various native languages Why would you give yourself less of a chance

than a native speaker would to sound fluent Thatrsquos just crazy Here are

the top five uhh er umhelliprdquofillersrdquo

ēnhellip jiugraveshihellip negraveigehellip zhegraveigehellip raacutenhograveuhellip

Throw one or more of these utterances anywhere you like Put them in

every sentence if you feel the need Chinese people wonrsquot notice as they

do it too

USE CONVERSATION CONNECTORS

This is a term coined by Anthony Lauder referring to those everyday

fixed phrases that you say at the beginning middle or end of a sentence

to dress up what you want to say Here are some examples

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

我想告诉你hellip woacute xiǎng gagraveosu nǐhellip

Irsquod like you to know thathellip

你别介意不过hellip nǐ bieacute jiegraveyigrave buacuteguogravehellip Dont be upset buthellip

就像你已经知道的hellip jiugrave xiagraveng niacute yǐjīng zhīdagraveo dehellip

As you already know

多数情况hellip dagrave duō shugrave qiacutengkuagraveng

Most of the timehellip

47

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot give up so easily if you canrsquot think of a word you want to use Just use more common words to describe it

Speaking a bit slower will give you more time to think of what to say and will usually go unnoticed by a native speaker

Throw in fillers and fixed expressions to sound more like a native speaker and give yourself more time to speak at the same time

You can even thrown in English words to fill in the gaps if the above suggestions arenrsquot on the table Many young educated Chinese people do this anyway

KEY POINTS

USE ENGLISH WORDS

As a last ditch effort if you really donrsquot have the energy to ldquouse fluencyrdquo to

describe a word yoursquove forgotten just say the English word Younger

more educated Chinese speakers are likely to have a decent English

level and they themselves also like to throw in the odd English word into

conversation so itrsquos fine to follow suit At very least it keeps conversation

going to the next topic where you remember the Chinese words

NEXT TIME For our next installment in this series wersquore going to

get into the role writing has on your speaking how to write what

to write and where amp when to write Itrsquos not at all as intimidating

(or boring) as you may think

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

48

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Combine any and all of these tips to your speaking at any time to make yourself speak better instantly8

USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

49

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

WRITE REGULARLY9

Supercharge your active vocabulary

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Many beginners (and higher levels too) struggle with the frustration of

not being able to express their thoughts and feelings properly in

Chinese Even with many months and years of practice they can still feel

like the words just arenrsquot there when they need them Wersquove already

given you a bunch of steps you can take to solve this problem and we

realize that writing may be an unexpected additional step but trust us

when we say how valuable it can be

WHY WRITING IMPROVES SPEAKING IT DEMANDS FOCUS AND ATTENTION

Writing practice is the aspect of language learning that involves the

most focus and attention as you have to think about every word as you

write Just like reading writing is a slow process at first but after a short

period of regular practice you can almost hear the ldquoclicksrdquo as the words

you write become part of your vocabulary which can now be used

when you practice speaking with your tutor After all writing and

speaking are both expressive forms of communication using similar

mental processes

IT ACTIVATES VOCABULARY VERY EFFECTIVELY

Writing may just be the ultimate way to solidify your understanding of

the words and phrases yoursquove acquired through reading and listening It

may be even more effective than speaking

9WRITEREGULARLY

51

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WRITING IS MORE PERSONAL

After some practice you can start to write in your own personal style

using your own ldquovoicerdquo which naturally makes the process much more

enjoyable Writing a journal is the best way to access this benefit Posting

thoughts in Chinese on social media is another option especially for

lower levels

WRITING GIVES YOU MORE TIME TO FORMULATE THOUGHTS

Writing gives you time to think and practice the language

simultaneously whereas with speaking there is little opportunity to

really contemplate all the various ways of expressing a thought unless

you have an extremely patient (and masochistic) paid tutor

EVEN IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER YOU CAN STILL WRITE

If you donrsquot have much vocabulary you can still practice writing Just

write individual sentences or phrases Look at example sentences and

try to re-write them using slightly different vocabulary Remember just as

the incredible graded readers we talked about in chapter 4 can be

written with just a few select words and characters you too can write a

surprising amount using the small vocabulary you have at your disposal

5 INCREDIBLE WRITING TIPS GO FOR QUANTITY

Write every day Write a blog or WeChat post write individual sentences

9WRITEREGULARLY

52

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoWriting to me is simply thinking through my fingersrdquo

- Isaac Asimov

53

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

write a question on how to write something write anything You should

write something everyday and make a routine out of it The more

content the better but donrsquot ask too much of yourself or you will burn out

and not want to do it for weeks

An added bonus to writing regularly is the ability to look back on your

previous writing practice after a few weeks or months and see how far

yoursquove come This is called ldquobenchmarkingrdquo which wersquoll talk about more

next time

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT

Write about something or someone you love Write about a problem

yoursquore having Write about your goals and dreams Write about a book

you read or a youtube video you watched Write about what yoursquove

learned or would like to learn Write a journal When you do this your

own personality will shine through in your writing which will make the

words and structures you practice far more memorable

9WRITEREGULARLY

54

AIM FOR ZERO MISTAKES

Thatrsquos correct ZERO mistakes Think about what you write Take your time

to think before you put pen to paper or keyboard and look up example

sentences for words you donrsquot quite know how to use If you do these

things you will produce correct output which is fantastic for your

language skills Bad output leads to what Thatrsquos right bad habits

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

GET CORRECTIONS

Writing and getting corrections will help you notice very quickly the

patterns and structures in Chinese This attentiveness will pay off when

it comes to speaking reading and listening too

USE A WRITING SOFTWARE

Try Ommwriter Flowstate Awriter or similar writing apps designed for

writers to get you into the flow of writing

MAKE FLASHCARDS OUT OF YOUR MISTAKES

Create ultra-personalised reviewable content by taking any corrected

sentences and making a flashcard out of it

Try to combine regular speaking practice with regular writing

practice from now on and see for yourself how fast your fluency

improves

NEXT TIME For our final installment in this series wersquore going to

focus on continuing to improve your Chinese when you start to

plateau and the going getrsquos tough

9WRITEREGULARLY

55

Share your writing with a paid language exchange partner or tutor Check

out HiNative for a great place to get corrections on your writing and ask

general questions about how to use Chinese from native speakers

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Writing is a similar mental process as speaking with some important differences that can make it a more attractive outputting method under certain circumstances

Writing makes you more easily notice things about Chinese helps you activate passive vocabulary creates more personal connections to the language and gives you more time to convey your thoughts than speaking does

You can write at any level

Write as often as you can but donrsquot burn out

Write about things you care about and are passionate about so you can really enjoy the process and create more emotional connections that improve your retention

Aim not to make any mistakes because bad output means bad habits This is much easier to accomplish than with speaking as you have more time to think

Get your writing corrected by paid or free native speakers Make flashcards for words or structures you get wrong

KEY POINTS9WRITEREGULARLY

56

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

10SHARPEN THE SAW

Keep moving forward

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 20: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

MANDARIN COMPANION

Do you prefer the feel of a real book in your hands These books can be

read with only 300-450 characters under your belt They have a bunch of

classics for lower levels that are still compelling despite being heavily

edited

GO FOR EFFICIENCY To get the most out of that precious hour or two each day that most of

us can spare for language learning make sure you use the following

techniques for maximum return on your time investment

INTERLEAVING

Studies have shown that it is more efficient in the long term to flit

between various different types of content within a study session than to

learn one thing at a time in blocks This is referred to as ldquointerleavingrdquo or

ldquointerleaved learningrdquo Donrsquot spend hours pouring over the same material

mix it up Not only will this be way more engaging yoursquoll also progress

faster

TIMEBOXING

Using timeboxing (also known as ldquoThe Pomodoro Techniquerdquo) will

greatly enhance the efficiency and enjoyment of your study

Traditionally you should study for 25 minutes then rest for 5 minutes

then repeat This means 50 minutes of focused study per hour instead of

15 minutes of study and 45 minutes daydreaming and looking at

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

20

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You can also do all sorts of time-boxes for variety Anywhere from 30

seconds to 25 minutes with 25 minutes being the maximum We love to

combine timeboxing with interleaving working on 2 or 3 different study

resources at a time with really short time-boxes For example a few

minutes on learning characters then reviewing flashcards then listening

to a podcast then resting This turns a study session into a fun game

doing wonders for your motivation

LISTEN WHILE READING

Listening is the easiest and most convenient way of improving learning as

itrsquos hands-free and you can focus on other things while doing it However

if you can read what you hear at the same time the benefits multiply

to be greater than the sum of its parts The reading makes it easier to

understand what you hear and what you hear improves your reading

speed If you choose material either at or slightly above your level and try

this technique out it really feels like yoursquore super-charging your Chinese

ability

SHADOWING

This is a technique made famous by Professor Alexander Arguelles

Shadowing is reading listening and speaking all at the same time Do

it while out and about for best results Just a few minutes a day of this will

improve pronunciation spoken fluency reading and listening

simultaneously We do it almost everyday and it really does speed up the

acquisition process more than anything else wersquove tried Just make sure

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

21

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

you choose a voice to imitate that yoursquod actually like to sound like

(especially when you choose the dialect or gender of the speaker) Herersquos

a video of The prof himself talking about the technique in more detail

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk to you all about how good pronunciation

practice improves your speaking ability listening ability amp even

reading ability plus wersquoll talk about where to find the best

resources to pronounce Chinese like a native speaker

Using spaced repetition is vital for your early days learning Chinese (or any language for that matter)

Learning characters is an unavoidable step in learning Chinese

You must see new words in a sentence before you can acquire them Reading graded readers is even better as it provides more context and engaging topics

Incorporate interleaved learning shadowing and timeboxing into your daily study routine for the most efficient results

KEY POINTS

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

22

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

LEARN PRONUNCIATION4

It will pay off huge dividends later

EARLY AND WELL

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

At Mandarin Blueprint we take pronunciation very seriously This is

mainly because we know first-hand the negative effects of poor

pronunciation instruction

Bad pronunciation slows the development of your listening reading

and speaking ability which is bad enough But by far the most

profoundly painful outcome of poor pronunciation is the damage done

to your lsquolearnerrsquos egorsquo early on When you are misunderstood partially

understood or not at all understood it hurts your confidence You then

associate speaking Chinese with negative emotions and become less

and less willing to start talking Itrsquos a vicious cycle of negativity that we

want you to avoid

HERErsquoS A PROBLEM WE WANT YOU TO HAVE 1 A Chinese person asks you a simple question that you understand

2 You answer the question with simple Chinese but with great

pronunciation

3 The Chinese person listening to you immediately assumes you

speak incredible Chinese and proceeds to unload a litany of

questions and comments

4 After an awkward silence you say 听不不懂 (tīngbudǒng) which

means ldquoI donrsquot understandrdquo

5 The Chinese person laughs asks a few more questions before

realizing you were actually serious Awkwardness intensifies

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

24

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

THE SKINNY ON MANDARIN PRONUNCIATION If you want excellent spoken Chinese you first need to be completely

aware of how to produce understand and read all of the sounds of the

language Some people can do all this naturally by ear with very little

training Unfortunately the law of averages states that you are most likely

not in this group Sorry -(

Not to worry though With only 409 different-sounding syllables (1200 if

you include tones) Chinese has relatively little to learn in terms of

pronunciation especially when compared to the 16000+ syllables of

English There are however many challenging and potentially confusing

aspects to Chinese pronunciation which means that you can learn what

you need to know about pronunciation in a relatively short time but you

need high quality expert guidance and study materials to do it

TUTORS ARENrsquoT ALWAYS THE WAY TO GO If you want to learn pronunciation it seems like a logical decision would

be to look for a tutor right Unfortunately most teachers do not have

the knowledge or experience to teach you Chinese pronunciation

well But why is this Well theyrsquove spoken mandarin since they can

remember right They have no frame of reference for comparing tongue

positions or vowel aspiration to English so how could they explain it to a

foreigner How would they know what it feels like to learn Mandarin

pronunciation as an adult

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

25

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoThe first thing I have to do to erase my french accent is to believe itrsquos actually possiblerdquo

- Marion Cotillard

26

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

There are fantastic tutors out there who can teach you pronunciation

properly but they can be like finding a needle in a haystack Not to

mention with the hourly rates you are likely to rack up hundreds of

dollars in fees for average results

INTRODUCING ldquoPRONUNCIATION MASTERYrdquo Wersquove been training our clients on pronunciation through live sessions of

our Pronunciation Mastery course for 2 years now and the results have

been fantastic Wersquove now finally finished transforming it into an 8 hour

video course that will teach you everything you need to know about

Chinese pronunciation all from the unique perspective of us Two

Chinese learners who made the journey ourselves from beginner to

advanced fluency This is all delivered using HD video crystal clear

explanations supported with slick design over a thousand multimedia

SRS flashcards over 80 PDFs amp native audio for reference and review

Wersquove put our hearts and souls into this course along with our extensive

experience and feedback from live teaching over the past 2 years Plus

itrsquos already helped hundreds of Chinese learners around the world Itrsquos

the video course we would have wanted when we were starting out

with Mandarin

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

27

CHECK IT OUT

Luke Neale

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

NEXT TIME Wersquoll dive into the topic of Chinese tutors Wersquoll be

sharing with you where to find the best free and paid tutors how

to work with them in the most efficient and fun way possible

Pronunciation is the vital first stage for learning any language

Bad pronunciation affects all other areas of your Chinese skill but most importantly it hurts your confidence

Compared to English there is much less to learn to master Chinese pronunciation

Chinese teachers rarely have the training and experience necessary to teach you pronunciation properly

Mandarin Blueprintrsquos ldquoPronunciation Masteryrdquo course has everything you need to develop great pronunciation quickly and cheaply Check it out today

KEY POINTS

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

28

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

USE TUTORS

Connect with them regularly

EFFECTIVELY

5

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You will notice that this is way down the list of tips for speaking like a

native speaker Thatrsquos because it actually isnrsquot the highest priority straight

away at least not anymore The sheer number of resources available

to you as a Chinese learner today means that you can do most things

you need to do on your own without a tutor As avid Chinese learners

ourselves we can both attest to this fact However a tutor is an

absolutely vital part of your journey to spoken fluency and to get the

most out of them you need to know how to work with them

First off what is a tutor for exactly Itrsquos not as obvious an answer as you

may think Understandably most people get a tutor straight from the

beginning hoping to receive all the materials and guidance they need

to make them fluent and literate in Chinese This is a lot to expect of

anyone let alone someone who never actually learned Chinese as a

second language So what are reasonable expectations to have then

THE ROLE OF A CHINESE TUTOR 1) FOR ACTIVATING PASSIVE VOCABULARY

Go into a session and try to use the words yoursquove been learning through

listening and reading Focus on steering the conversation to topics

you find meaningful and interesting Agree on these topics in advance

A good tutor is a good communicator someone who can speak to you

in a way they know you understand and ask you the right questions to

keep a conversation going Push your limits of what you know and ask a

lot of questions on how to use any words you arenrsquot sure about

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

30

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Mistakes are fine but donrsquot try and make up how to use a word or phrase

if you donrsquot already know Just ask If your tutor misses mistakes too

often they could turn into bad habits and you really donrsquot want that

2) FOR IDENTIFYING AND FIXING PROBLEMS

We prefer to have a nice chat of between 5 and 30 minutes during which

the tutor is making notes about anything you need to improve upon After

the time is up or the conversation has hit a dead-end the tutor can go

through your mistakes with you and do some directed practice to fix any

recurring issues This can be done as often as you like or just at the very

end of each session Make flashcards with example sentences

targeting the words or phrases you got wrong

3) FOR PROVIDING TRUE ENCOURAGEMENT

True encouragement is when a tutor notices where yoursquove improved and

points it out but also communicates your potential for improvement

Blindly repeating ldquo真棒 zhēn bagravengrdquo (rdquoGreat jobrdquo) all the time is false

encouragement and it can lead to complacency After all Chinese

people will already be giving you plenty of compliments about your

Mandarin the last thing you need is your paid tutor making your head

even bigger If a tutor provides true encouragement regularly yoursquore

golden If not ask them to or get another tutor

4) FOR FINDING LEVEL-APPROPRIATE AND ENGAGING CONTENT

This one is not to be expected of every tutor certainly not unprompted

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

31

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Directly ask them to find you listening and reading materials that you

might be interested in You may be very surprised at what they find for

you Some incredible content may be hidden away from the mainstream

and you may need a native person to help you discover those little gems

you might otherwise miss out on

TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR STUDY Figure out a kind of lesson structure yoursquore comfortable with that

suits your goals and interests Possible approaches include

Focus on a bunch of words yoursquove been learning and how to use

them

Choose several interesting topics and have an open conversation

Discuss a news article comic book or tv episode you saw recently

Whatever it is plan it out briefly beforehand and make it clear with your

tutor how you would like the lesson to go You have to take the reins if

you want the most bang for your buck If you donrsquot what yoursquoll get is what

the tutor wants to give you which will most likely be a textbook and

discussion of boring topics

HOW TO FIND GREAT TUTORS We would highly recommend finding tutors online as opposed to face-

to-face Herersquos why

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

32

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

1 You have a reasonable guarantee of quality Community star ratings

are commonplace

2 Far more convenient You can get online and be talking to a qualified

tutor for a few dollars an hour within a few minutes Enough said

3 Much better value for money Even if yoursquore living in China tutors still

work out cheaper online When you account for the time and effort it

takes to meet with a stranger face-to-face and the higher turnover of

tutors due to poor or quickly declining quality of lessons online tutors

are almost always more cost-effective

If you want to get online fast and take high quality online sessions with a

tutor a great resource is wwwitalkicom You can find both paid tutors

and unpaid language exchange partners here Invest a few dollars and

hours a month and it will pay off hugely for you

Italki offers tutoring in a huge range of lanugages but the vast majority of

the teachers just use skype for their lessons This is fine but you may be

surprised at the level of functionality of other Chinese-only services such

as wwwtutormandarincom

Instead of just a video call you get a live visual presentation showing

text and highlighted areas that makes everything much clearer and

more engaging This way you can practice your reading alongside your

speaking and listening all with live instruction

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

33

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

They offer a free 1-to-1 consultation and language evaluation before you

signup for anything so it canrsquot hurt to try them out

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to talk about immersion and how you

can do it regardless of your lifestyle or location to greatly improve

your speaking ability

Take control of your time with tutors making sure to point out clearly beforehand what you need from them and what your expectations are

Online tutors used in the capacity wersquove suggested are generally more time and cost-effective than face-to-face tutors even if you are in China Make the most of your study time by going for the former unless you have a guarantee of value

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

Tutors should be treated as a learning resource rather than your study gurus Their main function is to serve as a great communicator who can help you activate vocabulary and stay motivated

KEY POINTS

34

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

6IMMERSE YOURSELF

Be with Chinese as often as possible

IN CHINESE

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion deserves itrsquos own e-book all by itself as itrsquos such a deep and

varied topic but there are a few things to remember that will allow you

to immerse yourself in Chinese easily wherever you are

HOW TO IMMERSE YOURSELF First of all immersion doesnrsquot necessarily entail never speaking your

native language and ignoring your friends and family Immersion in itrsquos

most manageable form is simply being in touch with Chinese

regularly throughout the day This is doable outside China and even

with a family and a full-time job to boot Herersquos how we do it

CHANGE YOUR ENVIRONMENT

Make sure that Chinese is within 1 foot of your body at all times Ten

years ago that would have meant taping books and Chinese people

around your waist which would have been inconvenient and almost

definitely illegal Now we have these magical devices in our pockets

everywhere we go and most of us have computers or tablets as well

Always be looking for more and more level-appropriate reading and

listening materials and fill your devices with them Whenever you get

bored or frustrated with something drop it for something else You can

be picky even at beginner level Most of the time if you donrsquot enjoy

something itrsquos because you arenrsquot ready for it yet anyway Just go back

to it a few weeks or months down the line

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

36

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Organize the apps on your smart phone for reading listening speaking

and even writing Chinese so you can tap them whenever you have a

spare few minutes This makes it as easy as possible to immerse yourself

in something wherever and whenever

MAKE BETTER USE OF YOUR TIME

Listen to Chinese whenever yoursquore traveling anywhere working out

doing flashcards or housework If you have your eyes andor mouth free

as well do some interleaved learning or shadowing (see tip 4)

The key is starting not finishing Just do something for 1-15 minutes

10-20 times a day as opposed to trying to set aside large chunks of time

which either cause you to procrastinate or burn out

TALK TO LANGUAGE EXCHANGE PARTNERS

It might get expensive meeting with paid tutors every day which creates

an excuse to not practice speaking But there are more and more great

apps that allow you to connect and exchange with native Chinese

speakers for free Our favorite language exchange apps are pictured

on the next page

TALK TO YOURSELF

Yes it might feel a bit weird but it works as a decent substitute to a paid

tutor or language exchange partner Anything going through your head

just try to blurt out in Chinese Wear earphones to make it appear you are

talking on the phone so you donrsquot get placed into a mental institution

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

37

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoTime is what we want most but what we use worstrdquo

- William Penn

38

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion is doable regardless of your lifestyle Just be around Chinese many times throughout the day

Listen while doing pretty much anything Itrsquos the part of language learning that takes the least conscious effort to improve

Connect with language exchange partners via free apps Spend a few minutes chatting here and there Even talking to yourself can be really effective

KEY POINTS

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk about how to maintain a calm and positive

attitude when struggling to improve your speaking skills Wersquoll

also go into how to take criticism well and even enjoy making

mistakes6

IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

39

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

BE COOL7

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot be touchy when you get corrections or criticism even if it comes

across as harsh People rarely correct you for free and if you react

badly when they do that will probably be the last time they help you

When you arenrsquot understood just assume itrsquos never their problem It

actually might be sometimes but just assume it isnrsquot

People tend to put a lot of their pride and ego into their Chinese ability

because it takes a lot of time and effort to get good and it is a very rare

skill However just know that only when you really start to get good at

something do you realize how little you know Donrsquot fall into that trap

because you will be in for a rude awakening down the line Take your

ego out of the equation and have a great time Laugh at yourself

Itrsquos all just a game

LEARN TO ACCEPT UNCERTAINTY You will forget words yoursquove reviewed and heard for months

You will forget grammar structures yoursquove spoken correctly 10 times

before

You will get utterly lost in conversation after thinking yoursquove had a

breakthrough in your skill level

Take a deep breath Itrsquos all part of the process

7BE COOL

41

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoCriticism may not be agreeable but it is necessary It fulfils the same function as pain

in the human body It calls attention to an

unhealthy state of things - Winston Churchill

42

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Wersquove already mentioned the importance of good output Too many

mistakes without being corrected can lead to bad habits but mistakes

are inevitable Even if you follow our advice you will still have trouble

sometimes Enjoy being wronghellipevery mistake or misunderstanding

can bring you closer to fluency The key is to not worry about what you

canrsquot say just take note of it and take action Try to say something and it

came out as gibberish Make a note and try it out next time you get the

chance Get a flashcard completely wrong Good Less likely to next time

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to be sharing with you our favorite

speaking hacks that will instantly have you speaking Chinese

much more like a native and with less effort

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously Learning Chinese is just a game Enjoy yourself and take criticism with a smile

Mistakes when speaking and reviewing are inevitable and an important part of the learning process

KEY POINTS

7BE COOL

43

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

8USE THESE

Speak ldquorealrdquo Chinese

SPEAKING HACKS

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

OUR FAVORITE SPEAKING HACKS Apply even one of these techniques to your day-to-day speaking and

you will not only sound more native but will also find it much easier

to speak in general

SPEAK WITH FLUENCY

Fluency is not knowing every word It is simply the ability to say what it is

you want to say accurately using the vocabulary that you have Donrsquot

know how to say ldquointernational traderdquo Just say ldquowhen one country buys

and sells things with another countryrdquo After you say this your

conversation partner will likely say ldquooh yeah thatrsquos lsquointernational tradersquordquo

Boom New word learned within the emotional context of the

conversation to boot The key is when you donrsquot know a word donrsquot

just give up Instead do your best to explain what you want to say

with the vocabulary you have

SLOW DOWN

Speaking at around 80 of your normal rate wonrsquot sound weird at all and

it will improve both your pronunciation and your fluency instantly

Speaking more slowly gives your mouth and tongue muscles time to

get into position before a sound is made which is very helpful for those

sounds that donrsquot exist in English Plus it gives you a few extra

microseconds to think of something to say in conversation Combine

this with the next 2 hacks and yoursquore really in businesshellip

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

45

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoFake it until you make itrdquo - Steven Tyler

46

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

USE ldquoFILLERSrdquo

Everyone (including Chinese people) use these all the time in their

various native languages Why would you give yourself less of a chance

than a native speaker would to sound fluent Thatrsquos just crazy Here are

the top five uhh er umhelliprdquofillersrdquo

ēnhellip jiugraveshihellip negraveigehellip zhegraveigehellip raacutenhograveuhellip

Throw one or more of these utterances anywhere you like Put them in

every sentence if you feel the need Chinese people wonrsquot notice as they

do it too

USE CONVERSATION CONNECTORS

This is a term coined by Anthony Lauder referring to those everyday

fixed phrases that you say at the beginning middle or end of a sentence

to dress up what you want to say Here are some examples

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

我想告诉你hellip woacute xiǎng gagraveosu nǐhellip

Irsquod like you to know thathellip

你别介意不过hellip nǐ bieacute jiegraveyigrave buacuteguogravehellip Dont be upset buthellip

就像你已经知道的hellip jiugrave xiagraveng niacute yǐjīng zhīdagraveo dehellip

As you already know

多数情况hellip dagrave duō shugrave qiacutengkuagraveng

Most of the timehellip

47

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot give up so easily if you canrsquot think of a word you want to use Just use more common words to describe it

Speaking a bit slower will give you more time to think of what to say and will usually go unnoticed by a native speaker

Throw in fillers and fixed expressions to sound more like a native speaker and give yourself more time to speak at the same time

You can even thrown in English words to fill in the gaps if the above suggestions arenrsquot on the table Many young educated Chinese people do this anyway

KEY POINTS

USE ENGLISH WORDS

As a last ditch effort if you really donrsquot have the energy to ldquouse fluencyrdquo to

describe a word yoursquove forgotten just say the English word Younger

more educated Chinese speakers are likely to have a decent English

level and they themselves also like to throw in the odd English word into

conversation so itrsquos fine to follow suit At very least it keeps conversation

going to the next topic where you remember the Chinese words

NEXT TIME For our next installment in this series wersquore going to

get into the role writing has on your speaking how to write what

to write and where amp when to write Itrsquos not at all as intimidating

(or boring) as you may think

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

48

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Combine any and all of these tips to your speaking at any time to make yourself speak better instantly8

USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

49

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

WRITE REGULARLY9

Supercharge your active vocabulary

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Many beginners (and higher levels too) struggle with the frustration of

not being able to express their thoughts and feelings properly in

Chinese Even with many months and years of practice they can still feel

like the words just arenrsquot there when they need them Wersquove already

given you a bunch of steps you can take to solve this problem and we

realize that writing may be an unexpected additional step but trust us

when we say how valuable it can be

WHY WRITING IMPROVES SPEAKING IT DEMANDS FOCUS AND ATTENTION

Writing practice is the aspect of language learning that involves the

most focus and attention as you have to think about every word as you

write Just like reading writing is a slow process at first but after a short

period of regular practice you can almost hear the ldquoclicksrdquo as the words

you write become part of your vocabulary which can now be used

when you practice speaking with your tutor After all writing and

speaking are both expressive forms of communication using similar

mental processes

IT ACTIVATES VOCABULARY VERY EFFECTIVELY

Writing may just be the ultimate way to solidify your understanding of

the words and phrases yoursquove acquired through reading and listening It

may be even more effective than speaking

9WRITEREGULARLY

51

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WRITING IS MORE PERSONAL

After some practice you can start to write in your own personal style

using your own ldquovoicerdquo which naturally makes the process much more

enjoyable Writing a journal is the best way to access this benefit Posting

thoughts in Chinese on social media is another option especially for

lower levels

WRITING GIVES YOU MORE TIME TO FORMULATE THOUGHTS

Writing gives you time to think and practice the language

simultaneously whereas with speaking there is little opportunity to

really contemplate all the various ways of expressing a thought unless

you have an extremely patient (and masochistic) paid tutor

EVEN IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER YOU CAN STILL WRITE

If you donrsquot have much vocabulary you can still practice writing Just

write individual sentences or phrases Look at example sentences and

try to re-write them using slightly different vocabulary Remember just as

the incredible graded readers we talked about in chapter 4 can be

written with just a few select words and characters you too can write a

surprising amount using the small vocabulary you have at your disposal

5 INCREDIBLE WRITING TIPS GO FOR QUANTITY

Write every day Write a blog or WeChat post write individual sentences

9WRITEREGULARLY

52

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoWriting to me is simply thinking through my fingersrdquo

- Isaac Asimov

53

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

write a question on how to write something write anything You should

write something everyday and make a routine out of it The more

content the better but donrsquot ask too much of yourself or you will burn out

and not want to do it for weeks

An added bonus to writing regularly is the ability to look back on your

previous writing practice after a few weeks or months and see how far

yoursquove come This is called ldquobenchmarkingrdquo which wersquoll talk about more

next time

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT

Write about something or someone you love Write about a problem

yoursquore having Write about your goals and dreams Write about a book

you read or a youtube video you watched Write about what yoursquove

learned or would like to learn Write a journal When you do this your

own personality will shine through in your writing which will make the

words and structures you practice far more memorable

9WRITEREGULARLY

54

AIM FOR ZERO MISTAKES

Thatrsquos correct ZERO mistakes Think about what you write Take your time

to think before you put pen to paper or keyboard and look up example

sentences for words you donrsquot quite know how to use If you do these

things you will produce correct output which is fantastic for your

language skills Bad output leads to what Thatrsquos right bad habits

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

GET CORRECTIONS

Writing and getting corrections will help you notice very quickly the

patterns and structures in Chinese This attentiveness will pay off when

it comes to speaking reading and listening too

USE A WRITING SOFTWARE

Try Ommwriter Flowstate Awriter or similar writing apps designed for

writers to get you into the flow of writing

MAKE FLASHCARDS OUT OF YOUR MISTAKES

Create ultra-personalised reviewable content by taking any corrected

sentences and making a flashcard out of it

Try to combine regular speaking practice with regular writing

practice from now on and see for yourself how fast your fluency

improves

NEXT TIME For our final installment in this series wersquore going to

focus on continuing to improve your Chinese when you start to

plateau and the going getrsquos tough

9WRITEREGULARLY

55

Share your writing with a paid language exchange partner or tutor Check

out HiNative for a great place to get corrections on your writing and ask

general questions about how to use Chinese from native speakers

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Writing is a similar mental process as speaking with some important differences that can make it a more attractive outputting method under certain circumstances

Writing makes you more easily notice things about Chinese helps you activate passive vocabulary creates more personal connections to the language and gives you more time to convey your thoughts than speaking does

You can write at any level

Write as often as you can but donrsquot burn out

Write about things you care about and are passionate about so you can really enjoy the process and create more emotional connections that improve your retention

Aim not to make any mistakes because bad output means bad habits This is much easier to accomplish than with speaking as you have more time to think

Get your writing corrected by paid or free native speakers Make flashcards for words or structures you get wrong

KEY POINTS9WRITEREGULARLY

56

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

10SHARPEN THE SAW

Keep moving forward

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 21: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You can also do all sorts of time-boxes for variety Anywhere from 30

seconds to 25 minutes with 25 minutes being the maximum We love to

combine timeboxing with interleaving working on 2 or 3 different study

resources at a time with really short time-boxes For example a few

minutes on learning characters then reviewing flashcards then listening

to a podcast then resting This turns a study session into a fun game

doing wonders for your motivation

LISTEN WHILE READING

Listening is the easiest and most convenient way of improving learning as

itrsquos hands-free and you can focus on other things while doing it However

if you can read what you hear at the same time the benefits multiply

to be greater than the sum of its parts The reading makes it easier to

understand what you hear and what you hear improves your reading

speed If you choose material either at or slightly above your level and try

this technique out it really feels like yoursquore super-charging your Chinese

ability

SHADOWING

This is a technique made famous by Professor Alexander Arguelles

Shadowing is reading listening and speaking all at the same time Do

it while out and about for best results Just a few minutes a day of this will

improve pronunciation spoken fluency reading and listening

simultaneously We do it almost everyday and it really does speed up the

acquisition process more than anything else wersquove tried Just make sure

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

21

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

you choose a voice to imitate that yoursquod actually like to sound like

(especially when you choose the dialect or gender of the speaker) Herersquos

a video of The prof himself talking about the technique in more detail

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk to you all about how good pronunciation

practice improves your speaking ability listening ability amp even

reading ability plus wersquoll talk about where to find the best

resources to pronounce Chinese like a native speaker

Using spaced repetition is vital for your early days learning Chinese (or any language for that matter)

Learning characters is an unavoidable step in learning Chinese

You must see new words in a sentence before you can acquire them Reading graded readers is even better as it provides more context and engaging topics

Incorporate interleaved learning shadowing and timeboxing into your daily study routine for the most efficient results

KEY POINTS

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

22

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

LEARN PRONUNCIATION4

It will pay off huge dividends later

EARLY AND WELL

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

At Mandarin Blueprint we take pronunciation very seriously This is

mainly because we know first-hand the negative effects of poor

pronunciation instruction

Bad pronunciation slows the development of your listening reading

and speaking ability which is bad enough But by far the most

profoundly painful outcome of poor pronunciation is the damage done

to your lsquolearnerrsquos egorsquo early on When you are misunderstood partially

understood or not at all understood it hurts your confidence You then

associate speaking Chinese with negative emotions and become less

and less willing to start talking Itrsquos a vicious cycle of negativity that we

want you to avoid

HERErsquoS A PROBLEM WE WANT YOU TO HAVE 1 A Chinese person asks you a simple question that you understand

2 You answer the question with simple Chinese but with great

pronunciation

3 The Chinese person listening to you immediately assumes you

speak incredible Chinese and proceeds to unload a litany of

questions and comments

4 After an awkward silence you say 听不不懂 (tīngbudǒng) which

means ldquoI donrsquot understandrdquo

5 The Chinese person laughs asks a few more questions before

realizing you were actually serious Awkwardness intensifies

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

24

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

THE SKINNY ON MANDARIN PRONUNCIATION If you want excellent spoken Chinese you first need to be completely

aware of how to produce understand and read all of the sounds of the

language Some people can do all this naturally by ear with very little

training Unfortunately the law of averages states that you are most likely

not in this group Sorry -(

Not to worry though With only 409 different-sounding syllables (1200 if

you include tones) Chinese has relatively little to learn in terms of

pronunciation especially when compared to the 16000+ syllables of

English There are however many challenging and potentially confusing

aspects to Chinese pronunciation which means that you can learn what

you need to know about pronunciation in a relatively short time but you

need high quality expert guidance and study materials to do it

TUTORS ARENrsquoT ALWAYS THE WAY TO GO If you want to learn pronunciation it seems like a logical decision would

be to look for a tutor right Unfortunately most teachers do not have

the knowledge or experience to teach you Chinese pronunciation

well But why is this Well theyrsquove spoken mandarin since they can

remember right They have no frame of reference for comparing tongue

positions or vowel aspiration to English so how could they explain it to a

foreigner How would they know what it feels like to learn Mandarin

pronunciation as an adult

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

25

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoThe first thing I have to do to erase my french accent is to believe itrsquos actually possiblerdquo

- Marion Cotillard

26

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

There are fantastic tutors out there who can teach you pronunciation

properly but they can be like finding a needle in a haystack Not to

mention with the hourly rates you are likely to rack up hundreds of

dollars in fees for average results

INTRODUCING ldquoPRONUNCIATION MASTERYrdquo Wersquove been training our clients on pronunciation through live sessions of

our Pronunciation Mastery course for 2 years now and the results have

been fantastic Wersquove now finally finished transforming it into an 8 hour

video course that will teach you everything you need to know about

Chinese pronunciation all from the unique perspective of us Two

Chinese learners who made the journey ourselves from beginner to

advanced fluency This is all delivered using HD video crystal clear

explanations supported with slick design over a thousand multimedia

SRS flashcards over 80 PDFs amp native audio for reference and review

Wersquove put our hearts and souls into this course along with our extensive

experience and feedback from live teaching over the past 2 years Plus

itrsquos already helped hundreds of Chinese learners around the world Itrsquos

the video course we would have wanted when we were starting out

with Mandarin

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

27

CHECK IT OUT

Luke Neale

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

NEXT TIME Wersquoll dive into the topic of Chinese tutors Wersquoll be

sharing with you where to find the best free and paid tutors how

to work with them in the most efficient and fun way possible

Pronunciation is the vital first stage for learning any language

Bad pronunciation affects all other areas of your Chinese skill but most importantly it hurts your confidence

Compared to English there is much less to learn to master Chinese pronunciation

Chinese teachers rarely have the training and experience necessary to teach you pronunciation properly

Mandarin Blueprintrsquos ldquoPronunciation Masteryrdquo course has everything you need to develop great pronunciation quickly and cheaply Check it out today

KEY POINTS

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

28

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

USE TUTORS

Connect with them regularly

EFFECTIVELY

5

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You will notice that this is way down the list of tips for speaking like a

native speaker Thatrsquos because it actually isnrsquot the highest priority straight

away at least not anymore The sheer number of resources available

to you as a Chinese learner today means that you can do most things

you need to do on your own without a tutor As avid Chinese learners

ourselves we can both attest to this fact However a tutor is an

absolutely vital part of your journey to spoken fluency and to get the

most out of them you need to know how to work with them

First off what is a tutor for exactly Itrsquos not as obvious an answer as you

may think Understandably most people get a tutor straight from the

beginning hoping to receive all the materials and guidance they need

to make them fluent and literate in Chinese This is a lot to expect of

anyone let alone someone who never actually learned Chinese as a

second language So what are reasonable expectations to have then

THE ROLE OF A CHINESE TUTOR 1) FOR ACTIVATING PASSIVE VOCABULARY

Go into a session and try to use the words yoursquove been learning through

listening and reading Focus on steering the conversation to topics

you find meaningful and interesting Agree on these topics in advance

A good tutor is a good communicator someone who can speak to you

in a way they know you understand and ask you the right questions to

keep a conversation going Push your limits of what you know and ask a

lot of questions on how to use any words you arenrsquot sure about

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

30

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Mistakes are fine but donrsquot try and make up how to use a word or phrase

if you donrsquot already know Just ask If your tutor misses mistakes too

often they could turn into bad habits and you really donrsquot want that

2) FOR IDENTIFYING AND FIXING PROBLEMS

We prefer to have a nice chat of between 5 and 30 minutes during which

the tutor is making notes about anything you need to improve upon After

the time is up or the conversation has hit a dead-end the tutor can go

through your mistakes with you and do some directed practice to fix any

recurring issues This can be done as often as you like or just at the very

end of each session Make flashcards with example sentences

targeting the words or phrases you got wrong

3) FOR PROVIDING TRUE ENCOURAGEMENT

True encouragement is when a tutor notices where yoursquove improved and

points it out but also communicates your potential for improvement

Blindly repeating ldquo真棒 zhēn bagravengrdquo (rdquoGreat jobrdquo) all the time is false

encouragement and it can lead to complacency After all Chinese

people will already be giving you plenty of compliments about your

Mandarin the last thing you need is your paid tutor making your head

even bigger If a tutor provides true encouragement regularly yoursquore

golden If not ask them to or get another tutor

4) FOR FINDING LEVEL-APPROPRIATE AND ENGAGING CONTENT

This one is not to be expected of every tutor certainly not unprompted

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

31

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Directly ask them to find you listening and reading materials that you

might be interested in You may be very surprised at what they find for

you Some incredible content may be hidden away from the mainstream

and you may need a native person to help you discover those little gems

you might otherwise miss out on

TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR STUDY Figure out a kind of lesson structure yoursquore comfortable with that

suits your goals and interests Possible approaches include

Focus on a bunch of words yoursquove been learning and how to use

them

Choose several interesting topics and have an open conversation

Discuss a news article comic book or tv episode you saw recently

Whatever it is plan it out briefly beforehand and make it clear with your

tutor how you would like the lesson to go You have to take the reins if

you want the most bang for your buck If you donrsquot what yoursquoll get is what

the tutor wants to give you which will most likely be a textbook and

discussion of boring topics

HOW TO FIND GREAT TUTORS We would highly recommend finding tutors online as opposed to face-

to-face Herersquos why

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

32

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

1 You have a reasonable guarantee of quality Community star ratings

are commonplace

2 Far more convenient You can get online and be talking to a qualified

tutor for a few dollars an hour within a few minutes Enough said

3 Much better value for money Even if yoursquore living in China tutors still

work out cheaper online When you account for the time and effort it

takes to meet with a stranger face-to-face and the higher turnover of

tutors due to poor or quickly declining quality of lessons online tutors

are almost always more cost-effective

If you want to get online fast and take high quality online sessions with a

tutor a great resource is wwwitalkicom You can find both paid tutors

and unpaid language exchange partners here Invest a few dollars and

hours a month and it will pay off hugely for you

Italki offers tutoring in a huge range of lanugages but the vast majority of

the teachers just use skype for their lessons This is fine but you may be

surprised at the level of functionality of other Chinese-only services such

as wwwtutormandarincom

Instead of just a video call you get a live visual presentation showing

text and highlighted areas that makes everything much clearer and

more engaging This way you can practice your reading alongside your

speaking and listening all with live instruction

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

33

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

They offer a free 1-to-1 consultation and language evaluation before you

signup for anything so it canrsquot hurt to try them out

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to talk about immersion and how you

can do it regardless of your lifestyle or location to greatly improve

your speaking ability

Take control of your time with tutors making sure to point out clearly beforehand what you need from them and what your expectations are

Online tutors used in the capacity wersquove suggested are generally more time and cost-effective than face-to-face tutors even if you are in China Make the most of your study time by going for the former unless you have a guarantee of value

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

Tutors should be treated as a learning resource rather than your study gurus Their main function is to serve as a great communicator who can help you activate vocabulary and stay motivated

KEY POINTS

34

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

6IMMERSE YOURSELF

Be with Chinese as often as possible

IN CHINESE

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion deserves itrsquos own e-book all by itself as itrsquos such a deep and

varied topic but there are a few things to remember that will allow you

to immerse yourself in Chinese easily wherever you are

HOW TO IMMERSE YOURSELF First of all immersion doesnrsquot necessarily entail never speaking your

native language and ignoring your friends and family Immersion in itrsquos

most manageable form is simply being in touch with Chinese

regularly throughout the day This is doable outside China and even

with a family and a full-time job to boot Herersquos how we do it

CHANGE YOUR ENVIRONMENT

Make sure that Chinese is within 1 foot of your body at all times Ten

years ago that would have meant taping books and Chinese people

around your waist which would have been inconvenient and almost

definitely illegal Now we have these magical devices in our pockets

everywhere we go and most of us have computers or tablets as well

Always be looking for more and more level-appropriate reading and

listening materials and fill your devices with them Whenever you get

bored or frustrated with something drop it for something else You can

be picky even at beginner level Most of the time if you donrsquot enjoy

something itrsquos because you arenrsquot ready for it yet anyway Just go back

to it a few weeks or months down the line

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

36

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Organize the apps on your smart phone for reading listening speaking

and even writing Chinese so you can tap them whenever you have a

spare few minutes This makes it as easy as possible to immerse yourself

in something wherever and whenever

MAKE BETTER USE OF YOUR TIME

Listen to Chinese whenever yoursquore traveling anywhere working out

doing flashcards or housework If you have your eyes andor mouth free

as well do some interleaved learning or shadowing (see tip 4)

The key is starting not finishing Just do something for 1-15 minutes

10-20 times a day as opposed to trying to set aside large chunks of time

which either cause you to procrastinate or burn out

TALK TO LANGUAGE EXCHANGE PARTNERS

It might get expensive meeting with paid tutors every day which creates

an excuse to not practice speaking But there are more and more great

apps that allow you to connect and exchange with native Chinese

speakers for free Our favorite language exchange apps are pictured

on the next page

TALK TO YOURSELF

Yes it might feel a bit weird but it works as a decent substitute to a paid

tutor or language exchange partner Anything going through your head

just try to blurt out in Chinese Wear earphones to make it appear you are

talking on the phone so you donrsquot get placed into a mental institution

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

37

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoTime is what we want most but what we use worstrdquo

- William Penn

38

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion is doable regardless of your lifestyle Just be around Chinese many times throughout the day

Listen while doing pretty much anything Itrsquos the part of language learning that takes the least conscious effort to improve

Connect with language exchange partners via free apps Spend a few minutes chatting here and there Even talking to yourself can be really effective

KEY POINTS

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk about how to maintain a calm and positive

attitude when struggling to improve your speaking skills Wersquoll

also go into how to take criticism well and even enjoy making

mistakes6

IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

39

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

BE COOL7

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot be touchy when you get corrections or criticism even if it comes

across as harsh People rarely correct you for free and if you react

badly when they do that will probably be the last time they help you

When you arenrsquot understood just assume itrsquos never their problem It

actually might be sometimes but just assume it isnrsquot

People tend to put a lot of their pride and ego into their Chinese ability

because it takes a lot of time and effort to get good and it is a very rare

skill However just know that only when you really start to get good at

something do you realize how little you know Donrsquot fall into that trap

because you will be in for a rude awakening down the line Take your

ego out of the equation and have a great time Laugh at yourself

Itrsquos all just a game

LEARN TO ACCEPT UNCERTAINTY You will forget words yoursquove reviewed and heard for months

You will forget grammar structures yoursquove spoken correctly 10 times

before

You will get utterly lost in conversation after thinking yoursquove had a

breakthrough in your skill level

Take a deep breath Itrsquos all part of the process

7BE COOL

41

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoCriticism may not be agreeable but it is necessary It fulfils the same function as pain

in the human body It calls attention to an

unhealthy state of things - Winston Churchill

42

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Wersquove already mentioned the importance of good output Too many

mistakes without being corrected can lead to bad habits but mistakes

are inevitable Even if you follow our advice you will still have trouble

sometimes Enjoy being wronghellipevery mistake or misunderstanding

can bring you closer to fluency The key is to not worry about what you

canrsquot say just take note of it and take action Try to say something and it

came out as gibberish Make a note and try it out next time you get the

chance Get a flashcard completely wrong Good Less likely to next time

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to be sharing with you our favorite

speaking hacks that will instantly have you speaking Chinese

much more like a native and with less effort

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously Learning Chinese is just a game Enjoy yourself and take criticism with a smile

Mistakes when speaking and reviewing are inevitable and an important part of the learning process

KEY POINTS

7BE COOL

43

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

8USE THESE

Speak ldquorealrdquo Chinese

SPEAKING HACKS

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

OUR FAVORITE SPEAKING HACKS Apply even one of these techniques to your day-to-day speaking and

you will not only sound more native but will also find it much easier

to speak in general

SPEAK WITH FLUENCY

Fluency is not knowing every word It is simply the ability to say what it is

you want to say accurately using the vocabulary that you have Donrsquot

know how to say ldquointernational traderdquo Just say ldquowhen one country buys

and sells things with another countryrdquo After you say this your

conversation partner will likely say ldquooh yeah thatrsquos lsquointernational tradersquordquo

Boom New word learned within the emotional context of the

conversation to boot The key is when you donrsquot know a word donrsquot

just give up Instead do your best to explain what you want to say

with the vocabulary you have

SLOW DOWN

Speaking at around 80 of your normal rate wonrsquot sound weird at all and

it will improve both your pronunciation and your fluency instantly

Speaking more slowly gives your mouth and tongue muscles time to

get into position before a sound is made which is very helpful for those

sounds that donrsquot exist in English Plus it gives you a few extra

microseconds to think of something to say in conversation Combine

this with the next 2 hacks and yoursquore really in businesshellip

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

45

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoFake it until you make itrdquo - Steven Tyler

46

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

USE ldquoFILLERSrdquo

Everyone (including Chinese people) use these all the time in their

various native languages Why would you give yourself less of a chance

than a native speaker would to sound fluent Thatrsquos just crazy Here are

the top five uhh er umhelliprdquofillersrdquo

ēnhellip jiugraveshihellip negraveigehellip zhegraveigehellip raacutenhograveuhellip

Throw one or more of these utterances anywhere you like Put them in

every sentence if you feel the need Chinese people wonrsquot notice as they

do it too

USE CONVERSATION CONNECTORS

This is a term coined by Anthony Lauder referring to those everyday

fixed phrases that you say at the beginning middle or end of a sentence

to dress up what you want to say Here are some examples

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

我想告诉你hellip woacute xiǎng gagraveosu nǐhellip

Irsquod like you to know thathellip

你别介意不过hellip nǐ bieacute jiegraveyigrave buacuteguogravehellip Dont be upset buthellip

就像你已经知道的hellip jiugrave xiagraveng niacute yǐjīng zhīdagraveo dehellip

As you already know

多数情况hellip dagrave duō shugrave qiacutengkuagraveng

Most of the timehellip

47

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot give up so easily if you canrsquot think of a word you want to use Just use more common words to describe it

Speaking a bit slower will give you more time to think of what to say and will usually go unnoticed by a native speaker

Throw in fillers and fixed expressions to sound more like a native speaker and give yourself more time to speak at the same time

You can even thrown in English words to fill in the gaps if the above suggestions arenrsquot on the table Many young educated Chinese people do this anyway

KEY POINTS

USE ENGLISH WORDS

As a last ditch effort if you really donrsquot have the energy to ldquouse fluencyrdquo to

describe a word yoursquove forgotten just say the English word Younger

more educated Chinese speakers are likely to have a decent English

level and they themselves also like to throw in the odd English word into

conversation so itrsquos fine to follow suit At very least it keeps conversation

going to the next topic where you remember the Chinese words

NEXT TIME For our next installment in this series wersquore going to

get into the role writing has on your speaking how to write what

to write and where amp when to write Itrsquos not at all as intimidating

(or boring) as you may think

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

48

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Combine any and all of these tips to your speaking at any time to make yourself speak better instantly8

USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

49

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

WRITE REGULARLY9

Supercharge your active vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Many beginners (and higher levels too) struggle with the frustration of

not being able to express their thoughts and feelings properly in

Chinese Even with many months and years of practice they can still feel

like the words just arenrsquot there when they need them Wersquove already

given you a bunch of steps you can take to solve this problem and we

realize that writing may be an unexpected additional step but trust us

when we say how valuable it can be

WHY WRITING IMPROVES SPEAKING IT DEMANDS FOCUS AND ATTENTION

Writing practice is the aspect of language learning that involves the

most focus and attention as you have to think about every word as you

write Just like reading writing is a slow process at first but after a short

period of regular practice you can almost hear the ldquoclicksrdquo as the words

you write become part of your vocabulary which can now be used

when you practice speaking with your tutor After all writing and

speaking are both expressive forms of communication using similar

mental processes

IT ACTIVATES VOCABULARY VERY EFFECTIVELY

Writing may just be the ultimate way to solidify your understanding of

the words and phrases yoursquove acquired through reading and listening It

may be even more effective than speaking

9WRITEREGULARLY

51

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WRITING IS MORE PERSONAL

After some practice you can start to write in your own personal style

using your own ldquovoicerdquo which naturally makes the process much more

enjoyable Writing a journal is the best way to access this benefit Posting

thoughts in Chinese on social media is another option especially for

lower levels

WRITING GIVES YOU MORE TIME TO FORMULATE THOUGHTS

Writing gives you time to think and practice the language

simultaneously whereas with speaking there is little opportunity to

really contemplate all the various ways of expressing a thought unless

you have an extremely patient (and masochistic) paid tutor

EVEN IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER YOU CAN STILL WRITE

If you donrsquot have much vocabulary you can still practice writing Just

write individual sentences or phrases Look at example sentences and

try to re-write them using slightly different vocabulary Remember just as

the incredible graded readers we talked about in chapter 4 can be

written with just a few select words and characters you too can write a

surprising amount using the small vocabulary you have at your disposal

5 INCREDIBLE WRITING TIPS GO FOR QUANTITY

Write every day Write a blog or WeChat post write individual sentences

9WRITEREGULARLY

52

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoWriting to me is simply thinking through my fingersrdquo

- Isaac Asimov

53

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

write a question on how to write something write anything You should

write something everyday and make a routine out of it The more

content the better but donrsquot ask too much of yourself or you will burn out

and not want to do it for weeks

An added bonus to writing regularly is the ability to look back on your

previous writing practice after a few weeks or months and see how far

yoursquove come This is called ldquobenchmarkingrdquo which wersquoll talk about more

next time

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT

Write about something or someone you love Write about a problem

yoursquore having Write about your goals and dreams Write about a book

you read or a youtube video you watched Write about what yoursquove

learned or would like to learn Write a journal When you do this your

own personality will shine through in your writing which will make the

words and structures you practice far more memorable

9WRITEREGULARLY

54

AIM FOR ZERO MISTAKES

Thatrsquos correct ZERO mistakes Think about what you write Take your time

to think before you put pen to paper or keyboard and look up example

sentences for words you donrsquot quite know how to use If you do these

things you will produce correct output which is fantastic for your

language skills Bad output leads to what Thatrsquos right bad habits

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

GET CORRECTIONS

Writing and getting corrections will help you notice very quickly the

patterns and structures in Chinese This attentiveness will pay off when

it comes to speaking reading and listening too

USE A WRITING SOFTWARE

Try Ommwriter Flowstate Awriter or similar writing apps designed for

writers to get you into the flow of writing

MAKE FLASHCARDS OUT OF YOUR MISTAKES

Create ultra-personalised reviewable content by taking any corrected

sentences and making a flashcard out of it

Try to combine regular speaking practice with regular writing

practice from now on and see for yourself how fast your fluency

improves

NEXT TIME For our final installment in this series wersquore going to

focus on continuing to improve your Chinese when you start to

plateau and the going getrsquos tough

9WRITEREGULARLY

55

Share your writing with a paid language exchange partner or tutor Check

out HiNative for a great place to get corrections on your writing and ask

general questions about how to use Chinese from native speakers

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Writing is a similar mental process as speaking with some important differences that can make it a more attractive outputting method under certain circumstances

Writing makes you more easily notice things about Chinese helps you activate passive vocabulary creates more personal connections to the language and gives you more time to convey your thoughts than speaking does

You can write at any level

Write as often as you can but donrsquot burn out

Write about things you care about and are passionate about so you can really enjoy the process and create more emotional connections that improve your retention

Aim not to make any mistakes because bad output means bad habits This is much easier to accomplish than with speaking as you have more time to think

Get your writing corrected by paid or free native speakers Make flashcards for words or structures you get wrong

KEY POINTS9WRITEREGULARLY

56

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

10SHARPEN THE SAW

Keep moving forward

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 22: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

you choose a voice to imitate that yoursquod actually like to sound like

(especially when you choose the dialect or gender of the speaker) Herersquos

a video of The prof himself talking about the technique in more detail

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk to you all about how good pronunciation

practice improves your speaking ability listening ability amp even

reading ability plus wersquoll talk about where to find the best

resources to pronounce Chinese like a native speaker

Using spaced repetition is vital for your early days learning Chinese (or any language for that matter)

Learning characters is an unavoidable step in learning Chinese

You must see new words in a sentence before you can acquire them Reading graded readers is even better as it provides more context and engaging topics

Incorporate interleaved learning shadowing and timeboxing into your daily study routine for the most efficient results

KEY POINTS

3LEARN WORDSTHE RIGHT WAY

22

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

LEARN PRONUNCIATION4

It will pay off huge dividends later

EARLY AND WELL

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

At Mandarin Blueprint we take pronunciation very seriously This is

mainly because we know first-hand the negative effects of poor

pronunciation instruction

Bad pronunciation slows the development of your listening reading

and speaking ability which is bad enough But by far the most

profoundly painful outcome of poor pronunciation is the damage done

to your lsquolearnerrsquos egorsquo early on When you are misunderstood partially

understood or not at all understood it hurts your confidence You then

associate speaking Chinese with negative emotions and become less

and less willing to start talking Itrsquos a vicious cycle of negativity that we

want you to avoid

HERErsquoS A PROBLEM WE WANT YOU TO HAVE 1 A Chinese person asks you a simple question that you understand

2 You answer the question with simple Chinese but with great

pronunciation

3 The Chinese person listening to you immediately assumes you

speak incredible Chinese and proceeds to unload a litany of

questions and comments

4 After an awkward silence you say 听不不懂 (tīngbudǒng) which

means ldquoI donrsquot understandrdquo

5 The Chinese person laughs asks a few more questions before

realizing you were actually serious Awkwardness intensifies

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

24

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

THE SKINNY ON MANDARIN PRONUNCIATION If you want excellent spoken Chinese you first need to be completely

aware of how to produce understand and read all of the sounds of the

language Some people can do all this naturally by ear with very little

training Unfortunately the law of averages states that you are most likely

not in this group Sorry -(

Not to worry though With only 409 different-sounding syllables (1200 if

you include tones) Chinese has relatively little to learn in terms of

pronunciation especially when compared to the 16000+ syllables of

English There are however many challenging and potentially confusing

aspects to Chinese pronunciation which means that you can learn what

you need to know about pronunciation in a relatively short time but you

need high quality expert guidance and study materials to do it

TUTORS ARENrsquoT ALWAYS THE WAY TO GO If you want to learn pronunciation it seems like a logical decision would

be to look for a tutor right Unfortunately most teachers do not have

the knowledge or experience to teach you Chinese pronunciation

well But why is this Well theyrsquove spoken mandarin since they can

remember right They have no frame of reference for comparing tongue

positions or vowel aspiration to English so how could they explain it to a

foreigner How would they know what it feels like to learn Mandarin

pronunciation as an adult

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

25

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoThe first thing I have to do to erase my french accent is to believe itrsquos actually possiblerdquo

- Marion Cotillard

26

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

There are fantastic tutors out there who can teach you pronunciation

properly but they can be like finding a needle in a haystack Not to

mention with the hourly rates you are likely to rack up hundreds of

dollars in fees for average results

INTRODUCING ldquoPRONUNCIATION MASTERYrdquo Wersquove been training our clients on pronunciation through live sessions of

our Pronunciation Mastery course for 2 years now and the results have

been fantastic Wersquove now finally finished transforming it into an 8 hour

video course that will teach you everything you need to know about

Chinese pronunciation all from the unique perspective of us Two

Chinese learners who made the journey ourselves from beginner to

advanced fluency This is all delivered using HD video crystal clear

explanations supported with slick design over a thousand multimedia

SRS flashcards over 80 PDFs amp native audio for reference and review

Wersquove put our hearts and souls into this course along with our extensive

experience and feedback from live teaching over the past 2 years Plus

itrsquos already helped hundreds of Chinese learners around the world Itrsquos

the video course we would have wanted when we were starting out

with Mandarin

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

27

CHECK IT OUT

Luke Neale

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

NEXT TIME Wersquoll dive into the topic of Chinese tutors Wersquoll be

sharing with you where to find the best free and paid tutors how

to work with them in the most efficient and fun way possible

Pronunciation is the vital first stage for learning any language

Bad pronunciation affects all other areas of your Chinese skill but most importantly it hurts your confidence

Compared to English there is much less to learn to master Chinese pronunciation

Chinese teachers rarely have the training and experience necessary to teach you pronunciation properly

Mandarin Blueprintrsquos ldquoPronunciation Masteryrdquo course has everything you need to develop great pronunciation quickly and cheaply Check it out today

KEY POINTS

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

28

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

USE TUTORS

Connect with them regularly

EFFECTIVELY

5

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You will notice that this is way down the list of tips for speaking like a

native speaker Thatrsquos because it actually isnrsquot the highest priority straight

away at least not anymore The sheer number of resources available

to you as a Chinese learner today means that you can do most things

you need to do on your own without a tutor As avid Chinese learners

ourselves we can both attest to this fact However a tutor is an

absolutely vital part of your journey to spoken fluency and to get the

most out of them you need to know how to work with them

First off what is a tutor for exactly Itrsquos not as obvious an answer as you

may think Understandably most people get a tutor straight from the

beginning hoping to receive all the materials and guidance they need

to make them fluent and literate in Chinese This is a lot to expect of

anyone let alone someone who never actually learned Chinese as a

second language So what are reasonable expectations to have then

THE ROLE OF A CHINESE TUTOR 1) FOR ACTIVATING PASSIVE VOCABULARY

Go into a session and try to use the words yoursquove been learning through

listening and reading Focus on steering the conversation to topics

you find meaningful and interesting Agree on these topics in advance

A good tutor is a good communicator someone who can speak to you

in a way they know you understand and ask you the right questions to

keep a conversation going Push your limits of what you know and ask a

lot of questions on how to use any words you arenrsquot sure about

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

30

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Mistakes are fine but donrsquot try and make up how to use a word or phrase

if you donrsquot already know Just ask If your tutor misses mistakes too

often they could turn into bad habits and you really donrsquot want that

2) FOR IDENTIFYING AND FIXING PROBLEMS

We prefer to have a nice chat of between 5 and 30 minutes during which

the tutor is making notes about anything you need to improve upon After

the time is up or the conversation has hit a dead-end the tutor can go

through your mistakes with you and do some directed practice to fix any

recurring issues This can be done as often as you like or just at the very

end of each session Make flashcards with example sentences

targeting the words or phrases you got wrong

3) FOR PROVIDING TRUE ENCOURAGEMENT

True encouragement is when a tutor notices where yoursquove improved and

points it out but also communicates your potential for improvement

Blindly repeating ldquo真棒 zhēn bagravengrdquo (rdquoGreat jobrdquo) all the time is false

encouragement and it can lead to complacency After all Chinese

people will already be giving you plenty of compliments about your

Mandarin the last thing you need is your paid tutor making your head

even bigger If a tutor provides true encouragement regularly yoursquore

golden If not ask them to or get another tutor

4) FOR FINDING LEVEL-APPROPRIATE AND ENGAGING CONTENT

This one is not to be expected of every tutor certainly not unprompted

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

31

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Directly ask them to find you listening and reading materials that you

might be interested in You may be very surprised at what they find for

you Some incredible content may be hidden away from the mainstream

and you may need a native person to help you discover those little gems

you might otherwise miss out on

TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR STUDY Figure out a kind of lesson structure yoursquore comfortable with that

suits your goals and interests Possible approaches include

Focus on a bunch of words yoursquove been learning and how to use

them

Choose several interesting topics and have an open conversation

Discuss a news article comic book or tv episode you saw recently

Whatever it is plan it out briefly beforehand and make it clear with your

tutor how you would like the lesson to go You have to take the reins if

you want the most bang for your buck If you donrsquot what yoursquoll get is what

the tutor wants to give you which will most likely be a textbook and

discussion of boring topics

HOW TO FIND GREAT TUTORS We would highly recommend finding tutors online as opposed to face-

to-face Herersquos why

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

32

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

1 You have a reasonable guarantee of quality Community star ratings

are commonplace

2 Far more convenient You can get online and be talking to a qualified

tutor for a few dollars an hour within a few minutes Enough said

3 Much better value for money Even if yoursquore living in China tutors still

work out cheaper online When you account for the time and effort it

takes to meet with a stranger face-to-face and the higher turnover of

tutors due to poor or quickly declining quality of lessons online tutors

are almost always more cost-effective

If you want to get online fast and take high quality online sessions with a

tutor a great resource is wwwitalkicom You can find both paid tutors

and unpaid language exchange partners here Invest a few dollars and

hours a month and it will pay off hugely for you

Italki offers tutoring in a huge range of lanugages but the vast majority of

the teachers just use skype for their lessons This is fine but you may be

surprised at the level of functionality of other Chinese-only services such

as wwwtutormandarincom

Instead of just a video call you get a live visual presentation showing

text and highlighted areas that makes everything much clearer and

more engaging This way you can practice your reading alongside your

speaking and listening all with live instruction

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

33

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

They offer a free 1-to-1 consultation and language evaluation before you

signup for anything so it canrsquot hurt to try them out

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to talk about immersion and how you

can do it regardless of your lifestyle or location to greatly improve

your speaking ability

Take control of your time with tutors making sure to point out clearly beforehand what you need from them and what your expectations are

Online tutors used in the capacity wersquove suggested are generally more time and cost-effective than face-to-face tutors even if you are in China Make the most of your study time by going for the former unless you have a guarantee of value

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

Tutors should be treated as a learning resource rather than your study gurus Their main function is to serve as a great communicator who can help you activate vocabulary and stay motivated

KEY POINTS

34

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

6IMMERSE YOURSELF

Be with Chinese as often as possible

IN CHINESE

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion deserves itrsquos own e-book all by itself as itrsquos such a deep and

varied topic but there are a few things to remember that will allow you

to immerse yourself in Chinese easily wherever you are

HOW TO IMMERSE YOURSELF First of all immersion doesnrsquot necessarily entail never speaking your

native language and ignoring your friends and family Immersion in itrsquos

most manageable form is simply being in touch with Chinese

regularly throughout the day This is doable outside China and even

with a family and a full-time job to boot Herersquos how we do it

CHANGE YOUR ENVIRONMENT

Make sure that Chinese is within 1 foot of your body at all times Ten

years ago that would have meant taping books and Chinese people

around your waist which would have been inconvenient and almost

definitely illegal Now we have these magical devices in our pockets

everywhere we go and most of us have computers or tablets as well

Always be looking for more and more level-appropriate reading and

listening materials and fill your devices with them Whenever you get

bored or frustrated with something drop it for something else You can

be picky even at beginner level Most of the time if you donrsquot enjoy

something itrsquos because you arenrsquot ready for it yet anyway Just go back

to it a few weeks or months down the line

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

36

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Organize the apps on your smart phone for reading listening speaking

and even writing Chinese so you can tap them whenever you have a

spare few minutes This makes it as easy as possible to immerse yourself

in something wherever and whenever

MAKE BETTER USE OF YOUR TIME

Listen to Chinese whenever yoursquore traveling anywhere working out

doing flashcards or housework If you have your eyes andor mouth free

as well do some interleaved learning or shadowing (see tip 4)

The key is starting not finishing Just do something for 1-15 minutes

10-20 times a day as opposed to trying to set aside large chunks of time

which either cause you to procrastinate or burn out

TALK TO LANGUAGE EXCHANGE PARTNERS

It might get expensive meeting with paid tutors every day which creates

an excuse to not practice speaking But there are more and more great

apps that allow you to connect and exchange with native Chinese

speakers for free Our favorite language exchange apps are pictured

on the next page

TALK TO YOURSELF

Yes it might feel a bit weird but it works as a decent substitute to a paid

tutor or language exchange partner Anything going through your head

just try to blurt out in Chinese Wear earphones to make it appear you are

talking on the phone so you donrsquot get placed into a mental institution

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

37

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoTime is what we want most but what we use worstrdquo

- William Penn

38

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion is doable regardless of your lifestyle Just be around Chinese many times throughout the day

Listen while doing pretty much anything Itrsquos the part of language learning that takes the least conscious effort to improve

Connect with language exchange partners via free apps Spend a few minutes chatting here and there Even talking to yourself can be really effective

KEY POINTS

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk about how to maintain a calm and positive

attitude when struggling to improve your speaking skills Wersquoll

also go into how to take criticism well and even enjoy making

mistakes6

IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

39

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

BE COOL7

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot be touchy when you get corrections or criticism even if it comes

across as harsh People rarely correct you for free and if you react

badly when they do that will probably be the last time they help you

When you arenrsquot understood just assume itrsquos never their problem It

actually might be sometimes but just assume it isnrsquot

People tend to put a lot of their pride and ego into their Chinese ability

because it takes a lot of time and effort to get good and it is a very rare

skill However just know that only when you really start to get good at

something do you realize how little you know Donrsquot fall into that trap

because you will be in for a rude awakening down the line Take your

ego out of the equation and have a great time Laugh at yourself

Itrsquos all just a game

LEARN TO ACCEPT UNCERTAINTY You will forget words yoursquove reviewed and heard for months

You will forget grammar structures yoursquove spoken correctly 10 times

before

You will get utterly lost in conversation after thinking yoursquove had a

breakthrough in your skill level

Take a deep breath Itrsquos all part of the process

7BE COOL

41

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoCriticism may not be agreeable but it is necessary It fulfils the same function as pain

in the human body It calls attention to an

unhealthy state of things - Winston Churchill

42

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Wersquove already mentioned the importance of good output Too many

mistakes without being corrected can lead to bad habits but mistakes

are inevitable Even if you follow our advice you will still have trouble

sometimes Enjoy being wronghellipevery mistake or misunderstanding

can bring you closer to fluency The key is to not worry about what you

canrsquot say just take note of it and take action Try to say something and it

came out as gibberish Make a note and try it out next time you get the

chance Get a flashcard completely wrong Good Less likely to next time

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to be sharing with you our favorite

speaking hacks that will instantly have you speaking Chinese

much more like a native and with less effort

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously Learning Chinese is just a game Enjoy yourself and take criticism with a smile

Mistakes when speaking and reviewing are inevitable and an important part of the learning process

KEY POINTS

7BE COOL

43

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

8USE THESE

Speak ldquorealrdquo Chinese

SPEAKING HACKS

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

OUR FAVORITE SPEAKING HACKS Apply even one of these techniques to your day-to-day speaking and

you will not only sound more native but will also find it much easier

to speak in general

SPEAK WITH FLUENCY

Fluency is not knowing every word It is simply the ability to say what it is

you want to say accurately using the vocabulary that you have Donrsquot

know how to say ldquointernational traderdquo Just say ldquowhen one country buys

and sells things with another countryrdquo After you say this your

conversation partner will likely say ldquooh yeah thatrsquos lsquointernational tradersquordquo

Boom New word learned within the emotional context of the

conversation to boot The key is when you donrsquot know a word donrsquot

just give up Instead do your best to explain what you want to say

with the vocabulary you have

SLOW DOWN

Speaking at around 80 of your normal rate wonrsquot sound weird at all and

it will improve both your pronunciation and your fluency instantly

Speaking more slowly gives your mouth and tongue muscles time to

get into position before a sound is made which is very helpful for those

sounds that donrsquot exist in English Plus it gives you a few extra

microseconds to think of something to say in conversation Combine

this with the next 2 hacks and yoursquore really in businesshellip

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

45

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoFake it until you make itrdquo - Steven Tyler

46

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

USE ldquoFILLERSrdquo

Everyone (including Chinese people) use these all the time in their

various native languages Why would you give yourself less of a chance

than a native speaker would to sound fluent Thatrsquos just crazy Here are

the top five uhh er umhelliprdquofillersrdquo

ēnhellip jiugraveshihellip negraveigehellip zhegraveigehellip raacutenhograveuhellip

Throw one or more of these utterances anywhere you like Put them in

every sentence if you feel the need Chinese people wonrsquot notice as they

do it too

USE CONVERSATION CONNECTORS

This is a term coined by Anthony Lauder referring to those everyday

fixed phrases that you say at the beginning middle or end of a sentence

to dress up what you want to say Here are some examples

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

我想告诉你hellip woacute xiǎng gagraveosu nǐhellip

Irsquod like you to know thathellip

你别介意不过hellip nǐ bieacute jiegraveyigrave buacuteguogravehellip Dont be upset buthellip

就像你已经知道的hellip jiugrave xiagraveng niacute yǐjīng zhīdagraveo dehellip

As you already know

多数情况hellip dagrave duō shugrave qiacutengkuagraveng

Most of the timehellip

47

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot give up so easily if you canrsquot think of a word you want to use Just use more common words to describe it

Speaking a bit slower will give you more time to think of what to say and will usually go unnoticed by a native speaker

Throw in fillers and fixed expressions to sound more like a native speaker and give yourself more time to speak at the same time

You can even thrown in English words to fill in the gaps if the above suggestions arenrsquot on the table Many young educated Chinese people do this anyway

KEY POINTS

USE ENGLISH WORDS

As a last ditch effort if you really donrsquot have the energy to ldquouse fluencyrdquo to

describe a word yoursquove forgotten just say the English word Younger

more educated Chinese speakers are likely to have a decent English

level and they themselves also like to throw in the odd English word into

conversation so itrsquos fine to follow suit At very least it keeps conversation

going to the next topic where you remember the Chinese words

NEXT TIME For our next installment in this series wersquore going to

get into the role writing has on your speaking how to write what

to write and where amp when to write Itrsquos not at all as intimidating

(or boring) as you may think

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

48

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Combine any and all of these tips to your speaking at any time to make yourself speak better instantly8

USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

49

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

WRITE REGULARLY9

Supercharge your active vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Many beginners (and higher levels too) struggle with the frustration of

not being able to express their thoughts and feelings properly in

Chinese Even with many months and years of practice they can still feel

like the words just arenrsquot there when they need them Wersquove already

given you a bunch of steps you can take to solve this problem and we

realize that writing may be an unexpected additional step but trust us

when we say how valuable it can be

WHY WRITING IMPROVES SPEAKING IT DEMANDS FOCUS AND ATTENTION

Writing practice is the aspect of language learning that involves the

most focus and attention as you have to think about every word as you

write Just like reading writing is a slow process at first but after a short

period of regular practice you can almost hear the ldquoclicksrdquo as the words

you write become part of your vocabulary which can now be used

when you practice speaking with your tutor After all writing and

speaking are both expressive forms of communication using similar

mental processes

IT ACTIVATES VOCABULARY VERY EFFECTIVELY

Writing may just be the ultimate way to solidify your understanding of

the words and phrases yoursquove acquired through reading and listening It

may be even more effective than speaking

9WRITEREGULARLY

51

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WRITING IS MORE PERSONAL

After some practice you can start to write in your own personal style

using your own ldquovoicerdquo which naturally makes the process much more

enjoyable Writing a journal is the best way to access this benefit Posting

thoughts in Chinese on social media is another option especially for

lower levels

WRITING GIVES YOU MORE TIME TO FORMULATE THOUGHTS

Writing gives you time to think and practice the language

simultaneously whereas with speaking there is little opportunity to

really contemplate all the various ways of expressing a thought unless

you have an extremely patient (and masochistic) paid tutor

EVEN IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER YOU CAN STILL WRITE

If you donrsquot have much vocabulary you can still practice writing Just

write individual sentences or phrases Look at example sentences and

try to re-write them using slightly different vocabulary Remember just as

the incredible graded readers we talked about in chapter 4 can be

written with just a few select words and characters you too can write a

surprising amount using the small vocabulary you have at your disposal

5 INCREDIBLE WRITING TIPS GO FOR QUANTITY

Write every day Write a blog or WeChat post write individual sentences

9WRITEREGULARLY

52

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoWriting to me is simply thinking through my fingersrdquo

- Isaac Asimov

53

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

write a question on how to write something write anything You should

write something everyday and make a routine out of it The more

content the better but donrsquot ask too much of yourself or you will burn out

and not want to do it for weeks

An added bonus to writing regularly is the ability to look back on your

previous writing practice after a few weeks or months and see how far

yoursquove come This is called ldquobenchmarkingrdquo which wersquoll talk about more

next time

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT

Write about something or someone you love Write about a problem

yoursquore having Write about your goals and dreams Write about a book

you read or a youtube video you watched Write about what yoursquove

learned or would like to learn Write a journal When you do this your

own personality will shine through in your writing which will make the

words and structures you practice far more memorable

9WRITEREGULARLY

54

AIM FOR ZERO MISTAKES

Thatrsquos correct ZERO mistakes Think about what you write Take your time

to think before you put pen to paper or keyboard and look up example

sentences for words you donrsquot quite know how to use If you do these

things you will produce correct output which is fantastic for your

language skills Bad output leads to what Thatrsquos right bad habits

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

GET CORRECTIONS

Writing and getting corrections will help you notice very quickly the

patterns and structures in Chinese This attentiveness will pay off when

it comes to speaking reading and listening too

USE A WRITING SOFTWARE

Try Ommwriter Flowstate Awriter or similar writing apps designed for

writers to get you into the flow of writing

MAKE FLASHCARDS OUT OF YOUR MISTAKES

Create ultra-personalised reviewable content by taking any corrected

sentences and making a flashcard out of it

Try to combine regular speaking practice with regular writing

practice from now on and see for yourself how fast your fluency

improves

NEXT TIME For our final installment in this series wersquore going to

focus on continuing to improve your Chinese when you start to

plateau and the going getrsquos tough

9WRITEREGULARLY

55

Share your writing with a paid language exchange partner or tutor Check

out HiNative for a great place to get corrections on your writing and ask

general questions about how to use Chinese from native speakers

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Writing is a similar mental process as speaking with some important differences that can make it a more attractive outputting method under certain circumstances

Writing makes you more easily notice things about Chinese helps you activate passive vocabulary creates more personal connections to the language and gives you more time to convey your thoughts than speaking does

You can write at any level

Write as often as you can but donrsquot burn out

Write about things you care about and are passionate about so you can really enjoy the process and create more emotional connections that improve your retention

Aim not to make any mistakes because bad output means bad habits This is much easier to accomplish than with speaking as you have more time to think

Get your writing corrected by paid or free native speakers Make flashcards for words or structures you get wrong

KEY POINTS9WRITEREGULARLY

56

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

10SHARPEN THE SAW

Keep moving forward

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 23: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

LEARN PRONUNCIATION4

It will pay off huge dividends later

EARLY AND WELL

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

At Mandarin Blueprint we take pronunciation very seriously This is

mainly because we know first-hand the negative effects of poor

pronunciation instruction

Bad pronunciation slows the development of your listening reading

and speaking ability which is bad enough But by far the most

profoundly painful outcome of poor pronunciation is the damage done

to your lsquolearnerrsquos egorsquo early on When you are misunderstood partially

understood or not at all understood it hurts your confidence You then

associate speaking Chinese with negative emotions and become less

and less willing to start talking Itrsquos a vicious cycle of negativity that we

want you to avoid

HERErsquoS A PROBLEM WE WANT YOU TO HAVE 1 A Chinese person asks you a simple question that you understand

2 You answer the question with simple Chinese but with great

pronunciation

3 The Chinese person listening to you immediately assumes you

speak incredible Chinese and proceeds to unload a litany of

questions and comments

4 After an awkward silence you say 听不不懂 (tīngbudǒng) which

means ldquoI donrsquot understandrdquo

5 The Chinese person laughs asks a few more questions before

realizing you were actually serious Awkwardness intensifies

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

24

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

THE SKINNY ON MANDARIN PRONUNCIATION If you want excellent spoken Chinese you first need to be completely

aware of how to produce understand and read all of the sounds of the

language Some people can do all this naturally by ear with very little

training Unfortunately the law of averages states that you are most likely

not in this group Sorry -(

Not to worry though With only 409 different-sounding syllables (1200 if

you include tones) Chinese has relatively little to learn in terms of

pronunciation especially when compared to the 16000+ syllables of

English There are however many challenging and potentially confusing

aspects to Chinese pronunciation which means that you can learn what

you need to know about pronunciation in a relatively short time but you

need high quality expert guidance and study materials to do it

TUTORS ARENrsquoT ALWAYS THE WAY TO GO If you want to learn pronunciation it seems like a logical decision would

be to look for a tutor right Unfortunately most teachers do not have

the knowledge or experience to teach you Chinese pronunciation

well But why is this Well theyrsquove spoken mandarin since they can

remember right They have no frame of reference for comparing tongue

positions or vowel aspiration to English so how could they explain it to a

foreigner How would they know what it feels like to learn Mandarin

pronunciation as an adult

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

25

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoThe first thing I have to do to erase my french accent is to believe itrsquos actually possiblerdquo

- Marion Cotillard

26

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

There are fantastic tutors out there who can teach you pronunciation

properly but they can be like finding a needle in a haystack Not to

mention with the hourly rates you are likely to rack up hundreds of

dollars in fees for average results

INTRODUCING ldquoPRONUNCIATION MASTERYrdquo Wersquove been training our clients on pronunciation through live sessions of

our Pronunciation Mastery course for 2 years now and the results have

been fantastic Wersquove now finally finished transforming it into an 8 hour

video course that will teach you everything you need to know about

Chinese pronunciation all from the unique perspective of us Two

Chinese learners who made the journey ourselves from beginner to

advanced fluency This is all delivered using HD video crystal clear

explanations supported with slick design over a thousand multimedia

SRS flashcards over 80 PDFs amp native audio for reference and review

Wersquove put our hearts and souls into this course along with our extensive

experience and feedback from live teaching over the past 2 years Plus

itrsquos already helped hundreds of Chinese learners around the world Itrsquos

the video course we would have wanted when we were starting out

with Mandarin

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

27

CHECK IT OUT

Luke Neale

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

NEXT TIME Wersquoll dive into the topic of Chinese tutors Wersquoll be

sharing with you where to find the best free and paid tutors how

to work with them in the most efficient and fun way possible

Pronunciation is the vital first stage for learning any language

Bad pronunciation affects all other areas of your Chinese skill but most importantly it hurts your confidence

Compared to English there is much less to learn to master Chinese pronunciation

Chinese teachers rarely have the training and experience necessary to teach you pronunciation properly

Mandarin Blueprintrsquos ldquoPronunciation Masteryrdquo course has everything you need to develop great pronunciation quickly and cheaply Check it out today

KEY POINTS

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

28

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

USE TUTORS

Connect with them regularly

EFFECTIVELY

5

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You will notice that this is way down the list of tips for speaking like a

native speaker Thatrsquos because it actually isnrsquot the highest priority straight

away at least not anymore The sheer number of resources available

to you as a Chinese learner today means that you can do most things

you need to do on your own without a tutor As avid Chinese learners

ourselves we can both attest to this fact However a tutor is an

absolutely vital part of your journey to spoken fluency and to get the

most out of them you need to know how to work with them

First off what is a tutor for exactly Itrsquos not as obvious an answer as you

may think Understandably most people get a tutor straight from the

beginning hoping to receive all the materials and guidance they need

to make them fluent and literate in Chinese This is a lot to expect of

anyone let alone someone who never actually learned Chinese as a

second language So what are reasonable expectations to have then

THE ROLE OF A CHINESE TUTOR 1) FOR ACTIVATING PASSIVE VOCABULARY

Go into a session and try to use the words yoursquove been learning through

listening and reading Focus on steering the conversation to topics

you find meaningful and interesting Agree on these topics in advance

A good tutor is a good communicator someone who can speak to you

in a way they know you understand and ask you the right questions to

keep a conversation going Push your limits of what you know and ask a

lot of questions on how to use any words you arenrsquot sure about

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

30

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Mistakes are fine but donrsquot try and make up how to use a word or phrase

if you donrsquot already know Just ask If your tutor misses mistakes too

often they could turn into bad habits and you really donrsquot want that

2) FOR IDENTIFYING AND FIXING PROBLEMS

We prefer to have a nice chat of between 5 and 30 minutes during which

the tutor is making notes about anything you need to improve upon After

the time is up or the conversation has hit a dead-end the tutor can go

through your mistakes with you and do some directed practice to fix any

recurring issues This can be done as often as you like or just at the very

end of each session Make flashcards with example sentences

targeting the words or phrases you got wrong

3) FOR PROVIDING TRUE ENCOURAGEMENT

True encouragement is when a tutor notices where yoursquove improved and

points it out but also communicates your potential for improvement

Blindly repeating ldquo真棒 zhēn bagravengrdquo (rdquoGreat jobrdquo) all the time is false

encouragement and it can lead to complacency After all Chinese

people will already be giving you plenty of compliments about your

Mandarin the last thing you need is your paid tutor making your head

even bigger If a tutor provides true encouragement regularly yoursquore

golden If not ask them to or get another tutor

4) FOR FINDING LEVEL-APPROPRIATE AND ENGAGING CONTENT

This one is not to be expected of every tutor certainly not unprompted

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

31

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Directly ask them to find you listening and reading materials that you

might be interested in You may be very surprised at what they find for

you Some incredible content may be hidden away from the mainstream

and you may need a native person to help you discover those little gems

you might otherwise miss out on

TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR STUDY Figure out a kind of lesson structure yoursquore comfortable with that

suits your goals and interests Possible approaches include

Focus on a bunch of words yoursquove been learning and how to use

them

Choose several interesting topics and have an open conversation

Discuss a news article comic book or tv episode you saw recently

Whatever it is plan it out briefly beforehand and make it clear with your

tutor how you would like the lesson to go You have to take the reins if

you want the most bang for your buck If you donrsquot what yoursquoll get is what

the tutor wants to give you which will most likely be a textbook and

discussion of boring topics

HOW TO FIND GREAT TUTORS We would highly recommend finding tutors online as opposed to face-

to-face Herersquos why

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

32

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

1 You have a reasonable guarantee of quality Community star ratings

are commonplace

2 Far more convenient You can get online and be talking to a qualified

tutor for a few dollars an hour within a few minutes Enough said

3 Much better value for money Even if yoursquore living in China tutors still

work out cheaper online When you account for the time and effort it

takes to meet with a stranger face-to-face and the higher turnover of

tutors due to poor or quickly declining quality of lessons online tutors

are almost always more cost-effective

If you want to get online fast and take high quality online sessions with a

tutor a great resource is wwwitalkicom You can find both paid tutors

and unpaid language exchange partners here Invest a few dollars and

hours a month and it will pay off hugely for you

Italki offers tutoring in a huge range of lanugages but the vast majority of

the teachers just use skype for their lessons This is fine but you may be

surprised at the level of functionality of other Chinese-only services such

as wwwtutormandarincom

Instead of just a video call you get a live visual presentation showing

text and highlighted areas that makes everything much clearer and

more engaging This way you can practice your reading alongside your

speaking and listening all with live instruction

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

33

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

They offer a free 1-to-1 consultation and language evaluation before you

signup for anything so it canrsquot hurt to try them out

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to talk about immersion and how you

can do it regardless of your lifestyle or location to greatly improve

your speaking ability

Take control of your time with tutors making sure to point out clearly beforehand what you need from them and what your expectations are

Online tutors used in the capacity wersquove suggested are generally more time and cost-effective than face-to-face tutors even if you are in China Make the most of your study time by going for the former unless you have a guarantee of value

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

Tutors should be treated as a learning resource rather than your study gurus Their main function is to serve as a great communicator who can help you activate vocabulary and stay motivated

KEY POINTS

34

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

6IMMERSE YOURSELF

Be with Chinese as often as possible

IN CHINESE

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion deserves itrsquos own e-book all by itself as itrsquos such a deep and

varied topic but there are a few things to remember that will allow you

to immerse yourself in Chinese easily wherever you are

HOW TO IMMERSE YOURSELF First of all immersion doesnrsquot necessarily entail never speaking your

native language and ignoring your friends and family Immersion in itrsquos

most manageable form is simply being in touch with Chinese

regularly throughout the day This is doable outside China and even

with a family and a full-time job to boot Herersquos how we do it

CHANGE YOUR ENVIRONMENT

Make sure that Chinese is within 1 foot of your body at all times Ten

years ago that would have meant taping books and Chinese people

around your waist which would have been inconvenient and almost

definitely illegal Now we have these magical devices in our pockets

everywhere we go and most of us have computers or tablets as well

Always be looking for more and more level-appropriate reading and

listening materials and fill your devices with them Whenever you get

bored or frustrated with something drop it for something else You can

be picky even at beginner level Most of the time if you donrsquot enjoy

something itrsquos because you arenrsquot ready for it yet anyway Just go back

to it a few weeks or months down the line

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

36

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Organize the apps on your smart phone for reading listening speaking

and even writing Chinese so you can tap them whenever you have a

spare few minutes This makes it as easy as possible to immerse yourself

in something wherever and whenever

MAKE BETTER USE OF YOUR TIME

Listen to Chinese whenever yoursquore traveling anywhere working out

doing flashcards or housework If you have your eyes andor mouth free

as well do some interleaved learning or shadowing (see tip 4)

The key is starting not finishing Just do something for 1-15 minutes

10-20 times a day as opposed to trying to set aside large chunks of time

which either cause you to procrastinate or burn out

TALK TO LANGUAGE EXCHANGE PARTNERS

It might get expensive meeting with paid tutors every day which creates

an excuse to not practice speaking But there are more and more great

apps that allow you to connect and exchange with native Chinese

speakers for free Our favorite language exchange apps are pictured

on the next page

TALK TO YOURSELF

Yes it might feel a bit weird but it works as a decent substitute to a paid

tutor or language exchange partner Anything going through your head

just try to blurt out in Chinese Wear earphones to make it appear you are

talking on the phone so you donrsquot get placed into a mental institution

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

37

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoTime is what we want most but what we use worstrdquo

- William Penn

38

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion is doable regardless of your lifestyle Just be around Chinese many times throughout the day

Listen while doing pretty much anything Itrsquos the part of language learning that takes the least conscious effort to improve

Connect with language exchange partners via free apps Spend a few minutes chatting here and there Even talking to yourself can be really effective

KEY POINTS

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk about how to maintain a calm and positive

attitude when struggling to improve your speaking skills Wersquoll

also go into how to take criticism well and even enjoy making

mistakes6

IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

39

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

BE COOL7

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot be touchy when you get corrections or criticism even if it comes

across as harsh People rarely correct you for free and if you react

badly when they do that will probably be the last time they help you

When you arenrsquot understood just assume itrsquos never their problem It

actually might be sometimes but just assume it isnrsquot

People tend to put a lot of their pride and ego into their Chinese ability

because it takes a lot of time and effort to get good and it is a very rare

skill However just know that only when you really start to get good at

something do you realize how little you know Donrsquot fall into that trap

because you will be in for a rude awakening down the line Take your

ego out of the equation and have a great time Laugh at yourself

Itrsquos all just a game

LEARN TO ACCEPT UNCERTAINTY You will forget words yoursquove reviewed and heard for months

You will forget grammar structures yoursquove spoken correctly 10 times

before

You will get utterly lost in conversation after thinking yoursquove had a

breakthrough in your skill level

Take a deep breath Itrsquos all part of the process

7BE COOL

41

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoCriticism may not be agreeable but it is necessary It fulfils the same function as pain

in the human body It calls attention to an

unhealthy state of things - Winston Churchill

42

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Wersquove already mentioned the importance of good output Too many

mistakes without being corrected can lead to bad habits but mistakes

are inevitable Even if you follow our advice you will still have trouble

sometimes Enjoy being wronghellipevery mistake or misunderstanding

can bring you closer to fluency The key is to not worry about what you

canrsquot say just take note of it and take action Try to say something and it

came out as gibberish Make a note and try it out next time you get the

chance Get a flashcard completely wrong Good Less likely to next time

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to be sharing with you our favorite

speaking hacks that will instantly have you speaking Chinese

much more like a native and with less effort

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously Learning Chinese is just a game Enjoy yourself and take criticism with a smile

Mistakes when speaking and reviewing are inevitable and an important part of the learning process

KEY POINTS

7BE COOL

43

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

8USE THESE

Speak ldquorealrdquo Chinese

SPEAKING HACKS

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

OUR FAVORITE SPEAKING HACKS Apply even one of these techniques to your day-to-day speaking and

you will not only sound more native but will also find it much easier

to speak in general

SPEAK WITH FLUENCY

Fluency is not knowing every word It is simply the ability to say what it is

you want to say accurately using the vocabulary that you have Donrsquot

know how to say ldquointernational traderdquo Just say ldquowhen one country buys

and sells things with another countryrdquo After you say this your

conversation partner will likely say ldquooh yeah thatrsquos lsquointernational tradersquordquo

Boom New word learned within the emotional context of the

conversation to boot The key is when you donrsquot know a word donrsquot

just give up Instead do your best to explain what you want to say

with the vocabulary you have

SLOW DOWN

Speaking at around 80 of your normal rate wonrsquot sound weird at all and

it will improve both your pronunciation and your fluency instantly

Speaking more slowly gives your mouth and tongue muscles time to

get into position before a sound is made which is very helpful for those

sounds that donrsquot exist in English Plus it gives you a few extra

microseconds to think of something to say in conversation Combine

this with the next 2 hacks and yoursquore really in businesshellip

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

45

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoFake it until you make itrdquo - Steven Tyler

46

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

USE ldquoFILLERSrdquo

Everyone (including Chinese people) use these all the time in their

various native languages Why would you give yourself less of a chance

than a native speaker would to sound fluent Thatrsquos just crazy Here are

the top five uhh er umhelliprdquofillersrdquo

ēnhellip jiugraveshihellip negraveigehellip zhegraveigehellip raacutenhograveuhellip

Throw one or more of these utterances anywhere you like Put them in

every sentence if you feel the need Chinese people wonrsquot notice as they

do it too

USE CONVERSATION CONNECTORS

This is a term coined by Anthony Lauder referring to those everyday

fixed phrases that you say at the beginning middle or end of a sentence

to dress up what you want to say Here are some examples

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

我想告诉你hellip woacute xiǎng gagraveosu nǐhellip

Irsquod like you to know thathellip

你别介意不过hellip nǐ bieacute jiegraveyigrave buacuteguogravehellip Dont be upset buthellip

就像你已经知道的hellip jiugrave xiagraveng niacute yǐjīng zhīdagraveo dehellip

As you already know

多数情况hellip dagrave duō shugrave qiacutengkuagraveng

Most of the timehellip

47

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot give up so easily if you canrsquot think of a word you want to use Just use more common words to describe it

Speaking a bit slower will give you more time to think of what to say and will usually go unnoticed by a native speaker

Throw in fillers and fixed expressions to sound more like a native speaker and give yourself more time to speak at the same time

You can even thrown in English words to fill in the gaps if the above suggestions arenrsquot on the table Many young educated Chinese people do this anyway

KEY POINTS

USE ENGLISH WORDS

As a last ditch effort if you really donrsquot have the energy to ldquouse fluencyrdquo to

describe a word yoursquove forgotten just say the English word Younger

more educated Chinese speakers are likely to have a decent English

level and they themselves also like to throw in the odd English word into

conversation so itrsquos fine to follow suit At very least it keeps conversation

going to the next topic where you remember the Chinese words

NEXT TIME For our next installment in this series wersquore going to

get into the role writing has on your speaking how to write what

to write and where amp when to write Itrsquos not at all as intimidating

(or boring) as you may think

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

48

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Combine any and all of these tips to your speaking at any time to make yourself speak better instantly8

USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

49

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

WRITE REGULARLY9

Supercharge your active vocabulary

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Many beginners (and higher levels too) struggle with the frustration of

not being able to express their thoughts and feelings properly in

Chinese Even with many months and years of practice they can still feel

like the words just arenrsquot there when they need them Wersquove already

given you a bunch of steps you can take to solve this problem and we

realize that writing may be an unexpected additional step but trust us

when we say how valuable it can be

WHY WRITING IMPROVES SPEAKING IT DEMANDS FOCUS AND ATTENTION

Writing practice is the aspect of language learning that involves the

most focus and attention as you have to think about every word as you

write Just like reading writing is a slow process at first but after a short

period of regular practice you can almost hear the ldquoclicksrdquo as the words

you write become part of your vocabulary which can now be used

when you practice speaking with your tutor After all writing and

speaking are both expressive forms of communication using similar

mental processes

IT ACTIVATES VOCABULARY VERY EFFECTIVELY

Writing may just be the ultimate way to solidify your understanding of

the words and phrases yoursquove acquired through reading and listening It

may be even more effective than speaking

9WRITEREGULARLY

51

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WRITING IS MORE PERSONAL

After some practice you can start to write in your own personal style

using your own ldquovoicerdquo which naturally makes the process much more

enjoyable Writing a journal is the best way to access this benefit Posting

thoughts in Chinese on social media is another option especially for

lower levels

WRITING GIVES YOU MORE TIME TO FORMULATE THOUGHTS

Writing gives you time to think and practice the language

simultaneously whereas with speaking there is little opportunity to

really contemplate all the various ways of expressing a thought unless

you have an extremely patient (and masochistic) paid tutor

EVEN IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER YOU CAN STILL WRITE

If you donrsquot have much vocabulary you can still practice writing Just

write individual sentences or phrases Look at example sentences and

try to re-write them using slightly different vocabulary Remember just as

the incredible graded readers we talked about in chapter 4 can be

written with just a few select words and characters you too can write a

surprising amount using the small vocabulary you have at your disposal

5 INCREDIBLE WRITING TIPS GO FOR QUANTITY

Write every day Write a blog or WeChat post write individual sentences

9WRITEREGULARLY

52

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoWriting to me is simply thinking through my fingersrdquo

- Isaac Asimov

53

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

write a question on how to write something write anything You should

write something everyday and make a routine out of it The more

content the better but donrsquot ask too much of yourself or you will burn out

and not want to do it for weeks

An added bonus to writing regularly is the ability to look back on your

previous writing practice after a few weeks or months and see how far

yoursquove come This is called ldquobenchmarkingrdquo which wersquoll talk about more

next time

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT

Write about something or someone you love Write about a problem

yoursquore having Write about your goals and dreams Write about a book

you read or a youtube video you watched Write about what yoursquove

learned or would like to learn Write a journal When you do this your

own personality will shine through in your writing which will make the

words and structures you practice far more memorable

9WRITEREGULARLY

54

AIM FOR ZERO MISTAKES

Thatrsquos correct ZERO mistakes Think about what you write Take your time

to think before you put pen to paper or keyboard and look up example

sentences for words you donrsquot quite know how to use If you do these

things you will produce correct output which is fantastic for your

language skills Bad output leads to what Thatrsquos right bad habits

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

GET CORRECTIONS

Writing and getting corrections will help you notice very quickly the

patterns and structures in Chinese This attentiveness will pay off when

it comes to speaking reading and listening too

USE A WRITING SOFTWARE

Try Ommwriter Flowstate Awriter or similar writing apps designed for

writers to get you into the flow of writing

MAKE FLASHCARDS OUT OF YOUR MISTAKES

Create ultra-personalised reviewable content by taking any corrected

sentences and making a flashcard out of it

Try to combine regular speaking practice with regular writing

practice from now on and see for yourself how fast your fluency

improves

NEXT TIME For our final installment in this series wersquore going to

focus on continuing to improve your Chinese when you start to

plateau and the going getrsquos tough

9WRITEREGULARLY

55

Share your writing with a paid language exchange partner or tutor Check

out HiNative for a great place to get corrections on your writing and ask

general questions about how to use Chinese from native speakers

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Writing is a similar mental process as speaking with some important differences that can make it a more attractive outputting method under certain circumstances

Writing makes you more easily notice things about Chinese helps you activate passive vocabulary creates more personal connections to the language and gives you more time to convey your thoughts than speaking does

You can write at any level

Write as often as you can but donrsquot burn out

Write about things you care about and are passionate about so you can really enjoy the process and create more emotional connections that improve your retention

Aim not to make any mistakes because bad output means bad habits This is much easier to accomplish than with speaking as you have more time to think

Get your writing corrected by paid or free native speakers Make flashcards for words or structures you get wrong

KEY POINTS9WRITEREGULARLY

56

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

10SHARPEN THE SAW

Keep moving forward

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 24: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

At Mandarin Blueprint we take pronunciation very seriously This is

mainly because we know first-hand the negative effects of poor

pronunciation instruction

Bad pronunciation slows the development of your listening reading

and speaking ability which is bad enough But by far the most

profoundly painful outcome of poor pronunciation is the damage done

to your lsquolearnerrsquos egorsquo early on When you are misunderstood partially

understood or not at all understood it hurts your confidence You then

associate speaking Chinese with negative emotions and become less

and less willing to start talking Itrsquos a vicious cycle of negativity that we

want you to avoid

HERErsquoS A PROBLEM WE WANT YOU TO HAVE 1 A Chinese person asks you a simple question that you understand

2 You answer the question with simple Chinese but with great

pronunciation

3 The Chinese person listening to you immediately assumes you

speak incredible Chinese and proceeds to unload a litany of

questions and comments

4 After an awkward silence you say 听不不懂 (tīngbudǒng) which

means ldquoI donrsquot understandrdquo

5 The Chinese person laughs asks a few more questions before

realizing you were actually serious Awkwardness intensifies

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

24

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

THE SKINNY ON MANDARIN PRONUNCIATION If you want excellent spoken Chinese you first need to be completely

aware of how to produce understand and read all of the sounds of the

language Some people can do all this naturally by ear with very little

training Unfortunately the law of averages states that you are most likely

not in this group Sorry -(

Not to worry though With only 409 different-sounding syllables (1200 if

you include tones) Chinese has relatively little to learn in terms of

pronunciation especially when compared to the 16000+ syllables of

English There are however many challenging and potentially confusing

aspects to Chinese pronunciation which means that you can learn what

you need to know about pronunciation in a relatively short time but you

need high quality expert guidance and study materials to do it

TUTORS ARENrsquoT ALWAYS THE WAY TO GO If you want to learn pronunciation it seems like a logical decision would

be to look for a tutor right Unfortunately most teachers do not have

the knowledge or experience to teach you Chinese pronunciation

well But why is this Well theyrsquove spoken mandarin since they can

remember right They have no frame of reference for comparing tongue

positions or vowel aspiration to English so how could they explain it to a

foreigner How would they know what it feels like to learn Mandarin

pronunciation as an adult

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

25

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoThe first thing I have to do to erase my french accent is to believe itrsquos actually possiblerdquo

- Marion Cotillard

26

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

There are fantastic tutors out there who can teach you pronunciation

properly but they can be like finding a needle in a haystack Not to

mention with the hourly rates you are likely to rack up hundreds of

dollars in fees for average results

INTRODUCING ldquoPRONUNCIATION MASTERYrdquo Wersquove been training our clients on pronunciation through live sessions of

our Pronunciation Mastery course for 2 years now and the results have

been fantastic Wersquove now finally finished transforming it into an 8 hour

video course that will teach you everything you need to know about

Chinese pronunciation all from the unique perspective of us Two

Chinese learners who made the journey ourselves from beginner to

advanced fluency This is all delivered using HD video crystal clear

explanations supported with slick design over a thousand multimedia

SRS flashcards over 80 PDFs amp native audio for reference and review

Wersquove put our hearts and souls into this course along with our extensive

experience and feedback from live teaching over the past 2 years Plus

itrsquos already helped hundreds of Chinese learners around the world Itrsquos

the video course we would have wanted when we were starting out

with Mandarin

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

27

CHECK IT OUT

Luke Neale

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

NEXT TIME Wersquoll dive into the topic of Chinese tutors Wersquoll be

sharing with you where to find the best free and paid tutors how

to work with them in the most efficient and fun way possible

Pronunciation is the vital first stage for learning any language

Bad pronunciation affects all other areas of your Chinese skill but most importantly it hurts your confidence

Compared to English there is much less to learn to master Chinese pronunciation

Chinese teachers rarely have the training and experience necessary to teach you pronunciation properly

Mandarin Blueprintrsquos ldquoPronunciation Masteryrdquo course has everything you need to develop great pronunciation quickly and cheaply Check it out today

KEY POINTS

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

28

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

USE TUTORS

Connect with them regularly

EFFECTIVELY

5

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You will notice that this is way down the list of tips for speaking like a

native speaker Thatrsquos because it actually isnrsquot the highest priority straight

away at least not anymore The sheer number of resources available

to you as a Chinese learner today means that you can do most things

you need to do on your own without a tutor As avid Chinese learners

ourselves we can both attest to this fact However a tutor is an

absolutely vital part of your journey to spoken fluency and to get the

most out of them you need to know how to work with them

First off what is a tutor for exactly Itrsquos not as obvious an answer as you

may think Understandably most people get a tutor straight from the

beginning hoping to receive all the materials and guidance they need

to make them fluent and literate in Chinese This is a lot to expect of

anyone let alone someone who never actually learned Chinese as a

second language So what are reasonable expectations to have then

THE ROLE OF A CHINESE TUTOR 1) FOR ACTIVATING PASSIVE VOCABULARY

Go into a session and try to use the words yoursquove been learning through

listening and reading Focus on steering the conversation to topics

you find meaningful and interesting Agree on these topics in advance

A good tutor is a good communicator someone who can speak to you

in a way they know you understand and ask you the right questions to

keep a conversation going Push your limits of what you know and ask a

lot of questions on how to use any words you arenrsquot sure about

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

30

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Mistakes are fine but donrsquot try and make up how to use a word or phrase

if you donrsquot already know Just ask If your tutor misses mistakes too

often they could turn into bad habits and you really donrsquot want that

2) FOR IDENTIFYING AND FIXING PROBLEMS

We prefer to have a nice chat of between 5 and 30 minutes during which

the tutor is making notes about anything you need to improve upon After

the time is up or the conversation has hit a dead-end the tutor can go

through your mistakes with you and do some directed practice to fix any

recurring issues This can be done as often as you like or just at the very

end of each session Make flashcards with example sentences

targeting the words or phrases you got wrong

3) FOR PROVIDING TRUE ENCOURAGEMENT

True encouragement is when a tutor notices where yoursquove improved and

points it out but also communicates your potential for improvement

Blindly repeating ldquo真棒 zhēn bagravengrdquo (rdquoGreat jobrdquo) all the time is false

encouragement and it can lead to complacency After all Chinese

people will already be giving you plenty of compliments about your

Mandarin the last thing you need is your paid tutor making your head

even bigger If a tutor provides true encouragement regularly yoursquore

golden If not ask them to or get another tutor

4) FOR FINDING LEVEL-APPROPRIATE AND ENGAGING CONTENT

This one is not to be expected of every tutor certainly not unprompted

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

31

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Directly ask them to find you listening and reading materials that you

might be interested in You may be very surprised at what they find for

you Some incredible content may be hidden away from the mainstream

and you may need a native person to help you discover those little gems

you might otherwise miss out on

TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR STUDY Figure out a kind of lesson structure yoursquore comfortable with that

suits your goals and interests Possible approaches include

Focus on a bunch of words yoursquove been learning and how to use

them

Choose several interesting topics and have an open conversation

Discuss a news article comic book or tv episode you saw recently

Whatever it is plan it out briefly beforehand and make it clear with your

tutor how you would like the lesson to go You have to take the reins if

you want the most bang for your buck If you donrsquot what yoursquoll get is what

the tutor wants to give you which will most likely be a textbook and

discussion of boring topics

HOW TO FIND GREAT TUTORS We would highly recommend finding tutors online as opposed to face-

to-face Herersquos why

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

32

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

1 You have a reasonable guarantee of quality Community star ratings

are commonplace

2 Far more convenient You can get online and be talking to a qualified

tutor for a few dollars an hour within a few minutes Enough said

3 Much better value for money Even if yoursquore living in China tutors still

work out cheaper online When you account for the time and effort it

takes to meet with a stranger face-to-face and the higher turnover of

tutors due to poor or quickly declining quality of lessons online tutors

are almost always more cost-effective

If you want to get online fast and take high quality online sessions with a

tutor a great resource is wwwitalkicom You can find both paid tutors

and unpaid language exchange partners here Invest a few dollars and

hours a month and it will pay off hugely for you

Italki offers tutoring in a huge range of lanugages but the vast majority of

the teachers just use skype for their lessons This is fine but you may be

surprised at the level of functionality of other Chinese-only services such

as wwwtutormandarincom

Instead of just a video call you get a live visual presentation showing

text and highlighted areas that makes everything much clearer and

more engaging This way you can practice your reading alongside your

speaking and listening all with live instruction

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

33

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

They offer a free 1-to-1 consultation and language evaluation before you

signup for anything so it canrsquot hurt to try them out

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to talk about immersion and how you

can do it regardless of your lifestyle or location to greatly improve

your speaking ability

Take control of your time with tutors making sure to point out clearly beforehand what you need from them and what your expectations are

Online tutors used in the capacity wersquove suggested are generally more time and cost-effective than face-to-face tutors even if you are in China Make the most of your study time by going for the former unless you have a guarantee of value

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

Tutors should be treated as a learning resource rather than your study gurus Their main function is to serve as a great communicator who can help you activate vocabulary and stay motivated

KEY POINTS

34

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

6IMMERSE YOURSELF

Be with Chinese as often as possible

IN CHINESE

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion deserves itrsquos own e-book all by itself as itrsquos such a deep and

varied topic but there are a few things to remember that will allow you

to immerse yourself in Chinese easily wherever you are

HOW TO IMMERSE YOURSELF First of all immersion doesnrsquot necessarily entail never speaking your

native language and ignoring your friends and family Immersion in itrsquos

most manageable form is simply being in touch with Chinese

regularly throughout the day This is doable outside China and even

with a family and a full-time job to boot Herersquos how we do it

CHANGE YOUR ENVIRONMENT

Make sure that Chinese is within 1 foot of your body at all times Ten

years ago that would have meant taping books and Chinese people

around your waist which would have been inconvenient and almost

definitely illegal Now we have these magical devices in our pockets

everywhere we go and most of us have computers or tablets as well

Always be looking for more and more level-appropriate reading and

listening materials and fill your devices with them Whenever you get

bored or frustrated with something drop it for something else You can

be picky even at beginner level Most of the time if you donrsquot enjoy

something itrsquos because you arenrsquot ready for it yet anyway Just go back

to it a few weeks or months down the line

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

36

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Organize the apps on your smart phone for reading listening speaking

and even writing Chinese so you can tap them whenever you have a

spare few minutes This makes it as easy as possible to immerse yourself

in something wherever and whenever

MAKE BETTER USE OF YOUR TIME

Listen to Chinese whenever yoursquore traveling anywhere working out

doing flashcards or housework If you have your eyes andor mouth free

as well do some interleaved learning or shadowing (see tip 4)

The key is starting not finishing Just do something for 1-15 minutes

10-20 times a day as opposed to trying to set aside large chunks of time

which either cause you to procrastinate or burn out

TALK TO LANGUAGE EXCHANGE PARTNERS

It might get expensive meeting with paid tutors every day which creates

an excuse to not practice speaking But there are more and more great

apps that allow you to connect and exchange with native Chinese

speakers for free Our favorite language exchange apps are pictured

on the next page

TALK TO YOURSELF

Yes it might feel a bit weird but it works as a decent substitute to a paid

tutor or language exchange partner Anything going through your head

just try to blurt out in Chinese Wear earphones to make it appear you are

talking on the phone so you donrsquot get placed into a mental institution

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

37

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoTime is what we want most but what we use worstrdquo

- William Penn

38

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion is doable regardless of your lifestyle Just be around Chinese many times throughout the day

Listen while doing pretty much anything Itrsquos the part of language learning that takes the least conscious effort to improve

Connect with language exchange partners via free apps Spend a few minutes chatting here and there Even talking to yourself can be really effective

KEY POINTS

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk about how to maintain a calm and positive

attitude when struggling to improve your speaking skills Wersquoll

also go into how to take criticism well and even enjoy making

mistakes6

IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

39

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

BE COOL7

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot be touchy when you get corrections or criticism even if it comes

across as harsh People rarely correct you for free and if you react

badly when they do that will probably be the last time they help you

When you arenrsquot understood just assume itrsquos never their problem It

actually might be sometimes but just assume it isnrsquot

People tend to put a lot of their pride and ego into their Chinese ability

because it takes a lot of time and effort to get good and it is a very rare

skill However just know that only when you really start to get good at

something do you realize how little you know Donrsquot fall into that trap

because you will be in for a rude awakening down the line Take your

ego out of the equation and have a great time Laugh at yourself

Itrsquos all just a game

LEARN TO ACCEPT UNCERTAINTY You will forget words yoursquove reviewed and heard for months

You will forget grammar structures yoursquove spoken correctly 10 times

before

You will get utterly lost in conversation after thinking yoursquove had a

breakthrough in your skill level

Take a deep breath Itrsquos all part of the process

7BE COOL

41

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoCriticism may not be agreeable but it is necessary It fulfils the same function as pain

in the human body It calls attention to an

unhealthy state of things - Winston Churchill

42

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Wersquove already mentioned the importance of good output Too many

mistakes without being corrected can lead to bad habits but mistakes

are inevitable Even if you follow our advice you will still have trouble

sometimes Enjoy being wronghellipevery mistake or misunderstanding

can bring you closer to fluency The key is to not worry about what you

canrsquot say just take note of it and take action Try to say something and it

came out as gibberish Make a note and try it out next time you get the

chance Get a flashcard completely wrong Good Less likely to next time

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to be sharing with you our favorite

speaking hacks that will instantly have you speaking Chinese

much more like a native and with less effort

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously Learning Chinese is just a game Enjoy yourself and take criticism with a smile

Mistakes when speaking and reviewing are inevitable and an important part of the learning process

KEY POINTS

7BE COOL

43

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

8USE THESE

Speak ldquorealrdquo Chinese

SPEAKING HACKS

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

OUR FAVORITE SPEAKING HACKS Apply even one of these techniques to your day-to-day speaking and

you will not only sound more native but will also find it much easier

to speak in general

SPEAK WITH FLUENCY

Fluency is not knowing every word It is simply the ability to say what it is

you want to say accurately using the vocabulary that you have Donrsquot

know how to say ldquointernational traderdquo Just say ldquowhen one country buys

and sells things with another countryrdquo After you say this your

conversation partner will likely say ldquooh yeah thatrsquos lsquointernational tradersquordquo

Boom New word learned within the emotional context of the

conversation to boot The key is when you donrsquot know a word donrsquot

just give up Instead do your best to explain what you want to say

with the vocabulary you have

SLOW DOWN

Speaking at around 80 of your normal rate wonrsquot sound weird at all and

it will improve both your pronunciation and your fluency instantly

Speaking more slowly gives your mouth and tongue muscles time to

get into position before a sound is made which is very helpful for those

sounds that donrsquot exist in English Plus it gives you a few extra

microseconds to think of something to say in conversation Combine

this with the next 2 hacks and yoursquore really in businesshellip

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

45

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoFake it until you make itrdquo - Steven Tyler

46

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

USE ldquoFILLERSrdquo

Everyone (including Chinese people) use these all the time in their

various native languages Why would you give yourself less of a chance

than a native speaker would to sound fluent Thatrsquos just crazy Here are

the top five uhh er umhelliprdquofillersrdquo

ēnhellip jiugraveshihellip negraveigehellip zhegraveigehellip raacutenhograveuhellip

Throw one or more of these utterances anywhere you like Put them in

every sentence if you feel the need Chinese people wonrsquot notice as they

do it too

USE CONVERSATION CONNECTORS

This is a term coined by Anthony Lauder referring to those everyday

fixed phrases that you say at the beginning middle or end of a sentence

to dress up what you want to say Here are some examples

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

我想告诉你hellip woacute xiǎng gagraveosu nǐhellip

Irsquod like you to know thathellip

你别介意不过hellip nǐ bieacute jiegraveyigrave buacuteguogravehellip Dont be upset buthellip

就像你已经知道的hellip jiugrave xiagraveng niacute yǐjīng zhīdagraveo dehellip

As you already know

多数情况hellip dagrave duō shugrave qiacutengkuagraveng

Most of the timehellip

47

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot give up so easily if you canrsquot think of a word you want to use Just use more common words to describe it

Speaking a bit slower will give you more time to think of what to say and will usually go unnoticed by a native speaker

Throw in fillers and fixed expressions to sound more like a native speaker and give yourself more time to speak at the same time

You can even thrown in English words to fill in the gaps if the above suggestions arenrsquot on the table Many young educated Chinese people do this anyway

KEY POINTS

USE ENGLISH WORDS

As a last ditch effort if you really donrsquot have the energy to ldquouse fluencyrdquo to

describe a word yoursquove forgotten just say the English word Younger

more educated Chinese speakers are likely to have a decent English

level and they themselves also like to throw in the odd English word into

conversation so itrsquos fine to follow suit At very least it keeps conversation

going to the next topic where you remember the Chinese words

NEXT TIME For our next installment in this series wersquore going to

get into the role writing has on your speaking how to write what

to write and where amp when to write Itrsquos not at all as intimidating

(or boring) as you may think

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

48

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Combine any and all of these tips to your speaking at any time to make yourself speak better instantly8

USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

49

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

WRITE REGULARLY9

Supercharge your active vocabulary

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Many beginners (and higher levels too) struggle with the frustration of

not being able to express their thoughts and feelings properly in

Chinese Even with many months and years of practice they can still feel

like the words just arenrsquot there when they need them Wersquove already

given you a bunch of steps you can take to solve this problem and we

realize that writing may be an unexpected additional step but trust us

when we say how valuable it can be

WHY WRITING IMPROVES SPEAKING IT DEMANDS FOCUS AND ATTENTION

Writing practice is the aspect of language learning that involves the

most focus and attention as you have to think about every word as you

write Just like reading writing is a slow process at first but after a short

period of regular practice you can almost hear the ldquoclicksrdquo as the words

you write become part of your vocabulary which can now be used

when you practice speaking with your tutor After all writing and

speaking are both expressive forms of communication using similar

mental processes

IT ACTIVATES VOCABULARY VERY EFFECTIVELY

Writing may just be the ultimate way to solidify your understanding of

the words and phrases yoursquove acquired through reading and listening It

may be even more effective than speaking

9WRITEREGULARLY

51

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WRITING IS MORE PERSONAL

After some practice you can start to write in your own personal style

using your own ldquovoicerdquo which naturally makes the process much more

enjoyable Writing a journal is the best way to access this benefit Posting

thoughts in Chinese on social media is another option especially for

lower levels

WRITING GIVES YOU MORE TIME TO FORMULATE THOUGHTS

Writing gives you time to think and practice the language

simultaneously whereas with speaking there is little opportunity to

really contemplate all the various ways of expressing a thought unless

you have an extremely patient (and masochistic) paid tutor

EVEN IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER YOU CAN STILL WRITE

If you donrsquot have much vocabulary you can still practice writing Just

write individual sentences or phrases Look at example sentences and

try to re-write them using slightly different vocabulary Remember just as

the incredible graded readers we talked about in chapter 4 can be

written with just a few select words and characters you too can write a

surprising amount using the small vocabulary you have at your disposal

5 INCREDIBLE WRITING TIPS GO FOR QUANTITY

Write every day Write a blog or WeChat post write individual sentences

9WRITEREGULARLY

52

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoWriting to me is simply thinking through my fingersrdquo

- Isaac Asimov

53

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

write a question on how to write something write anything You should

write something everyday and make a routine out of it The more

content the better but donrsquot ask too much of yourself or you will burn out

and not want to do it for weeks

An added bonus to writing regularly is the ability to look back on your

previous writing practice after a few weeks or months and see how far

yoursquove come This is called ldquobenchmarkingrdquo which wersquoll talk about more

next time

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT

Write about something or someone you love Write about a problem

yoursquore having Write about your goals and dreams Write about a book

you read or a youtube video you watched Write about what yoursquove

learned or would like to learn Write a journal When you do this your

own personality will shine through in your writing which will make the

words and structures you practice far more memorable

9WRITEREGULARLY

54

AIM FOR ZERO MISTAKES

Thatrsquos correct ZERO mistakes Think about what you write Take your time

to think before you put pen to paper or keyboard and look up example

sentences for words you donrsquot quite know how to use If you do these

things you will produce correct output which is fantastic for your

language skills Bad output leads to what Thatrsquos right bad habits

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

GET CORRECTIONS

Writing and getting corrections will help you notice very quickly the

patterns and structures in Chinese This attentiveness will pay off when

it comes to speaking reading and listening too

USE A WRITING SOFTWARE

Try Ommwriter Flowstate Awriter or similar writing apps designed for

writers to get you into the flow of writing

MAKE FLASHCARDS OUT OF YOUR MISTAKES

Create ultra-personalised reviewable content by taking any corrected

sentences and making a flashcard out of it

Try to combine regular speaking practice with regular writing

practice from now on and see for yourself how fast your fluency

improves

NEXT TIME For our final installment in this series wersquore going to

focus on continuing to improve your Chinese when you start to

plateau and the going getrsquos tough

9WRITEREGULARLY

55

Share your writing with a paid language exchange partner or tutor Check

out HiNative for a great place to get corrections on your writing and ask

general questions about how to use Chinese from native speakers

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Writing is a similar mental process as speaking with some important differences that can make it a more attractive outputting method under certain circumstances

Writing makes you more easily notice things about Chinese helps you activate passive vocabulary creates more personal connections to the language and gives you more time to convey your thoughts than speaking does

You can write at any level

Write as often as you can but donrsquot burn out

Write about things you care about and are passionate about so you can really enjoy the process and create more emotional connections that improve your retention

Aim not to make any mistakes because bad output means bad habits This is much easier to accomplish than with speaking as you have more time to think

Get your writing corrected by paid or free native speakers Make flashcards for words or structures you get wrong

KEY POINTS9WRITEREGULARLY

56

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

10SHARPEN THE SAW

Keep moving forward

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 25: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

THE SKINNY ON MANDARIN PRONUNCIATION If you want excellent spoken Chinese you first need to be completely

aware of how to produce understand and read all of the sounds of the

language Some people can do all this naturally by ear with very little

training Unfortunately the law of averages states that you are most likely

not in this group Sorry -(

Not to worry though With only 409 different-sounding syllables (1200 if

you include tones) Chinese has relatively little to learn in terms of

pronunciation especially when compared to the 16000+ syllables of

English There are however many challenging and potentially confusing

aspects to Chinese pronunciation which means that you can learn what

you need to know about pronunciation in a relatively short time but you

need high quality expert guidance and study materials to do it

TUTORS ARENrsquoT ALWAYS THE WAY TO GO If you want to learn pronunciation it seems like a logical decision would

be to look for a tutor right Unfortunately most teachers do not have

the knowledge or experience to teach you Chinese pronunciation

well But why is this Well theyrsquove spoken mandarin since they can

remember right They have no frame of reference for comparing tongue

positions or vowel aspiration to English so how could they explain it to a

foreigner How would they know what it feels like to learn Mandarin

pronunciation as an adult

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

25

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoThe first thing I have to do to erase my french accent is to believe itrsquos actually possiblerdquo

- Marion Cotillard

26

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

There are fantastic tutors out there who can teach you pronunciation

properly but they can be like finding a needle in a haystack Not to

mention with the hourly rates you are likely to rack up hundreds of

dollars in fees for average results

INTRODUCING ldquoPRONUNCIATION MASTERYrdquo Wersquove been training our clients on pronunciation through live sessions of

our Pronunciation Mastery course for 2 years now and the results have

been fantastic Wersquove now finally finished transforming it into an 8 hour

video course that will teach you everything you need to know about

Chinese pronunciation all from the unique perspective of us Two

Chinese learners who made the journey ourselves from beginner to

advanced fluency This is all delivered using HD video crystal clear

explanations supported with slick design over a thousand multimedia

SRS flashcards over 80 PDFs amp native audio for reference and review

Wersquove put our hearts and souls into this course along with our extensive

experience and feedback from live teaching over the past 2 years Plus

itrsquos already helped hundreds of Chinese learners around the world Itrsquos

the video course we would have wanted when we were starting out

with Mandarin

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

27

CHECK IT OUT

Luke Neale

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

NEXT TIME Wersquoll dive into the topic of Chinese tutors Wersquoll be

sharing with you where to find the best free and paid tutors how

to work with them in the most efficient and fun way possible

Pronunciation is the vital first stage for learning any language

Bad pronunciation affects all other areas of your Chinese skill but most importantly it hurts your confidence

Compared to English there is much less to learn to master Chinese pronunciation

Chinese teachers rarely have the training and experience necessary to teach you pronunciation properly

Mandarin Blueprintrsquos ldquoPronunciation Masteryrdquo course has everything you need to develop great pronunciation quickly and cheaply Check it out today

KEY POINTS

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

28

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

USE TUTORS

Connect with them regularly

EFFECTIVELY

5

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You will notice that this is way down the list of tips for speaking like a

native speaker Thatrsquos because it actually isnrsquot the highest priority straight

away at least not anymore The sheer number of resources available

to you as a Chinese learner today means that you can do most things

you need to do on your own without a tutor As avid Chinese learners

ourselves we can both attest to this fact However a tutor is an

absolutely vital part of your journey to spoken fluency and to get the

most out of them you need to know how to work with them

First off what is a tutor for exactly Itrsquos not as obvious an answer as you

may think Understandably most people get a tutor straight from the

beginning hoping to receive all the materials and guidance they need

to make them fluent and literate in Chinese This is a lot to expect of

anyone let alone someone who never actually learned Chinese as a

second language So what are reasonable expectations to have then

THE ROLE OF A CHINESE TUTOR 1) FOR ACTIVATING PASSIVE VOCABULARY

Go into a session and try to use the words yoursquove been learning through

listening and reading Focus on steering the conversation to topics

you find meaningful and interesting Agree on these topics in advance

A good tutor is a good communicator someone who can speak to you

in a way they know you understand and ask you the right questions to

keep a conversation going Push your limits of what you know and ask a

lot of questions on how to use any words you arenrsquot sure about

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

30

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Mistakes are fine but donrsquot try and make up how to use a word or phrase

if you donrsquot already know Just ask If your tutor misses mistakes too

often they could turn into bad habits and you really donrsquot want that

2) FOR IDENTIFYING AND FIXING PROBLEMS

We prefer to have a nice chat of between 5 and 30 minutes during which

the tutor is making notes about anything you need to improve upon After

the time is up or the conversation has hit a dead-end the tutor can go

through your mistakes with you and do some directed practice to fix any

recurring issues This can be done as often as you like or just at the very

end of each session Make flashcards with example sentences

targeting the words or phrases you got wrong

3) FOR PROVIDING TRUE ENCOURAGEMENT

True encouragement is when a tutor notices where yoursquove improved and

points it out but also communicates your potential for improvement

Blindly repeating ldquo真棒 zhēn bagravengrdquo (rdquoGreat jobrdquo) all the time is false

encouragement and it can lead to complacency After all Chinese

people will already be giving you plenty of compliments about your

Mandarin the last thing you need is your paid tutor making your head

even bigger If a tutor provides true encouragement regularly yoursquore

golden If not ask them to or get another tutor

4) FOR FINDING LEVEL-APPROPRIATE AND ENGAGING CONTENT

This one is not to be expected of every tutor certainly not unprompted

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

31

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Directly ask them to find you listening and reading materials that you

might be interested in You may be very surprised at what they find for

you Some incredible content may be hidden away from the mainstream

and you may need a native person to help you discover those little gems

you might otherwise miss out on

TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR STUDY Figure out a kind of lesson structure yoursquore comfortable with that

suits your goals and interests Possible approaches include

Focus on a bunch of words yoursquove been learning and how to use

them

Choose several interesting topics and have an open conversation

Discuss a news article comic book or tv episode you saw recently

Whatever it is plan it out briefly beforehand and make it clear with your

tutor how you would like the lesson to go You have to take the reins if

you want the most bang for your buck If you donrsquot what yoursquoll get is what

the tutor wants to give you which will most likely be a textbook and

discussion of boring topics

HOW TO FIND GREAT TUTORS We would highly recommend finding tutors online as opposed to face-

to-face Herersquos why

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

32

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

1 You have a reasonable guarantee of quality Community star ratings

are commonplace

2 Far more convenient You can get online and be talking to a qualified

tutor for a few dollars an hour within a few minutes Enough said

3 Much better value for money Even if yoursquore living in China tutors still

work out cheaper online When you account for the time and effort it

takes to meet with a stranger face-to-face and the higher turnover of

tutors due to poor or quickly declining quality of lessons online tutors

are almost always more cost-effective

If you want to get online fast and take high quality online sessions with a

tutor a great resource is wwwitalkicom You can find both paid tutors

and unpaid language exchange partners here Invest a few dollars and

hours a month and it will pay off hugely for you

Italki offers tutoring in a huge range of lanugages but the vast majority of

the teachers just use skype for their lessons This is fine but you may be

surprised at the level of functionality of other Chinese-only services such

as wwwtutormandarincom

Instead of just a video call you get a live visual presentation showing

text and highlighted areas that makes everything much clearer and

more engaging This way you can practice your reading alongside your

speaking and listening all with live instruction

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

33

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

They offer a free 1-to-1 consultation and language evaluation before you

signup for anything so it canrsquot hurt to try them out

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to talk about immersion and how you

can do it regardless of your lifestyle or location to greatly improve

your speaking ability

Take control of your time with tutors making sure to point out clearly beforehand what you need from them and what your expectations are

Online tutors used in the capacity wersquove suggested are generally more time and cost-effective than face-to-face tutors even if you are in China Make the most of your study time by going for the former unless you have a guarantee of value

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

Tutors should be treated as a learning resource rather than your study gurus Their main function is to serve as a great communicator who can help you activate vocabulary and stay motivated

KEY POINTS

34

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

6IMMERSE YOURSELF

Be with Chinese as often as possible

IN CHINESE

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion deserves itrsquos own e-book all by itself as itrsquos such a deep and

varied topic but there are a few things to remember that will allow you

to immerse yourself in Chinese easily wherever you are

HOW TO IMMERSE YOURSELF First of all immersion doesnrsquot necessarily entail never speaking your

native language and ignoring your friends and family Immersion in itrsquos

most manageable form is simply being in touch with Chinese

regularly throughout the day This is doable outside China and even

with a family and a full-time job to boot Herersquos how we do it

CHANGE YOUR ENVIRONMENT

Make sure that Chinese is within 1 foot of your body at all times Ten

years ago that would have meant taping books and Chinese people

around your waist which would have been inconvenient and almost

definitely illegal Now we have these magical devices in our pockets

everywhere we go and most of us have computers or tablets as well

Always be looking for more and more level-appropriate reading and

listening materials and fill your devices with them Whenever you get

bored or frustrated with something drop it for something else You can

be picky even at beginner level Most of the time if you donrsquot enjoy

something itrsquos because you arenrsquot ready for it yet anyway Just go back

to it a few weeks or months down the line

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

36

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Organize the apps on your smart phone for reading listening speaking

and even writing Chinese so you can tap them whenever you have a

spare few minutes This makes it as easy as possible to immerse yourself

in something wherever and whenever

MAKE BETTER USE OF YOUR TIME

Listen to Chinese whenever yoursquore traveling anywhere working out

doing flashcards or housework If you have your eyes andor mouth free

as well do some interleaved learning or shadowing (see tip 4)

The key is starting not finishing Just do something for 1-15 minutes

10-20 times a day as opposed to trying to set aside large chunks of time

which either cause you to procrastinate or burn out

TALK TO LANGUAGE EXCHANGE PARTNERS

It might get expensive meeting with paid tutors every day which creates

an excuse to not practice speaking But there are more and more great

apps that allow you to connect and exchange with native Chinese

speakers for free Our favorite language exchange apps are pictured

on the next page

TALK TO YOURSELF

Yes it might feel a bit weird but it works as a decent substitute to a paid

tutor or language exchange partner Anything going through your head

just try to blurt out in Chinese Wear earphones to make it appear you are

talking on the phone so you donrsquot get placed into a mental institution

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

37

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoTime is what we want most but what we use worstrdquo

- William Penn

38

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion is doable regardless of your lifestyle Just be around Chinese many times throughout the day

Listen while doing pretty much anything Itrsquos the part of language learning that takes the least conscious effort to improve

Connect with language exchange partners via free apps Spend a few minutes chatting here and there Even talking to yourself can be really effective

KEY POINTS

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk about how to maintain a calm and positive

attitude when struggling to improve your speaking skills Wersquoll

also go into how to take criticism well and even enjoy making

mistakes6

IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

39

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

BE COOL7

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot be touchy when you get corrections or criticism even if it comes

across as harsh People rarely correct you for free and if you react

badly when they do that will probably be the last time they help you

When you arenrsquot understood just assume itrsquos never their problem It

actually might be sometimes but just assume it isnrsquot

People tend to put a lot of their pride and ego into their Chinese ability

because it takes a lot of time and effort to get good and it is a very rare

skill However just know that only when you really start to get good at

something do you realize how little you know Donrsquot fall into that trap

because you will be in for a rude awakening down the line Take your

ego out of the equation and have a great time Laugh at yourself

Itrsquos all just a game

LEARN TO ACCEPT UNCERTAINTY You will forget words yoursquove reviewed and heard for months

You will forget grammar structures yoursquove spoken correctly 10 times

before

You will get utterly lost in conversation after thinking yoursquove had a

breakthrough in your skill level

Take a deep breath Itrsquos all part of the process

7BE COOL

41

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoCriticism may not be agreeable but it is necessary It fulfils the same function as pain

in the human body It calls attention to an

unhealthy state of things - Winston Churchill

42

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Wersquove already mentioned the importance of good output Too many

mistakes without being corrected can lead to bad habits but mistakes

are inevitable Even if you follow our advice you will still have trouble

sometimes Enjoy being wronghellipevery mistake or misunderstanding

can bring you closer to fluency The key is to not worry about what you

canrsquot say just take note of it and take action Try to say something and it

came out as gibberish Make a note and try it out next time you get the

chance Get a flashcard completely wrong Good Less likely to next time

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to be sharing with you our favorite

speaking hacks that will instantly have you speaking Chinese

much more like a native and with less effort

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously Learning Chinese is just a game Enjoy yourself and take criticism with a smile

Mistakes when speaking and reviewing are inevitable and an important part of the learning process

KEY POINTS

7BE COOL

43

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

8USE THESE

Speak ldquorealrdquo Chinese

SPEAKING HACKS

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

OUR FAVORITE SPEAKING HACKS Apply even one of these techniques to your day-to-day speaking and

you will not only sound more native but will also find it much easier

to speak in general

SPEAK WITH FLUENCY

Fluency is not knowing every word It is simply the ability to say what it is

you want to say accurately using the vocabulary that you have Donrsquot

know how to say ldquointernational traderdquo Just say ldquowhen one country buys

and sells things with another countryrdquo After you say this your

conversation partner will likely say ldquooh yeah thatrsquos lsquointernational tradersquordquo

Boom New word learned within the emotional context of the

conversation to boot The key is when you donrsquot know a word donrsquot

just give up Instead do your best to explain what you want to say

with the vocabulary you have

SLOW DOWN

Speaking at around 80 of your normal rate wonrsquot sound weird at all and

it will improve both your pronunciation and your fluency instantly

Speaking more slowly gives your mouth and tongue muscles time to

get into position before a sound is made which is very helpful for those

sounds that donrsquot exist in English Plus it gives you a few extra

microseconds to think of something to say in conversation Combine

this with the next 2 hacks and yoursquore really in businesshellip

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

45

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoFake it until you make itrdquo - Steven Tyler

46

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

USE ldquoFILLERSrdquo

Everyone (including Chinese people) use these all the time in their

various native languages Why would you give yourself less of a chance

than a native speaker would to sound fluent Thatrsquos just crazy Here are

the top five uhh er umhelliprdquofillersrdquo

ēnhellip jiugraveshihellip negraveigehellip zhegraveigehellip raacutenhograveuhellip

Throw one or more of these utterances anywhere you like Put them in

every sentence if you feel the need Chinese people wonrsquot notice as they

do it too

USE CONVERSATION CONNECTORS

This is a term coined by Anthony Lauder referring to those everyday

fixed phrases that you say at the beginning middle or end of a sentence

to dress up what you want to say Here are some examples

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

我想告诉你hellip woacute xiǎng gagraveosu nǐhellip

Irsquod like you to know thathellip

你别介意不过hellip nǐ bieacute jiegraveyigrave buacuteguogravehellip Dont be upset buthellip

就像你已经知道的hellip jiugrave xiagraveng niacute yǐjīng zhīdagraveo dehellip

As you already know

多数情况hellip dagrave duō shugrave qiacutengkuagraveng

Most of the timehellip

47

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot give up so easily if you canrsquot think of a word you want to use Just use more common words to describe it

Speaking a bit slower will give you more time to think of what to say and will usually go unnoticed by a native speaker

Throw in fillers and fixed expressions to sound more like a native speaker and give yourself more time to speak at the same time

You can even thrown in English words to fill in the gaps if the above suggestions arenrsquot on the table Many young educated Chinese people do this anyway

KEY POINTS

USE ENGLISH WORDS

As a last ditch effort if you really donrsquot have the energy to ldquouse fluencyrdquo to

describe a word yoursquove forgotten just say the English word Younger

more educated Chinese speakers are likely to have a decent English

level and they themselves also like to throw in the odd English word into

conversation so itrsquos fine to follow suit At very least it keeps conversation

going to the next topic where you remember the Chinese words

NEXT TIME For our next installment in this series wersquore going to

get into the role writing has on your speaking how to write what

to write and where amp when to write Itrsquos not at all as intimidating

(or boring) as you may think

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

48

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Combine any and all of these tips to your speaking at any time to make yourself speak better instantly8

USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

49

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

WRITE REGULARLY9

Supercharge your active vocabulary

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Many beginners (and higher levels too) struggle with the frustration of

not being able to express their thoughts and feelings properly in

Chinese Even with many months and years of practice they can still feel

like the words just arenrsquot there when they need them Wersquove already

given you a bunch of steps you can take to solve this problem and we

realize that writing may be an unexpected additional step but trust us

when we say how valuable it can be

WHY WRITING IMPROVES SPEAKING IT DEMANDS FOCUS AND ATTENTION

Writing practice is the aspect of language learning that involves the

most focus and attention as you have to think about every word as you

write Just like reading writing is a slow process at first but after a short

period of regular practice you can almost hear the ldquoclicksrdquo as the words

you write become part of your vocabulary which can now be used

when you practice speaking with your tutor After all writing and

speaking are both expressive forms of communication using similar

mental processes

IT ACTIVATES VOCABULARY VERY EFFECTIVELY

Writing may just be the ultimate way to solidify your understanding of

the words and phrases yoursquove acquired through reading and listening It

may be even more effective than speaking

9WRITEREGULARLY

51

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WRITING IS MORE PERSONAL

After some practice you can start to write in your own personal style

using your own ldquovoicerdquo which naturally makes the process much more

enjoyable Writing a journal is the best way to access this benefit Posting

thoughts in Chinese on social media is another option especially for

lower levels

WRITING GIVES YOU MORE TIME TO FORMULATE THOUGHTS

Writing gives you time to think and practice the language

simultaneously whereas with speaking there is little opportunity to

really contemplate all the various ways of expressing a thought unless

you have an extremely patient (and masochistic) paid tutor

EVEN IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER YOU CAN STILL WRITE

If you donrsquot have much vocabulary you can still practice writing Just

write individual sentences or phrases Look at example sentences and

try to re-write them using slightly different vocabulary Remember just as

the incredible graded readers we talked about in chapter 4 can be

written with just a few select words and characters you too can write a

surprising amount using the small vocabulary you have at your disposal

5 INCREDIBLE WRITING TIPS GO FOR QUANTITY

Write every day Write a blog or WeChat post write individual sentences

9WRITEREGULARLY

52

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoWriting to me is simply thinking through my fingersrdquo

- Isaac Asimov

53

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

write a question on how to write something write anything You should

write something everyday and make a routine out of it The more

content the better but donrsquot ask too much of yourself or you will burn out

and not want to do it for weeks

An added bonus to writing regularly is the ability to look back on your

previous writing practice after a few weeks or months and see how far

yoursquove come This is called ldquobenchmarkingrdquo which wersquoll talk about more

next time

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT

Write about something or someone you love Write about a problem

yoursquore having Write about your goals and dreams Write about a book

you read or a youtube video you watched Write about what yoursquove

learned or would like to learn Write a journal When you do this your

own personality will shine through in your writing which will make the

words and structures you practice far more memorable

9WRITEREGULARLY

54

AIM FOR ZERO MISTAKES

Thatrsquos correct ZERO mistakes Think about what you write Take your time

to think before you put pen to paper or keyboard and look up example

sentences for words you donrsquot quite know how to use If you do these

things you will produce correct output which is fantastic for your

language skills Bad output leads to what Thatrsquos right bad habits

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

GET CORRECTIONS

Writing and getting corrections will help you notice very quickly the

patterns and structures in Chinese This attentiveness will pay off when

it comes to speaking reading and listening too

USE A WRITING SOFTWARE

Try Ommwriter Flowstate Awriter or similar writing apps designed for

writers to get you into the flow of writing

MAKE FLASHCARDS OUT OF YOUR MISTAKES

Create ultra-personalised reviewable content by taking any corrected

sentences and making a flashcard out of it

Try to combine regular speaking practice with regular writing

practice from now on and see for yourself how fast your fluency

improves

NEXT TIME For our final installment in this series wersquore going to

focus on continuing to improve your Chinese when you start to

plateau and the going getrsquos tough

9WRITEREGULARLY

55

Share your writing with a paid language exchange partner or tutor Check

out HiNative for a great place to get corrections on your writing and ask

general questions about how to use Chinese from native speakers

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Writing is a similar mental process as speaking with some important differences that can make it a more attractive outputting method under certain circumstances

Writing makes you more easily notice things about Chinese helps you activate passive vocabulary creates more personal connections to the language and gives you more time to convey your thoughts than speaking does

You can write at any level

Write as often as you can but donrsquot burn out

Write about things you care about and are passionate about so you can really enjoy the process and create more emotional connections that improve your retention

Aim not to make any mistakes because bad output means bad habits This is much easier to accomplish than with speaking as you have more time to think

Get your writing corrected by paid or free native speakers Make flashcards for words or structures you get wrong

KEY POINTS9WRITEREGULARLY

56

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

10SHARPEN THE SAW

Keep moving forward

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 26: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoThe first thing I have to do to erase my french accent is to believe itrsquos actually possiblerdquo

- Marion Cotillard

26

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

There are fantastic tutors out there who can teach you pronunciation

properly but they can be like finding a needle in a haystack Not to

mention with the hourly rates you are likely to rack up hundreds of

dollars in fees for average results

INTRODUCING ldquoPRONUNCIATION MASTERYrdquo Wersquove been training our clients on pronunciation through live sessions of

our Pronunciation Mastery course for 2 years now and the results have

been fantastic Wersquove now finally finished transforming it into an 8 hour

video course that will teach you everything you need to know about

Chinese pronunciation all from the unique perspective of us Two

Chinese learners who made the journey ourselves from beginner to

advanced fluency This is all delivered using HD video crystal clear

explanations supported with slick design over a thousand multimedia

SRS flashcards over 80 PDFs amp native audio for reference and review

Wersquove put our hearts and souls into this course along with our extensive

experience and feedback from live teaching over the past 2 years Plus

itrsquos already helped hundreds of Chinese learners around the world Itrsquos

the video course we would have wanted when we were starting out

with Mandarin

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

27

CHECK IT OUT

Luke Neale

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

NEXT TIME Wersquoll dive into the topic of Chinese tutors Wersquoll be

sharing with you where to find the best free and paid tutors how

to work with them in the most efficient and fun way possible

Pronunciation is the vital first stage for learning any language

Bad pronunciation affects all other areas of your Chinese skill but most importantly it hurts your confidence

Compared to English there is much less to learn to master Chinese pronunciation

Chinese teachers rarely have the training and experience necessary to teach you pronunciation properly

Mandarin Blueprintrsquos ldquoPronunciation Masteryrdquo course has everything you need to develop great pronunciation quickly and cheaply Check it out today

KEY POINTS

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

28

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

USE TUTORS

Connect with them regularly

EFFECTIVELY

5

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You will notice that this is way down the list of tips for speaking like a

native speaker Thatrsquos because it actually isnrsquot the highest priority straight

away at least not anymore The sheer number of resources available

to you as a Chinese learner today means that you can do most things

you need to do on your own without a tutor As avid Chinese learners

ourselves we can both attest to this fact However a tutor is an

absolutely vital part of your journey to spoken fluency and to get the

most out of them you need to know how to work with them

First off what is a tutor for exactly Itrsquos not as obvious an answer as you

may think Understandably most people get a tutor straight from the

beginning hoping to receive all the materials and guidance they need

to make them fluent and literate in Chinese This is a lot to expect of

anyone let alone someone who never actually learned Chinese as a

second language So what are reasonable expectations to have then

THE ROLE OF A CHINESE TUTOR 1) FOR ACTIVATING PASSIVE VOCABULARY

Go into a session and try to use the words yoursquove been learning through

listening and reading Focus on steering the conversation to topics

you find meaningful and interesting Agree on these topics in advance

A good tutor is a good communicator someone who can speak to you

in a way they know you understand and ask you the right questions to

keep a conversation going Push your limits of what you know and ask a

lot of questions on how to use any words you arenrsquot sure about

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

30

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Mistakes are fine but donrsquot try and make up how to use a word or phrase

if you donrsquot already know Just ask If your tutor misses mistakes too

often they could turn into bad habits and you really donrsquot want that

2) FOR IDENTIFYING AND FIXING PROBLEMS

We prefer to have a nice chat of between 5 and 30 minutes during which

the tutor is making notes about anything you need to improve upon After

the time is up or the conversation has hit a dead-end the tutor can go

through your mistakes with you and do some directed practice to fix any

recurring issues This can be done as often as you like or just at the very

end of each session Make flashcards with example sentences

targeting the words or phrases you got wrong

3) FOR PROVIDING TRUE ENCOURAGEMENT

True encouragement is when a tutor notices where yoursquove improved and

points it out but also communicates your potential for improvement

Blindly repeating ldquo真棒 zhēn bagravengrdquo (rdquoGreat jobrdquo) all the time is false

encouragement and it can lead to complacency After all Chinese

people will already be giving you plenty of compliments about your

Mandarin the last thing you need is your paid tutor making your head

even bigger If a tutor provides true encouragement regularly yoursquore

golden If not ask them to or get another tutor

4) FOR FINDING LEVEL-APPROPRIATE AND ENGAGING CONTENT

This one is not to be expected of every tutor certainly not unprompted

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

31

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Directly ask them to find you listening and reading materials that you

might be interested in You may be very surprised at what they find for

you Some incredible content may be hidden away from the mainstream

and you may need a native person to help you discover those little gems

you might otherwise miss out on

TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR STUDY Figure out a kind of lesson structure yoursquore comfortable with that

suits your goals and interests Possible approaches include

Focus on a bunch of words yoursquove been learning and how to use

them

Choose several interesting topics and have an open conversation

Discuss a news article comic book or tv episode you saw recently

Whatever it is plan it out briefly beforehand and make it clear with your

tutor how you would like the lesson to go You have to take the reins if

you want the most bang for your buck If you donrsquot what yoursquoll get is what

the tutor wants to give you which will most likely be a textbook and

discussion of boring topics

HOW TO FIND GREAT TUTORS We would highly recommend finding tutors online as opposed to face-

to-face Herersquos why

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

32

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

1 You have a reasonable guarantee of quality Community star ratings

are commonplace

2 Far more convenient You can get online and be talking to a qualified

tutor for a few dollars an hour within a few minutes Enough said

3 Much better value for money Even if yoursquore living in China tutors still

work out cheaper online When you account for the time and effort it

takes to meet with a stranger face-to-face and the higher turnover of

tutors due to poor or quickly declining quality of lessons online tutors

are almost always more cost-effective

If you want to get online fast and take high quality online sessions with a

tutor a great resource is wwwitalkicom You can find both paid tutors

and unpaid language exchange partners here Invest a few dollars and

hours a month and it will pay off hugely for you

Italki offers tutoring in a huge range of lanugages but the vast majority of

the teachers just use skype for their lessons This is fine but you may be

surprised at the level of functionality of other Chinese-only services such

as wwwtutormandarincom

Instead of just a video call you get a live visual presentation showing

text and highlighted areas that makes everything much clearer and

more engaging This way you can practice your reading alongside your

speaking and listening all with live instruction

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

33

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

They offer a free 1-to-1 consultation and language evaluation before you

signup for anything so it canrsquot hurt to try them out

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to talk about immersion and how you

can do it regardless of your lifestyle or location to greatly improve

your speaking ability

Take control of your time with tutors making sure to point out clearly beforehand what you need from them and what your expectations are

Online tutors used in the capacity wersquove suggested are generally more time and cost-effective than face-to-face tutors even if you are in China Make the most of your study time by going for the former unless you have a guarantee of value

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

Tutors should be treated as a learning resource rather than your study gurus Their main function is to serve as a great communicator who can help you activate vocabulary and stay motivated

KEY POINTS

34

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

6IMMERSE YOURSELF

Be with Chinese as often as possible

IN CHINESE

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion deserves itrsquos own e-book all by itself as itrsquos such a deep and

varied topic but there are a few things to remember that will allow you

to immerse yourself in Chinese easily wherever you are

HOW TO IMMERSE YOURSELF First of all immersion doesnrsquot necessarily entail never speaking your

native language and ignoring your friends and family Immersion in itrsquos

most manageable form is simply being in touch with Chinese

regularly throughout the day This is doable outside China and even

with a family and a full-time job to boot Herersquos how we do it

CHANGE YOUR ENVIRONMENT

Make sure that Chinese is within 1 foot of your body at all times Ten

years ago that would have meant taping books and Chinese people

around your waist which would have been inconvenient and almost

definitely illegal Now we have these magical devices in our pockets

everywhere we go and most of us have computers or tablets as well

Always be looking for more and more level-appropriate reading and

listening materials and fill your devices with them Whenever you get

bored or frustrated with something drop it for something else You can

be picky even at beginner level Most of the time if you donrsquot enjoy

something itrsquos because you arenrsquot ready for it yet anyway Just go back

to it a few weeks or months down the line

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

36

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Organize the apps on your smart phone for reading listening speaking

and even writing Chinese so you can tap them whenever you have a

spare few minutes This makes it as easy as possible to immerse yourself

in something wherever and whenever

MAKE BETTER USE OF YOUR TIME

Listen to Chinese whenever yoursquore traveling anywhere working out

doing flashcards or housework If you have your eyes andor mouth free

as well do some interleaved learning or shadowing (see tip 4)

The key is starting not finishing Just do something for 1-15 minutes

10-20 times a day as opposed to trying to set aside large chunks of time

which either cause you to procrastinate or burn out

TALK TO LANGUAGE EXCHANGE PARTNERS

It might get expensive meeting with paid tutors every day which creates

an excuse to not practice speaking But there are more and more great

apps that allow you to connect and exchange with native Chinese

speakers for free Our favorite language exchange apps are pictured

on the next page

TALK TO YOURSELF

Yes it might feel a bit weird but it works as a decent substitute to a paid

tutor or language exchange partner Anything going through your head

just try to blurt out in Chinese Wear earphones to make it appear you are

talking on the phone so you donrsquot get placed into a mental institution

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

37

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoTime is what we want most but what we use worstrdquo

- William Penn

38

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion is doable regardless of your lifestyle Just be around Chinese many times throughout the day

Listen while doing pretty much anything Itrsquos the part of language learning that takes the least conscious effort to improve

Connect with language exchange partners via free apps Spend a few minutes chatting here and there Even talking to yourself can be really effective

KEY POINTS

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk about how to maintain a calm and positive

attitude when struggling to improve your speaking skills Wersquoll

also go into how to take criticism well and even enjoy making

mistakes6

IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

39

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

BE COOL7

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot be touchy when you get corrections or criticism even if it comes

across as harsh People rarely correct you for free and if you react

badly when they do that will probably be the last time they help you

When you arenrsquot understood just assume itrsquos never their problem It

actually might be sometimes but just assume it isnrsquot

People tend to put a lot of their pride and ego into their Chinese ability

because it takes a lot of time and effort to get good and it is a very rare

skill However just know that only when you really start to get good at

something do you realize how little you know Donrsquot fall into that trap

because you will be in for a rude awakening down the line Take your

ego out of the equation and have a great time Laugh at yourself

Itrsquos all just a game

LEARN TO ACCEPT UNCERTAINTY You will forget words yoursquove reviewed and heard for months

You will forget grammar structures yoursquove spoken correctly 10 times

before

You will get utterly lost in conversation after thinking yoursquove had a

breakthrough in your skill level

Take a deep breath Itrsquos all part of the process

7BE COOL

41

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoCriticism may not be agreeable but it is necessary It fulfils the same function as pain

in the human body It calls attention to an

unhealthy state of things - Winston Churchill

42

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Wersquove already mentioned the importance of good output Too many

mistakes without being corrected can lead to bad habits but mistakes

are inevitable Even if you follow our advice you will still have trouble

sometimes Enjoy being wronghellipevery mistake or misunderstanding

can bring you closer to fluency The key is to not worry about what you

canrsquot say just take note of it and take action Try to say something and it

came out as gibberish Make a note and try it out next time you get the

chance Get a flashcard completely wrong Good Less likely to next time

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to be sharing with you our favorite

speaking hacks that will instantly have you speaking Chinese

much more like a native and with less effort

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously Learning Chinese is just a game Enjoy yourself and take criticism with a smile

Mistakes when speaking and reviewing are inevitable and an important part of the learning process

KEY POINTS

7BE COOL

43

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

8USE THESE

Speak ldquorealrdquo Chinese

SPEAKING HACKS

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

OUR FAVORITE SPEAKING HACKS Apply even one of these techniques to your day-to-day speaking and

you will not only sound more native but will also find it much easier

to speak in general

SPEAK WITH FLUENCY

Fluency is not knowing every word It is simply the ability to say what it is

you want to say accurately using the vocabulary that you have Donrsquot

know how to say ldquointernational traderdquo Just say ldquowhen one country buys

and sells things with another countryrdquo After you say this your

conversation partner will likely say ldquooh yeah thatrsquos lsquointernational tradersquordquo

Boom New word learned within the emotional context of the

conversation to boot The key is when you donrsquot know a word donrsquot

just give up Instead do your best to explain what you want to say

with the vocabulary you have

SLOW DOWN

Speaking at around 80 of your normal rate wonrsquot sound weird at all and

it will improve both your pronunciation and your fluency instantly

Speaking more slowly gives your mouth and tongue muscles time to

get into position before a sound is made which is very helpful for those

sounds that donrsquot exist in English Plus it gives you a few extra

microseconds to think of something to say in conversation Combine

this with the next 2 hacks and yoursquore really in businesshellip

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

45

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoFake it until you make itrdquo - Steven Tyler

46

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

USE ldquoFILLERSrdquo

Everyone (including Chinese people) use these all the time in their

various native languages Why would you give yourself less of a chance

than a native speaker would to sound fluent Thatrsquos just crazy Here are

the top five uhh er umhelliprdquofillersrdquo

ēnhellip jiugraveshihellip negraveigehellip zhegraveigehellip raacutenhograveuhellip

Throw one or more of these utterances anywhere you like Put them in

every sentence if you feel the need Chinese people wonrsquot notice as they

do it too

USE CONVERSATION CONNECTORS

This is a term coined by Anthony Lauder referring to those everyday

fixed phrases that you say at the beginning middle or end of a sentence

to dress up what you want to say Here are some examples

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

我想告诉你hellip woacute xiǎng gagraveosu nǐhellip

Irsquod like you to know thathellip

你别介意不过hellip nǐ bieacute jiegraveyigrave buacuteguogravehellip Dont be upset buthellip

就像你已经知道的hellip jiugrave xiagraveng niacute yǐjīng zhīdagraveo dehellip

As you already know

多数情况hellip dagrave duō shugrave qiacutengkuagraveng

Most of the timehellip

47

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot give up so easily if you canrsquot think of a word you want to use Just use more common words to describe it

Speaking a bit slower will give you more time to think of what to say and will usually go unnoticed by a native speaker

Throw in fillers and fixed expressions to sound more like a native speaker and give yourself more time to speak at the same time

You can even thrown in English words to fill in the gaps if the above suggestions arenrsquot on the table Many young educated Chinese people do this anyway

KEY POINTS

USE ENGLISH WORDS

As a last ditch effort if you really donrsquot have the energy to ldquouse fluencyrdquo to

describe a word yoursquove forgotten just say the English word Younger

more educated Chinese speakers are likely to have a decent English

level and they themselves also like to throw in the odd English word into

conversation so itrsquos fine to follow suit At very least it keeps conversation

going to the next topic where you remember the Chinese words

NEXT TIME For our next installment in this series wersquore going to

get into the role writing has on your speaking how to write what

to write and where amp when to write Itrsquos not at all as intimidating

(or boring) as you may think

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

48

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Combine any and all of these tips to your speaking at any time to make yourself speak better instantly8

USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

49

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

WRITE REGULARLY9

Supercharge your active vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Many beginners (and higher levels too) struggle with the frustration of

not being able to express their thoughts and feelings properly in

Chinese Even with many months and years of practice they can still feel

like the words just arenrsquot there when they need them Wersquove already

given you a bunch of steps you can take to solve this problem and we

realize that writing may be an unexpected additional step but trust us

when we say how valuable it can be

WHY WRITING IMPROVES SPEAKING IT DEMANDS FOCUS AND ATTENTION

Writing practice is the aspect of language learning that involves the

most focus and attention as you have to think about every word as you

write Just like reading writing is a slow process at first but after a short

period of regular practice you can almost hear the ldquoclicksrdquo as the words

you write become part of your vocabulary which can now be used

when you practice speaking with your tutor After all writing and

speaking are both expressive forms of communication using similar

mental processes

IT ACTIVATES VOCABULARY VERY EFFECTIVELY

Writing may just be the ultimate way to solidify your understanding of

the words and phrases yoursquove acquired through reading and listening It

may be even more effective than speaking

9WRITEREGULARLY

51

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WRITING IS MORE PERSONAL

After some practice you can start to write in your own personal style

using your own ldquovoicerdquo which naturally makes the process much more

enjoyable Writing a journal is the best way to access this benefit Posting

thoughts in Chinese on social media is another option especially for

lower levels

WRITING GIVES YOU MORE TIME TO FORMULATE THOUGHTS

Writing gives you time to think and practice the language

simultaneously whereas with speaking there is little opportunity to

really contemplate all the various ways of expressing a thought unless

you have an extremely patient (and masochistic) paid tutor

EVEN IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER YOU CAN STILL WRITE

If you donrsquot have much vocabulary you can still practice writing Just

write individual sentences or phrases Look at example sentences and

try to re-write them using slightly different vocabulary Remember just as

the incredible graded readers we talked about in chapter 4 can be

written with just a few select words and characters you too can write a

surprising amount using the small vocabulary you have at your disposal

5 INCREDIBLE WRITING TIPS GO FOR QUANTITY

Write every day Write a blog or WeChat post write individual sentences

9WRITEREGULARLY

52

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoWriting to me is simply thinking through my fingersrdquo

- Isaac Asimov

53

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

write a question on how to write something write anything You should

write something everyday and make a routine out of it The more

content the better but donrsquot ask too much of yourself or you will burn out

and not want to do it for weeks

An added bonus to writing regularly is the ability to look back on your

previous writing practice after a few weeks or months and see how far

yoursquove come This is called ldquobenchmarkingrdquo which wersquoll talk about more

next time

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT

Write about something or someone you love Write about a problem

yoursquore having Write about your goals and dreams Write about a book

you read or a youtube video you watched Write about what yoursquove

learned or would like to learn Write a journal When you do this your

own personality will shine through in your writing which will make the

words and structures you practice far more memorable

9WRITEREGULARLY

54

AIM FOR ZERO MISTAKES

Thatrsquos correct ZERO mistakes Think about what you write Take your time

to think before you put pen to paper or keyboard and look up example

sentences for words you donrsquot quite know how to use If you do these

things you will produce correct output which is fantastic for your

language skills Bad output leads to what Thatrsquos right bad habits

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

GET CORRECTIONS

Writing and getting corrections will help you notice very quickly the

patterns and structures in Chinese This attentiveness will pay off when

it comes to speaking reading and listening too

USE A WRITING SOFTWARE

Try Ommwriter Flowstate Awriter or similar writing apps designed for

writers to get you into the flow of writing

MAKE FLASHCARDS OUT OF YOUR MISTAKES

Create ultra-personalised reviewable content by taking any corrected

sentences and making a flashcard out of it

Try to combine regular speaking practice with regular writing

practice from now on and see for yourself how fast your fluency

improves

NEXT TIME For our final installment in this series wersquore going to

focus on continuing to improve your Chinese when you start to

plateau and the going getrsquos tough

9WRITEREGULARLY

55

Share your writing with a paid language exchange partner or tutor Check

out HiNative for a great place to get corrections on your writing and ask

general questions about how to use Chinese from native speakers

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Writing is a similar mental process as speaking with some important differences that can make it a more attractive outputting method under certain circumstances

Writing makes you more easily notice things about Chinese helps you activate passive vocabulary creates more personal connections to the language and gives you more time to convey your thoughts than speaking does

You can write at any level

Write as often as you can but donrsquot burn out

Write about things you care about and are passionate about so you can really enjoy the process and create more emotional connections that improve your retention

Aim not to make any mistakes because bad output means bad habits This is much easier to accomplish than with speaking as you have more time to think

Get your writing corrected by paid or free native speakers Make flashcards for words or structures you get wrong

KEY POINTS9WRITEREGULARLY

56

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

10SHARPEN THE SAW

Keep moving forward

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 27: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

There are fantastic tutors out there who can teach you pronunciation

properly but they can be like finding a needle in a haystack Not to

mention with the hourly rates you are likely to rack up hundreds of

dollars in fees for average results

INTRODUCING ldquoPRONUNCIATION MASTERYrdquo Wersquove been training our clients on pronunciation through live sessions of

our Pronunciation Mastery course for 2 years now and the results have

been fantastic Wersquove now finally finished transforming it into an 8 hour

video course that will teach you everything you need to know about

Chinese pronunciation all from the unique perspective of us Two

Chinese learners who made the journey ourselves from beginner to

advanced fluency This is all delivered using HD video crystal clear

explanations supported with slick design over a thousand multimedia

SRS flashcards over 80 PDFs amp native audio for reference and review

Wersquove put our hearts and souls into this course along with our extensive

experience and feedback from live teaching over the past 2 years Plus

itrsquos already helped hundreds of Chinese learners around the world Itrsquos

the video course we would have wanted when we were starting out

with Mandarin

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

27

CHECK IT OUT

Luke Neale

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

NEXT TIME Wersquoll dive into the topic of Chinese tutors Wersquoll be

sharing with you where to find the best free and paid tutors how

to work with them in the most efficient and fun way possible

Pronunciation is the vital first stage for learning any language

Bad pronunciation affects all other areas of your Chinese skill but most importantly it hurts your confidence

Compared to English there is much less to learn to master Chinese pronunciation

Chinese teachers rarely have the training and experience necessary to teach you pronunciation properly

Mandarin Blueprintrsquos ldquoPronunciation Masteryrdquo course has everything you need to develop great pronunciation quickly and cheaply Check it out today

KEY POINTS

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

28

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

USE TUTORS

Connect with them regularly

EFFECTIVELY

5

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You will notice that this is way down the list of tips for speaking like a

native speaker Thatrsquos because it actually isnrsquot the highest priority straight

away at least not anymore The sheer number of resources available

to you as a Chinese learner today means that you can do most things

you need to do on your own without a tutor As avid Chinese learners

ourselves we can both attest to this fact However a tutor is an

absolutely vital part of your journey to spoken fluency and to get the

most out of them you need to know how to work with them

First off what is a tutor for exactly Itrsquos not as obvious an answer as you

may think Understandably most people get a tutor straight from the

beginning hoping to receive all the materials and guidance they need

to make them fluent and literate in Chinese This is a lot to expect of

anyone let alone someone who never actually learned Chinese as a

second language So what are reasonable expectations to have then

THE ROLE OF A CHINESE TUTOR 1) FOR ACTIVATING PASSIVE VOCABULARY

Go into a session and try to use the words yoursquove been learning through

listening and reading Focus on steering the conversation to topics

you find meaningful and interesting Agree on these topics in advance

A good tutor is a good communicator someone who can speak to you

in a way they know you understand and ask you the right questions to

keep a conversation going Push your limits of what you know and ask a

lot of questions on how to use any words you arenrsquot sure about

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

30

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Mistakes are fine but donrsquot try and make up how to use a word or phrase

if you donrsquot already know Just ask If your tutor misses mistakes too

often they could turn into bad habits and you really donrsquot want that

2) FOR IDENTIFYING AND FIXING PROBLEMS

We prefer to have a nice chat of between 5 and 30 minutes during which

the tutor is making notes about anything you need to improve upon After

the time is up or the conversation has hit a dead-end the tutor can go

through your mistakes with you and do some directed practice to fix any

recurring issues This can be done as often as you like or just at the very

end of each session Make flashcards with example sentences

targeting the words or phrases you got wrong

3) FOR PROVIDING TRUE ENCOURAGEMENT

True encouragement is when a tutor notices where yoursquove improved and

points it out but also communicates your potential for improvement

Blindly repeating ldquo真棒 zhēn bagravengrdquo (rdquoGreat jobrdquo) all the time is false

encouragement and it can lead to complacency After all Chinese

people will already be giving you plenty of compliments about your

Mandarin the last thing you need is your paid tutor making your head

even bigger If a tutor provides true encouragement regularly yoursquore

golden If not ask them to or get another tutor

4) FOR FINDING LEVEL-APPROPRIATE AND ENGAGING CONTENT

This one is not to be expected of every tutor certainly not unprompted

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

31

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Directly ask them to find you listening and reading materials that you

might be interested in You may be very surprised at what they find for

you Some incredible content may be hidden away from the mainstream

and you may need a native person to help you discover those little gems

you might otherwise miss out on

TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR STUDY Figure out a kind of lesson structure yoursquore comfortable with that

suits your goals and interests Possible approaches include

Focus on a bunch of words yoursquove been learning and how to use

them

Choose several interesting topics and have an open conversation

Discuss a news article comic book or tv episode you saw recently

Whatever it is plan it out briefly beforehand and make it clear with your

tutor how you would like the lesson to go You have to take the reins if

you want the most bang for your buck If you donrsquot what yoursquoll get is what

the tutor wants to give you which will most likely be a textbook and

discussion of boring topics

HOW TO FIND GREAT TUTORS We would highly recommend finding tutors online as opposed to face-

to-face Herersquos why

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

32

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

1 You have a reasonable guarantee of quality Community star ratings

are commonplace

2 Far more convenient You can get online and be talking to a qualified

tutor for a few dollars an hour within a few minutes Enough said

3 Much better value for money Even if yoursquore living in China tutors still

work out cheaper online When you account for the time and effort it

takes to meet with a stranger face-to-face and the higher turnover of

tutors due to poor or quickly declining quality of lessons online tutors

are almost always more cost-effective

If you want to get online fast and take high quality online sessions with a

tutor a great resource is wwwitalkicom You can find both paid tutors

and unpaid language exchange partners here Invest a few dollars and

hours a month and it will pay off hugely for you

Italki offers tutoring in a huge range of lanugages but the vast majority of

the teachers just use skype for their lessons This is fine but you may be

surprised at the level of functionality of other Chinese-only services such

as wwwtutormandarincom

Instead of just a video call you get a live visual presentation showing

text and highlighted areas that makes everything much clearer and

more engaging This way you can practice your reading alongside your

speaking and listening all with live instruction

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

33

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

They offer a free 1-to-1 consultation and language evaluation before you

signup for anything so it canrsquot hurt to try them out

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to talk about immersion and how you

can do it regardless of your lifestyle or location to greatly improve

your speaking ability

Take control of your time with tutors making sure to point out clearly beforehand what you need from them and what your expectations are

Online tutors used in the capacity wersquove suggested are generally more time and cost-effective than face-to-face tutors even if you are in China Make the most of your study time by going for the former unless you have a guarantee of value

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

Tutors should be treated as a learning resource rather than your study gurus Their main function is to serve as a great communicator who can help you activate vocabulary and stay motivated

KEY POINTS

34

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

6IMMERSE YOURSELF

Be with Chinese as often as possible

IN CHINESE

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion deserves itrsquos own e-book all by itself as itrsquos such a deep and

varied topic but there are a few things to remember that will allow you

to immerse yourself in Chinese easily wherever you are

HOW TO IMMERSE YOURSELF First of all immersion doesnrsquot necessarily entail never speaking your

native language and ignoring your friends and family Immersion in itrsquos

most manageable form is simply being in touch with Chinese

regularly throughout the day This is doable outside China and even

with a family and a full-time job to boot Herersquos how we do it

CHANGE YOUR ENVIRONMENT

Make sure that Chinese is within 1 foot of your body at all times Ten

years ago that would have meant taping books and Chinese people

around your waist which would have been inconvenient and almost

definitely illegal Now we have these magical devices in our pockets

everywhere we go and most of us have computers or tablets as well

Always be looking for more and more level-appropriate reading and

listening materials and fill your devices with them Whenever you get

bored or frustrated with something drop it for something else You can

be picky even at beginner level Most of the time if you donrsquot enjoy

something itrsquos because you arenrsquot ready for it yet anyway Just go back

to it a few weeks or months down the line

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

36

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Organize the apps on your smart phone for reading listening speaking

and even writing Chinese so you can tap them whenever you have a

spare few minutes This makes it as easy as possible to immerse yourself

in something wherever and whenever

MAKE BETTER USE OF YOUR TIME

Listen to Chinese whenever yoursquore traveling anywhere working out

doing flashcards or housework If you have your eyes andor mouth free

as well do some interleaved learning or shadowing (see tip 4)

The key is starting not finishing Just do something for 1-15 minutes

10-20 times a day as opposed to trying to set aside large chunks of time

which either cause you to procrastinate or burn out

TALK TO LANGUAGE EXCHANGE PARTNERS

It might get expensive meeting with paid tutors every day which creates

an excuse to not practice speaking But there are more and more great

apps that allow you to connect and exchange with native Chinese

speakers for free Our favorite language exchange apps are pictured

on the next page

TALK TO YOURSELF

Yes it might feel a bit weird but it works as a decent substitute to a paid

tutor or language exchange partner Anything going through your head

just try to blurt out in Chinese Wear earphones to make it appear you are

talking on the phone so you donrsquot get placed into a mental institution

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

37

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoTime is what we want most but what we use worstrdquo

- William Penn

38

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion is doable regardless of your lifestyle Just be around Chinese many times throughout the day

Listen while doing pretty much anything Itrsquos the part of language learning that takes the least conscious effort to improve

Connect with language exchange partners via free apps Spend a few minutes chatting here and there Even talking to yourself can be really effective

KEY POINTS

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk about how to maintain a calm and positive

attitude when struggling to improve your speaking skills Wersquoll

also go into how to take criticism well and even enjoy making

mistakes6

IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

39

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

BE COOL7

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot be touchy when you get corrections or criticism even if it comes

across as harsh People rarely correct you for free and if you react

badly when they do that will probably be the last time they help you

When you arenrsquot understood just assume itrsquos never their problem It

actually might be sometimes but just assume it isnrsquot

People tend to put a lot of their pride and ego into their Chinese ability

because it takes a lot of time and effort to get good and it is a very rare

skill However just know that only when you really start to get good at

something do you realize how little you know Donrsquot fall into that trap

because you will be in for a rude awakening down the line Take your

ego out of the equation and have a great time Laugh at yourself

Itrsquos all just a game

LEARN TO ACCEPT UNCERTAINTY You will forget words yoursquove reviewed and heard for months

You will forget grammar structures yoursquove spoken correctly 10 times

before

You will get utterly lost in conversation after thinking yoursquove had a

breakthrough in your skill level

Take a deep breath Itrsquos all part of the process

7BE COOL

41

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoCriticism may not be agreeable but it is necessary It fulfils the same function as pain

in the human body It calls attention to an

unhealthy state of things - Winston Churchill

42

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Wersquove already mentioned the importance of good output Too many

mistakes without being corrected can lead to bad habits but mistakes

are inevitable Even if you follow our advice you will still have trouble

sometimes Enjoy being wronghellipevery mistake or misunderstanding

can bring you closer to fluency The key is to not worry about what you

canrsquot say just take note of it and take action Try to say something and it

came out as gibberish Make a note and try it out next time you get the

chance Get a flashcard completely wrong Good Less likely to next time

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to be sharing with you our favorite

speaking hacks that will instantly have you speaking Chinese

much more like a native and with less effort

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously Learning Chinese is just a game Enjoy yourself and take criticism with a smile

Mistakes when speaking and reviewing are inevitable and an important part of the learning process

KEY POINTS

7BE COOL

43

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

8USE THESE

Speak ldquorealrdquo Chinese

SPEAKING HACKS

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

OUR FAVORITE SPEAKING HACKS Apply even one of these techniques to your day-to-day speaking and

you will not only sound more native but will also find it much easier

to speak in general

SPEAK WITH FLUENCY

Fluency is not knowing every word It is simply the ability to say what it is

you want to say accurately using the vocabulary that you have Donrsquot

know how to say ldquointernational traderdquo Just say ldquowhen one country buys

and sells things with another countryrdquo After you say this your

conversation partner will likely say ldquooh yeah thatrsquos lsquointernational tradersquordquo

Boom New word learned within the emotional context of the

conversation to boot The key is when you donrsquot know a word donrsquot

just give up Instead do your best to explain what you want to say

with the vocabulary you have

SLOW DOWN

Speaking at around 80 of your normal rate wonrsquot sound weird at all and

it will improve both your pronunciation and your fluency instantly

Speaking more slowly gives your mouth and tongue muscles time to

get into position before a sound is made which is very helpful for those

sounds that donrsquot exist in English Plus it gives you a few extra

microseconds to think of something to say in conversation Combine

this with the next 2 hacks and yoursquore really in businesshellip

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

45

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoFake it until you make itrdquo - Steven Tyler

46

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

USE ldquoFILLERSrdquo

Everyone (including Chinese people) use these all the time in their

various native languages Why would you give yourself less of a chance

than a native speaker would to sound fluent Thatrsquos just crazy Here are

the top five uhh er umhelliprdquofillersrdquo

ēnhellip jiugraveshihellip negraveigehellip zhegraveigehellip raacutenhograveuhellip

Throw one or more of these utterances anywhere you like Put them in

every sentence if you feel the need Chinese people wonrsquot notice as they

do it too

USE CONVERSATION CONNECTORS

This is a term coined by Anthony Lauder referring to those everyday

fixed phrases that you say at the beginning middle or end of a sentence

to dress up what you want to say Here are some examples

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

我想告诉你hellip woacute xiǎng gagraveosu nǐhellip

Irsquod like you to know thathellip

你别介意不过hellip nǐ bieacute jiegraveyigrave buacuteguogravehellip Dont be upset buthellip

就像你已经知道的hellip jiugrave xiagraveng niacute yǐjīng zhīdagraveo dehellip

As you already know

多数情况hellip dagrave duō shugrave qiacutengkuagraveng

Most of the timehellip

47

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot give up so easily if you canrsquot think of a word you want to use Just use more common words to describe it

Speaking a bit slower will give you more time to think of what to say and will usually go unnoticed by a native speaker

Throw in fillers and fixed expressions to sound more like a native speaker and give yourself more time to speak at the same time

You can even thrown in English words to fill in the gaps if the above suggestions arenrsquot on the table Many young educated Chinese people do this anyway

KEY POINTS

USE ENGLISH WORDS

As a last ditch effort if you really donrsquot have the energy to ldquouse fluencyrdquo to

describe a word yoursquove forgotten just say the English word Younger

more educated Chinese speakers are likely to have a decent English

level and they themselves also like to throw in the odd English word into

conversation so itrsquos fine to follow suit At very least it keeps conversation

going to the next topic where you remember the Chinese words

NEXT TIME For our next installment in this series wersquore going to

get into the role writing has on your speaking how to write what

to write and where amp when to write Itrsquos not at all as intimidating

(or boring) as you may think

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

48

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Combine any and all of these tips to your speaking at any time to make yourself speak better instantly8

USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

49

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

WRITE REGULARLY9

Supercharge your active vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Many beginners (and higher levels too) struggle with the frustration of

not being able to express their thoughts and feelings properly in

Chinese Even with many months and years of practice they can still feel

like the words just arenrsquot there when they need them Wersquove already

given you a bunch of steps you can take to solve this problem and we

realize that writing may be an unexpected additional step but trust us

when we say how valuable it can be

WHY WRITING IMPROVES SPEAKING IT DEMANDS FOCUS AND ATTENTION

Writing practice is the aspect of language learning that involves the

most focus and attention as you have to think about every word as you

write Just like reading writing is a slow process at first but after a short

period of regular practice you can almost hear the ldquoclicksrdquo as the words

you write become part of your vocabulary which can now be used

when you practice speaking with your tutor After all writing and

speaking are both expressive forms of communication using similar

mental processes

IT ACTIVATES VOCABULARY VERY EFFECTIVELY

Writing may just be the ultimate way to solidify your understanding of

the words and phrases yoursquove acquired through reading and listening It

may be even more effective than speaking

9WRITEREGULARLY

51

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WRITING IS MORE PERSONAL

After some practice you can start to write in your own personal style

using your own ldquovoicerdquo which naturally makes the process much more

enjoyable Writing a journal is the best way to access this benefit Posting

thoughts in Chinese on social media is another option especially for

lower levels

WRITING GIVES YOU MORE TIME TO FORMULATE THOUGHTS

Writing gives you time to think and practice the language

simultaneously whereas with speaking there is little opportunity to

really contemplate all the various ways of expressing a thought unless

you have an extremely patient (and masochistic) paid tutor

EVEN IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER YOU CAN STILL WRITE

If you donrsquot have much vocabulary you can still practice writing Just

write individual sentences or phrases Look at example sentences and

try to re-write them using slightly different vocabulary Remember just as

the incredible graded readers we talked about in chapter 4 can be

written with just a few select words and characters you too can write a

surprising amount using the small vocabulary you have at your disposal

5 INCREDIBLE WRITING TIPS GO FOR QUANTITY

Write every day Write a blog or WeChat post write individual sentences

9WRITEREGULARLY

52

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoWriting to me is simply thinking through my fingersrdquo

- Isaac Asimov

53

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

write a question on how to write something write anything You should

write something everyday and make a routine out of it The more

content the better but donrsquot ask too much of yourself or you will burn out

and not want to do it for weeks

An added bonus to writing regularly is the ability to look back on your

previous writing practice after a few weeks or months and see how far

yoursquove come This is called ldquobenchmarkingrdquo which wersquoll talk about more

next time

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT

Write about something or someone you love Write about a problem

yoursquore having Write about your goals and dreams Write about a book

you read or a youtube video you watched Write about what yoursquove

learned or would like to learn Write a journal When you do this your

own personality will shine through in your writing which will make the

words and structures you practice far more memorable

9WRITEREGULARLY

54

AIM FOR ZERO MISTAKES

Thatrsquos correct ZERO mistakes Think about what you write Take your time

to think before you put pen to paper or keyboard and look up example

sentences for words you donrsquot quite know how to use If you do these

things you will produce correct output which is fantastic for your

language skills Bad output leads to what Thatrsquos right bad habits

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

GET CORRECTIONS

Writing and getting corrections will help you notice very quickly the

patterns and structures in Chinese This attentiveness will pay off when

it comes to speaking reading and listening too

USE A WRITING SOFTWARE

Try Ommwriter Flowstate Awriter or similar writing apps designed for

writers to get you into the flow of writing

MAKE FLASHCARDS OUT OF YOUR MISTAKES

Create ultra-personalised reviewable content by taking any corrected

sentences and making a flashcard out of it

Try to combine regular speaking practice with regular writing

practice from now on and see for yourself how fast your fluency

improves

NEXT TIME For our final installment in this series wersquore going to

focus on continuing to improve your Chinese when you start to

plateau and the going getrsquos tough

9WRITEREGULARLY

55

Share your writing with a paid language exchange partner or tutor Check

out HiNative for a great place to get corrections on your writing and ask

general questions about how to use Chinese from native speakers

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Writing is a similar mental process as speaking with some important differences that can make it a more attractive outputting method under certain circumstances

Writing makes you more easily notice things about Chinese helps you activate passive vocabulary creates more personal connections to the language and gives you more time to convey your thoughts than speaking does

You can write at any level

Write as often as you can but donrsquot burn out

Write about things you care about and are passionate about so you can really enjoy the process and create more emotional connections that improve your retention

Aim not to make any mistakes because bad output means bad habits This is much easier to accomplish than with speaking as you have more time to think

Get your writing corrected by paid or free native speakers Make flashcards for words or structures you get wrong

KEY POINTS9WRITEREGULARLY

56

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

10SHARPEN THE SAW

Keep moving forward

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 28: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

NEXT TIME Wersquoll dive into the topic of Chinese tutors Wersquoll be

sharing with you where to find the best free and paid tutors how

to work with them in the most efficient and fun way possible

Pronunciation is the vital first stage for learning any language

Bad pronunciation affects all other areas of your Chinese skill but most importantly it hurts your confidence

Compared to English there is much less to learn to master Chinese pronunciation

Chinese teachers rarely have the training and experience necessary to teach you pronunciation properly

Mandarin Blueprintrsquos ldquoPronunciation Masteryrdquo course has everything you need to develop great pronunciation quickly and cheaply Check it out today

KEY POINTS

4LEARN

EARLY AND WELLPRONUNCIATION

28

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

USE TUTORS

Connect with them regularly

EFFECTIVELY

5

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You will notice that this is way down the list of tips for speaking like a

native speaker Thatrsquos because it actually isnrsquot the highest priority straight

away at least not anymore The sheer number of resources available

to you as a Chinese learner today means that you can do most things

you need to do on your own without a tutor As avid Chinese learners

ourselves we can both attest to this fact However a tutor is an

absolutely vital part of your journey to spoken fluency and to get the

most out of them you need to know how to work with them

First off what is a tutor for exactly Itrsquos not as obvious an answer as you

may think Understandably most people get a tutor straight from the

beginning hoping to receive all the materials and guidance they need

to make them fluent and literate in Chinese This is a lot to expect of

anyone let alone someone who never actually learned Chinese as a

second language So what are reasonable expectations to have then

THE ROLE OF A CHINESE TUTOR 1) FOR ACTIVATING PASSIVE VOCABULARY

Go into a session and try to use the words yoursquove been learning through

listening and reading Focus on steering the conversation to topics

you find meaningful and interesting Agree on these topics in advance

A good tutor is a good communicator someone who can speak to you

in a way they know you understand and ask you the right questions to

keep a conversation going Push your limits of what you know and ask a

lot of questions on how to use any words you arenrsquot sure about

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

30

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Mistakes are fine but donrsquot try and make up how to use a word or phrase

if you donrsquot already know Just ask If your tutor misses mistakes too

often they could turn into bad habits and you really donrsquot want that

2) FOR IDENTIFYING AND FIXING PROBLEMS

We prefer to have a nice chat of between 5 and 30 minutes during which

the tutor is making notes about anything you need to improve upon After

the time is up or the conversation has hit a dead-end the tutor can go

through your mistakes with you and do some directed practice to fix any

recurring issues This can be done as often as you like or just at the very

end of each session Make flashcards with example sentences

targeting the words or phrases you got wrong

3) FOR PROVIDING TRUE ENCOURAGEMENT

True encouragement is when a tutor notices where yoursquove improved and

points it out but also communicates your potential for improvement

Blindly repeating ldquo真棒 zhēn bagravengrdquo (rdquoGreat jobrdquo) all the time is false

encouragement and it can lead to complacency After all Chinese

people will already be giving you plenty of compliments about your

Mandarin the last thing you need is your paid tutor making your head

even bigger If a tutor provides true encouragement regularly yoursquore

golden If not ask them to or get another tutor

4) FOR FINDING LEVEL-APPROPRIATE AND ENGAGING CONTENT

This one is not to be expected of every tutor certainly not unprompted

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

31

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Directly ask them to find you listening and reading materials that you

might be interested in You may be very surprised at what they find for

you Some incredible content may be hidden away from the mainstream

and you may need a native person to help you discover those little gems

you might otherwise miss out on

TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR STUDY Figure out a kind of lesson structure yoursquore comfortable with that

suits your goals and interests Possible approaches include

Focus on a bunch of words yoursquove been learning and how to use

them

Choose several interesting topics and have an open conversation

Discuss a news article comic book or tv episode you saw recently

Whatever it is plan it out briefly beforehand and make it clear with your

tutor how you would like the lesson to go You have to take the reins if

you want the most bang for your buck If you donrsquot what yoursquoll get is what

the tutor wants to give you which will most likely be a textbook and

discussion of boring topics

HOW TO FIND GREAT TUTORS We would highly recommend finding tutors online as opposed to face-

to-face Herersquos why

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

32

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

1 You have a reasonable guarantee of quality Community star ratings

are commonplace

2 Far more convenient You can get online and be talking to a qualified

tutor for a few dollars an hour within a few minutes Enough said

3 Much better value for money Even if yoursquore living in China tutors still

work out cheaper online When you account for the time and effort it

takes to meet with a stranger face-to-face and the higher turnover of

tutors due to poor or quickly declining quality of lessons online tutors

are almost always more cost-effective

If you want to get online fast and take high quality online sessions with a

tutor a great resource is wwwitalkicom You can find both paid tutors

and unpaid language exchange partners here Invest a few dollars and

hours a month and it will pay off hugely for you

Italki offers tutoring in a huge range of lanugages but the vast majority of

the teachers just use skype for their lessons This is fine but you may be

surprised at the level of functionality of other Chinese-only services such

as wwwtutormandarincom

Instead of just a video call you get a live visual presentation showing

text and highlighted areas that makes everything much clearer and

more engaging This way you can practice your reading alongside your

speaking and listening all with live instruction

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

33

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

They offer a free 1-to-1 consultation and language evaluation before you

signup for anything so it canrsquot hurt to try them out

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to talk about immersion and how you

can do it regardless of your lifestyle or location to greatly improve

your speaking ability

Take control of your time with tutors making sure to point out clearly beforehand what you need from them and what your expectations are

Online tutors used in the capacity wersquove suggested are generally more time and cost-effective than face-to-face tutors even if you are in China Make the most of your study time by going for the former unless you have a guarantee of value

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

Tutors should be treated as a learning resource rather than your study gurus Their main function is to serve as a great communicator who can help you activate vocabulary and stay motivated

KEY POINTS

34

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

6IMMERSE YOURSELF

Be with Chinese as often as possible

IN CHINESE

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion deserves itrsquos own e-book all by itself as itrsquos such a deep and

varied topic but there are a few things to remember that will allow you

to immerse yourself in Chinese easily wherever you are

HOW TO IMMERSE YOURSELF First of all immersion doesnrsquot necessarily entail never speaking your

native language and ignoring your friends and family Immersion in itrsquos

most manageable form is simply being in touch with Chinese

regularly throughout the day This is doable outside China and even

with a family and a full-time job to boot Herersquos how we do it

CHANGE YOUR ENVIRONMENT

Make sure that Chinese is within 1 foot of your body at all times Ten

years ago that would have meant taping books and Chinese people

around your waist which would have been inconvenient and almost

definitely illegal Now we have these magical devices in our pockets

everywhere we go and most of us have computers or tablets as well

Always be looking for more and more level-appropriate reading and

listening materials and fill your devices with them Whenever you get

bored or frustrated with something drop it for something else You can

be picky even at beginner level Most of the time if you donrsquot enjoy

something itrsquos because you arenrsquot ready for it yet anyway Just go back

to it a few weeks or months down the line

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

36

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Organize the apps on your smart phone for reading listening speaking

and even writing Chinese so you can tap them whenever you have a

spare few minutes This makes it as easy as possible to immerse yourself

in something wherever and whenever

MAKE BETTER USE OF YOUR TIME

Listen to Chinese whenever yoursquore traveling anywhere working out

doing flashcards or housework If you have your eyes andor mouth free

as well do some interleaved learning or shadowing (see tip 4)

The key is starting not finishing Just do something for 1-15 minutes

10-20 times a day as opposed to trying to set aside large chunks of time

which either cause you to procrastinate or burn out

TALK TO LANGUAGE EXCHANGE PARTNERS

It might get expensive meeting with paid tutors every day which creates

an excuse to not practice speaking But there are more and more great

apps that allow you to connect and exchange with native Chinese

speakers for free Our favorite language exchange apps are pictured

on the next page

TALK TO YOURSELF

Yes it might feel a bit weird but it works as a decent substitute to a paid

tutor or language exchange partner Anything going through your head

just try to blurt out in Chinese Wear earphones to make it appear you are

talking on the phone so you donrsquot get placed into a mental institution

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

37

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoTime is what we want most but what we use worstrdquo

- William Penn

38

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion is doable regardless of your lifestyle Just be around Chinese many times throughout the day

Listen while doing pretty much anything Itrsquos the part of language learning that takes the least conscious effort to improve

Connect with language exchange partners via free apps Spend a few minutes chatting here and there Even talking to yourself can be really effective

KEY POINTS

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk about how to maintain a calm and positive

attitude when struggling to improve your speaking skills Wersquoll

also go into how to take criticism well and even enjoy making

mistakes6

IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

39

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

BE COOL7

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot be touchy when you get corrections or criticism even if it comes

across as harsh People rarely correct you for free and if you react

badly when they do that will probably be the last time they help you

When you arenrsquot understood just assume itrsquos never their problem It

actually might be sometimes but just assume it isnrsquot

People tend to put a lot of their pride and ego into their Chinese ability

because it takes a lot of time and effort to get good and it is a very rare

skill However just know that only when you really start to get good at

something do you realize how little you know Donrsquot fall into that trap

because you will be in for a rude awakening down the line Take your

ego out of the equation and have a great time Laugh at yourself

Itrsquos all just a game

LEARN TO ACCEPT UNCERTAINTY You will forget words yoursquove reviewed and heard for months

You will forget grammar structures yoursquove spoken correctly 10 times

before

You will get utterly lost in conversation after thinking yoursquove had a

breakthrough in your skill level

Take a deep breath Itrsquos all part of the process

7BE COOL

41

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoCriticism may not be agreeable but it is necessary It fulfils the same function as pain

in the human body It calls attention to an

unhealthy state of things - Winston Churchill

42

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Wersquove already mentioned the importance of good output Too many

mistakes without being corrected can lead to bad habits but mistakes

are inevitable Even if you follow our advice you will still have trouble

sometimes Enjoy being wronghellipevery mistake or misunderstanding

can bring you closer to fluency The key is to not worry about what you

canrsquot say just take note of it and take action Try to say something and it

came out as gibberish Make a note and try it out next time you get the

chance Get a flashcard completely wrong Good Less likely to next time

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to be sharing with you our favorite

speaking hacks that will instantly have you speaking Chinese

much more like a native and with less effort

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously Learning Chinese is just a game Enjoy yourself and take criticism with a smile

Mistakes when speaking and reviewing are inevitable and an important part of the learning process

KEY POINTS

7BE COOL

43

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

8USE THESE

Speak ldquorealrdquo Chinese

SPEAKING HACKS

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

OUR FAVORITE SPEAKING HACKS Apply even one of these techniques to your day-to-day speaking and

you will not only sound more native but will also find it much easier

to speak in general

SPEAK WITH FLUENCY

Fluency is not knowing every word It is simply the ability to say what it is

you want to say accurately using the vocabulary that you have Donrsquot

know how to say ldquointernational traderdquo Just say ldquowhen one country buys

and sells things with another countryrdquo After you say this your

conversation partner will likely say ldquooh yeah thatrsquos lsquointernational tradersquordquo

Boom New word learned within the emotional context of the

conversation to boot The key is when you donrsquot know a word donrsquot

just give up Instead do your best to explain what you want to say

with the vocabulary you have

SLOW DOWN

Speaking at around 80 of your normal rate wonrsquot sound weird at all and

it will improve both your pronunciation and your fluency instantly

Speaking more slowly gives your mouth and tongue muscles time to

get into position before a sound is made which is very helpful for those

sounds that donrsquot exist in English Plus it gives you a few extra

microseconds to think of something to say in conversation Combine

this with the next 2 hacks and yoursquore really in businesshellip

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

45

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoFake it until you make itrdquo - Steven Tyler

46

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

USE ldquoFILLERSrdquo

Everyone (including Chinese people) use these all the time in their

various native languages Why would you give yourself less of a chance

than a native speaker would to sound fluent Thatrsquos just crazy Here are

the top five uhh er umhelliprdquofillersrdquo

ēnhellip jiugraveshihellip negraveigehellip zhegraveigehellip raacutenhograveuhellip

Throw one or more of these utterances anywhere you like Put them in

every sentence if you feel the need Chinese people wonrsquot notice as they

do it too

USE CONVERSATION CONNECTORS

This is a term coined by Anthony Lauder referring to those everyday

fixed phrases that you say at the beginning middle or end of a sentence

to dress up what you want to say Here are some examples

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

我想告诉你hellip woacute xiǎng gagraveosu nǐhellip

Irsquod like you to know thathellip

你别介意不过hellip nǐ bieacute jiegraveyigrave buacuteguogravehellip Dont be upset buthellip

就像你已经知道的hellip jiugrave xiagraveng niacute yǐjīng zhīdagraveo dehellip

As you already know

多数情况hellip dagrave duō shugrave qiacutengkuagraveng

Most of the timehellip

47

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot give up so easily if you canrsquot think of a word you want to use Just use more common words to describe it

Speaking a bit slower will give you more time to think of what to say and will usually go unnoticed by a native speaker

Throw in fillers and fixed expressions to sound more like a native speaker and give yourself more time to speak at the same time

You can even thrown in English words to fill in the gaps if the above suggestions arenrsquot on the table Many young educated Chinese people do this anyway

KEY POINTS

USE ENGLISH WORDS

As a last ditch effort if you really donrsquot have the energy to ldquouse fluencyrdquo to

describe a word yoursquove forgotten just say the English word Younger

more educated Chinese speakers are likely to have a decent English

level and they themselves also like to throw in the odd English word into

conversation so itrsquos fine to follow suit At very least it keeps conversation

going to the next topic where you remember the Chinese words

NEXT TIME For our next installment in this series wersquore going to

get into the role writing has on your speaking how to write what

to write and where amp when to write Itrsquos not at all as intimidating

(or boring) as you may think

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

48

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Combine any and all of these tips to your speaking at any time to make yourself speak better instantly8

USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

49

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

WRITE REGULARLY9

Supercharge your active vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Many beginners (and higher levels too) struggle with the frustration of

not being able to express their thoughts and feelings properly in

Chinese Even with many months and years of practice they can still feel

like the words just arenrsquot there when they need them Wersquove already

given you a bunch of steps you can take to solve this problem and we

realize that writing may be an unexpected additional step but trust us

when we say how valuable it can be

WHY WRITING IMPROVES SPEAKING IT DEMANDS FOCUS AND ATTENTION

Writing practice is the aspect of language learning that involves the

most focus and attention as you have to think about every word as you

write Just like reading writing is a slow process at first but after a short

period of regular practice you can almost hear the ldquoclicksrdquo as the words

you write become part of your vocabulary which can now be used

when you practice speaking with your tutor After all writing and

speaking are both expressive forms of communication using similar

mental processes

IT ACTIVATES VOCABULARY VERY EFFECTIVELY

Writing may just be the ultimate way to solidify your understanding of

the words and phrases yoursquove acquired through reading and listening It

may be even more effective than speaking

9WRITEREGULARLY

51

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WRITING IS MORE PERSONAL

After some practice you can start to write in your own personal style

using your own ldquovoicerdquo which naturally makes the process much more

enjoyable Writing a journal is the best way to access this benefit Posting

thoughts in Chinese on social media is another option especially for

lower levels

WRITING GIVES YOU MORE TIME TO FORMULATE THOUGHTS

Writing gives you time to think and practice the language

simultaneously whereas with speaking there is little opportunity to

really contemplate all the various ways of expressing a thought unless

you have an extremely patient (and masochistic) paid tutor

EVEN IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER YOU CAN STILL WRITE

If you donrsquot have much vocabulary you can still practice writing Just

write individual sentences or phrases Look at example sentences and

try to re-write them using slightly different vocabulary Remember just as

the incredible graded readers we talked about in chapter 4 can be

written with just a few select words and characters you too can write a

surprising amount using the small vocabulary you have at your disposal

5 INCREDIBLE WRITING TIPS GO FOR QUANTITY

Write every day Write a blog or WeChat post write individual sentences

9WRITEREGULARLY

52

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoWriting to me is simply thinking through my fingersrdquo

- Isaac Asimov

53

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

write a question on how to write something write anything You should

write something everyday and make a routine out of it The more

content the better but donrsquot ask too much of yourself or you will burn out

and not want to do it for weeks

An added bonus to writing regularly is the ability to look back on your

previous writing practice after a few weeks or months and see how far

yoursquove come This is called ldquobenchmarkingrdquo which wersquoll talk about more

next time

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT

Write about something or someone you love Write about a problem

yoursquore having Write about your goals and dreams Write about a book

you read or a youtube video you watched Write about what yoursquove

learned or would like to learn Write a journal When you do this your

own personality will shine through in your writing which will make the

words and structures you practice far more memorable

9WRITEREGULARLY

54

AIM FOR ZERO MISTAKES

Thatrsquos correct ZERO mistakes Think about what you write Take your time

to think before you put pen to paper or keyboard and look up example

sentences for words you donrsquot quite know how to use If you do these

things you will produce correct output which is fantastic for your

language skills Bad output leads to what Thatrsquos right bad habits

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

GET CORRECTIONS

Writing and getting corrections will help you notice very quickly the

patterns and structures in Chinese This attentiveness will pay off when

it comes to speaking reading and listening too

USE A WRITING SOFTWARE

Try Ommwriter Flowstate Awriter or similar writing apps designed for

writers to get you into the flow of writing

MAKE FLASHCARDS OUT OF YOUR MISTAKES

Create ultra-personalised reviewable content by taking any corrected

sentences and making a flashcard out of it

Try to combine regular speaking practice with regular writing

practice from now on and see for yourself how fast your fluency

improves

NEXT TIME For our final installment in this series wersquore going to

focus on continuing to improve your Chinese when you start to

plateau and the going getrsquos tough

9WRITEREGULARLY

55

Share your writing with a paid language exchange partner or tutor Check

out HiNative for a great place to get corrections on your writing and ask

general questions about how to use Chinese from native speakers

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Writing is a similar mental process as speaking with some important differences that can make it a more attractive outputting method under certain circumstances

Writing makes you more easily notice things about Chinese helps you activate passive vocabulary creates more personal connections to the language and gives you more time to convey your thoughts than speaking does

You can write at any level

Write as often as you can but donrsquot burn out

Write about things you care about and are passionate about so you can really enjoy the process and create more emotional connections that improve your retention

Aim not to make any mistakes because bad output means bad habits This is much easier to accomplish than with speaking as you have more time to think

Get your writing corrected by paid or free native speakers Make flashcards for words or structures you get wrong

KEY POINTS9WRITEREGULARLY

56

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

10SHARPEN THE SAW

Keep moving forward

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 29: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

USE TUTORS

Connect with them regularly

EFFECTIVELY

5

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You will notice that this is way down the list of tips for speaking like a

native speaker Thatrsquos because it actually isnrsquot the highest priority straight

away at least not anymore The sheer number of resources available

to you as a Chinese learner today means that you can do most things

you need to do on your own without a tutor As avid Chinese learners

ourselves we can both attest to this fact However a tutor is an

absolutely vital part of your journey to spoken fluency and to get the

most out of them you need to know how to work with them

First off what is a tutor for exactly Itrsquos not as obvious an answer as you

may think Understandably most people get a tutor straight from the

beginning hoping to receive all the materials and guidance they need

to make them fluent and literate in Chinese This is a lot to expect of

anyone let alone someone who never actually learned Chinese as a

second language So what are reasonable expectations to have then

THE ROLE OF A CHINESE TUTOR 1) FOR ACTIVATING PASSIVE VOCABULARY

Go into a session and try to use the words yoursquove been learning through

listening and reading Focus on steering the conversation to topics

you find meaningful and interesting Agree on these topics in advance

A good tutor is a good communicator someone who can speak to you

in a way they know you understand and ask you the right questions to

keep a conversation going Push your limits of what you know and ask a

lot of questions on how to use any words you arenrsquot sure about

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

30

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Mistakes are fine but donrsquot try and make up how to use a word or phrase

if you donrsquot already know Just ask If your tutor misses mistakes too

often they could turn into bad habits and you really donrsquot want that

2) FOR IDENTIFYING AND FIXING PROBLEMS

We prefer to have a nice chat of between 5 and 30 minutes during which

the tutor is making notes about anything you need to improve upon After

the time is up or the conversation has hit a dead-end the tutor can go

through your mistakes with you and do some directed practice to fix any

recurring issues This can be done as often as you like or just at the very

end of each session Make flashcards with example sentences

targeting the words or phrases you got wrong

3) FOR PROVIDING TRUE ENCOURAGEMENT

True encouragement is when a tutor notices where yoursquove improved and

points it out but also communicates your potential for improvement

Blindly repeating ldquo真棒 zhēn bagravengrdquo (rdquoGreat jobrdquo) all the time is false

encouragement and it can lead to complacency After all Chinese

people will already be giving you plenty of compliments about your

Mandarin the last thing you need is your paid tutor making your head

even bigger If a tutor provides true encouragement regularly yoursquore

golden If not ask them to or get another tutor

4) FOR FINDING LEVEL-APPROPRIATE AND ENGAGING CONTENT

This one is not to be expected of every tutor certainly not unprompted

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

31

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Directly ask them to find you listening and reading materials that you

might be interested in You may be very surprised at what they find for

you Some incredible content may be hidden away from the mainstream

and you may need a native person to help you discover those little gems

you might otherwise miss out on

TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR STUDY Figure out a kind of lesson structure yoursquore comfortable with that

suits your goals and interests Possible approaches include

Focus on a bunch of words yoursquove been learning and how to use

them

Choose several interesting topics and have an open conversation

Discuss a news article comic book or tv episode you saw recently

Whatever it is plan it out briefly beforehand and make it clear with your

tutor how you would like the lesson to go You have to take the reins if

you want the most bang for your buck If you donrsquot what yoursquoll get is what

the tutor wants to give you which will most likely be a textbook and

discussion of boring topics

HOW TO FIND GREAT TUTORS We would highly recommend finding tutors online as opposed to face-

to-face Herersquos why

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

32

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

1 You have a reasonable guarantee of quality Community star ratings

are commonplace

2 Far more convenient You can get online and be talking to a qualified

tutor for a few dollars an hour within a few minutes Enough said

3 Much better value for money Even if yoursquore living in China tutors still

work out cheaper online When you account for the time and effort it

takes to meet with a stranger face-to-face and the higher turnover of

tutors due to poor or quickly declining quality of lessons online tutors

are almost always more cost-effective

If you want to get online fast and take high quality online sessions with a

tutor a great resource is wwwitalkicom You can find both paid tutors

and unpaid language exchange partners here Invest a few dollars and

hours a month and it will pay off hugely for you

Italki offers tutoring in a huge range of lanugages but the vast majority of

the teachers just use skype for their lessons This is fine but you may be

surprised at the level of functionality of other Chinese-only services such

as wwwtutormandarincom

Instead of just a video call you get a live visual presentation showing

text and highlighted areas that makes everything much clearer and

more engaging This way you can practice your reading alongside your

speaking and listening all with live instruction

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

33

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

They offer a free 1-to-1 consultation and language evaluation before you

signup for anything so it canrsquot hurt to try them out

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to talk about immersion and how you

can do it regardless of your lifestyle or location to greatly improve

your speaking ability

Take control of your time with tutors making sure to point out clearly beforehand what you need from them and what your expectations are

Online tutors used in the capacity wersquove suggested are generally more time and cost-effective than face-to-face tutors even if you are in China Make the most of your study time by going for the former unless you have a guarantee of value

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

Tutors should be treated as a learning resource rather than your study gurus Their main function is to serve as a great communicator who can help you activate vocabulary and stay motivated

KEY POINTS

34

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

6IMMERSE YOURSELF

Be with Chinese as often as possible

IN CHINESE

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion deserves itrsquos own e-book all by itself as itrsquos such a deep and

varied topic but there are a few things to remember that will allow you

to immerse yourself in Chinese easily wherever you are

HOW TO IMMERSE YOURSELF First of all immersion doesnrsquot necessarily entail never speaking your

native language and ignoring your friends and family Immersion in itrsquos

most manageable form is simply being in touch with Chinese

regularly throughout the day This is doable outside China and even

with a family and a full-time job to boot Herersquos how we do it

CHANGE YOUR ENVIRONMENT

Make sure that Chinese is within 1 foot of your body at all times Ten

years ago that would have meant taping books and Chinese people

around your waist which would have been inconvenient and almost

definitely illegal Now we have these magical devices in our pockets

everywhere we go and most of us have computers or tablets as well

Always be looking for more and more level-appropriate reading and

listening materials and fill your devices with them Whenever you get

bored or frustrated with something drop it for something else You can

be picky even at beginner level Most of the time if you donrsquot enjoy

something itrsquos because you arenrsquot ready for it yet anyway Just go back

to it a few weeks or months down the line

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

36

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Organize the apps on your smart phone for reading listening speaking

and even writing Chinese so you can tap them whenever you have a

spare few minutes This makes it as easy as possible to immerse yourself

in something wherever and whenever

MAKE BETTER USE OF YOUR TIME

Listen to Chinese whenever yoursquore traveling anywhere working out

doing flashcards or housework If you have your eyes andor mouth free

as well do some interleaved learning or shadowing (see tip 4)

The key is starting not finishing Just do something for 1-15 minutes

10-20 times a day as opposed to trying to set aside large chunks of time

which either cause you to procrastinate or burn out

TALK TO LANGUAGE EXCHANGE PARTNERS

It might get expensive meeting with paid tutors every day which creates

an excuse to not practice speaking But there are more and more great

apps that allow you to connect and exchange with native Chinese

speakers for free Our favorite language exchange apps are pictured

on the next page

TALK TO YOURSELF

Yes it might feel a bit weird but it works as a decent substitute to a paid

tutor or language exchange partner Anything going through your head

just try to blurt out in Chinese Wear earphones to make it appear you are

talking on the phone so you donrsquot get placed into a mental institution

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

37

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoTime is what we want most but what we use worstrdquo

- William Penn

38

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion is doable regardless of your lifestyle Just be around Chinese many times throughout the day

Listen while doing pretty much anything Itrsquos the part of language learning that takes the least conscious effort to improve

Connect with language exchange partners via free apps Spend a few minutes chatting here and there Even talking to yourself can be really effective

KEY POINTS

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk about how to maintain a calm and positive

attitude when struggling to improve your speaking skills Wersquoll

also go into how to take criticism well and even enjoy making

mistakes6

IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

39

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

BE COOL7

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot be touchy when you get corrections or criticism even if it comes

across as harsh People rarely correct you for free and if you react

badly when they do that will probably be the last time they help you

When you arenrsquot understood just assume itrsquos never their problem It

actually might be sometimes but just assume it isnrsquot

People tend to put a lot of their pride and ego into their Chinese ability

because it takes a lot of time and effort to get good and it is a very rare

skill However just know that only when you really start to get good at

something do you realize how little you know Donrsquot fall into that trap

because you will be in for a rude awakening down the line Take your

ego out of the equation and have a great time Laugh at yourself

Itrsquos all just a game

LEARN TO ACCEPT UNCERTAINTY You will forget words yoursquove reviewed and heard for months

You will forget grammar structures yoursquove spoken correctly 10 times

before

You will get utterly lost in conversation after thinking yoursquove had a

breakthrough in your skill level

Take a deep breath Itrsquos all part of the process

7BE COOL

41

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoCriticism may not be agreeable but it is necessary It fulfils the same function as pain

in the human body It calls attention to an

unhealthy state of things - Winston Churchill

42

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Wersquove already mentioned the importance of good output Too many

mistakes without being corrected can lead to bad habits but mistakes

are inevitable Even if you follow our advice you will still have trouble

sometimes Enjoy being wronghellipevery mistake or misunderstanding

can bring you closer to fluency The key is to not worry about what you

canrsquot say just take note of it and take action Try to say something and it

came out as gibberish Make a note and try it out next time you get the

chance Get a flashcard completely wrong Good Less likely to next time

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to be sharing with you our favorite

speaking hacks that will instantly have you speaking Chinese

much more like a native and with less effort

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously Learning Chinese is just a game Enjoy yourself and take criticism with a smile

Mistakes when speaking and reviewing are inevitable and an important part of the learning process

KEY POINTS

7BE COOL

43

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

8USE THESE

Speak ldquorealrdquo Chinese

SPEAKING HACKS

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

OUR FAVORITE SPEAKING HACKS Apply even one of these techniques to your day-to-day speaking and

you will not only sound more native but will also find it much easier

to speak in general

SPEAK WITH FLUENCY

Fluency is not knowing every word It is simply the ability to say what it is

you want to say accurately using the vocabulary that you have Donrsquot

know how to say ldquointernational traderdquo Just say ldquowhen one country buys

and sells things with another countryrdquo After you say this your

conversation partner will likely say ldquooh yeah thatrsquos lsquointernational tradersquordquo

Boom New word learned within the emotional context of the

conversation to boot The key is when you donrsquot know a word donrsquot

just give up Instead do your best to explain what you want to say

with the vocabulary you have

SLOW DOWN

Speaking at around 80 of your normal rate wonrsquot sound weird at all and

it will improve both your pronunciation and your fluency instantly

Speaking more slowly gives your mouth and tongue muscles time to

get into position before a sound is made which is very helpful for those

sounds that donrsquot exist in English Plus it gives you a few extra

microseconds to think of something to say in conversation Combine

this with the next 2 hacks and yoursquore really in businesshellip

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

45

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoFake it until you make itrdquo - Steven Tyler

46

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

USE ldquoFILLERSrdquo

Everyone (including Chinese people) use these all the time in their

various native languages Why would you give yourself less of a chance

than a native speaker would to sound fluent Thatrsquos just crazy Here are

the top five uhh er umhelliprdquofillersrdquo

ēnhellip jiugraveshihellip negraveigehellip zhegraveigehellip raacutenhograveuhellip

Throw one or more of these utterances anywhere you like Put them in

every sentence if you feel the need Chinese people wonrsquot notice as they

do it too

USE CONVERSATION CONNECTORS

This is a term coined by Anthony Lauder referring to those everyday

fixed phrases that you say at the beginning middle or end of a sentence

to dress up what you want to say Here are some examples

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

我想告诉你hellip woacute xiǎng gagraveosu nǐhellip

Irsquod like you to know thathellip

你别介意不过hellip nǐ bieacute jiegraveyigrave buacuteguogravehellip Dont be upset buthellip

就像你已经知道的hellip jiugrave xiagraveng niacute yǐjīng zhīdagraveo dehellip

As you already know

多数情况hellip dagrave duō shugrave qiacutengkuagraveng

Most of the timehellip

47

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot give up so easily if you canrsquot think of a word you want to use Just use more common words to describe it

Speaking a bit slower will give you more time to think of what to say and will usually go unnoticed by a native speaker

Throw in fillers and fixed expressions to sound more like a native speaker and give yourself more time to speak at the same time

You can even thrown in English words to fill in the gaps if the above suggestions arenrsquot on the table Many young educated Chinese people do this anyway

KEY POINTS

USE ENGLISH WORDS

As a last ditch effort if you really donrsquot have the energy to ldquouse fluencyrdquo to

describe a word yoursquove forgotten just say the English word Younger

more educated Chinese speakers are likely to have a decent English

level and they themselves also like to throw in the odd English word into

conversation so itrsquos fine to follow suit At very least it keeps conversation

going to the next topic where you remember the Chinese words

NEXT TIME For our next installment in this series wersquore going to

get into the role writing has on your speaking how to write what

to write and where amp when to write Itrsquos not at all as intimidating

(or boring) as you may think

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

48

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Combine any and all of these tips to your speaking at any time to make yourself speak better instantly8

USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

49

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

WRITE REGULARLY9

Supercharge your active vocabulary

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Many beginners (and higher levels too) struggle with the frustration of

not being able to express their thoughts and feelings properly in

Chinese Even with many months and years of practice they can still feel

like the words just arenrsquot there when they need them Wersquove already

given you a bunch of steps you can take to solve this problem and we

realize that writing may be an unexpected additional step but trust us

when we say how valuable it can be

WHY WRITING IMPROVES SPEAKING IT DEMANDS FOCUS AND ATTENTION

Writing practice is the aspect of language learning that involves the

most focus and attention as you have to think about every word as you

write Just like reading writing is a slow process at first but after a short

period of regular practice you can almost hear the ldquoclicksrdquo as the words

you write become part of your vocabulary which can now be used

when you practice speaking with your tutor After all writing and

speaking are both expressive forms of communication using similar

mental processes

IT ACTIVATES VOCABULARY VERY EFFECTIVELY

Writing may just be the ultimate way to solidify your understanding of

the words and phrases yoursquove acquired through reading and listening It

may be even more effective than speaking

9WRITEREGULARLY

51

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WRITING IS MORE PERSONAL

After some practice you can start to write in your own personal style

using your own ldquovoicerdquo which naturally makes the process much more

enjoyable Writing a journal is the best way to access this benefit Posting

thoughts in Chinese on social media is another option especially for

lower levels

WRITING GIVES YOU MORE TIME TO FORMULATE THOUGHTS

Writing gives you time to think and practice the language

simultaneously whereas with speaking there is little opportunity to

really contemplate all the various ways of expressing a thought unless

you have an extremely patient (and masochistic) paid tutor

EVEN IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER YOU CAN STILL WRITE

If you donrsquot have much vocabulary you can still practice writing Just

write individual sentences or phrases Look at example sentences and

try to re-write them using slightly different vocabulary Remember just as

the incredible graded readers we talked about in chapter 4 can be

written with just a few select words and characters you too can write a

surprising amount using the small vocabulary you have at your disposal

5 INCREDIBLE WRITING TIPS GO FOR QUANTITY

Write every day Write a blog or WeChat post write individual sentences

9WRITEREGULARLY

52

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoWriting to me is simply thinking through my fingersrdquo

- Isaac Asimov

53

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

write a question on how to write something write anything You should

write something everyday and make a routine out of it The more

content the better but donrsquot ask too much of yourself or you will burn out

and not want to do it for weeks

An added bonus to writing regularly is the ability to look back on your

previous writing practice after a few weeks or months and see how far

yoursquove come This is called ldquobenchmarkingrdquo which wersquoll talk about more

next time

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT

Write about something or someone you love Write about a problem

yoursquore having Write about your goals and dreams Write about a book

you read or a youtube video you watched Write about what yoursquove

learned or would like to learn Write a journal When you do this your

own personality will shine through in your writing which will make the

words and structures you practice far more memorable

9WRITEREGULARLY

54

AIM FOR ZERO MISTAKES

Thatrsquos correct ZERO mistakes Think about what you write Take your time

to think before you put pen to paper or keyboard and look up example

sentences for words you donrsquot quite know how to use If you do these

things you will produce correct output which is fantastic for your

language skills Bad output leads to what Thatrsquos right bad habits

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

GET CORRECTIONS

Writing and getting corrections will help you notice very quickly the

patterns and structures in Chinese This attentiveness will pay off when

it comes to speaking reading and listening too

USE A WRITING SOFTWARE

Try Ommwriter Flowstate Awriter or similar writing apps designed for

writers to get you into the flow of writing

MAKE FLASHCARDS OUT OF YOUR MISTAKES

Create ultra-personalised reviewable content by taking any corrected

sentences and making a flashcard out of it

Try to combine regular speaking practice with regular writing

practice from now on and see for yourself how fast your fluency

improves

NEXT TIME For our final installment in this series wersquore going to

focus on continuing to improve your Chinese when you start to

plateau and the going getrsquos tough

9WRITEREGULARLY

55

Share your writing with a paid language exchange partner or tutor Check

out HiNative for a great place to get corrections on your writing and ask

general questions about how to use Chinese from native speakers

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Writing is a similar mental process as speaking with some important differences that can make it a more attractive outputting method under certain circumstances

Writing makes you more easily notice things about Chinese helps you activate passive vocabulary creates more personal connections to the language and gives you more time to convey your thoughts than speaking does

You can write at any level

Write as often as you can but donrsquot burn out

Write about things you care about and are passionate about so you can really enjoy the process and create more emotional connections that improve your retention

Aim not to make any mistakes because bad output means bad habits This is much easier to accomplish than with speaking as you have more time to think

Get your writing corrected by paid or free native speakers Make flashcards for words or structures you get wrong

KEY POINTS9WRITEREGULARLY

56

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

10SHARPEN THE SAW

Keep moving forward

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 30: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

You will notice that this is way down the list of tips for speaking like a

native speaker Thatrsquos because it actually isnrsquot the highest priority straight

away at least not anymore The sheer number of resources available

to you as a Chinese learner today means that you can do most things

you need to do on your own without a tutor As avid Chinese learners

ourselves we can both attest to this fact However a tutor is an

absolutely vital part of your journey to spoken fluency and to get the

most out of them you need to know how to work with them

First off what is a tutor for exactly Itrsquos not as obvious an answer as you

may think Understandably most people get a tutor straight from the

beginning hoping to receive all the materials and guidance they need

to make them fluent and literate in Chinese This is a lot to expect of

anyone let alone someone who never actually learned Chinese as a

second language So what are reasonable expectations to have then

THE ROLE OF A CHINESE TUTOR 1) FOR ACTIVATING PASSIVE VOCABULARY

Go into a session and try to use the words yoursquove been learning through

listening and reading Focus on steering the conversation to topics

you find meaningful and interesting Agree on these topics in advance

A good tutor is a good communicator someone who can speak to you

in a way they know you understand and ask you the right questions to

keep a conversation going Push your limits of what you know and ask a

lot of questions on how to use any words you arenrsquot sure about

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

30

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Mistakes are fine but donrsquot try and make up how to use a word or phrase

if you donrsquot already know Just ask If your tutor misses mistakes too

often they could turn into bad habits and you really donrsquot want that

2) FOR IDENTIFYING AND FIXING PROBLEMS

We prefer to have a nice chat of between 5 and 30 minutes during which

the tutor is making notes about anything you need to improve upon After

the time is up or the conversation has hit a dead-end the tutor can go

through your mistakes with you and do some directed practice to fix any

recurring issues This can be done as often as you like or just at the very

end of each session Make flashcards with example sentences

targeting the words or phrases you got wrong

3) FOR PROVIDING TRUE ENCOURAGEMENT

True encouragement is when a tutor notices where yoursquove improved and

points it out but also communicates your potential for improvement

Blindly repeating ldquo真棒 zhēn bagravengrdquo (rdquoGreat jobrdquo) all the time is false

encouragement and it can lead to complacency After all Chinese

people will already be giving you plenty of compliments about your

Mandarin the last thing you need is your paid tutor making your head

even bigger If a tutor provides true encouragement regularly yoursquore

golden If not ask them to or get another tutor

4) FOR FINDING LEVEL-APPROPRIATE AND ENGAGING CONTENT

This one is not to be expected of every tutor certainly not unprompted

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

31

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Directly ask them to find you listening and reading materials that you

might be interested in You may be very surprised at what they find for

you Some incredible content may be hidden away from the mainstream

and you may need a native person to help you discover those little gems

you might otherwise miss out on

TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR STUDY Figure out a kind of lesson structure yoursquore comfortable with that

suits your goals and interests Possible approaches include

Focus on a bunch of words yoursquove been learning and how to use

them

Choose several interesting topics and have an open conversation

Discuss a news article comic book or tv episode you saw recently

Whatever it is plan it out briefly beforehand and make it clear with your

tutor how you would like the lesson to go You have to take the reins if

you want the most bang for your buck If you donrsquot what yoursquoll get is what

the tutor wants to give you which will most likely be a textbook and

discussion of boring topics

HOW TO FIND GREAT TUTORS We would highly recommend finding tutors online as opposed to face-

to-face Herersquos why

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

32

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

1 You have a reasonable guarantee of quality Community star ratings

are commonplace

2 Far more convenient You can get online and be talking to a qualified

tutor for a few dollars an hour within a few minutes Enough said

3 Much better value for money Even if yoursquore living in China tutors still

work out cheaper online When you account for the time and effort it

takes to meet with a stranger face-to-face and the higher turnover of

tutors due to poor or quickly declining quality of lessons online tutors

are almost always more cost-effective

If you want to get online fast and take high quality online sessions with a

tutor a great resource is wwwitalkicom You can find both paid tutors

and unpaid language exchange partners here Invest a few dollars and

hours a month and it will pay off hugely for you

Italki offers tutoring in a huge range of lanugages but the vast majority of

the teachers just use skype for their lessons This is fine but you may be

surprised at the level of functionality of other Chinese-only services such

as wwwtutormandarincom

Instead of just a video call you get a live visual presentation showing

text and highlighted areas that makes everything much clearer and

more engaging This way you can practice your reading alongside your

speaking and listening all with live instruction

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

They offer a free 1-to-1 consultation and language evaluation before you

signup for anything so it canrsquot hurt to try them out

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to talk about immersion and how you

can do it regardless of your lifestyle or location to greatly improve

your speaking ability

Take control of your time with tutors making sure to point out clearly beforehand what you need from them and what your expectations are

Online tutors used in the capacity wersquove suggested are generally more time and cost-effective than face-to-face tutors even if you are in China Make the most of your study time by going for the former unless you have a guarantee of value

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

Tutors should be treated as a learning resource rather than your study gurus Their main function is to serve as a great communicator who can help you activate vocabulary and stay motivated

KEY POINTS

34

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

6IMMERSE YOURSELF

Be with Chinese as often as possible

IN CHINESE

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion deserves itrsquos own e-book all by itself as itrsquos such a deep and

varied topic but there are a few things to remember that will allow you

to immerse yourself in Chinese easily wherever you are

HOW TO IMMERSE YOURSELF First of all immersion doesnrsquot necessarily entail never speaking your

native language and ignoring your friends and family Immersion in itrsquos

most manageable form is simply being in touch with Chinese

regularly throughout the day This is doable outside China and even

with a family and a full-time job to boot Herersquos how we do it

CHANGE YOUR ENVIRONMENT

Make sure that Chinese is within 1 foot of your body at all times Ten

years ago that would have meant taping books and Chinese people

around your waist which would have been inconvenient and almost

definitely illegal Now we have these magical devices in our pockets

everywhere we go and most of us have computers or tablets as well

Always be looking for more and more level-appropriate reading and

listening materials and fill your devices with them Whenever you get

bored or frustrated with something drop it for something else You can

be picky even at beginner level Most of the time if you donrsquot enjoy

something itrsquos because you arenrsquot ready for it yet anyway Just go back

to it a few weeks or months down the line

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

36

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Organize the apps on your smart phone for reading listening speaking

and even writing Chinese so you can tap them whenever you have a

spare few minutes This makes it as easy as possible to immerse yourself

in something wherever and whenever

MAKE BETTER USE OF YOUR TIME

Listen to Chinese whenever yoursquore traveling anywhere working out

doing flashcards or housework If you have your eyes andor mouth free

as well do some interleaved learning or shadowing (see tip 4)

The key is starting not finishing Just do something for 1-15 minutes

10-20 times a day as opposed to trying to set aside large chunks of time

which either cause you to procrastinate or burn out

TALK TO LANGUAGE EXCHANGE PARTNERS

It might get expensive meeting with paid tutors every day which creates

an excuse to not practice speaking But there are more and more great

apps that allow you to connect and exchange with native Chinese

speakers for free Our favorite language exchange apps are pictured

on the next page

TALK TO YOURSELF

Yes it might feel a bit weird but it works as a decent substitute to a paid

tutor or language exchange partner Anything going through your head

just try to blurt out in Chinese Wear earphones to make it appear you are

talking on the phone so you donrsquot get placed into a mental institution

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

37

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoTime is what we want most but what we use worstrdquo

- William Penn

38

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion is doable regardless of your lifestyle Just be around Chinese many times throughout the day

Listen while doing pretty much anything Itrsquos the part of language learning that takes the least conscious effort to improve

Connect with language exchange partners via free apps Spend a few minutes chatting here and there Even talking to yourself can be really effective

KEY POINTS

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk about how to maintain a calm and positive

attitude when struggling to improve your speaking skills Wersquoll

also go into how to take criticism well and even enjoy making

mistakes6

IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

39

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

BE COOL7

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot be touchy when you get corrections or criticism even if it comes

across as harsh People rarely correct you for free and if you react

badly when they do that will probably be the last time they help you

When you arenrsquot understood just assume itrsquos never their problem It

actually might be sometimes but just assume it isnrsquot

People tend to put a lot of their pride and ego into their Chinese ability

because it takes a lot of time and effort to get good and it is a very rare

skill However just know that only when you really start to get good at

something do you realize how little you know Donrsquot fall into that trap

because you will be in for a rude awakening down the line Take your

ego out of the equation and have a great time Laugh at yourself

Itrsquos all just a game

LEARN TO ACCEPT UNCERTAINTY You will forget words yoursquove reviewed and heard for months

You will forget grammar structures yoursquove spoken correctly 10 times

before

You will get utterly lost in conversation after thinking yoursquove had a

breakthrough in your skill level

Take a deep breath Itrsquos all part of the process

7BE COOL

41

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoCriticism may not be agreeable but it is necessary It fulfils the same function as pain

in the human body It calls attention to an

unhealthy state of things - Winston Churchill

42

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Wersquove already mentioned the importance of good output Too many

mistakes without being corrected can lead to bad habits but mistakes

are inevitable Even if you follow our advice you will still have trouble

sometimes Enjoy being wronghellipevery mistake or misunderstanding

can bring you closer to fluency The key is to not worry about what you

canrsquot say just take note of it and take action Try to say something and it

came out as gibberish Make a note and try it out next time you get the

chance Get a flashcard completely wrong Good Less likely to next time

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to be sharing with you our favorite

speaking hacks that will instantly have you speaking Chinese

much more like a native and with less effort

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously Learning Chinese is just a game Enjoy yourself and take criticism with a smile

Mistakes when speaking and reviewing are inevitable and an important part of the learning process

KEY POINTS

7BE COOL

43

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

8USE THESE

Speak ldquorealrdquo Chinese

SPEAKING HACKS

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

OUR FAVORITE SPEAKING HACKS Apply even one of these techniques to your day-to-day speaking and

you will not only sound more native but will also find it much easier

to speak in general

SPEAK WITH FLUENCY

Fluency is not knowing every word It is simply the ability to say what it is

you want to say accurately using the vocabulary that you have Donrsquot

know how to say ldquointernational traderdquo Just say ldquowhen one country buys

and sells things with another countryrdquo After you say this your

conversation partner will likely say ldquooh yeah thatrsquos lsquointernational tradersquordquo

Boom New word learned within the emotional context of the

conversation to boot The key is when you donrsquot know a word donrsquot

just give up Instead do your best to explain what you want to say

with the vocabulary you have

SLOW DOWN

Speaking at around 80 of your normal rate wonrsquot sound weird at all and

it will improve both your pronunciation and your fluency instantly

Speaking more slowly gives your mouth and tongue muscles time to

get into position before a sound is made which is very helpful for those

sounds that donrsquot exist in English Plus it gives you a few extra

microseconds to think of something to say in conversation Combine

this with the next 2 hacks and yoursquore really in businesshellip

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

45

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoFake it until you make itrdquo - Steven Tyler

46

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

USE ldquoFILLERSrdquo

Everyone (including Chinese people) use these all the time in their

various native languages Why would you give yourself less of a chance

than a native speaker would to sound fluent Thatrsquos just crazy Here are

the top five uhh er umhelliprdquofillersrdquo

ēnhellip jiugraveshihellip negraveigehellip zhegraveigehellip raacutenhograveuhellip

Throw one or more of these utterances anywhere you like Put them in

every sentence if you feel the need Chinese people wonrsquot notice as they

do it too

USE CONVERSATION CONNECTORS

This is a term coined by Anthony Lauder referring to those everyday

fixed phrases that you say at the beginning middle or end of a sentence

to dress up what you want to say Here are some examples

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

我想告诉你hellip woacute xiǎng gagraveosu nǐhellip

Irsquod like you to know thathellip

你别介意不过hellip nǐ bieacute jiegraveyigrave buacuteguogravehellip Dont be upset buthellip

就像你已经知道的hellip jiugrave xiagraveng niacute yǐjīng zhīdagraveo dehellip

As you already know

多数情况hellip dagrave duō shugrave qiacutengkuagraveng

Most of the timehellip

47

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot give up so easily if you canrsquot think of a word you want to use Just use more common words to describe it

Speaking a bit slower will give you more time to think of what to say and will usually go unnoticed by a native speaker

Throw in fillers and fixed expressions to sound more like a native speaker and give yourself more time to speak at the same time

You can even thrown in English words to fill in the gaps if the above suggestions arenrsquot on the table Many young educated Chinese people do this anyway

KEY POINTS

USE ENGLISH WORDS

As a last ditch effort if you really donrsquot have the energy to ldquouse fluencyrdquo to

describe a word yoursquove forgotten just say the English word Younger

more educated Chinese speakers are likely to have a decent English

level and they themselves also like to throw in the odd English word into

conversation so itrsquos fine to follow suit At very least it keeps conversation

going to the next topic where you remember the Chinese words

NEXT TIME For our next installment in this series wersquore going to

get into the role writing has on your speaking how to write what

to write and where amp when to write Itrsquos not at all as intimidating

(or boring) as you may think

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

48

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Combine any and all of these tips to your speaking at any time to make yourself speak better instantly8

USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

49

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

WRITE REGULARLY9

Supercharge your active vocabulary

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Many beginners (and higher levels too) struggle with the frustration of

not being able to express their thoughts and feelings properly in

Chinese Even with many months and years of practice they can still feel

like the words just arenrsquot there when they need them Wersquove already

given you a bunch of steps you can take to solve this problem and we

realize that writing may be an unexpected additional step but trust us

when we say how valuable it can be

WHY WRITING IMPROVES SPEAKING IT DEMANDS FOCUS AND ATTENTION

Writing practice is the aspect of language learning that involves the

most focus and attention as you have to think about every word as you

write Just like reading writing is a slow process at first but after a short

period of regular practice you can almost hear the ldquoclicksrdquo as the words

you write become part of your vocabulary which can now be used

when you practice speaking with your tutor After all writing and

speaking are both expressive forms of communication using similar

mental processes

IT ACTIVATES VOCABULARY VERY EFFECTIVELY

Writing may just be the ultimate way to solidify your understanding of

the words and phrases yoursquove acquired through reading and listening It

may be even more effective than speaking

9WRITEREGULARLY

51

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WRITING IS MORE PERSONAL

After some practice you can start to write in your own personal style

using your own ldquovoicerdquo which naturally makes the process much more

enjoyable Writing a journal is the best way to access this benefit Posting

thoughts in Chinese on social media is another option especially for

lower levels

WRITING GIVES YOU MORE TIME TO FORMULATE THOUGHTS

Writing gives you time to think and practice the language

simultaneously whereas with speaking there is little opportunity to

really contemplate all the various ways of expressing a thought unless

you have an extremely patient (and masochistic) paid tutor

EVEN IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER YOU CAN STILL WRITE

If you donrsquot have much vocabulary you can still practice writing Just

write individual sentences or phrases Look at example sentences and

try to re-write them using slightly different vocabulary Remember just as

the incredible graded readers we talked about in chapter 4 can be

written with just a few select words and characters you too can write a

surprising amount using the small vocabulary you have at your disposal

5 INCREDIBLE WRITING TIPS GO FOR QUANTITY

Write every day Write a blog or WeChat post write individual sentences

9WRITEREGULARLY

52

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoWriting to me is simply thinking through my fingersrdquo

- Isaac Asimov

53

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

write a question on how to write something write anything You should

write something everyday and make a routine out of it The more

content the better but donrsquot ask too much of yourself or you will burn out

and not want to do it for weeks

An added bonus to writing regularly is the ability to look back on your

previous writing practice after a few weeks or months and see how far

yoursquove come This is called ldquobenchmarkingrdquo which wersquoll talk about more

next time

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT

Write about something or someone you love Write about a problem

yoursquore having Write about your goals and dreams Write about a book

you read or a youtube video you watched Write about what yoursquove

learned or would like to learn Write a journal When you do this your

own personality will shine through in your writing which will make the

words and structures you practice far more memorable

9WRITEREGULARLY

54

AIM FOR ZERO MISTAKES

Thatrsquos correct ZERO mistakes Think about what you write Take your time

to think before you put pen to paper or keyboard and look up example

sentences for words you donrsquot quite know how to use If you do these

things you will produce correct output which is fantastic for your

language skills Bad output leads to what Thatrsquos right bad habits

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

GET CORRECTIONS

Writing and getting corrections will help you notice very quickly the

patterns and structures in Chinese This attentiveness will pay off when

it comes to speaking reading and listening too

USE A WRITING SOFTWARE

Try Ommwriter Flowstate Awriter or similar writing apps designed for

writers to get you into the flow of writing

MAKE FLASHCARDS OUT OF YOUR MISTAKES

Create ultra-personalised reviewable content by taking any corrected

sentences and making a flashcard out of it

Try to combine regular speaking practice with regular writing

practice from now on and see for yourself how fast your fluency

improves

NEXT TIME For our final installment in this series wersquore going to

focus on continuing to improve your Chinese when you start to

plateau and the going getrsquos tough

9WRITEREGULARLY

55

Share your writing with a paid language exchange partner or tutor Check

out HiNative for a great place to get corrections on your writing and ask

general questions about how to use Chinese from native speakers

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Writing is a similar mental process as speaking with some important differences that can make it a more attractive outputting method under certain circumstances

Writing makes you more easily notice things about Chinese helps you activate passive vocabulary creates more personal connections to the language and gives you more time to convey your thoughts than speaking does

You can write at any level

Write as often as you can but donrsquot burn out

Write about things you care about and are passionate about so you can really enjoy the process and create more emotional connections that improve your retention

Aim not to make any mistakes because bad output means bad habits This is much easier to accomplish than with speaking as you have more time to think

Get your writing corrected by paid or free native speakers Make flashcards for words or structures you get wrong

KEY POINTS9WRITEREGULARLY

56

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

10SHARPEN THE SAW

Keep moving forward

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 31: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Mistakes are fine but donrsquot try and make up how to use a word or phrase

if you donrsquot already know Just ask If your tutor misses mistakes too

often they could turn into bad habits and you really donrsquot want that

2) FOR IDENTIFYING AND FIXING PROBLEMS

We prefer to have a nice chat of between 5 and 30 minutes during which

the tutor is making notes about anything you need to improve upon After

the time is up or the conversation has hit a dead-end the tutor can go

through your mistakes with you and do some directed practice to fix any

recurring issues This can be done as often as you like or just at the very

end of each session Make flashcards with example sentences

targeting the words or phrases you got wrong

3) FOR PROVIDING TRUE ENCOURAGEMENT

True encouragement is when a tutor notices where yoursquove improved and

points it out but also communicates your potential for improvement

Blindly repeating ldquo真棒 zhēn bagravengrdquo (rdquoGreat jobrdquo) all the time is false

encouragement and it can lead to complacency After all Chinese

people will already be giving you plenty of compliments about your

Mandarin the last thing you need is your paid tutor making your head

even bigger If a tutor provides true encouragement regularly yoursquore

golden If not ask them to or get another tutor

4) FOR FINDING LEVEL-APPROPRIATE AND ENGAGING CONTENT

This one is not to be expected of every tutor certainly not unprompted

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

31

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Directly ask them to find you listening and reading materials that you

might be interested in You may be very surprised at what they find for

you Some incredible content may be hidden away from the mainstream

and you may need a native person to help you discover those little gems

you might otherwise miss out on

TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR STUDY Figure out a kind of lesson structure yoursquore comfortable with that

suits your goals and interests Possible approaches include

Focus on a bunch of words yoursquove been learning and how to use

them

Choose several interesting topics and have an open conversation

Discuss a news article comic book or tv episode you saw recently

Whatever it is plan it out briefly beforehand and make it clear with your

tutor how you would like the lesson to go You have to take the reins if

you want the most bang for your buck If you donrsquot what yoursquoll get is what

the tutor wants to give you which will most likely be a textbook and

discussion of boring topics

HOW TO FIND GREAT TUTORS We would highly recommend finding tutors online as opposed to face-

to-face Herersquos why

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

32

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

1 You have a reasonable guarantee of quality Community star ratings

are commonplace

2 Far more convenient You can get online and be talking to a qualified

tutor for a few dollars an hour within a few minutes Enough said

3 Much better value for money Even if yoursquore living in China tutors still

work out cheaper online When you account for the time and effort it

takes to meet with a stranger face-to-face and the higher turnover of

tutors due to poor or quickly declining quality of lessons online tutors

are almost always more cost-effective

If you want to get online fast and take high quality online sessions with a

tutor a great resource is wwwitalkicom You can find both paid tutors

and unpaid language exchange partners here Invest a few dollars and

hours a month and it will pay off hugely for you

Italki offers tutoring in a huge range of lanugages but the vast majority of

the teachers just use skype for their lessons This is fine but you may be

surprised at the level of functionality of other Chinese-only services such

as wwwtutormandarincom

Instead of just a video call you get a live visual presentation showing

text and highlighted areas that makes everything much clearer and

more engaging This way you can practice your reading alongside your

speaking and listening all with live instruction

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

33

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

They offer a free 1-to-1 consultation and language evaluation before you

signup for anything so it canrsquot hurt to try them out

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to talk about immersion and how you

can do it regardless of your lifestyle or location to greatly improve

your speaking ability

Take control of your time with tutors making sure to point out clearly beforehand what you need from them and what your expectations are

Online tutors used in the capacity wersquove suggested are generally more time and cost-effective than face-to-face tutors even if you are in China Make the most of your study time by going for the former unless you have a guarantee of value

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

Tutors should be treated as a learning resource rather than your study gurus Their main function is to serve as a great communicator who can help you activate vocabulary and stay motivated

KEY POINTS

34

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

6IMMERSE YOURSELF

Be with Chinese as often as possible

IN CHINESE

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion deserves itrsquos own e-book all by itself as itrsquos such a deep and

varied topic but there are a few things to remember that will allow you

to immerse yourself in Chinese easily wherever you are

HOW TO IMMERSE YOURSELF First of all immersion doesnrsquot necessarily entail never speaking your

native language and ignoring your friends and family Immersion in itrsquos

most manageable form is simply being in touch with Chinese

regularly throughout the day This is doable outside China and even

with a family and a full-time job to boot Herersquos how we do it

CHANGE YOUR ENVIRONMENT

Make sure that Chinese is within 1 foot of your body at all times Ten

years ago that would have meant taping books and Chinese people

around your waist which would have been inconvenient and almost

definitely illegal Now we have these magical devices in our pockets

everywhere we go and most of us have computers or tablets as well

Always be looking for more and more level-appropriate reading and

listening materials and fill your devices with them Whenever you get

bored or frustrated with something drop it for something else You can

be picky even at beginner level Most of the time if you donrsquot enjoy

something itrsquos because you arenrsquot ready for it yet anyway Just go back

to it a few weeks or months down the line

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

36

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Organize the apps on your smart phone for reading listening speaking

and even writing Chinese so you can tap them whenever you have a

spare few minutes This makes it as easy as possible to immerse yourself

in something wherever and whenever

MAKE BETTER USE OF YOUR TIME

Listen to Chinese whenever yoursquore traveling anywhere working out

doing flashcards or housework If you have your eyes andor mouth free

as well do some interleaved learning or shadowing (see tip 4)

The key is starting not finishing Just do something for 1-15 minutes

10-20 times a day as opposed to trying to set aside large chunks of time

which either cause you to procrastinate or burn out

TALK TO LANGUAGE EXCHANGE PARTNERS

It might get expensive meeting with paid tutors every day which creates

an excuse to not practice speaking But there are more and more great

apps that allow you to connect and exchange with native Chinese

speakers for free Our favorite language exchange apps are pictured

on the next page

TALK TO YOURSELF

Yes it might feel a bit weird but it works as a decent substitute to a paid

tutor or language exchange partner Anything going through your head

just try to blurt out in Chinese Wear earphones to make it appear you are

talking on the phone so you donrsquot get placed into a mental institution

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

37

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoTime is what we want most but what we use worstrdquo

- William Penn

38

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion is doable regardless of your lifestyle Just be around Chinese many times throughout the day

Listen while doing pretty much anything Itrsquos the part of language learning that takes the least conscious effort to improve

Connect with language exchange partners via free apps Spend a few minutes chatting here and there Even talking to yourself can be really effective

KEY POINTS

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk about how to maintain a calm and positive

attitude when struggling to improve your speaking skills Wersquoll

also go into how to take criticism well and even enjoy making

mistakes6

IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

39

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

BE COOL7

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot be touchy when you get corrections or criticism even if it comes

across as harsh People rarely correct you for free and if you react

badly when they do that will probably be the last time they help you

When you arenrsquot understood just assume itrsquos never their problem It

actually might be sometimes but just assume it isnrsquot

People tend to put a lot of their pride and ego into their Chinese ability

because it takes a lot of time and effort to get good and it is a very rare

skill However just know that only when you really start to get good at

something do you realize how little you know Donrsquot fall into that trap

because you will be in for a rude awakening down the line Take your

ego out of the equation and have a great time Laugh at yourself

Itrsquos all just a game

LEARN TO ACCEPT UNCERTAINTY You will forget words yoursquove reviewed and heard for months

You will forget grammar structures yoursquove spoken correctly 10 times

before

You will get utterly lost in conversation after thinking yoursquove had a

breakthrough in your skill level

Take a deep breath Itrsquos all part of the process

7BE COOL

41

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoCriticism may not be agreeable but it is necessary It fulfils the same function as pain

in the human body It calls attention to an

unhealthy state of things - Winston Churchill

42

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Wersquove already mentioned the importance of good output Too many

mistakes without being corrected can lead to bad habits but mistakes

are inevitable Even if you follow our advice you will still have trouble

sometimes Enjoy being wronghellipevery mistake or misunderstanding

can bring you closer to fluency The key is to not worry about what you

canrsquot say just take note of it and take action Try to say something and it

came out as gibberish Make a note and try it out next time you get the

chance Get a flashcard completely wrong Good Less likely to next time

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to be sharing with you our favorite

speaking hacks that will instantly have you speaking Chinese

much more like a native and with less effort

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously Learning Chinese is just a game Enjoy yourself and take criticism with a smile

Mistakes when speaking and reviewing are inevitable and an important part of the learning process

KEY POINTS

7BE COOL

43

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

8USE THESE

Speak ldquorealrdquo Chinese

SPEAKING HACKS

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

OUR FAVORITE SPEAKING HACKS Apply even one of these techniques to your day-to-day speaking and

you will not only sound more native but will also find it much easier

to speak in general

SPEAK WITH FLUENCY

Fluency is not knowing every word It is simply the ability to say what it is

you want to say accurately using the vocabulary that you have Donrsquot

know how to say ldquointernational traderdquo Just say ldquowhen one country buys

and sells things with another countryrdquo After you say this your

conversation partner will likely say ldquooh yeah thatrsquos lsquointernational tradersquordquo

Boom New word learned within the emotional context of the

conversation to boot The key is when you donrsquot know a word donrsquot

just give up Instead do your best to explain what you want to say

with the vocabulary you have

SLOW DOWN

Speaking at around 80 of your normal rate wonrsquot sound weird at all and

it will improve both your pronunciation and your fluency instantly

Speaking more slowly gives your mouth and tongue muscles time to

get into position before a sound is made which is very helpful for those

sounds that donrsquot exist in English Plus it gives you a few extra

microseconds to think of something to say in conversation Combine

this with the next 2 hacks and yoursquore really in businesshellip

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

45

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoFake it until you make itrdquo - Steven Tyler

46

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

USE ldquoFILLERSrdquo

Everyone (including Chinese people) use these all the time in their

various native languages Why would you give yourself less of a chance

than a native speaker would to sound fluent Thatrsquos just crazy Here are

the top five uhh er umhelliprdquofillersrdquo

ēnhellip jiugraveshihellip negraveigehellip zhegraveigehellip raacutenhograveuhellip

Throw one or more of these utterances anywhere you like Put them in

every sentence if you feel the need Chinese people wonrsquot notice as they

do it too

USE CONVERSATION CONNECTORS

This is a term coined by Anthony Lauder referring to those everyday

fixed phrases that you say at the beginning middle or end of a sentence

to dress up what you want to say Here are some examples

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

我想告诉你hellip woacute xiǎng gagraveosu nǐhellip

Irsquod like you to know thathellip

你别介意不过hellip nǐ bieacute jiegraveyigrave buacuteguogravehellip Dont be upset buthellip

就像你已经知道的hellip jiugrave xiagraveng niacute yǐjīng zhīdagraveo dehellip

As you already know

多数情况hellip dagrave duō shugrave qiacutengkuagraveng

Most of the timehellip

47

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot give up so easily if you canrsquot think of a word you want to use Just use more common words to describe it

Speaking a bit slower will give you more time to think of what to say and will usually go unnoticed by a native speaker

Throw in fillers and fixed expressions to sound more like a native speaker and give yourself more time to speak at the same time

You can even thrown in English words to fill in the gaps if the above suggestions arenrsquot on the table Many young educated Chinese people do this anyway

KEY POINTS

USE ENGLISH WORDS

As a last ditch effort if you really donrsquot have the energy to ldquouse fluencyrdquo to

describe a word yoursquove forgotten just say the English word Younger

more educated Chinese speakers are likely to have a decent English

level and they themselves also like to throw in the odd English word into

conversation so itrsquos fine to follow suit At very least it keeps conversation

going to the next topic where you remember the Chinese words

NEXT TIME For our next installment in this series wersquore going to

get into the role writing has on your speaking how to write what

to write and where amp when to write Itrsquos not at all as intimidating

(or boring) as you may think

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

48

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Combine any and all of these tips to your speaking at any time to make yourself speak better instantly8

USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

49

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

WRITE REGULARLY9

Supercharge your active vocabulary

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Many beginners (and higher levels too) struggle with the frustration of

not being able to express their thoughts and feelings properly in

Chinese Even with many months and years of practice they can still feel

like the words just arenrsquot there when they need them Wersquove already

given you a bunch of steps you can take to solve this problem and we

realize that writing may be an unexpected additional step but trust us

when we say how valuable it can be

WHY WRITING IMPROVES SPEAKING IT DEMANDS FOCUS AND ATTENTION

Writing practice is the aspect of language learning that involves the

most focus and attention as you have to think about every word as you

write Just like reading writing is a slow process at first but after a short

period of regular practice you can almost hear the ldquoclicksrdquo as the words

you write become part of your vocabulary which can now be used

when you practice speaking with your tutor After all writing and

speaking are both expressive forms of communication using similar

mental processes

IT ACTIVATES VOCABULARY VERY EFFECTIVELY

Writing may just be the ultimate way to solidify your understanding of

the words and phrases yoursquove acquired through reading and listening It

may be even more effective than speaking

9WRITEREGULARLY

51

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WRITING IS MORE PERSONAL

After some practice you can start to write in your own personal style

using your own ldquovoicerdquo which naturally makes the process much more

enjoyable Writing a journal is the best way to access this benefit Posting

thoughts in Chinese on social media is another option especially for

lower levels

WRITING GIVES YOU MORE TIME TO FORMULATE THOUGHTS

Writing gives you time to think and practice the language

simultaneously whereas with speaking there is little opportunity to

really contemplate all the various ways of expressing a thought unless

you have an extremely patient (and masochistic) paid tutor

EVEN IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER YOU CAN STILL WRITE

If you donrsquot have much vocabulary you can still practice writing Just

write individual sentences or phrases Look at example sentences and

try to re-write them using slightly different vocabulary Remember just as

the incredible graded readers we talked about in chapter 4 can be

written with just a few select words and characters you too can write a

surprising amount using the small vocabulary you have at your disposal

5 INCREDIBLE WRITING TIPS GO FOR QUANTITY

Write every day Write a blog or WeChat post write individual sentences

9WRITEREGULARLY

52

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoWriting to me is simply thinking through my fingersrdquo

- Isaac Asimov

53

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

write a question on how to write something write anything You should

write something everyday and make a routine out of it The more

content the better but donrsquot ask too much of yourself or you will burn out

and not want to do it for weeks

An added bonus to writing regularly is the ability to look back on your

previous writing practice after a few weeks or months and see how far

yoursquove come This is called ldquobenchmarkingrdquo which wersquoll talk about more

next time

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT

Write about something or someone you love Write about a problem

yoursquore having Write about your goals and dreams Write about a book

you read or a youtube video you watched Write about what yoursquove

learned or would like to learn Write a journal When you do this your

own personality will shine through in your writing which will make the

words and structures you practice far more memorable

9WRITEREGULARLY

54

AIM FOR ZERO MISTAKES

Thatrsquos correct ZERO mistakes Think about what you write Take your time

to think before you put pen to paper or keyboard and look up example

sentences for words you donrsquot quite know how to use If you do these

things you will produce correct output which is fantastic for your

language skills Bad output leads to what Thatrsquos right bad habits

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

GET CORRECTIONS

Writing and getting corrections will help you notice very quickly the

patterns and structures in Chinese This attentiveness will pay off when

it comes to speaking reading and listening too

USE A WRITING SOFTWARE

Try Ommwriter Flowstate Awriter or similar writing apps designed for

writers to get you into the flow of writing

MAKE FLASHCARDS OUT OF YOUR MISTAKES

Create ultra-personalised reviewable content by taking any corrected

sentences and making a flashcard out of it

Try to combine regular speaking practice with regular writing

practice from now on and see for yourself how fast your fluency

improves

NEXT TIME For our final installment in this series wersquore going to

focus on continuing to improve your Chinese when you start to

plateau and the going getrsquos tough

9WRITEREGULARLY

55

Share your writing with a paid language exchange partner or tutor Check

out HiNative for a great place to get corrections on your writing and ask

general questions about how to use Chinese from native speakers

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Writing is a similar mental process as speaking with some important differences that can make it a more attractive outputting method under certain circumstances

Writing makes you more easily notice things about Chinese helps you activate passive vocabulary creates more personal connections to the language and gives you more time to convey your thoughts than speaking does

You can write at any level

Write as often as you can but donrsquot burn out

Write about things you care about and are passionate about so you can really enjoy the process and create more emotional connections that improve your retention

Aim not to make any mistakes because bad output means bad habits This is much easier to accomplish than with speaking as you have more time to think

Get your writing corrected by paid or free native speakers Make flashcards for words or structures you get wrong

KEY POINTS9WRITEREGULARLY

56

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

10SHARPEN THE SAW

Keep moving forward

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 32: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Directly ask them to find you listening and reading materials that you

might be interested in You may be very surprised at what they find for

you Some incredible content may be hidden away from the mainstream

and you may need a native person to help you discover those little gems

you might otherwise miss out on

TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR STUDY Figure out a kind of lesson structure yoursquore comfortable with that

suits your goals and interests Possible approaches include

Focus on a bunch of words yoursquove been learning and how to use

them

Choose several interesting topics and have an open conversation

Discuss a news article comic book or tv episode you saw recently

Whatever it is plan it out briefly beforehand and make it clear with your

tutor how you would like the lesson to go You have to take the reins if

you want the most bang for your buck If you donrsquot what yoursquoll get is what

the tutor wants to give you which will most likely be a textbook and

discussion of boring topics

HOW TO FIND GREAT TUTORS We would highly recommend finding tutors online as opposed to face-

to-face Herersquos why

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

32

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

1 You have a reasonable guarantee of quality Community star ratings

are commonplace

2 Far more convenient You can get online and be talking to a qualified

tutor for a few dollars an hour within a few minutes Enough said

3 Much better value for money Even if yoursquore living in China tutors still

work out cheaper online When you account for the time and effort it

takes to meet with a stranger face-to-face and the higher turnover of

tutors due to poor or quickly declining quality of lessons online tutors

are almost always more cost-effective

If you want to get online fast and take high quality online sessions with a

tutor a great resource is wwwitalkicom You can find both paid tutors

and unpaid language exchange partners here Invest a few dollars and

hours a month and it will pay off hugely for you

Italki offers tutoring in a huge range of lanugages but the vast majority of

the teachers just use skype for their lessons This is fine but you may be

surprised at the level of functionality of other Chinese-only services such

as wwwtutormandarincom

Instead of just a video call you get a live visual presentation showing

text and highlighted areas that makes everything much clearer and

more engaging This way you can practice your reading alongside your

speaking and listening all with live instruction

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

33

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

They offer a free 1-to-1 consultation and language evaluation before you

signup for anything so it canrsquot hurt to try them out

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to talk about immersion and how you

can do it regardless of your lifestyle or location to greatly improve

your speaking ability

Take control of your time with tutors making sure to point out clearly beforehand what you need from them and what your expectations are

Online tutors used in the capacity wersquove suggested are generally more time and cost-effective than face-to-face tutors even if you are in China Make the most of your study time by going for the former unless you have a guarantee of value

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

Tutors should be treated as a learning resource rather than your study gurus Their main function is to serve as a great communicator who can help you activate vocabulary and stay motivated

KEY POINTS

34

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

6IMMERSE YOURSELF

Be with Chinese as often as possible

IN CHINESE

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion deserves itrsquos own e-book all by itself as itrsquos such a deep and

varied topic but there are a few things to remember that will allow you

to immerse yourself in Chinese easily wherever you are

HOW TO IMMERSE YOURSELF First of all immersion doesnrsquot necessarily entail never speaking your

native language and ignoring your friends and family Immersion in itrsquos

most manageable form is simply being in touch with Chinese

regularly throughout the day This is doable outside China and even

with a family and a full-time job to boot Herersquos how we do it

CHANGE YOUR ENVIRONMENT

Make sure that Chinese is within 1 foot of your body at all times Ten

years ago that would have meant taping books and Chinese people

around your waist which would have been inconvenient and almost

definitely illegal Now we have these magical devices in our pockets

everywhere we go and most of us have computers or tablets as well

Always be looking for more and more level-appropriate reading and

listening materials and fill your devices with them Whenever you get

bored or frustrated with something drop it for something else You can

be picky even at beginner level Most of the time if you donrsquot enjoy

something itrsquos because you arenrsquot ready for it yet anyway Just go back

to it a few weeks or months down the line

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

36

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Organize the apps on your smart phone for reading listening speaking

and even writing Chinese so you can tap them whenever you have a

spare few minutes This makes it as easy as possible to immerse yourself

in something wherever and whenever

MAKE BETTER USE OF YOUR TIME

Listen to Chinese whenever yoursquore traveling anywhere working out

doing flashcards or housework If you have your eyes andor mouth free

as well do some interleaved learning or shadowing (see tip 4)

The key is starting not finishing Just do something for 1-15 minutes

10-20 times a day as opposed to trying to set aside large chunks of time

which either cause you to procrastinate or burn out

TALK TO LANGUAGE EXCHANGE PARTNERS

It might get expensive meeting with paid tutors every day which creates

an excuse to not practice speaking But there are more and more great

apps that allow you to connect and exchange with native Chinese

speakers for free Our favorite language exchange apps are pictured

on the next page

TALK TO YOURSELF

Yes it might feel a bit weird but it works as a decent substitute to a paid

tutor or language exchange partner Anything going through your head

just try to blurt out in Chinese Wear earphones to make it appear you are

talking on the phone so you donrsquot get placed into a mental institution

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

37

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoTime is what we want most but what we use worstrdquo

- William Penn

38

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion is doable regardless of your lifestyle Just be around Chinese many times throughout the day

Listen while doing pretty much anything Itrsquos the part of language learning that takes the least conscious effort to improve

Connect with language exchange partners via free apps Spend a few minutes chatting here and there Even talking to yourself can be really effective

KEY POINTS

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk about how to maintain a calm and positive

attitude when struggling to improve your speaking skills Wersquoll

also go into how to take criticism well and even enjoy making

mistakes6

IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

39

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

BE COOL7

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot be touchy when you get corrections or criticism even if it comes

across as harsh People rarely correct you for free and if you react

badly when they do that will probably be the last time they help you

When you arenrsquot understood just assume itrsquos never their problem It

actually might be sometimes but just assume it isnrsquot

People tend to put a lot of their pride and ego into their Chinese ability

because it takes a lot of time and effort to get good and it is a very rare

skill However just know that only when you really start to get good at

something do you realize how little you know Donrsquot fall into that trap

because you will be in for a rude awakening down the line Take your

ego out of the equation and have a great time Laugh at yourself

Itrsquos all just a game

LEARN TO ACCEPT UNCERTAINTY You will forget words yoursquove reviewed and heard for months

You will forget grammar structures yoursquove spoken correctly 10 times

before

You will get utterly lost in conversation after thinking yoursquove had a

breakthrough in your skill level

Take a deep breath Itrsquos all part of the process

7BE COOL

41

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoCriticism may not be agreeable but it is necessary It fulfils the same function as pain

in the human body It calls attention to an

unhealthy state of things - Winston Churchill

42

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Wersquove already mentioned the importance of good output Too many

mistakes without being corrected can lead to bad habits but mistakes

are inevitable Even if you follow our advice you will still have trouble

sometimes Enjoy being wronghellipevery mistake or misunderstanding

can bring you closer to fluency The key is to not worry about what you

canrsquot say just take note of it and take action Try to say something and it

came out as gibberish Make a note and try it out next time you get the

chance Get a flashcard completely wrong Good Less likely to next time

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to be sharing with you our favorite

speaking hacks that will instantly have you speaking Chinese

much more like a native and with less effort

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously Learning Chinese is just a game Enjoy yourself and take criticism with a smile

Mistakes when speaking and reviewing are inevitable and an important part of the learning process

KEY POINTS

7BE COOL

43

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

8USE THESE

Speak ldquorealrdquo Chinese

SPEAKING HACKS

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

OUR FAVORITE SPEAKING HACKS Apply even one of these techniques to your day-to-day speaking and

you will not only sound more native but will also find it much easier

to speak in general

SPEAK WITH FLUENCY

Fluency is not knowing every word It is simply the ability to say what it is

you want to say accurately using the vocabulary that you have Donrsquot

know how to say ldquointernational traderdquo Just say ldquowhen one country buys

and sells things with another countryrdquo After you say this your

conversation partner will likely say ldquooh yeah thatrsquos lsquointernational tradersquordquo

Boom New word learned within the emotional context of the

conversation to boot The key is when you donrsquot know a word donrsquot

just give up Instead do your best to explain what you want to say

with the vocabulary you have

SLOW DOWN

Speaking at around 80 of your normal rate wonrsquot sound weird at all and

it will improve both your pronunciation and your fluency instantly

Speaking more slowly gives your mouth and tongue muscles time to

get into position before a sound is made which is very helpful for those

sounds that donrsquot exist in English Plus it gives you a few extra

microseconds to think of something to say in conversation Combine

this with the next 2 hacks and yoursquore really in businesshellip

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

45

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoFake it until you make itrdquo - Steven Tyler

46

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

USE ldquoFILLERSrdquo

Everyone (including Chinese people) use these all the time in their

various native languages Why would you give yourself less of a chance

than a native speaker would to sound fluent Thatrsquos just crazy Here are

the top five uhh er umhelliprdquofillersrdquo

ēnhellip jiugraveshihellip negraveigehellip zhegraveigehellip raacutenhograveuhellip

Throw one or more of these utterances anywhere you like Put them in

every sentence if you feel the need Chinese people wonrsquot notice as they

do it too

USE CONVERSATION CONNECTORS

This is a term coined by Anthony Lauder referring to those everyday

fixed phrases that you say at the beginning middle or end of a sentence

to dress up what you want to say Here are some examples

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

我想告诉你hellip woacute xiǎng gagraveosu nǐhellip

Irsquod like you to know thathellip

你别介意不过hellip nǐ bieacute jiegraveyigrave buacuteguogravehellip Dont be upset buthellip

就像你已经知道的hellip jiugrave xiagraveng niacute yǐjīng zhīdagraveo dehellip

As you already know

多数情况hellip dagrave duō shugrave qiacutengkuagraveng

Most of the timehellip

47

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot give up so easily if you canrsquot think of a word you want to use Just use more common words to describe it

Speaking a bit slower will give you more time to think of what to say and will usually go unnoticed by a native speaker

Throw in fillers and fixed expressions to sound more like a native speaker and give yourself more time to speak at the same time

You can even thrown in English words to fill in the gaps if the above suggestions arenrsquot on the table Many young educated Chinese people do this anyway

KEY POINTS

USE ENGLISH WORDS

As a last ditch effort if you really donrsquot have the energy to ldquouse fluencyrdquo to

describe a word yoursquove forgotten just say the English word Younger

more educated Chinese speakers are likely to have a decent English

level and they themselves also like to throw in the odd English word into

conversation so itrsquos fine to follow suit At very least it keeps conversation

going to the next topic where you remember the Chinese words

NEXT TIME For our next installment in this series wersquore going to

get into the role writing has on your speaking how to write what

to write and where amp when to write Itrsquos not at all as intimidating

(or boring) as you may think

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

48

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Combine any and all of these tips to your speaking at any time to make yourself speak better instantly8

USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

49

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

WRITE REGULARLY9

Supercharge your active vocabulary

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Many beginners (and higher levels too) struggle with the frustration of

not being able to express their thoughts and feelings properly in

Chinese Even with many months and years of practice they can still feel

like the words just arenrsquot there when they need them Wersquove already

given you a bunch of steps you can take to solve this problem and we

realize that writing may be an unexpected additional step but trust us

when we say how valuable it can be

WHY WRITING IMPROVES SPEAKING IT DEMANDS FOCUS AND ATTENTION

Writing practice is the aspect of language learning that involves the

most focus and attention as you have to think about every word as you

write Just like reading writing is a slow process at first but after a short

period of regular practice you can almost hear the ldquoclicksrdquo as the words

you write become part of your vocabulary which can now be used

when you practice speaking with your tutor After all writing and

speaking are both expressive forms of communication using similar

mental processes

IT ACTIVATES VOCABULARY VERY EFFECTIVELY

Writing may just be the ultimate way to solidify your understanding of

the words and phrases yoursquove acquired through reading and listening It

may be even more effective than speaking

9WRITEREGULARLY

51

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WRITING IS MORE PERSONAL

After some practice you can start to write in your own personal style

using your own ldquovoicerdquo which naturally makes the process much more

enjoyable Writing a journal is the best way to access this benefit Posting

thoughts in Chinese on social media is another option especially for

lower levels

WRITING GIVES YOU MORE TIME TO FORMULATE THOUGHTS

Writing gives you time to think and practice the language

simultaneously whereas with speaking there is little opportunity to

really contemplate all the various ways of expressing a thought unless

you have an extremely patient (and masochistic) paid tutor

EVEN IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER YOU CAN STILL WRITE

If you donrsquot have much vocabulary you can still practice writing Just

write individual sentences or phrases Look at example sentences and

try to re-write them using slightly different vocabulary Remember just as

the incredible graded readers we talked about in chapter 4 can be

written with just a few select words and characters you too can write a

surprising amount using the small vocabulary you have at your disposal

5 INCREDIBLE WRITING TIPS GO FOR QUANTITY

Write every day Write a blog or WeChat post write individual sentences

9WRITEREGULARLY

52

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoWriting to me is simply thinking through my fingersrdquo

- Isaac Asimov

53

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

write a question on how to write something write anything You should

write something everyday and make a routine out of it The more

content the better but donrsquot ask too much of yourself or you will burn out

and not want to do it for weeks

An added bonus to writing regularly is the ability to look back on your

previous writing practice after a few weeks or months and see how far

yoursquove come This is called ldquobenchmarkingrdquo which wersquoll talk about more

next time

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT

Write about something or someone you love Write about a problem

yoursquore having Write about your goals and dreams Write about a book

you read or a youtube video you watched Write about what yoursquove

learned or would like to learn Write a journal When you do this your

own personality will shine through in your writing which will make the

words and structures you practice far more memorable

9WRITEREGULARLY

54

AIM FOR ZERO MISTAKES

Thatrsquos correct ZERO mistakes Think about what you write Take your time

to think before you put pen to paper or keyboard and look up example

sentences for words you donrsquot quite know how to use If you do these

things you will produce correct output which is fantastic for your

language skills Bad output leads to what Thatrsquos right bad habits

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

GET CORRECTIONS

Writing and getting corrections will help you notice very quickly the

patterns and structures in Chinese This attentiveness will pay off when

it comes to speaking reading and listening too

USE A WRITING SOFTWARE

Try Ommwriter Flowstate Awriter or similar writing apps designed for

writers to get you into the flow of writing

MAKE FLASHCARDS OUT OF YOUR MISTAKES

Create ultra-personalised reviewable content by taking any corrected

sentences and making a flashcard out of it

Try to combine regular speaking practice with regular writing

practice from now on and see for yourself how fast your fluency

improves

NEXT TIME For our final installment in this series wersquore going to

focus on continuing to improve your Chinese when you start to

plateau and the going getrsquos tough

9WRITEREGULARLY

55

Share your writing with a paid language exchange partner or tutor Check

out HiNative for a great place to get corrections on your writing and ask

general questions about how to use Chinese from native speakers

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Writing is a similar mental process as speaking with some important differences that can make it a more attractive outputting method under certain circumstances

Writing makes you more easily notice things about Chinese helps you activate passive vocabulary creates more personal connections to the language and gives you more time to convey your thoughts than speaking does

You can write at any level

Write as often as you can but donrsquot burn out

Write about things you care about and are passionate about so you can really enjoy the process and create more emotional connections that improve your retention

Aim not to make any mistakes because bad output means bad habits This is much easier to accomplish than with speaking as you have more time to think

Get your writing corrected by paid or free native speakers Make flashcards for words or structures you get wrong

KEY POINTS9WRITEREGULARLY

56

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

10SHARPEN THE SAW

Keep moving forward

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 33: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

1 You have a reasonable guarantee of quality Community star ratings

are commonplace

2 Far more convenient You can get online and be talking to a qualified

tutor for a few dollars an hour within a few minutes Enough said

3 Much better value for money Even if yoursquore living in China tutors still

work out cheaper online When you account for the time and effort it

takes to meet with a stranger face-to-face and the higher turnover of

tutors due to poor or quickly declining quality of lessons online tutors

are almost always more cost-effective

If you want to get online fast and take high quality online sessions with a

tutor a great resource is wwwitalkicom You can find both paid tutors

and unpaid language exchange partners here Invest a few dollars and

hours a month and it will pay off hugely for you

Italki offers tutoring in a huge range of lanugages but the vast majority of

the teachers just use skype for their lessons This is fine but you may be

surprised at the level of functionality of other Chinese-only services such

as wwwtutormandarincom

Instead of just a video call you get a live visual presentation showing

text and highlighted areas that makes everything much clearer and

more engaging This way you can practice your reading alongside your

speaking and listening all with live instruction

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

33

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

They offer a free 1-to-1 consultation and language evaluation before you

signup for anything so it canrsquot hurt to try them out

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to talk about immersion and how you

can do it regardless of your lifestyle or location to greatly improve

your speaking ability

Take control of your time with tutors making sure to point out clearly beforehand what you need from them and what your expectations are

Online tutors used in the capacity wersquove suggested are generally more time and cost-effective than face-to-face tutors even if you are in China Make the most of your study time by going for the former unless you have a guarantee of value

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

Tutors should be treated as a learning resource rather than your study gurus Their main function is to serve as a great communicator who can help you activate vocabulary and stay motivated

KEY POINTS

34

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

6IMMERSE YOURSELF

Be with Chinese as often as possible

IN CHINESE

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion deserves itrsquos own e-book all by itself as itrsquos such a deep and

varied topic but there are a few things to remember that will allow you

to immerse yourself in Chinese easily wherever you are

HOW TO IMMERSE YOURSELF First of all immersion doesnrsquot necessarily entail never speaking your

native language and ignoring your friends and family Immersion in itrsquos

most manageable form is simply being in touch with Chinese

regularly throughout the day This is doable outside China and even

with a family and a full-time job to boot Herersquos how we do it

CHANGE YOUR ENVIRONMENT

Make sure that Chinese is within 1 foot of your body at all times Ten

years ago that would have meant taping books and Chinese people

around your waist which would have been inconvenient and almost

definitely illegal Now we have these magical devices in our pockets

everywhere we go and most of us have computers or tablets as well

Always be looking for more and more level-appropriate reading and

listening materials and fill your devices with them Whenever you get

bored or frustrated with something drop it for something else You can

be picky even at beginner level Most of the time if you donrsquot enjoy

something itrsquos because you arenrsquot ready for it yet anyway Just go back

to it a few weeks or months down the line

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

36

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Organize the apps on your smart phone for reading listening speaking

and even writing Chinese so you can tap them whenever you have a

spare few minutes This makes it as easy as possible to immerse yourself

in something wherever and whenever

MAKE BETTER USE OF YOUR TIME

Listen to Chinese whenever yoursquore traveling anywhere working out

doing flashcards or housework If you have your eyes andor mouth free

as well do some interleaved learning or shadowing (see tip 4)

The key is starting not finishing Just do something for 1-15 minutes

10-20 times a day as opposed to trying to set aside large chunks of time

which either cause you to procrastinate or burn out

TALK TO LANGUAGE EXCHANGE PARTNERS

It might get expensive meeting with paid tutors every day which creates

an excuse to not practice speaking But there are more and more great

apps that allow you to connect and exchange with native Chinese

speakers for free Our favorite language exchange apps are pictured

on the next page

TALK TO YOURSELF

Yes it might feel a bit weird but it works as a decent substitute to a paid

tutor or language exchange partner Anything going through your head

just try to blurt out in Chinese Wear earphones to make it appear you are

talking on the phone so you donrsquot get placed into a mental institution

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

37

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoTime is what we want most but what we use worstrdquo

- William Penn

38

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion is doable regardless of your lifestyle Just be around Chinese many times throughout the day

Listen while doing pretty much anything Itrsquos the part of language learning that takes the least conscious effort to improve

Connect with language exchange partners via free apps Spend a few minutes chatting here and there Even talking to yourself can be really effective

KEY POINTS

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk about how to maintain a calm and positive

attitude when struggling to improve your speaking skills Wersquoll

also go into how to take criticism well and even enjoy making

mistakes6

IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

39

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

BE COOL7

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot be touchy when you get corrections or criticism even if it comes

across as harsh People rarely correct you for free and if you react

badly when they do that will probably be the last time they help you

When you arenrsquot understood just assume itrsquos never their problem It

actually might be sometimes but just assume it isnrsquot

People tend to put a lot of their pride and ego into their Chinese ability

because it takes a lot of time and effort to get good and it is a very rare

skill However just know that only when you really start to get good at

something do you realize how little you know Donrsquot fall into that trap

because you will be in for a rude awakening down the line Take your

ego out of the equation and have a great time Laugh at yourself

Itrsquos all just a game

LEARN TO ACCEPT UNCERTAINTY You will forget words yoursquove reviewed and heard for months

You will forget grammar structures yoursquove spoken correctly 10 times

before

You will get utterly lost in conversation after thinking yoursquove had a

breakthrough in your skill level

Take a deep breath Itrsquos all part of the process

7BE COOL

41

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoCriticism may not be agreeable but it is necessary It fulfils the same function as pain

in the human body It calls attention to an

unhealthy state of things - Winston Churchill

42

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Wersquove already mentioned the importance of good output Too many

mistakes without being corrected can lead to bad habits but mistakes

are inevitable Even if you follow our advice you will still have trouble

sometimes Enjoy being wronghellipevery mistake or misunderstanding

can bring you closer to fluency The key is to not worry about what you

canrsquot say just take note of it and take action Try to say something and it

came out as gibberish Make a note and try it out next time you get the

chance Get a flashcard completely wrong Good Less likely to next time

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to be sharing with you our favorite

speaking hacks that will instantly have you speaking Chinese

much more like a native and with less effort

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously Learning Chinese is just a game Enjoy yourself and take criticism with a smile

Mistakes when speaking and reviewing are inevitable and an important part of the learning process

KEY POINTS

7BE COOL

43

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

8USE THESE

Speak ldquorealrdquo Chinese

SPEAKING HACKS

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

OUR FAVORITE SPEAKING HACKS Apply even one of these techniques to your day-to-day speaking and

you will not only sound more native but will also find it much easier

to speak in general

SPEAK WITH FLUENCY

Fluency is not knowing every word It is simply the ability to say what it is

you want to say accurately using the vocabulary that you have Donrsquot

know how to say ldquointernational traderdquo Just say ldquowhen one country buys

and sells things with another countryrdquo After you say this your

conversation partner will likely say ldquooh yeah thatrsquos lsquointernational tradersquordquo

Boom New word learned within the emotional context of the

conversation to boot The key is when you donrsquot know a word donrsquot

just give up Instead do your best to explain what you want to say

with the vocabulary you have

SLOW DOWN

Speaking at around 80 of your normal rate wonrsquot sound weird at all and

it will improve both your pronunciation and your fluency instantly

Speaking more slowly gives your mouth and tongue muscles time to

get into position before a sound is made which is very helpful for those

sounds that donrsquot exist in English Plus it gives you a few extra

microseconds to think of something to say in conversation Combine

this with the next 2 hacks and yoursquore really in businesshellip

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

45

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoFake it until you make itrdquo - Steven Tyler

46

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

USE ldquoFILLERSrdquo

Everyone (including Chinese people) use these all the time in their

various native languages Why would you give yourself less of a chance

than a native speaker would to sound fluent Thatrsquos just crazy Here are

the top five uhh er umhelliprdquofillersrdquo

ēnhellip jiugraveshihellip negraveigehellip zhegraveigehellip raacutenhograveuhellip

Throw one or more of these utterances anywhere you like Put them in

every sentence if you feel the need Chinese people wonrsquot notice as they

do it too

USE CONVERSATION CONNECTORS

This is a term coined by Anthony Lauder referring to those everyday

fixed phrases that you say at the beginning middle or end of a sentence

to dress up what you want to say Here are some examples

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

我想告诉你hellip woacute xiǎng gagraveosu nǐhellip

Irsquod like you to know thathellip

你别介意不过hellip nǐ bieacute jiegraveyigrave buacuteguogravehellip Dont be upset buthellip

就像你已经知道的hellip jiugrave xiagraveng niacute yǐjīng zhīdagraveo dehellip

As you already know

多数情况hellip dagrave duō shugrave qiacutengkuagraveng

Most of the timehellip

47

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot give up so easily if you canrsquot think of a word you want to use Just use more common words to describe it

Speaking a bit slower will give you more time to think of what to say and will usually go unnoticed by a native speaker

Throw in fillers and fixed expressions to sound more like a native speaker and give yourself more time to speak at the same time

You can even thrown in English words to fill in the gaps if the above suggestions arenrsquot on the table Many young educated Chinese people do this anyway

KEY POINTS

USE ENGLISH WORDS

As a last ditch effort if you really donrsquot have the energy to ldquouse fluencyrdquo to

describe a word yoursquove forgotten just say the English word Younger

more educated Chinese speakers are likely to have a decent English

level and they themselves also like to throw in the odd English word into

conversation so itrsquos fine to follow suit At very least it keeps conversation

going to the next topic where you remember the Chinese words

NEXT TIME For our next installment in this series wersquore going to

get into the role writing has on your speaking how to write what

to write and where amp when to write Itrsquos not at all as intimidating

(or boring) as you may think

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

48

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Combine any and all of these tips to your speaking at any time to make yourself speak better instantly8

USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

49

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

WRITE REGULARLY9

Supercharge your active vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Many beginners (and higher levels too) struggle with the frustration of

not being able to express their thoughts and feelings properly in

Chinese Even with many months and years of practice they can still feel

like the words just arenrsquot there when they need them Wersquove already

given you a bunch of steps you can take to solve this problem and we

realize that writing may be an unexpected additional step but trust us

when we say how valuable it can be

WHY WRITING IMPROVES SPEAKING IT DEMANDS FOCUS AND ATTENTION

Writing practice is the aspect of language learning that involves the

most focus and attention as you have to think about every word as you

write Just like reading writing is a slow process at first but after a short

period of regular practice you can almost hear the ldquoclicksrdquo as the words

you write become part of your vocabulary which can now be used

when you practice speaking with your tutor After all writing and

speaking are both expressive forms of communication using similar

mental processes

IT ACTIVATES VOCABULARY VERY EFFECTIVELY

Writing may just be the ultimate way to solidify your understanding of

the words and phrases yoursquove acquired through reading and listening It

may be even more effective than speaking

9WRITEREGULARLY

51

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WRITING IS MORE PERSONAL

After some practice you can start to write in your own personal style

using your own ldquovoicerdquo which naturally makes the process much more

enjoyable Writing a journal is the best way to access this benefit Posting

thoughts in Chinese on social media is another option especially for

lower levels

WRITING GIVES YOU MORE TIME TO FORMULATE THOUGHTS

Writing gives you time to think and practice the language

simultaneously whereas with speaking there is little opportunity to

really contemplate all the various ways of expressing a thought unless

you have an extremely patient (and masochistic) paid tutor

EVEN IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER YOU CAN STILL WRITE

If you donrsquot have much vocabulary you can still practice writing Just

write individual sentences or phrases Look at example sentences and

try to re-write them using slightly different vocabulary Remember just as

the incredible graded readers we talked about in chapter 4 can be

written with just a few select words and characters you too can write a

surprising amount using the small vocabulary you have at your disposal

5 INCREDIBLE WRITING TIPS GO FOR QUANTITY

Write every day Write a blog or WeChat post write individual sentences

9WRITEREGULARLY

52

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoWriting to me is simply thinking through my fingersrdquo

- Isaac Asimov

53

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

write a question on how to write something write anything You should

write something everyday and make a routine out of it The more

content the better but donrsquot ask too much of yourself or you will burn out

and not want to do it for weeks

An added bonus to writing regularly is the ability to look back on your

previous writing practice after a few weeks or months and see how far

yoursquove come This is called ldquobenchmarkingrdquo which wersquoll talk about more

next time

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT

Write about something or someone you love Write about a problem

yoursquore having Write about your goals and dreams Write about a book

you read or a youtube video you watched Write about what yoursquove

learned or would like to learn Write a journal When you do this your

own personality will shine through in your writing which will make the

words and structures you practice far more memorable

9WRITEREGULARLY

54

AIM FOR ZERO MISTAKES

Thatrsquos correct ZERO mistakes Think about what you write Take your time

to think before you put pen to paper or keyboard and look up example

sentences for words you donrsquot quite know how to use If you do these

things you will produce correct output which is fantastic for your

language skills Bad output leads to what Thatrsquos right bad habits

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

GET CORRECTIONS

Writing and getting corrections will help you notice very quickly the

patterns and structures in Chinese This attentiveness will pay off when

it comes to speaking reading and listening too

USE A WRITING SOFTWARE

Try Ommwriter Flowstate Awriter or similar writing apps designed for

writers to get you into the flow of writing

MAKE FLASHCARDS OUT OF YOUR MISTAKES

Create ultra-personalised reviewable content by taking any corrected

sentences and making a flashcard out of it

Try to combine regular speaking practice with regular writing

practice from now on and see for yourself how fast your fluency

improves

NEXT TIME For our final installment in this series wersquore going to

focus on continuing to improve your Chinese when you start to

plateau and the going getrsquos tough

9WRITEREGULARLY

55

Share your writing with a paid language exchange partner or tutor Check

out HiNative for a great place to get corrections on your writing and ask

general questions about how to use Chinese from native speakers

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Writing is a similar mental process as speaking with some important differences that can make it a more attractive outputting method under certain circumstances

Writing makes you more easily notice things about Chinese helps you activate passive vocabulary creates more personal connections to the language and gives you more time to convey your thoughts than speaking does

You can write at any level

Write as often as you can but donrsquot burn out

Write about things you care about and are passionate about so you can really enjoy the process and create more emotional connections that improve your retention

Aim not to make any mistakes because bad output means bad habits This is much easier to accomplish than with speaking as you have more time to think

Get your writing corrected by paid or free native speakers Make flashcards for words or structures you get wrong

KEY POINTS9WRITEREGULARLY

56

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

10SHARPEN THE SAW

Keep moving forward

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 34: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

They offer a free 1-to-1 consultation and language evaluation before you

signup for anything so it canrsquot hurt to try them out

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to talk about immersion and how you

can do it regardless of your lifestyle or location to greatly improve

your speaking ability

Take control of your time with tutors making sure to point out clearly beforehand what you need from them and what your expectations are

Online tutors used in the capacity wersquove suggested are generally more time and cost-effective than face-to-face tutors even if you are in China Make the most of your study time by going for the former unless you have a guarantee of value

5USE TUTORSEFFECTIVELY

Tutors should be treated as a learning resource rather than your study gurus Their main function is to serve as a great communicator who can help you activate vocabulary and stay motivated

KEY POINTS

34

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

6IMMERSE YOURSELF

Be with Chinese as often as possible

IN CHINESE

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion deserves itrsquos own e-book all by itself as itrsquos such a deep and

varied topic but there are a few things to remember that will allow you

to immerse yourself in Chinese easily wherever you are

HOW TO IMMERSE YOURSELF First of all immersion doesnrsquot necessarily entail never speaking your

native language and ignoring your friends and family Immersion in itrsquos

most manageable form is simply being in touch with Chinese

regularly throughout the day This is doable outside China and even

with a family and a full-time job to boot Herersquos how we do it

CHANGE YOUR ENVIRONMENT

Make sure that Chinese is within 1 foot of your body at all times Ten

years ago that would have meant taping books and Chinese people

around your waist which would have been inconvenient and almost

definitely illegal Now we have these magical devices in our pockets

everywhere we go and most of us have computers or tablets as well

Always be looking for more and more level-appropriate reading and

listening materials and fill your devices with them Whenever you get

bored or frustrated with something drop it for something else You can

be picky even at beginner level Most of the time if you donrsquot enjoy

something itrsquos because you arenrsquot ready for it yet anyway Just go back

to it a few weeks or months down the line

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

36

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Organize the apps on your smart phone for reading listening speaking

and even writing Chinese so you can tap them whenever you have a

spare few minutes This makes it as easy as possible to immerse yourself

in something wherever and whenever

MAKE BETTER USE OF YOUR TIME

Listen to Chinese whenever yoursquore traveling anywhere working out

doing flashcards or housework If you have your eyes andor mouth free

as well do some interleaved learning or shadowing (see tip 4)

The key is starting not finishing Just do something for 1-15 minutes

10-20 times a day as opposed to trying to set aside large chunks of time

which either cause you to procrastinate or burn out

TALK TO LANGUAGE EXCHANGE PARTNERS

It might get expensive meeting with paid tutors every day which creates

an excuse to not practice speaking But there are more and more great

apps that allow you to connect and exchange with native Chinese

speakers for free Our favorite language exchange apps are pictured

on the next page

TALK TO YOURSELF

Yes it might feel a bit weird but it works as a decent substitute to a paid

tutor or language exchange partner Anything going through your head

just try to blurt out in Chinese Wear earphones to make it appear you are

talking on the phone so you donrsquot get placed into a mental institution

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

37

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoTime is what we want most but what we use worstrdquo

- William Penn

38

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion is doable regardless of your lifestyle Just be around Chinese many times throughout the day

Listen while doing pretty much anything Itrsquos the part of language learning that takes the least conscious effort to improve

Connect with language exchange partners via free apps Spend a few minutes chatting here and there Even talking to yourself can be really effective

KEY POINTS

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk about how to maintain a calm and positive

attitude when struggling to improve your speaking skills Wersquoll

also go into how to take criticism well and even enjoy making

mistakes6

IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

39

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

BE COOL7

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot be touchy when you get corrections or criticism even if it comes

across as harsh People rarely correct you for free and if you react

badly when they do that will probably be the last time they help you

When you arenrsquot understood just assume itrsquos never their problem It

actually might be sometimes but just assume it isnrsquot

People tend to put a lot of their pride and ego into their Chinese ability

because it takes a lot of time and effort to get good and it is a very rare

skill However just know that only when you really start to get good at

something do you realize how little you know Donrsquot fall into that trap

because you will be in for a rude awakening down the line Take your

ego out of the equation and have a great time Laugh at yourself

Itrsquos all just a game

LEARN TO ACCEPT UNCERTAINTY You will forget words yoursquove reviewed and heard for months

You will forget grammar structures yoursquove spoken correctly 10 times

before

You will get utterly lost in conversation after thinking yoursquove had a

breakthrough in your skill level

Take a deep breath Itrsquos all part of the process

7BE COOL

41

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoCriticism may not be agreeable but it is necessary It fulfils the same function as pain

in the human body It calls attention to an

unhealthy state of things - Winston Churchill

42

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Wersquove already mentioned the importance of good output Too many

mistakes without being corrected can lead to bad habits but mistakes

are inevitable Even if you follow our advice you will still have trouble

sometimes Enjoy being wronghellipevery mistake or misunderstanding

can bring you closer to fluency The key is to not worry about what you

canrsquot say just take note of it and take action Try to say something and it

came out as gibberish Make a note and try it out next time you get the

chance Get a flashcard completely wrong Good Less likely to next time

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to be sharing with you our favorite

speaking hacks that will instantly have you speaking Chinese

much more like a native and with less effort

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously Learning Chinese is just a game Enjoy yourself and take criticism with a smile

Mistakes when speaking and reviewing are inevitable and an important part of the learning process

KEY POINTS

7BE COOL

43

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

8USE THESE

Speak ldquorealrdquo Chinese

SPEAKING HACKS

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

OUR FAVORITE SPEAKING HACKS Apply even one of these techniques to your day-to-day speaking and

you will not only sound more native but will also find it much easier

to speak in general

SPEAK WITH FLUENCY

Fluency is not knowing every word It is simply the ability to say what it is

you want to say accurately using the vocabulary that you have Donrsquot

know how to say ldquointernational traderdquo Just say ldquowhen one country buys

and sells things with another countryrdquo After you say this your

conversation partner will likely say ldquooh yeah thatrsquos lsquointernational tradersquordquo

Boom New word learned within the emotional context of the

conversation to boot The key is when you donrsquot know a word donrsquot

just give up Instead do your best to explain what you want to say

with the vocabulary you have

SLOW DOWN

Speaking at around 80 of your normal rate wonrsquot sound weird at all and

it will improve both your pronunciation and your fluency instantly

Speaking more slowly gives your mouth and tongue muscles time to

get into position before a sound is made which is very helpful for those

sounds that donrsquot exist in English Plus it gives you a few extra

microseconds to think of something to say in conversation Combine

this with the next 2 hacks and yoursquore really in businesshellip

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

45

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoFake it until you make itrdquo - Steven Tyler

46

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

USE ldquoFILLERSrdquo

Everyone (including Chinese people) use these all the time in their

various native languages Why would you give yourself less of a chance

than a native speaker would to sound fluent Thatrsquos just crazy Here are

the top five uhh er umhelliprdquofillersrdquo

ēnhellip jiugraveshihellip negraveigehellip zhegraveigehellip raacutenhograveuhellip

Throw one or more of these utterances anywhere you like Put them in

every sentence if you feel the need Chinese people wonrsquot notice as they

do it too

USE CONVERSATION CONNECTORS

This is a term coined by Anthony Lauder referring to those everyday

fixed phrases that you say at the beginning middle or end of a sentence

to dress up what you want to say Here are some examples

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

我想告诉你hellip woacute xiǎng gagraveosu nǐhellip

Irsquod like you to know thathellip

你别介意不过hellip nǐ bieacute jiegraveyigrave buacuteguogravehellip Dont be upset buthellip

就像你已经知道的hellip jiugrave xiagraveng niacute yǐjīng zhīdagraveo dehellip

As you already know

多数情况hellip dagrave duō shugrave qiacutengkuagraveng

Most of the timehellip

47

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot give up so easily if you canrsquot think of a word you want to use Just use more common words to describe it

Speaking a bit slower will give you more time to think of what to say and will usually go unnoticed by a native speaker

Throw in fillers and fixed expressions to sound more like a native speaker and give yourself more time to speak at the same time

You can even thrown in English words to fill in the gaps if the above suggestions arenrsquot on the table Many young educated Chinese people do this anyway

KEY POINTS

USE ENGLISH WORDS

As a last ditch effort if you really donrsquot have the energy to ldquouse fluencyrdquo to

describe a word yoursquove forgotten just say the English word Younger

more educated Chinese speakers are likely to have a decent English

level and they themselves also like to throw in the odd English word into

conversation so itrsquos fine to follow suit At very least it keeps conversation

going to the next topic where you remember the Chinese words

NEXT TIME For our next installment in this series wersquore going to

get into the role writing has on your speaking how to write what

to write and where amp when to write Itrsquos not at all as intimidating

(or boring) as you may think

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

48

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Combine any and all of these tips to your speaking at any time to make yourself speak better instantly8

USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

49

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

WRITE REGULARLY9

Supercharge your active vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Many beginners (and higher levels too) struggle with the frustration of

not being able to express their thoughts and feelings properly in

Chinese Even with many months and years of practice they can still feel

like the words just arenrsquot there when they need them Wersquove already

given you a bunch of steps you can take to solve this problem and we

realize that writing may be an unexpected additional step but trust us

when we say how valuable it can be

WHY WRITING IMPROVES SPEAKING IT DEMANDS FOCUS AND ATTENTION

Writing practice is the aspect of language learning that involves the

most focus and attention as you have to think about every word as you

write Just like reading writing is a slow process at first but after a short

period of regular practice you can almost hear the ldquoclicksrdquo as the words

you write become part of your vocabulary which can now be used

when you practice speaking with your tutor After all writing and

speaking are both expressive forms of communication using similar

mental processes

IT ACTIVATES VOCABULARY VERY EFFECTIVELY

Writing may just be the ultimate way to solidify your understanding of

the words and phrases yoursquove acquired through reading and listening It

may be even more effective than speaking

9WRITEREGULARLY

51

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WRITING IS MORE PERSONAL

After some practice you can start to write in your own personal style

using your own ldquovoicerdquo which naturally makes the process much more

enjoyable Writing a journal is the best way to access this benefit Posting

thoughts in Chinese on social media is another option especially for

lower levels

WRITING GIVES YOU MORE TIME TO FORMULATE THOUGHTS

Writing gives you time to think and practice the language

simultaneously whereas with speaking there is little opportunity to

really contemplate all the various ways of expressing a thought unless

you have an extremely patient (and masochistic) paid tutor

EVEN IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER YOU CAN STILL WRITE

If you donrsquot have much vocabulary you can still practice writing Just

write individual sentences or phrases Look at example sentences and

try to re-write them using slightly different vocabulary Remember just as

the incredible graded readers we talked about in chapter 4 can be

written with just a few select words and characters you too can write a

surprising amount using the small vocabulary you have at your disposal

5 INCREDIBLE WRITING TIPS GO FOR QUANTITY

Write every day Write a blog or WeChat post write individual sentences

9WRITEREGULARLY

52

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoWriting to me is simply thinking through my fingersrdquo

- Isaac Asimov

53

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

write a question on how to write something write anything You should

write something everyday and make a routine out of it The more

content the better but donrsquot ask too much of yourself or you will burn out

and not want to do it for weeks

An added bonus to writing regularly is the ability to look back on your

previous writing practice after a few weeks or months and see how far

yoursquove come This is called ldquobenchmarkingrdquo which wersquoll talk about more

next time

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT

Write about something or someone you love Write about a problem

yoursquore having Write about your goals and dreams Write about a book

you read or a youtube video you watched Write about what yoursquove

learned or would like to learn Write a journal When you do this your

own personality will shine through in your writing which will make the

words and structures you practice far more memorable

9WRITEREGULARLY

54

AIM FOR ZERO MISTAKES

Thatrsquos correct ZERO mistakes Think about what you write Take your time

to think before you put pen to paper or keyboard and look up example

sentences for words you donrsquot quite know how to use If you do these

things you will produce correct output which is fantastic for your

language skills Bad output leads to what Thatrsquos right bad habits

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

GET CORRECTIONS

Writing and getting corrections will help you notice very quickly the

patterns and structures in Chinese This attentiveness will pay off when

it comes to speaking reading and listening too

USE A WRITING SOFTWARE

Try Ommwriter Flowstate Awriter or similar writing apps designed for

writers to get you into the flow of writing

MAKE FLASHCARDS OUT OF YOUR MISTAKES

Create ultra-personalised reviewable content by taking any corrected

sentences and making a flashcard out of it

Try to combine regular speaking practice with regular writing

practice from now on and see for yourself how fast your fluency

improves

NEXT TIME For our final installment in this series wersquore going to

focus on continuing to improve your Chinese when you start to

plateau and the going getrsquos tough

9WRITEREGULARLY

55

Share your writing with a paid language exchange partner or tutor Check

out HiNative for a great place to get corrections on your writing and ask

general questions about how to use Chinese from native speakers

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Writing is a similar mental process as speaking with some important differences that can make it a more attractive outputting method under certain circumstances

Writing makes you more easily notice things about Chinese helps you activate passive vocabulary creates more personal connections to the language and gives you more time to convey your thoughts than speaking does

You can write at any level

Write as often as you can but donrsquot burn out

Write about things you care about and are passionate about so you can really enjoy the process and create more emotional connections that improve your retention

Aim not to make any mistakes because bad output means bad habits This is much easier to accomplish than with speaking as you have more time to think

Get your writing corrected by paid or free native speakers Make flashcards for words or structures you get wrong

KEY POINTS9WRITEREGULARLY

56

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

10SHARPEN THE SAW

Keep moving forward

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 35: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

6IMMERSE YOURSELF

Be with Chinese as often as possible

IN CHINESE

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion deserves itrsquos own e-book all by itself as itrsquos such a deep and

varied topic but there are a few things to remember that will allow you

to immerse yourself in Chinese easily wherever you are

HOW TO IMMERSE YOURSELF First of all immersion doesnrsquot necessarily entail never speaking your

native language and ignoring your friends and family Immersion in itrsquos

most manageable form is simply being in touch with Chinese

regularly throughout the day This is doable outside China and even

with a family and a full-time job to boot Herersquos how we do it

CHANGE YOUR ENVIRONMENT

Make sure that Chinese is within 1 foot of your body at all times Ten

years ago that would have meant taping books and Chinese people

around your waist which would have been inconvenient and almost

definitely illegal Now we have these magical devices in our pockets

everywhere we go and most of us have computers or tablets as well

Always be looking for more and more level-appropriate reading and

listening materials and fill your devices with them Whenever you get

bored or frustrated with something drop it for something else You can

be picky even at beginner level Most of the time if you donrsquot enjoy

something itrsquos because you arenrsquot ready for it yet anyway Just go back

to it a few weeks or months down the line

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

36

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Organize the apps on your smart phone for reading listening speaking

and even writing Chinese so you can tap them whenever you have a

spare few minutes This makes it as easy as possible to immerse yourself

in something wherever and whenever

MAKE BETTER USE OF YOUR TIME

Listen to Chinese whenever yoursquore traveling anywhere working out

doing flashcards or housework If you have your eyes andor mouth free

as well do some interleaved learning or shadowing (see tip 4)

The key is starting not finishing Just do something for 1-15 minutes

10-20 times a day as opposed to trying to set aside large chunks of time

which either cause you to procrastinate or burn out

TALK TO LANGUAGE EXCHANGE PARTNERS

It might get expensive meeting with paid tutors every day which creates

an excuse to not practice speaking But there are more and more great

apps that allow you to connect and exchange with native Chinese

speakers for free Our favorite language exchange apps are pictured

on the next page

TALK TO YOURSELF

Yes it might feel a bit weird but it works as a decent substitute to a paid

tutor or language exchange partner Anything going through your head

just try to blurt out in Chinese Wear earphones to make it appear you are

talking on the phone so you donrsquot get placed into a mental institution

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

37

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoTime is what we want most but what we use worstrdquo

- William Penn

38

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion is doable regardless of your lifestyle Just be around Chinese many times throughout the day

Listen while doing pretty much anything Itrsquos the part of language learning that takes the least conscious effort to improve

Connect with language exchange partners via free apps Spend a few minutes chatting here and there Even talking to yourself can be really effective

KEY POINTS

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk about how to maintain a calm and positive

attitude when struggling to improve your speaking skills Wersquoll

also go into how to take criticism well and even enjoy making

mistakes6

IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

39

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

BE COOL7

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot be touchy when you get corrections or criticism even if it comes

across as harsh People rarely correct you for free and if you react

badly when they do that will probably be the last time they help you

When you arenrsquot understood just assume itrsquos never their problem It

actually might be sometimes but just assume it isnrsquot

People tend to put a lot of their pride and ego into their Chinese ability

because it takes a lot of time and effort to get good and it is a very rare

skill However just know that only when you really start to get good at

something do you realize how little you know Donrsquot fall into that trap

because you will be in for a rude awakening down the line Take your

ego out of the equation and have a great time Laugh at yourself

Itrsquos all just a game

LEARN TO ACCEPT UNCERTAINTY You will forget words yoursquove reviewed and heard for months

You will forget grammar structures yoursquove spoken correctly 10 times

before

You will get utterly lost in conversation after thinking yoursquove had a

breakthrough in your skill level

Take a deep breath Itrsquos all part of the process

7BE COOL

41

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoCriticism may not be agreeable but it is necessary It fulfils the same function as pain

in the human body It calls attention to an

unhealthy state of things - Winston Churchill

42

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Wersquove already mentioned the importance of good output Too many

mistakes without being corrected can lead to bad habits but mistakes

are inevitable Even if you follow our advice you will still have trouble

sometimes Enjoy being wronghellipevery mistake or misunderstanding

can bring you closer to fluency The key is to not worry about what you

canrsquot say just take note of it and take action Try to say something and it

came out as gibberish Make a note and try it out next time you get the

chance Get a flashcard completely wrong Good Less likely to next time

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to be sharing with you our favorite

speaking hacks that will instantly have you speaking Chinese

much more like a native and with less effort

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously Learning Chinese is just a game Enjoy yourself and take criticism with a smile

Mistakes when speaking and reviewing are inevitable and an important part of the learning process

KEY POINTS

7BE COOL

43

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

8USE THESE

Speak ldquorealrdquo Chinese

SPEAKING HACKS

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

OUR FAVORITE SPEAKING HACKS Apply even one of these techniques to your day-to-day speaking and

you will not only sound more native but will also find it much easier

to speak in general

SPEAK WITH FLUENCY

Fluency is not knowing every word It is simply the ability to say what it is

you want to say accurately using the vocabulary that you have Donrsquot

know how to say ldquointernational traderdquo Just say ldquowhen one country buys

and sells things with another countryrdquo After you say this your

conversation partner will likely say ldquooh yeah thatrsquos lsquointernational tradersquordquo

Boom New word learned within the emotional context of the

conversation to boot The key is when you donrsquot know a word donrsquot

just give up Instead do your best to explain what you want to say

with the vocabulary you have

SLOW DOWN

Speaking at around 80 of your normal rate wonrsquot sound weird at all and

it will improve both your pronunciation and your fluency instantly

Speaking more slowly gives your mouth and tongue muscles time to

get into position before a sound is made which is very helpful for those

sounds that donrsquot exist in English Plus it gives you a few extra

microseconds to think of something to say in conversation Combine

this with the next 2 hacks and yoursquore really in businesshellip

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

45

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoFake it until you make itrdquo - Steven Tyler

46

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

USE ldquoFILLERSrdquo

Everyone (including Chinese people) use these all the time in their

various native languages Why would you give yourself less of a chance

than a native speaker would to sound fluent Thatrsquos just crazy Here are

the top five uhh er umhelliprdquofillersrdquo

ēnhellip jiugraveshihellip negraveigehellip zhegraveigehellip raacutenhograveuhellip

Throw one or more of these utterances anywhere you like Put them in

every sentence if you feel the need Chinese people wonrsquot notice as they

do it too

USE CONVERSATION CONNECTORS

This is a term coined by Anthony Lauder referring to those everyday

fixed phrases that you say at the beginning middle or end of a sentence

to dress up what you want to say Here are some examples

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

我想告诉你hellip woacute xiǎng gagraveosu nǐhellip

Irsquod like you to know thathellip

你别介意不过hellip nǐ bieacute jiegraveyigrave buacuteguogravehellip Dont be upset buthellip

就像你已经知道的hellip jiugrave xiagraveng niacute yǐjīng zhīdagraveo dehellip

As you already know

多数情况hellip dagrave duō shugrave qiacutengkuagraveng

Most of the timehellip

47

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot give up so easily if you canrsquot think of a word you want to use Just use more common words to describe it

Speaking a bit slower will give you more time to think of what to say and will usually go unnoticed by a native speaker

Throw in fillers and fixed expressions to sound more like a native speaker and give yourself more time to speak at the same time

You can even thrown in English words to fill in the gaps if the above suggestions arenrsquot on the table Many young educated Chinese people do this anyway

KEY POINTS

USE ENGLISH WORDS

As a last ditch effort if you really donrsquot have the energy to ldquouse fluencyrdquo to

describe a word yoursquove forgotten just say the English word Younger

more educated Chinese speakers are likely to have a decent English

level and they themselves also like to throw in the odd English word into

conversation so itrsquos fine to follow suit At very least it keeps conversation

going to the next topic where you remember the Chinese words

NEXT TIME For our next installment in this series wersquore going to

get into the role writing has on your speaking how to write what

to write and where amp when to write Itrsquos not at all as intimidating

(or boring) as you may think

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

48

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Combine any and all of these tips to your speaking at any time to make yourself speak better instantly8

USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

49

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

WRITE REGULARLY9

Supercharge your active vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Many beginners (and higher levels too) struggle with the frustration of

not being able to express their thoughts and feelings properly in

Chinese Even with many months and years of practice they can still feel

like the words just arenrsquot there when they need them Wersquove already

given you a bunch of steps you can take to solve this problem and we

realize that writing may be an unexpected additional step but trust us

when we say how valuable it can be

WHY WRITING IMPROVES SPEAKING IT DEMANDS FOCUS AND ATTENTION

Writing practice is the aspect of language learning that involves the

most focus and attention as you have to think about every word as you

write Just like reading writing is a slow process at first but after a short

period of regular practice you can almost hear the ldquoclicksrdquo as the words

you write become part of your vocabulary which can now be used

when you practice speaking with your tutor After all writing and

speaking are both expressive forms of communication using similar

mental processes

IT ACTIVATES VOCABULARY VERY EFFECTIVELY

Writing may just be the ultimate way to solidify your understanding of

the words and phrases yoursquove acquired through reading and listening It

may be even more effective than speaking

9WRITEREGULARLY

51

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WRITING IS MORE PERSONAL

After some practice you can start to write in your own personal style

using your own ldquovoicerdquo which naturally makes the process much more

enjoyable Writing a journal is the best way to access this benefit Posting

thoughts in Chinese on social media is another option especially for

lower levels

WRITING GIVES YOU MORE TIME TO FORMULATE THOUGHTS

Writing gives you time to think and practice the language

simultaneously whereas with speaking there is little opportunity to

really contemplate all the various ways of expressing a thought unless

you have an extremely patient (and masochistic) paid tutor

EVEN IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER YOU CAN STILL WRITE

If you donrsquot have much vocabulary you can still practice writing Just

write individual sentences or phrases Look at example sentences and

try to re-write them using slightly different vocabulary Remember just as

the incredible graded readers we talked about in chapter 4 can be

written with just a few select words and characters you too can write a

surprising amount using the small vocabulary you have at your disposal

5 INCREDIBLE WRITING TIPS GO FOR QUANTITY

Write every day Write a blog or WeChat post write individual sentences

9WRITEREGULARLY

52

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoWriting to me is simply thinking through my fingersrdquo

- Isaac Asimov

53

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

write a question on how to write something write anything You should

write something everyday and make a routine out of it The more

content the better but donrsquot ask too much of yourself or you will burn out

and not want to do it for weeks

An added bonus to writing regularly is the ability to look back on your

previous writing practice after a few weeks or months and see how far

yoursquove come This is called ldquobenchmarkingrdquo which wersquoll talk about more

next time

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT

Write about something or someone you love Write about a problem

yoursquore having Write about your goals and dreams Write about a book

you read or a youtube video you watched Write about what yoursquove

learned or would like to learn Write a journal When you do this your

own personality will shine through in your writing which will make the

words and structures you practice far more memorable

9WRITEREGULARLY

54

AIM FOR ZERO MISTAKES

Thatrsquos correct ZERO mistakes Think about what you write Take your time

to think before you put pen to paper or keyboard and look up example

sentences for words you donrsquot quite know how to use If you do these

things you will produce correct output which is fantastic for your

language skills Bad output leads to what Thatrsquos right bad habits

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

GET CORRECTIONS

Writing and getting corrections will help you notice very quickly the

patterns and structures in Chinese This attentiveness will pay off when

it comes to speaking reading and listening too

USE A WRITING SOFTWARE

Try Ommwriter Flowstate Awriter or similar writing apps designed for

writers to get you into the flow of writing

MAKE FLASHCARDS OUT OF YOUR MISTAKES

Create ultra-personalised reviewable content by taking any corrected

sentences and making a flashcard out of it

Try to combine regular speaking practice with regular writing

practice from now on and see for yourself how fast your fluency

improves

NEXT TIME For our final installment in this series wersquore going to

focus on continuing to improve your Chinese when you start to

plateau and the going getrsquos tough

9WRITEREGULARLY

55

Share your writing with a paid language exchange partner or tutor Check

out HiNative for a great place to get corrections on your writing and ask

general questions about how to use Chinese from native speakers

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Writing is a similar mental process as speaking with some important differences that can make it a more attractive outputting method under certain circumstances

Writing makes you more easily notice things about Chinese helps you activate passive vocabulary creates more personal connections to the language and gives you more time to convey your thoughts than speaking does

You can write at any level

Write as often as you can but donrsquot burn out

Write about things you care about and are passionate about so you can really enjoy the process and create more emotional connections that improve your retention

Aim not to make any mistakes because bad output means bad habits This is much easier to accomplish than with speaking as you have more time to think

Get your writing corrected by paid or free native speakers Make flashcards for words or structures you get wrong

KEY POINTS9WRITEREGULARLY

56

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

10SHARPEN THE SAW

Keep moving forward

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 36: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion deserves itrsquos own e-book all by itself as itrsquos such a deep and

varied topic but there are a few things to remember that will allow you

to immerse yourself in Chinese easily wherever you are

HOW TO IMMERSE YOURSELF First of all immersion doesnrsquot necessarily entail never speaking your

native language and ignoring your friends and family Immersion in itrsquos

most manageable form is simply being in touch with Chinese

regularly throughout the day This is doable outside China and even

with a family and a full-time job to boot Herersquos how we do it

CHANGE YOUR ENVIRONMENT

Make sure that Chinese is within 1 foot of your body at all times Ten

years ago that would have meant taping books and Chinese people

around your waist which would have been inconvenient and almost

definitely illegal Now we have these magical devices in our pockets

everywhere we go and most of us have computers or tablets as well

Always be looking for more and more level-appropriate reading and

listening materials and fill your devices with them Whenever you get

bored or frustrated with something drop it for something else You can

be picky even at beginner level Most of the time if you donrsquot enjoy

something itrsquos because you arenrsquot ready for it yet anyway Just go back

to it a few weeks or months down the line

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

36

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Organize the apps on your smart phone for reading listening speaking

and even writing Chinese so you can tap them whenever you have a

spare few minutes This makes it as easy as possible to immerse yourself

in something wherever and whenever

MAKE BETTER USE OF YOUR TIME

Listen to Chinese whenever yoursquore traveling anywhere working out

doing flashcards or housework If you have your eyes andor mouth free

as well do some interleaved learning or shadowing (see tip 4)

The key is starting not finishing Just do something for 1-15 minutes

10-20 times a day as opposed to trying to set aside large chunks of time

which either cause you to procrastinate or burn out

TALK TO LANGUAGE EXCHANGE PARTNERS

It might get expensive meeting with paid tutors every day which creates

an excuse to not practice speaking But there are more and more great

apps that allow you to connect and exchange with native Chinese

speakers for free Our favorite language exchange apps are pictured

on the next page

TALK TO YOURSELF

Yes it might feel a bit weird but it works as a decent substitute to a paid

tutor or language exchange partner Anything going through your head

just try to blurt out in Chinese Wear earphones to make it appear you are

talking on the phone so you donrsquot get placed into a mental institution

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

37

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoTime is what we want most but what we use worstrdquo

- William Penn

38

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion is doable regardless of your lifestyle Just be around Chinese many times throughout the day

Listen while doing pretty much anything Itrsquos the part of language learning that takes the least conscious effort to improve

Connect with language exchange partners via free apps Spend a few minutes chatting here and there Even talking to yourself can be really effective

KEY POINTS

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk about how to maintain a calm and positive

attitude when struggling to improve your speaking skills Wersquoll

also go into how to take criticism well and even enjoy making

mistakes6

IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

39

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

BE COOL7

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot be touchy when you get corrections or criticism even if it comes

across as harsh People rarely correct you for free and if you react

badly when they do that will probably be the last time they help you

When you arenrsquot understood just assume itrsquos never their problem It

actually might be sometimes but just assume it isnrsquot

People tend to put a lot of their pride and ego into their Chinese ability

because it takes a lot of time and effort to get good and it is a very rare

skill However just know that only when you really start to get good at

something do you realize how little you know Donrsquot fall into that trap

because you will be in for a rude awakening down the line Take your

ego out of the equation and have a great time Laugh at yourself

Itrsquos all just a game

LEARN TO ACCEPT UNCERTAINTY You will forget words yoursquove reviewed and heard for months

You will forget grammar structures yoursquove spoken correctly 10 times

before

You will get utterly lost in conversation after thinking yoursquove had a

breakthrough in your skill level

Take a deep breath Itrsquos all part of the process

7BE COOL

41

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoCriticism may not be agreeable but it is necessary It fulfils the same function as pain

in the human body It calls attention to an

unhealthy state of things - Winston Churchill

42

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Wersquove already mentioned the importance of good output Too many

mistakes without being corrected can lead to bad habits but mistakes

are inevitable Even if you follow our advice you will still have trouble

sometimes Enjoy being wronghellipevery mistake or misunderstanding

can bring you closer to fluency The key is to not worry about what you

canrsquot say just take note of it and take action Try to say something and it

came out as gibberish Make a note and try it out next time you get the

chance Get a flashcard completely wrong Good Less likely to next time

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to be sharing with you our favorite

speaking hacks that will instantly have you speaking Chinese

much more like a native and with less effort

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously Learning Chinese is just a game Enjoy yourself and take criticism with a smile

Mistakes when speaking and reviewing are inevitable and an important part of the learning process

KEY POINTS

7BE COOL

43

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

8USE THESE

Speak ldquorealrdquo Chinese

SPEAKING HACKS

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

OUR FAVORITE SPEAKING HACKS Apply even one of these techniques to your day-to-day speaking and

you will not only sound more native but will also find it much easier

to speak in general

SPEAK WITH FLUENCY

Fluency is not knowing every word It is simply the ability to say what it is

you want to say accurately using the vocabulary that you have Donrsquot

know how to say ldquointernational traderdquo Just say ldquowhen one country buys

and sells things with another countryrdquo After you say this your

conversation partner will likely say ldquooh yeah thatrsquos lsquointernational tradersquordquo

Boom New word learned within the emotional context of the

conversation to boot The key is when you donrsquot know a word donrsquot

just give up Instead do your best to explain what you want to say

with the vocabulary you have

SLOW DOWN

Speaking at around 80 of your normal rate wonrsquot sound weird at all and

it will improve both your pronunciation and your fluency instantly

Speaking more slowly gives your mouth and tongue muscles time to

get into position before a sound is made which is very helpful for those

sounds that donrsquot exist in English Plus it gives you a few extra

microseconds to think of something to say in conversation Combine

this with the next 2 hacks and yoursquore really in businesshellip

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

45

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoFake it until you make itrdquo - Steven Tyler

46

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

USE ldquoFILLERSrdquo

Everyone (including Chinese people) use these all the time in their

various native languages Why would you give yourself less of a chance

than a native speaker would to sound fluent Thatrsquos just crazy Here are

the top five uhh er umhelliprdquofillersrdquo

ēnhellip jiugraveshihellip negraveigehellip zhegraveigehellip raacutenhograveuhellip

Throw one or more of these utterances anywhere you like Put them in

every sentence if you feel the need Chinese people wonrsquot notice as they

do it too

USE CONVERSATION CONNECTORS

This is a term coined by Anthony Lauder referring to those everyday

fixed phrases that you say at the beginning middle or end of a sentence

to dress up what you want to say Here are some examples

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

我想告诉你hellip woacute xiǎng gagraveosu nǐhellip

Irsquod like you to know thathellip

你别介意不过hellip nǐ bieacute jiegraveyigrave buacuteguogravehellip Dont be upset buthellip

就像你已经知道的hellip jiugrave xiagraveng niacute yǐjīng zhīdagraveo dehellip

As you already know

多数情况hellip dagrave duō shugrave qiacutengkuagraveng

Most of the timehellip

47

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot give up so easily if you canrsquot think of a word you want to use Just use more common words to describe it

Speaking a bit slower will give you more time to think of what to say and will usually go unnoticed by a native speaker

Throw in fillers and fixed expressions to sound more like a native speaker and give yourself more time to speak at the same time

You can even thrown in English words to fill in the gaps if the above suggestions arenrsquot on the table Many young educated Chinese people do this anyway

KEY POINTS

USE ENGLISH WORDS

As a last ditch effort if you really donrsquot have the energy to ldquouse fluencyrdquo to

describe a word yoursquove forgotten just say the English word Younger

more educated Chinese speakers are likely to have a decent English

level and they themselves also like to throw in the odd English word into

conversation so itrsquos fine to follow suit At very least it keeps conversation

going to the next topic where you remember the Chinese words

NEXT TIME For our next installment in this series wersquore going to

get into the role writing has on your speaking how to write what

to write and where amp when to write Itrsquos not at all as intimidating

(or boring) as you may think

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

48

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Combine any and all of these tips to your speaking at any time to make yourself speak better instantly8

USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

49

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

WRITE REGULARLY9

Supercharge your active vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Many beginners (and higher levels too) struggle with the frustration of

not being able to express their thoughts and feelings properly in

Chinese Even with many months and years of practice they can still feel

like the words just arenrsquot there when they need them Wersquove already

given you a bunch of steps you can take to solve this problem and we

realize that writing may be an unexpected additional step but trust us

when we say how valuable it can be

WHY WRITING IMPROVES SPEAKING IT DEMANDS FOCUS AND ATTENTION

Writing practice is the aspect of language learning that involves the

most focus and attention as you have to think about every word as you

write Just like reading writing is a slow process at first but after a short

period of regular practice you can almost hear the ldquoclicksrdquo as the words

you write become part of your vocabulary which can now be used

when you practice speaking with your tutor After all writing and

speaking are both expressive forms of communication using similar

mental processes

IT ACTIVATES VOCABULARY VERY EFFECTIVELY

Writing may just be the ultimate way to solidify your understanding of

the words and phrases yoursquove acquired through reading and listening It

may be even more effective than speaking

9WRITEREGULARLY

51

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HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WRITING IS MORE PERSONAL

After some practice you can start to write in your own personal style

using your own ldquovoicerdquo which naturally makes the process much more

enjoyable Writing a journal is the best way to access this benefit Posting

thoughts in Chinese on social media is another option especially for

lower levels

WRITING GIVES YOU MORE TIME TO FORMULATE THOUGHTS

Writing gives you time to think and practice the language

simultaneously whereas with speaking there is little opportunity to

really contemplate all the various ways of expressing a thought unless

you have an extremely patient (and masochistic) paid tutor

EVEN IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER YOU CAN STILL WRITE

If you donrsquot have much vocabulary you can still practice writing Just

write individual sentences or phrases Look at example sentences and

try to re-write them using slightly different vocabulary Remember just as

the incredible graded readers we talked about in chapter 4 can be

written with just a few select words and characters you too can write a

surprising amount using the small vocabulary you have at your disposal

5 INCREDIBLE WRITING TIPS GO FOR QUANTITY

Write every day Write a blog or WeChat post write individual sentences

9WRITEREGULARLY

52

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoWriting to me is simply thinking through my fingersrdquo

- Isaac Asimov

53

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

write a question on how to write something write anything You should

write something everyday and make a routine out of it The more

content the better but donrsquot ask too much of yourself or you will burn out

and not want to do it for weeks

An added bonus to writing regularly is the ability to look back on your

previous writing practice after a few weeks or months and see how far

yoursquove come This is called ldquobenchmarkingrdquo which wersquoll talk about more

next time

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT

Write about something or someone you love Write about a problem

yoursquore having Write about your goals and dreams Write about a book

you read or a youtube video you watched Write about what yoursquove

learned or would like to learn Write a journal When you do this your

own personality will shine through in your writing which will make the

words and structures you practice far more memorable

9WRITEREGULARLY

54

AIM FOR ZERO MISTAKES

Thatrsquos correct ZERO mistakes Think about what you write Take your time

to think before you put pen to paper or keyboard and look up example

sentences for words you donrsquot quite know how to use If you do these

things you will produce correct output which is fantastic for your

language skills Bad output leads to what Thatrsquos right bad habits

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

GET CORRECTIONS

Writing and getting corrections will help you notice very quickly the

patterns and structures in Chinese This attentiveness will pay off when

it comes to speaking reading and listening too

USE A WRITING SOFTWARE

Try Ommwriter Flowstate Awriter or similar writing apps designed for

writers to get you into the flow of writing

MAKE FLASHCARDS OUT OF YOUR MISTAKES

Create ultra-personalised reviewable content by taking any corrected

sentences and making a flashcard out of it

Try to combine regular speaking practice with regular writing

practice from now on and see for yourself how fast your fluency

improves

NEXT TIME For our final installment in this series wersquore going to

focus on continuing to improve your Chinese when you start to

plateau and the going getrsquos tough

9WRITEREGULARLY

55

Share your writing with a paid language exchange partner or tutor Check

out HiNative for a great place to get corrections on your writing and ask

general questions about how to use Chinese from native speakers

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Writing is a similar mental process as speaking with some important differences that can make it a more attractive outputting method under certain circumstances

Writing makes you more easily notice things about Chinese helps you activate passive vocabulary creates more personal connections to the language and gives you more time to convey your thoughts than speaking does

You can write at any level

Write as often as you can but donrsquot burn out

Write about things you care about and are passionate about so you can really enjoy the process and create more emotional connections that improve your retention

Aim not to make any mistakes because bad output means bad habits This is much easier to accomplish than with speaking as you have more time to think

Get your writing corrected by paid or free native speakers Make flashcards for words or structures you get wrong

KEY POINTS9WRITEREGULARLY

56

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

10SHARPEN THE SAW

Keep moving forward

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 37: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Organize the apps on your smart phone for reading listening speaking

and even writing Chinese so you can tap them whenever you have a

spare few minutes This makes it as easy as possible to immerse yourself

in something wherever and whenever

MAKE BETTER USE OF YOUR TIME

Listen to Chinese whenever yoursquore traveling anywhere working out

doing flashcards or housework If you have your eyes andor mouth free

as well do some interleaved learning or shadowing (see tip 4)

The key is starting not finishing Just do something for 1-15 minutes

10-20 times a day as opposed to trying to set aside large chunks of time

which either cause you to procrastinate or burn out

TALK TO LANGUAGE EXCHANGE PARTNERS

It might get expensive meeting with paid tutors every day which creates

an excuse to not practice speaking But there are more and more great

apps that allow you to connect and exchange with native Chinese

speakers for free Our favorite language exchange apps are pictured

on the next page

TALK TO YOURSELF

Yes it might feel a bit weird but it works as a decent substitute to a paid

tutor or language exchange partner Anything going through your head

just try to blurt out in Chinese Wear earphones to make it appear you are

talking on the phone so you donrsquot get placed into a mental institution

6IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

37

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoTime is what we want most but what we use worstrdquo

- William Penn

38

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion is doable regardless of your lifestyle Just be around Chinese many times throughout the day

Listen while doing pretty much anything Itrsquos the part of language learning that takes the least conscious effort to improve

Connect with language exchange partners via free apps Spend a few minutes chatting here and there Even talking to yourself can be really effective

KEY POINTS

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk about how to maintain a calm and positive

attitude when struggling to improve your speaking skills Wersquoll

also go into how to take criticism well and even enjoy making

mistakes6

IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

39

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

BE COOL7

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot be touchy when you get corrections or criticism even if it comes

across as harsh People rarely correct you for free and if you react

badly when they do that will probably be the last time they help you

When you arenrsquot understood just assume itrsquos never their problem It

actually might be sometimes but just assume it isnrsquot

People tend to put a lot of their pride and ego into their Chinese ability

because it takes a lot of time and effort to get good and it is a very rare

skill However just know that only when you really start to get good at

something do you realize how little you know Donrsquot fall into that trap

because you will be in for a rude awakening down the line Take your

ego out of the equation and have a great time Laugh at yourself

Itrsquos all just a game

LEARN TO ACCEPT UNCERTAINTY You will forget words yoursquove reviewed and heard for months

You will forget grammar structures yoursquove spoken correctly 10 times

before

You will get utterly lost in conversation after thinking yoursquove had a

breakthrough in your skill level

Take a deep breath Itrsquos all part of the process

7BE COOL

41

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoCriticism may not be agreeable but it is necessary It fulfils the same function as pain

in the human body It calls attention to an

unhealthy state of things - Winston Churchill

42

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Wersquove already mentioned the importance of good output Too many

mistakes without being corrected can lead to bad habits but mistakes

are inevitable Even if you follow our advice you will still have trouble

sometimes Enjoy being wronghellipevery mistake or misunderstanding

can bring you closer to fluency The key is to not worry about what you

canrsquot say just take note of it and take action Try to say something and it

came out as gibberish Make a note and try it out next time you get the

chance Get a flashcard completely wrong Good Less likely to next time

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to be sharing with you our favorite

speaking hacks that will instantly have you speaking Chinese

much more like a native and with less effort

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously Learning Chinese is just a game Enjoy yourself and take criticism with a smile

Mistakes when speaking and reviewing are inevitable and an important part of the learning process

KEY POINTS

7BE COOL

43

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

8USE THESE

Speak ldquorealrdquo Chinese

SPEAKING HACKS

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

OUR FAVORITE SPEAKING HACKS Apply even one of these techniques to your day-to-day speaking and

you will not only sound more native but will also find it much easier

to speak in general

SPEAK WITH FLUENCY

Fluency is not knowing every word It is simply the ability to say what it is

you want to say accurately using the vocabulary that you have Donrsquot

know how to say ldquointernational traderdquo Just say ldquowhen one country buys

and sells things with another countryrdquo After you say this your

conversation partner will likely say ldquooh yeah thatrsquos lsquointernational tradersquordquo

Boom New word learned within the emotional context of the

conversation to boot The key is when you donrsquot know a word donrsquot

just give up Instead do your best to explain what you want to say

with the vocabulary you have

SLOW DOWN

Speaking at around 80 of your normal rate wonrsquot sound weird at all and

it will improve both your pronunciation and your fluency instantly

Speaking more slowly gives your mouth and tongue muscles time to

get into position before a sound is made which is very helpful for those

sounds that donrsquot exist in English Plus it gives you a few extra

microseconds to think of something to say in conversation Combine

this with the next 2 hacks and yoursquore really in businesshellip

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

45

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoFake it until you make itrdquo - Steven Tyler

46

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

USE ldquoFILLERSrdquo

Everyone (including Chinese people) use these all the time in their

various native languages Why would you give yourself less of a chance

than a native speaker would to sound fluent Thatrsquos just crazy Here are

the top five uhh er umhelliprdquofillersrdquo

ēnhellip jiugraveshihellip negraveigehellip zhegraveigehellip raacutenhograveuhellip

Throw one or more of these utterances anywhere you like Put them in

every sentence if you feel the need Chinese people wonrsquot notice as they

do it too

USE CONVERSATION CONNECTORS

This is a term coined by Anthony Lauder referring to those everyday

fixed phrases that you say at the beginning middle or end of a sentence

to dress up what you want to say Here are some examples

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

我想告诉你hellip woacute xiǎng gagraveosu nǐhellip

Irsquod like you to know thathellip

你别介意不过hellip nǐ bieacute jiegraveyigrave buacuteguogravehellip Dont be upset buthellip

就像你已经知道的hellip jiugrave xiagraveng niacute yǐjīng zhīdagraveo dehellip

As you already know

多数情况hellip dagrave duō shugrave qiacutengkuagraveng

Most of the timehellip

47

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot give up so easily if you canrsquot think of a word you want to use Just use more common words to describe it

Speaking a bit slower will give you more time to think of what to say and will usually go unnoticed by a native speaker

Throw in fillers and fixed expressions to sound more like a native speaker and give yourself more time to speak at the same time

You can even thrown in English words to fill in the gaps if the above suggestions arenrsquot on the table Many young educated Chinese people do this anyway

KEY POINTS

USE ENGLISH WORDS

As a last ditch effort if you really donrsquot have the energy to ldquouse fluencyrdquo to

describe a word yoursquove forgotten just say the English word Younger

more educated Chinese speakers are likely to have a decent English

level and they themselves also like to throw in the odd English word into

conversation so itrsquos fine to follow suit At very least it keeps conversation

going to the next topic where you remember the Chinese words

NEXT TIME For our next installment in this series wersquore going to

get into the role writing has on your speaking how to write what

to write and where amp when to write Itrsquos not at all as intimidating

(or boring) as you may think

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

48

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Combine any and all of these tips to your speaking at any time to make yourself speak better instantly8

USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

49

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

WRITE REGULARLY9

Supercharge your active vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Many beginners (and higher levels too) struggle with the frustration of

not being able to express their thoughts and feelings properly in

Chinese Even with many months and years of practice they can still feel

like the words just arenrsquot there when they need them Wersquove already

given you a bunch of steps you can take to solve this problem and we

realize that writing may be an unexpected additional step but trust us

when we say how valuable it can be

WHY WRITING IMPROVES SPEAKING IT DEMANDS FOCUS AND ATTENTION

Writing practice is the aspect of language learning that involves the

most focus and attention as you have to think about every word as you

write Just like reading writing is a slow process at first but after a short

period of regular practice you can almost hear the ldquoclicksrdquo as the words

you write become part of your vocabulary which can now be used

when you practice speaking with your tutor After all writing and

speaking are both expressive forms of communication using similar

mental processes

IT ACTIVATES VOCABULARY VERY EFFECTIVELY

Writing may just be the ultimate way to solidify your understanding of

the words and phrases yoursquove acquired through reading and listening It

may be even more effective than speaking

9WRITEREGULARLY

51

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WRITING IS MORE PERSONAL

After some practice you can start to write in your own personal style

using your own ldquovoicerdquo which naturally makes the process much more

enjoyable Writing a journal is the best way to access this benefit Posting

thoughts in Chinese on social media is another option especially for

lower levels

WRITING GIVES YOU MORE TIME TO FORMULATE THOUGHTS

Writing gives you time to think and practice the language

simultaneously whereas with speaking there is little opportunity to

really contemplate all the various ways of expressing a thought unless

you have an extremely patient (and masochistic) paid tutor

EVEN IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER YOU CAN STILL WRITE

If you donrsquot have much vocabulary you can still practice writing Just

write individual sentences or phrases Look at example sentences and

try to re-write them using slightly different vocabulary Remember just as

the incredible graded readers we talked about in chapter 4 can be

written with just a few select words and characters you too can write a

surprising amount using the small vocabulary you have at your disposal

5 INCREDIBLE WRITING TIPS GO FOR QUANTITY

Write every day Write a blog or WeChat post write individual sentences

9WRITEREGULARLY

52

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoWriting to me is simply thinking through my fingersrdquo

- Isaac Asimov

53

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

write a question on how to write something write anything You should

write something everyday and make a routine out of it The more

content the better but donrsquot ask too much of yourself or you will burn out

and not want to do it for weeks

An added bonus to writing regularly is the ability to look back on your

previous writing practice after a few weeks or months and see how far

yoursquove come This is called ldquobenchmarkingrdquo which wersquoll talk about more

next time

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT

Write about something or someone you love Write about a problem

yoursquore having Write about your goals and dreams Write about a book

you read or a youtube video you watched Write about what yoursquove

learned or would like to learn Write a journal When you do this your

own personality will shine through in your writing which will make the

words and structures you practice far more memorable

9WRITEREGULARLY

54

AIM FOR ZERO MISTAKES

Thatrsquos correct ZERO mistakes Think about what you write Take your time

to think before you put pen to paper or keyboard and look up example

sentences for words you donrsquot quite know how to use If you do these

things you will produce correct output which is fantastic for your

language skills Bad output leads to what Thatrsquos right bad habits

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

GET CORRECTIONS

Writing and getting corrections will help you notice very quickly the

patterns and structures in Chinese This attentiveness will pay off when

it comes to speaking reading and listening too

USE A WRITING SOFTWARE

Try Ommwriter Flowstate Awriter or similar writing apps designed for

writers to get you into the flow of writing

MAKE FLASHCARDS OUT OF YOUR MISTAKES

Create ultra-personalised reviewable content by taking any corrected

sentences and making a flashcard out of it

Try to combine regular speaking practice with regular writing

practice from now on and see for yourself how fast your fluency

improves

NEXT TIME For our final installment in this series wersquore going to

focus on continuing to improve your Chinese when you start to

plateau and the going getrsquos tough

9WRITEREGULARLY

55

Share your writing with a paid language exchange partner or tutor Check

out HiNative for a great place to get corrections on your writing and ask

general questions about how to use Chinese from native speakers

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Writing is a similar mental process as speaking with some important differences that can make it a more attractive outputting method under certain circumstances

Writing makes you more easily notice things about Chinese helps you activate passive vocabulary creates more personal connections to the language and gives you more time to convey your thoughts than speaking does

You can write at any level

Write as often as you can but donrsquot burn out

Write about things you care about and are passionate about so you can really enjoy the process and create more emotional connections that improve your retention

Aim not to make any mistakes because bad output means bad habits This is much easier to accomplish than with speaking as you have more time to think

Get your writing corrected by paid or free native speakers Make flashcards for words or structures you get wrong

KEY POINTS9WRITEREGULARLY

56

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

10SHARPEN THE SAW

Keep moving forward

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 38: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoTime is what we want most but what we use worstrdquo

- William Penn

38

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion is doable regardless of your lifestyle Just be around Chinese many times throughout the day

Listen while doing pretty much anything Itrsquos the part of language learning that takes the least conscious effort to improve

Connect with language exchange partners via free apps Spend a few minutes chatting here and there Even talking to yourself can be really effective

KEY POINTS

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk about how to maintain a calm and positive

attitude when struggling to improve your speaking skills Wersquoll

also go into how to take criticism well and even enjoy making

mistakes6

IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

39

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

BE COOL7

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot be touchy when you get corrections or criticism even if it comes

across as harsh People rarely correct you for free and if you react

badly when they do that will probably be the last time they help you

When you arenrsquot understood just assume itrsquos never their problem It

actually might be sometimes but just assume it isnrsquot

People tend to put a lot of their pride and ego into their Chinese ability

because it takes a lot of time and effort to get good and it is a very rare

skill However just know that only when you really start to get good at

something do you realize how little you know Donrsquot fall into that trap

because you will be in for a rude awakening down the line Take your

ego out of the equation and have a great time Laugh at yourself

Itrsquos all just a game

LEARN TO ACCEPT UNCERTAINTY You will forget words yoursquove reviewed and heard for months

You will forget grammar structures yoursquove spoken correctly 10 times

before

You will get utterly lost in conversation after thinking yoursquove had a

breakthrough in your skill level

Take a deep breath Itrsquos all part of the process

7BE COOL

41

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoCriticism may not be agreeable but it is necessary It fulfils the same function as pain

in the human body It calls attention to an

unhealthy state of things - Winston Churchill

42

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Wersquove already mentioned the importance of good output Too many

mistakes without being corrected can lead to bad habits but mistakes

are inevitable Even if you follow our advice you will still have trouble

sometimes Enjoy being wronghellipevery mistake or misunderstanding

can bring you closer to fluency The key is to not worry about what you

canrsquot say just take note of it and take action Try to say something and it

came out as gibberish Make a note and try it out next time you get the

chance Get a flashcard completely wrong Good Less likely to next time

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to be sharing with you our favorite

speaking hacks that will instantly have you speaking Chinese

much more like a native and with less effort

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously Learning Chinese is just a game Enjoy yourself and take criticism with a smile

Mistakes when speaking and reviewing are inevitable and an important part of the learning process

KEY POINTS

7BE COOL

43

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

8USE THESE

Speak ldquorealrdquo Chinese

SPEAKING HACKS

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

OUR FAVORITE SPEAKING HACKS Apply even one of these techniques to your day-to-day speaking and

you will not only sound more native but will also find it much easier

to speak in general

SPEAK WITH FLUENCY

Fluency is not knowing every word It is simply the ability to say what it is

you want to say accurately using the vocabulary that you have Donrsquot

know how to say ldquointernational traderdquo Just say ldquowhen one country buys

and sells things with another countryrdquo After you say this your

conversation partner will likely say ldquooh yeah thatrsquos lsquointernational tradersquordquo

Boom New word learned within the emotional context of the

conversation to boot The key is when you donrsquot know a word donrsquot

just give up Instead do your best to explain what you want to say

with the vocabulary you have

SLOW DOWN

Speaking at around 80 of your normal rate wonrsquot sound weird at all and

it will improve both your pronunciation and your fluency instantly

Speaking more slowly gives your mouth and tongue muscles time to

get into position before a sound is made which is very helpful for those

sounds that donrsquot exist in English Plus it gives you a few extra

microseconds to think of something to say in conversation Combine

this with the next 2 hacks and yoursquore really in businesshellip

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

45

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoFake it until you make itrdquo - Steven Tyler

46

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

USE ldquoFILLERSrdquo

Everyone (including Chinese people) use these all the time in their

various native languages Why would you give yourself less of a chance

than a native speaker would to sound fluent Thatrsquos just crazy Here are

the top five uhh er umhelliprdquofillersrdquo

ēnhellip jiugraveshihellip negraveigehellip zhegraveigehellip raacutenhograveuhellip

Throw one or more of these utterances anywhere you like Put them in

every sentence if you feel the need Chinese people wonrsquot notice as they

do it too

USE CONVERSATION CONNECTORS

This is a term coined by Anthony Lauder referring to those everyday

fixed phrases that you say at the beginning middle or end of a sentence

to dress up what you want to say Here are some examples

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

我想告诉你hellip woacute xiǎng gagraveosu nǐhellip

Irsquod like you to know thathellip

你别介意不过hellip nǐ bieacute jiegraveyigrave buacuteguogravehellip Dont be upset buthellip

就像你已经知道的hellip jiugrave xiagraveng niacute yǐjīng zhīdagraveo dehellip

As you already know

多数情况hellip dagrave duō shugrave qiacutengkuagraveng

Most of the timehellip

47

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot give up so easily if you canrsquot think of a word you want to use Just use more common words to describe it

Speaking a bit slower will give you more time to think of what to say and will usually go unnoticed by a native speaker

Throw in fillers and fixed expressions to sound more like a native speaker and give yourself more time to speak at the same time

You can even thrown in English words to fill in the gaps if the above suggestions arenrsquot on the table Many young educated Chinese people do this anyway

KEY POINTS

USE ENGLISH WORDS

As a last ditch effort if you really donrsquot have the energy to ldquouse fluencyrdquo to

describe a word yoursquove forgotten just say the English word Younger

more educated Chinese speakers are likely to have a decent English

level and they themselves also like to throw in the odd English word into

conversation so itrsquos fine to follow suit At very least it keeps conversation

going to the next topic where you remember the Chinese words

NEXT TIME For our next installment in this series wersquore going to

get into the role writing has on your speaking how to write what

to write and where amp when to write Itrsquos not at all as intimidating

(or boring) as you may think

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

48

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Combine any and all of these tips to your speaking at any time to make yourself speak better instantly8

USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

49

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

WRITE REGULARLY9

Supercharge your active vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Many beginners (and higher levels too) struggle with the frustration of

not being able to express their thoughts and feelings properly in

Chinese Even with many months and years of practice they can still feel

like the words just arenrsquot there when they need them Wersquove already

given you a bunch of steps you can take to solve this problem and we

realize that writing may be an unexpected additional step but trust us

when we say how valuable it can be

WHY WRITING IMPROVES SPEAKING IT DEMANDS FOCUS AND ATTENTION

Writing practice is the aspect of language learning that involves the

most focus and attention as you have to think about every word as you

write Just like reading writing is a slow process at first but after a short

period of regular practice you can almost hear the ldquoclicksrdquo as the words

you write become part of your vocabulary which can now be used

when you practice speaking with your tutor After all writing and

speaking are both expressive forms of communication using similar

mental processes

IT ACTIVATES VOCABULARY VERY EFFECTIVELY

Writing may just be the ultimate way to solidify your understanding of

the words and phrases yoursquove acquired through reading and listening It

may be even more effective than speaking

9WRITEREGULARLY

51

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WRITING IS MORE PERSONAL

After some practice you can start to write in your own personal style

using your own ldquovoicerdquo which naturally makes the process much more

enjoyable Writing a journal is the best way to access this benefit Posting

thoughts in Chinese on social media is another option especially for

lower levels

WRITING GIVES YOU MORE TIME TO FORMULATE THOUGHTS

Writing gives you time to think and practice the language

simultaneously whereas with speaking there is little opportunity to

really contemplate all the various ways of expressing a thought unless

you have an extremely patient (and masochistic) paid tutor

EVEN IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER YOU CAN STILL WRITE

If you donrsquot have much vocabulary you can still practice writing Just

write individual sentences or phrases Look at example sentences and

try to re-write them using slightly different vocabulary Remember just as

the incredible graded readers we talked about in chapter 4 can be

written with just a few select words and characters you too can write a

surprising amount using the small vocabulary you have at your disposal

5 INCREDIBLE WRITING TIPS GO FOR QUANTITY

Write every day Write a blog or WeChat post write individual sentences

9WRITEREGULARLY

52

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoWriting to me is simply thinking through my fingersrdquo

- Isaac Asimov

53

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

write a question on how to write something write anything You should

write something everyday and make a routine out of it The more

content the better but donrsquot ask too much of yourself or you will burn out

and not want to do it for weeks

An added bonus to writing regularly is the ability to look back on your

previous writing practice after a few weeks or months and see how far

yoursquove come This is called ldquobenchmarkingrdquo which wersquoll talk about more

next time

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT

Write about something or someone you love Write about a problem

yoursquore having Write about your goals and dreams Write about a book

you read or a youtube video you watched Write about what yoursquove

learned or would like to learn Write a journal When you do this your

own personality will shine through in your writing which will make the

words and structures you practice far more memorable

9WRITEREGULARLY

54

AIM FOR ZERO MISTAKES

Thatrsquos correct ZERO mistakes Think about what you write Take your time

to think before you put pen to paper or keyboard and look up example

sentences for words you donrsquot quite know how to use If you do these

things you will produce correct output which is fantastic for your

language skills Bad output leads to what Thatrsquos right bad habits

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

GET CORRECTIONS

Writing and getting corrections will help you notice very quickly the

patterns and structures in Chinese This attentiveness will pay off when

it comes to speaking reading and listening too

USE A WRITING SOFTWARE

Try Ommwriter Flowstate Awriter or similar writing apps designed for

writers to get you into the flow of writing

MAKE FLASHCARDS OUT OF YOUR MISTAKES

Create ultra-personalised reviewable content by taking any corrected

sentences and making a flashcard out of it

Try to combine regular speaking practice with regular writing

practice from now on and see for yourself how fast your fluency

improves

NEXT TIME For our final installment in this series wersquore going to

focus on continuing to improve your Chinese when you start to

plateau and the going getrsquos tough

9WRITEREGULARLY

55

Share your writing with a paid language exchange partner or tutor Check

out HiNative for a great place to get corrections on your writing and ask

general questions about how to use Chinese from native speakers

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Writing is a similar mental process as speaking with some important differences that can make it a more attractive outputting method under certain circumstances

Writing makes you more easily notice things about Chinese helps you activate passive vocabulary creates more personal connections to the language and gives you more time to convey your thoughts than speaking does

You can write at any level

Write as often as you can but donrsquot burn out

Write about things you care about and are passionate about so you can really enjoy the process and create more emotional connections that improve your retention

Aim not to make any mistakes because bad output means bad habits This is much easier to accomplish than with speaking as you have more time to think

Get your writing corrected by paid or free native speakers Make flashcards for words or structures you get wrong

KEY POINTS9WRITEREGULARLY

56

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

10SHARPEN THE SAW

Keep moving forward

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 39: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Immersion is doable regardless of your lifestyle Just be around Chinese many times throughout the day

Listen while doing pretty much anything Itrsquos the part of language learning that takes the least conscious effort to improve

Connect with language exchange partners via free apps Spend a few minutes chatting here and there Even talking to yourself can be really effective

KEY POINTS

NEXT TIME Wersquoll talk about how to maintain a calm and positive

attitude when struggling to improve your speaking skills Wersquoll

also go into how to take criticism well and even enjoy making

mistakes6

IMMERSE

CHINESEYOURSELF IN

39

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

BE COOL7

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot be touchy when you get corrections or criticism even if it comes

across as harsh People rarely correct you for free and if you react

badly when they do that will probably be the last time they help you

When you arenrsquot understood just assume itrsquos never their problem It

actually might be sometimes but just assume it isnrsquot

People tend to put a lot of their pride and ego into their Chinese ability

because it takes a lot of time and effort to get good and it is a very rare

skill However just know that only when you really start to get good at

something do you realize how little you know Donrsquot fall into that trap

because you will be in for a rude awakening down the line Take your

ego out of the equation and have a great time Laugh at yourself

Itrsquos all just a game

LEARN TO ACCEPT UNCERTAINTY You will forget words yoursquove reviewed and heard for months

You will forget grammar structures yoursquove spoken correctly 10 times

before

You will get utterly lost in conversation after thinking yoursquove had a

breakthrough in your skill level

Take a deep breath Itrsquos all part of the process

7BE COOL

41

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoCriticism may not be agreeable but it is necessary It fulfils the same function as pain

in the human body It calls attention to an

unhealthy state of things - Winston Churchill

42

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Wersquove already mentioned the importance of good output Too many

mistakes without being corrected can lead to bad habits but mistakes

are inevitable Even if you follow our advice you will still have trouble

sometimes Enjoy being wronghellipevery mistake or misunderstanding

can bring you closer to fluency The key is to not worry about what you

canrsquot say just take note of it and take action Try to say something and it

came out as gibberish Make a note and try it out next time you get the

chance Get a flashcard completely wrong Good Less likely to next time

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to be sharing with you our favorite

speaking hacks that will instantly have you speaking Chinese

much more like a native and with less effort

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously Learning Chinese is just a game Enjoy yourself and take criticism with a smile

Mistakes when speaking and reviewing are inevitable and an important part of the learning process

KEY POINTS

7BE COOL

43

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

8USE THESE

Speak ldquorealrdquo Chinese

SPEAKING HACKS

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

OUR FAVORITE SPEAKING HACKS Apply even one of these techniques to your day-to-day speaking and

you will not only sound more native but will also find it much easier

to speak in general

SPEAK WITH FLUENCY

Fluency is not knowing every word It is simply the ability to say what it is

you want to say accurately using the vocabulary that you have Donrsquot

know how to say ldquointernational traderdquo Just say ldquowhen one country buys

and sells things with another countryrdquo After you say this your

conversation partner will likely say ldquooh yeah thatrsquos lsquointernational tradersquordquo

Boom New word learned within the emotional context of the

conversation to boot The key is when you donrsquot know a word donrsquot

just give up Instead do your best to explain what you want to say

with the vocabulary you have

SLOW DOWN

Speaking at around 80 of your normal rate wonrsquot sound weird at all and

it will improve both your pronunciation and your fluency instantly

Speaking more slowly gives your mouth and tongue muscles time to

get into position before a sound is made which is very helpful for those

sounds that donrsquot exist in English Plus it gives you a few extra

microseconds to think of something to say in conversation Combine

this with the next 2 hacks and yoursquore really in businesshellip

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

45

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoFake it until you make itrdquo - Steven Tyler

46

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

USE ldquoFILLERSrdquo

Everyone (including Chinese people) use these all the time in their

various native languages Why would you give yourself less of a chance

than a native speaker would to sound fluent Thatrsquos just crazy Here are

the top five uhh er umhelliprdquofillersrdquo

ēnhellip jiugraveshihellip negraveigehellip zhegraveigehellip raacutenhograveuhellip

Throw one or more of these utterances anywhere you like Put them in

every sentence if you feel the need Chinese people wonrsquot notice as they

do it too

USE CONVERSATION CONNECTORS

This is a term coined by Anthony Lauder referring to those everyday

fixed phrases that you say at the beginning middle or end of a sentence

to dress up what you want to say Here are some examples

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

我想告诉你hellip woacute xiǎng gagraveosu nǐhellip

Irsquod like you to know thathellip

你别介意不过hellip nǐ bieacute jiegraveyigrave buacuteguogravehellip Dont be upset buthellip

就像你已经知道的hellip jiugrave xiagraveng niacute yǐjīng zhīdagraveo dehellip

As you already know

多数情况hellip dagrave duō shugrave qiacutengkuagraveng

Most of the timehellip

47

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot give up so easily if you canrsquot think of a word you want to use Just use more common words to describe it

Speaking a bit slower will give you more time to think of what to say and will usually go unnoticed by a native speaker

Throw in fillers and fixed expressions to sound more like a native speaker and give yourself more time to speak at the same time

You can even thrown in English words to fill in the gaps if the above suggestions arenrsquot on the table Many young educated Chinese people do this anyway

KEY POINTS

USE ENGLISH WORDS

As a last ditch effort if you really donrsquot have the energy to ldquouse fluencyrdquo to

describe a word yoursquove forgotten just say the English word Younger

more educated Chinese speakers are likely to have a decent English

level and they themselves also like to throw in the odd English word into

conversation so itrsquos fine to follow suit At very least it keeps conversation

going to the next topic where you remember the Chinese words

NEXT TIME For our next installment in this series wersquore going to

get into the role writing has on your speaking how to write what

to write and where amp when to write Itrsquos not at all as intimidating

(or boring) as you may think

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

48

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Combine any and all of these tips to your speaking at any time to make yourself speak better instantly8

USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

49

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

WRITE REGULARLY9

Supercharge your active vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Many beginners (and higher levels too) struggle with the frustration of

not being able to express their thoughts and feelings properly in

Chinese Even with many months and years of practice they can still feel

like the words just arenrsquot there when they need them Wersquove already

given you a bunch of steps you can take to solve this problem and we

realize that writing may be an unexpected additional step but trust us

when we say how valuable it can be

WHY WRITING IMPROVES SPEAKING IT DEMANDS FOCUS AND ATTENTION

Writing practice is the aspect of language learning that involves the

most focus and attention as you have to think about every word as you

write Just like reading writing is a slow process at first but after a short

period of regular practice you can almost hear the ldquoclicksrdquo as the words

you write become part of your vocabulary which can now be used

when you practice speaking with your tutor After all writing and

speaking are both expressive forms of communication using similar

mental processes

IT ACTIVATES VOCABULARY VERY EFFECTIVELY

Writing may just be the ultimate way to solidify your understanding of

the words and phrases yoursquove acquired through reading and listening It

may be even more effective than speaking

9WRITEREGULARLY

51

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WRITING IS MORE PERSONAL

After some practice you can start to write in your own personal style

using your own ldquovoicerdquo which naturally makes the process much more

enjoyable Writing a journal is the best way to access this benefit Posting

thoughts in Chinese on social media is another option especially for

lower levels

WRITING GIVES YOU MORE TIME TO FORMULATE THOUGHTS

Writing gives you time to think and practice the language

simultaneously whereas with speaking there is little opportunity to

really contemplate all the various ways of expressing a thought unless

you have an extremely patient (and masochistic) paid tutor

EVEN IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER YOU CAN STILL WRITE

If you donrsquot have much vocabulary you can still practice writing Just

write individual sentences or phrases Look at example sentences and

try to re-write them using slightly different vocabulary Remember just as

the incredible graded readers we talked about in chapter 4 can be

written with just a few select words and characters you too can write a

surprising amount using the small vocabulary you have at your disposal

5 INCREDIBLE WRITING TIPS GO FOR QUANTITY

Write every day Write a blog or WeChat post write individual sentences

9WRITEREGULARLY

52

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoWriting to me is simply thinking through my fingersrdquo

- Isaac Asimov

53

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

write a question on how to write something write anything You should

write something everyday and make a routine out of it The more

content the better but donrsquot ask too much of yourself or you will burn out

and not want to do it for weeks

An added bonus to writing regularly is the ability to look back on your

previous writing practice after a few weeks or months and see how far

yoursquove come This is called ldquobenchmarkingrdquo which wersquoll talk about more

next time

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT

Write about something or someone you love Write about a problem

yoursquore having Write about your goals and dreams Write about a book

you read or a youtube video you watched Write about what yoursquove

learned or would like to learn Write a journal When you do this your

own personality will shine through in your writing which will make the

words and structures you practice far more memorable

9WRITEREGULARLY

54

AIM FOR ZERO MISTAKES

Thatrsquos correct ZERO mistakes Think about what you write Take your time

to think before you put pen to paper or keyboard and look up example

sentences for words you donrsquot quite know how to use If you do these

things you will produce correct output which is fantastic for your

language skills Bad output leads to what Thatrsquos right bad habits

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

GET CORRECTIONS

Writing and getting corrections will help you notice very quickly the

patterns and structures in Chinese This attentiveness will pay off when

it comes to speaking reading and listening too

USE A WRITING SOFTWARE

Try Ommwriter Flowstate Awriter or similar writing apps designed for

writers to get you into the flow of writing

MAKE FLASHCARDS OUT OF YOUR MISTAKES

Create ultra-personalised reviewable content by taking any corrected

sentences and making a flashcard out of it

Try to combine regular speaking practice with regular writing

practice from now on and see for yourself how fast your fluency

improves

NEXT TIME For our final installment in this series wersquore going to

focus on continuing to improve your Chinese when you start to

plateau and the going getrsquos tough

9WRITEREGULARLY

55

Share your writing with a paid language exchange partner or tutor Check

out HiNative for a great place to get corrections on your writing and ask

general questions about how to use Chinese from native speakers

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Writing is a similar mental process as speaking with some important differences that can make it a more attractive outputting method under certain circumstances

Writing makes you more easily notice things about Chinese helps you activate passive vocabulary creates more personal connections to the language and gives you more time to convey your thoughts than speaking does

You can write at any level

Write as often as you can but donrsquot burn out

Write about things you care about and are passionate about so you can really enjoy the process and create more emotional connections that improve your retention

Aim not to make any mistakes because bad output means bad habits This is much easier to accomplish than with speaking as you have more time to think

Get your writing corrected by paid or free native speakers Make flashcards for words or structures you get wrong

KEY POINTS9WRITEREGULARLY

56

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

10SHARPEN THE SAW

Keep moving forward

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 40: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

BE COOL7

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot be touchy when you get corrections or criticism even if it comes

across as harsh People rarely correct you for free and if you react

badly when they do that will probably be the last time they help you

When you arenrsquot understood just assume itrsquos never their problem It

actually might be sometimes but just assume it isnrsquot

People tend to put a lot of their pride and ego into their Chinese ability

because it takes a lot of time and effort to get good and it is a very rare

skill However just know that only when you really start to get good at

something do you realize how little you know Donrsquot fall into that trap

because you will be in for a rude awakening down the line Take your

ego out of the equation and have a great time Laugh at yourself

Itrsquos all just a game

LEARN TO ACCEPT UNCERTAINTY You will forget words yoursquove reviewed and heard for months

You will forget grammar structures yoursquove spoken correctly 10 times

before

You will get utterly lost in conversation after thinking yoursquove had a

breakthrough in your skill level

Take a deep breath Itrsquos all part of the process

7BE COOL

41

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoCriticism may not be agreeable but it is necessary It fulfils the same function as pain

in the human body It calls attention to an

unhealthy state of things - Winston Churchill

42

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Wersquove already mentioned the importance of good output Too many

mistakes without being corrected can lead to bad habits but mistakes

are inevitable Even if you follow our advice you will still have trouble

sometimes Enjoy being wronghellipevery mistake or misunderstanding

can bring you closer to fluency The key is to not worry about what you

canrsquot say just take note of it and take action Try to say something and it

came out as gibberish Make a note and try it out next time you get the

chance Get a flashcard completely wrong Good Less likely to next time

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to be sharing with you our favorite

speaking hacks that will instantly have you speaking Chinese

much more like a native and with less effort

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously Learning Chinese is just a game Enjoy yourself and take criticism with a smile

Mistakes when speaking and reviewing are inevitable and an important part of the learning process

KEY POINTS

7BE COOL

43

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

8USE THESE

Speak ldquorealrdquo Chinese

SPEAKING HACKS

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

OUR FAVORITE SPEAKING HACKS Apply even one of these techniques to your day-to-day speaking and

you will not only sound more native but will also find it much easier

to speak in general

SPEAK WITH FLUENCY

Fluency is not knowing every word It is simply the ability to say what it is

you want to say accurately using the vocabulary that you have Donrsquot

know how to say ldquointernational traderdquo Just say ldquowhen one country buys

and sells things with another countryrdquo After you say this your

conversation partner will likely say ldquooh yeah thatrsquos lsquointernational tradersquordquo

Boom New word learned within the emotional context of the

conversation to boot The key is when you donrsquot know a word donrsquot

just give up Instead do your best to explain what you want to say

with the vocabulary you have

SLOW DOWN

Speaking at around 80 of your normal rate wonrsquot sound weird at all and

it will improve both your pronunciation and your fluency instantly

Speaking more slowly gives your mouth and tongue muscles time to

get into position before a sound is made which is very helpful for those

sounds that donrsquot exist in English Plus it gives you a few extra

microseconds to think of something to say in conversation Combine

this with the next 2 hacks and yoursquore really in businesshellip

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

45

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoFake it until you make itrdquo - Steven Tyler

46

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

USE ldquoFILLERSrdquo

Everyone (including Chinese people) use these all the time in their

various native languages Why would you give yourself less of a chance

than a native speaker would to sound fluent Thatrsquos just crazy Here are

the top five uhh er umhelliprdquofillersrdquo

ēnhellip jiugraveshihellip negraveigehellip zhegraveigehellip raacutenhograveuhellip

Throw one or more of these utterances anywhere you like Put them in

every sentence if you feel the need Chinese people wonrsquot notice as they

do it too

USE CONVERSATION CONNECTORS

This is a term coined by Anthony Lauder referring to those everyday

fixed phrases that you say at the beginning middle or end of a sentence

to dress up what you want to say Here are some examples

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

我想告诉你hellip woacute xiǎng gagraveosu nǐhellip

Irsquod like you to know thathellip

你别介意不过hellip nǐ bieacute jiegraveyigrave buacuteguogravehellip Dont be upset buthellip

就像你已经知道的hellip jiugrave xiagraveng niacute yǐjīng zhīdagraveo dehellip

As you already know

多数情况hellip dagrave duō shugrave qiacutengkuagraveng

Most of the timehellip

47

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot give up so easily if you canrsquot think of a word you want to use Just use more common words to describe it

Speaking a bit slower will give you more time to think of what to say and will usually go unnoticed by a native speaker

Throw in fillers and fixed expressions to sound more like a native speaker and give yourself more time to speak at the same time

You can even thrown in English words to fill in the gaps if the above suggestions arenrsquot on the table Many young educated Chinese people do this anyway

KEY POINTS

USE ENGLISH WORDS

As a last ditch effort if you really donrsquot have the energy to ldquouse fluencyrdquo to

describe a word yoursquove forgotten just say the English word Younger

more educated Chinese speakers are likely to have a decent English

level and they themselves also like to throw in the odd English word into

conversation so itrsquos fine to follow suit At very least it keeps conversation

going to the next topic where you remember the Chinese words

NEXT TIME For our next installment in this series wersquore going to

get into the role writing has on your speaking how to write what

to write and where amp when to write Itrsquos not at all as intimidating

(or boring) as you may think

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

48

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Combine any and all of these tips to your speaking at any time to make yourself speak better instantly8

USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

49

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

WRITE REGULARLY9

Supercharge your active vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Many beginners (and higher levels too) struggle with the frustration of

not being able to express their thoughts and feelings properly in

Chinese Even with many months and years of practice they can still feel

like the words just arenrsquot there when they need them Wersquove already

given you a bunch of steps you can take to solve this problem and we

realize that writing may be an unexpected additional step but trust us

when we say how valuable it can be

WHY WRITING IMPROVES SPEAKING IT DEMANDS FOCUS AND ATTENTION

Writing practice is the aspect of language learning that involves the

most focus and attention as you have to think about every word as you

write Just like reading writing is a slow process at first but after a short

period of regular practice you can almost hear the ldquoclicksrdquo as the words

you write become part of your vocabulary which can now be used

when you practice speaking with your tutor After all writing and

speaking are both expressive forms of communication using similar

mental processes

IT ACTIVATES VOCABULARY VERY EFFECTIVELY

Writing may just be the ultimate way to solidify your understanding of

the words and phrases yoursquove acquired through reading and listening It

may be even more effective than speaking

9WRITEREGULARLY

51

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WRITING IS MORE PERSONAL

After some practice you can start to write in your own personal style

using your own ldquovoicerdquo which naturally makes the process much more

enjoyable Writing a journal is the best way to access this benefit Posting

thoughts in Chinese on social media is another option especially for

lower levels

WRITING GIVES YOU MORE TIME TO FORMULATE THOUGHTS

Writing gives you time to think and practice the language

simultaneously whereas with speaking there is little opportunity to

really contemplate all the various ways of expressing a thought unless

you have an extremely patient (and masochistic) paid tutor

EVEN IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER YOU CAN STILL WRITE

If you donrsquot have much vocabulary you can still practice writing Just

write individual sentences or phrases Look at example sentences and

try to re-write them using slightly different vocabulary Remember just as

the incredible graded readers we talked about in chapter 4 can be

written with just a few select words and characters you too can write a

surprising amount using the small vocabulary you have at your disposal

5 INCREDIBLE WRITING TIPS GO FOR QUANTITY

Write every day Write a blog or WeChat post write individual sentences

9WRITEREGULARLY

52

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoWriting to me is simply thinking through my fingersrdquo

- Isaac Asimov

53

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

write a question on how to write something write anything You should

write something everyday and make a routine out of it The more

content the better but donrsquot ask too much of yourself or you will burn out

and not want to do it for weeks

An added bonus to writing regularly is the ability to look back on your

previous writing practice after a few weeks or months and see how far

yoursquove come This is called ldquobenchmarkingrdquo which wersquoll talk about more

next time

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT

Write about something or someone you love Write about a problem

yoursquore having Write about your goals and dreams Write about a book

you read or a youtube video you watched Write about what yoursquove

learned or would like to learn Write a journal When you do this your

own personality will shine through in your writing which will make the

words and structures you practice far more memorable

9WRITEREGULARLY

54

AIM FOR ZERO MISTAKES

Thatrsquos correct ZERO mistakes Think about what you write Take your time

to think before you put pen to paper or keyboard and look up example

sentences for words you donrsquot quite know how to use If you do these

things you will produce correct output which is fantastic for your

language skills Bad output leads to what Thatrsquos right bad habits

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

GET CORRECTIONS

Writing and getting corrections will help you notice very quickly the

patterns and structures in Chinese This attentiveness will pay off when

it comes to speaking reading and listening too

USE A WRITING SOFTWARE

Try Ommwriter Flowstate Awriter or similar writing apps designed for

writers to get you into the flow of writing

MAKE FLASHCARDS OUT OF YOUR MISTAKES

Create ultra-personalised reviewable content by taking any corrected

sentences and making a flashcard out of it

Try to combine regular speaking practice with regular writing

practice from now on and see for yourself how fast your fluency

improves

NEXT TIME For our final installment in this series wersquore going to

focus on continuing to improve your Chinese when you start to

plateau and the going getrsquos tough

9WRITEREGULARLY

55

Share your writing with a paid language exchange partner or tutor Check

out HiNative for a great place to get corrections on your writing and ask

general questions about how to use Chinese from native speakers

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Writing is a similar mental process as speaking with some important differences that can make it a more attractive outputting method under certain circumstances

Writing makes you more easily notice things about Chinese helps you activate passive vocabulary creates more personal connections to the language and gives you more time to convey your thoughts than speaking does

You can write at any level

Write as often as you can but donrsquot burn out

Write about things you care about and are passionate about so you can really enjoy the process and create more emotional connections that improve your retention

Aim not to make any mistakes because bad output means bad habits This is much easier to accomplish than with speaking as you have more time to think

Get your writing corrected by paid or free native speakers Make flashcards for words or structures you get wrong

KEY POINTS9WRITEREGULARLY

56

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

10SHARPEN THE SAW

Keep moving forward

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 41: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot be touchy when you get corrections or criticism even if it comes

across as harsh People rarely correct you for free and if you react

badly when they do that will probably be the last time they help you

When you arenrsquot understood just assume itrsquos never their problem It

actually might be sometimes but just assume it isnrsquot

People tend to put a lot of their pride and ego into their Chinese ability

because it takes a lot of time and effort to get good and it is a very rare

skill However just know that only when you really start to get good at

something do you realize how little you know Donrsquot fall into that trap

because you will be in for a rude awakening down the line Take your

ego out of the equation and have a great time Laugh at yourself

Itrsquos all just a game

LEARN TO ACCEPT UNCERTAINTY You will forget words yoursquove reviewed and heard for months

You will forget grammar structures yoursquove spoken correctly 10 times

before

You will get utterly lost in conversation after thinking yoursquove had a

breakthrough in your skill level

Take a deep breath Itrsquos all part of the process

7BE COOL

41

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoCriticism may not be agreeable but it is necessary It fulfils the same function as pain

in the human body It calls attention to an

unhealthy state of things - Winston Churchill

42

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Wersquove already mentioned the importance of good output Too many

mistakes without being corrected can lead to bad habits but mistakes

are inevitable Even if you follow our advice you will still have trouble

sometimes Enjoy being wronghellipevery mistake or misunderstanding

can bring you closer to fluency The key is to not worry about what you

canrsquot say just take note of it and take action Try to say something and it

came out as gibberish Make a note and try it out next time you get the

chance Get a flashcard completely wrong Good Less likely to next time

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to be sharing with you our favorite

speaking hacks that will instantly have you speaking Chinese

much more like a native and with less effort

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously Learning Chinese is just a game Enjoy yourself and take criticism with a smile

Mistakes when speaking and reviewing are inevitable and an important part of the learning process

KEY POINTS

7BE COOL

43

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

8USE THESE

Speak ldquorealrdquo Chinese

SPEAKING HACKS

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

OUR FAVORITE SPEAKING HACKS Apply even one of these techniques to your day-to-day speaking and

you will not only sound more native but will also find it much easier

to speak in general

SPEAK WITH FLUENCY

Fluency is not knowing every word It is simply the ability to say what it is

you want to say accurately using the vocabulary that you have Donrsquot

know how to say ldquointernational traderdquo Just say ldquowhen one country buys

and sells things with another countryrdquo After you say this your

conversation partner will likely say ldquooh yeah thatrsquos lsquointernational tradersquordquo

Boom New word learned within the emotional context of the

conversation to boot The key is when you donrsquot know a word donrsquot

just give up Instead do your best to explain what you want to say

with the vocabulary you have

SLOW DOWN

Speaking at around 80 of your normal rate wonrsquot sound weird at all and

it will improve both your pronunciation and your fluency instantly

Speaking more slowly gives your mouth and tongue muscles time to

get into position before a sound is made which is very helpful for those

sounds that donrsquot exist in English Plus it gives you a few extra

microseconds to think of something to say in conversation Combine

this with the next 2 hacks and yoursquore really in businesshellip

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

45

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoFake it until you make itrdquo - Steven Tyler

46

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

USE ldquoFILLERSrdquo

Everyone (including Chinese people) use these all the time in their

various native languages Why would you give yourself less of a chance

than a native speaker would to sound fluent Thatrsquos just crazy Here are

the top five uhh er umhelliprdquofillersrdquo

ēnhellip jiugraveshihellip negraveigehellip zhegraveigehellip raacutenhograveuhellip

Throw one or more of these utterances anywhere you like Put them in

every sentence if you feel the need Chinese people wonrsquot notice as they

do it too

USE CONVERSATION CONNECTORS

This is a term coined by Anthony Lauder referring to those everyday

fixed phrases that you say at the beginning middle or end of a sentence

to dress up what you want to say Here are some examples

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

我想告诉你hellip woacute xiǎng gagraveosu nǐhellip

Irsquod like you to know thathellip

你别介意不过hellip nǐ bieacute jiegraveyigrave buacuteguogravehellip Dont be upset buthellip

就像你已经知道的hellip jiugrave xiagraveng niacute yǐjīng zhīdagraveo dehellip

As you already know

多数情况hellip dagrave duō shugrave qiacutengkuagraveng

Most of the timehellip

47

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot give up so easily if you canrsquot think of a word you want to use Just use more common words to describe it

Speaking a bit slower will give you more time to think of what to say and will usually go unnoticed by a native speaker

Throw in fillers and fixed expressions to sound more like a native speaker and give yourself more time to speak at the same time

You can even thrown in English words to fill in the gaps if the above suggestions arenrsquot on the table Many young educated Chinese people do this anyway

KEY POINTS

USE ENGLISH WORDS

As a last ditch effort if you really donrsquot have the energy to ldquouse fluencyrdquo to

describe a word yoursquove forgotten just say the English word Younger

more educated Chinese speakers are likely to have a decent English

level and they themselves also like to throw in the odd English word into

conversation so itrsquos fine to follow suit At very least it keeps conversation

going to the next topic where you remember the Chinese words

NEXT TIME For our next installment in this series wersquore going to

get into the role writing has on your speaking how to write what

to write and where amp when to write Itrsquos not at all as intimidating

(or boring) as you may think

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

48

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Combine any and all of these tips to your speaking at any time to make yourself speak better instantly8

USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

49

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

WRITE REGULARLY9

Supercharge your active vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Many beginners (and higher levels too) struggle with the frustration of

not being able to express their thoughts and feelings properly in

Chinese Even with many months and years of practice they can still feel

like the words just arenrsquot there when they need them Wersquove already

given you a bunch of steps you can take to solve this problem and we

realize that writing may be an unexpected additional step but trust us

when we say how valuable it can be

WHY WRITING IMPROVES SPEAKING IT DEMANDS FOCUS AND ATTENTION

Writing practice is the aspect of language learning that involves the

most focus and attention as you have to think about every word as you

write Just like reading writing is a slow process at first but after a short

period of regular practice you can almost hear the ldquoclicksrdquo as the words

you write become part of your vocabulary which can now be used

when you practice speaking with your tutor After all writing and

speaking are both expressive forms of communication using similar

mental processes

IT ACTIVATES VOCABULARY VERY EFFECTIVELY

Writing may just be the ultimate way to solidify your understanding of

the words and phrases yoursquove acquired through reading and listening It

may be even more effective than speaking

9WRITEREGULARLY

51

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WRITING IS MORE PERSONAL

After some practice you can start to write in your own personal style

using your own ldquovoicerdquo which naturally makes the process much more

enjoyable Writing a journal is the best way to access this benefit Posting

thoughts in Chinese on social media is another option especially for

lower levels

WRITING GIVES YOU MORE TIME TO FORMULATE THOUGHTS

Writing gives you time to think and practice the language

simultaneously whereas with speaking there is little opportunity to

really contemplate all the various ways of expressing a thought unless

you have an extremely patient (and masochistic) paid tutor

EVEN IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER YOU CAN STILL WRITE

If you donrsquot have much vocabulary you can still practice writing Just

write individual sentences or phrases Look at example sentences and

try to re-write them using slightly different vocabulary Remember just as

the incredible graded readers we talked about in chapter 4 can be

written with just a few select words and characters you too can write a

surprising amount using the small vocabulary you have at your disposal

5 INCREDIBLE WRITING TIPS GO FOR QUANTITY

Write every day Write a blog or WeChat post write individual sentences

9WRITEREGULARLY

52

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoWriting to me is simply thinking through my fingersrdquo

- Isaac Asimov

53

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

write a question on how to write something write anything You should

write something everyday and make a routine out of it The more

content the better but donrsquot ask too much of yourself or you will burn out

and not want to do it for weeks

An added bonus to writing regularly is the ability to look back on your

previous writing practice after a few weeks or months and see how far

yoursquove come This is called ldquobenchmarkingrdquo which wersquoll talk about more

next time

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT

Write about something or someone you love Write about a problem

yoursquore having Write about your goals and dreams Write about a book

you read or a youtube video you watched Write about what yoursquove

learned or would like to learn Write a journal When you do this your

own personality will shine through in your writing which will make the

words and structures you practice far more memorable

9WRITEREGULARLY

54

AIM FOR ZERO MISTAKES

Thatrsquos correct ZERO mistakes Think about what you write Take your time

to think before you put pen to paper or keyboard and look up example

sentences for words you donrsquot quite know how to use If you do these

things you will produce correct output which is fantastic for your

language skills Bad output leads to what Thatrsquos right bad habits

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

GET CORRECTIONS

Writing and getting corrections will help you notice very quickly the

patterns and structures in Chinese This attentiveness will pay off when

it comes to speaking reading and listening too

USE A WRITING SOFTWARE

Try Ommwriter Flowstate Awriter or similar writing apps designed for

writers to get you into the flow of writing

MAKE FLASHCARDS OUT OF YOUR MISTAKES

Create ultra-personalised reviewable content by taking any corrected

sentences and making a flashcard out of it

Try to combine regular speaking practice with regular writing

practice from now on and see for yourself how fast your fluency

improves

NEXT TIME For our final installment in this series wersquore going to

focus on continuing to improve your Chinese when you start to

plateau and the going getrsquos tough

9WRITEREGULARLY

55

Share your writing with a paid language exchange partner or tutor Check

out HiNative for a great place to get corrections on your writing and ask

general questions about how to use Chinese from native speakers

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Writing is a similar mental process as speaking with some important differences that can make it a more attractive outputting method under certain circumstances

Writing makes you more easily notice things about Chinese helps you activate passive vocabulary creates more personal connections to the language and gives you more time to convey your thoughts than speaking does

You can write at any level

Write as often as you can but donrsquot burn out

Write about things you care about and are passionate about so you can really enjoy the process and create more emotional connections that improve your retention

Aim not to make any mistakes because bad output means bad habits This is much easier to accomplish than with speaking as you have more time to think

Get your writing corrected by paid or free native speakers Make flashcards for words or structures you get wrong

KEY POINTS9WRITEREGULARLY

56

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

10SHARPEN THE SAW

Keep moving forward

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 42: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoCriticism may not be agreeable but it is necessary It fulfils the same function as pain

in the human body It calls attention to an

unhealthy state of things - Winston Churchill

42

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Wersquove already mentioned the importance of good output Too many

mistakes without being corrected can lead to bad habits but mistakes

are inevitable Even if you follow our advice you will still have trouble

sometimes Enjoy being wronghellipevery mistake or misunderstanding

can bring you closer to fluency The key is to not worry about what you

canrsquot say just take note of it and take action Try to say something and it

came out as gibberish Make a note and try it out next time you get the

chance Get a flashcard completely wrong Good Less likely to next time

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to be sharing with you our favorite

speaking hacks that will instantly have you speaking Chinese

much more like a native and with less effort

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously Learning Chinese is just a game Enjoy yourself and take criticism with a smile

Mistakes when speaking and reviewing are inevitable and an important part of the learning process

KEY POINTS

7BE COOL

43

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

8USE THESE

Speak ldquorealrdquo Chinese

SPEAKING HACKS

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

OUR FAVORITE SPEAKING HACKS Apply even one of these techniques to your day-to-day speaking and

you will not only sound more native but will also find it much easier

to speak in general

SPEAK WITH FLUENCY

Fluency is not knowing every word It is simply the ability to say what it is

you want to say accurately using the vocabulary that you have Donrsquot

know how to say ldquointernational traderdquo Just say ldquowhen one country buys

and sells things with another countryrdquo After you say this your

conversation partner will likely say ldquooh yeah thatrsquos lsquointernational tradersquordquo

Boom New word learned within the emotional context of the

conversation to boot The key is when you donrsquot know a word donrsquot

just give up Instead do your best to explain what you want to say

with the vocabulary you have

SLOW DOWN

Speaking at around 80 of your normal rate wonrsquot sound weird at all and

it will improve both your pronunciation and your fluency instantly

Speaking more slowly gives your mouth and tongue muscles time to

get into position before a sound is made which is very helpful for those

sounds that donrsquot exist in English Plus it gives you a few extra

microseconds to think of something to say in conversation Combine

this with the next 2 hacks and yoursquore really in businesshellip

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

45

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoFake it until you make itrdquo - Steven Tyler

46

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

USE ldquoFILLERSrdquo

Everyone (including Chinese people) use these all the time in their

various native languages Why would you give yourself less of a chance

than a native speaker would to sound fluent Thatrsquos just crazy Here are

the top five uhh er umhelliprdquofillersrdquo

ēnhellip jiugraveshihellip negraveigehellip zhegraveigehellip raacutenhograveuhellip

Throw one or more of these utterances anywhere you like Put them in

every sentence if you feel the need Chinese people wonrsquot notice as they

do it too

USE CONVERSATION CONNECTORS

This is a term coined by Anthony Lauder referring to those everyday

fixed phrases that you say at the beginning middle or end of a sentence

to dress up what you want to say Here are some examples

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

我想告诉你hellip woacute xiǎng gagraveosu nǐhellip

Irsquod like you to know thathellip

你别介意不过hellip nǐ bieacute jiegraveyigrave buacuteguogravehellip Dont be upset buthellip

就像你已经知道的hellip jiugrave xiagraveng niacute yǐjīng zhīdagraveo dehellip

As you already know

多数情况hellip dagrave duō shugrave qiacutengkuagraveng

Most of the timehellip

47

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot give up so easily if you canrsquot think of a word you want to use Just use more common words to describe it

Speaking a bit slower will give you more time to think of what to say and will usually go unnoticed by a native speaker

Throw in fillers and fixed expressions to sound more like a native speaker and give yourself more time to speak at the same time

You can even thrown in English words to fill in the gaps if the above suggestions arenrsquot on the table Many young educated Chinese people do this anyway

KEY POINTS

USE ENGLISH WORDS

As a last ditch effort if you really donrsquot have the energy to ldquouse fluencyrdquo to

describe a word yoursquove forgotten just say the English word Younger

more educated Chinese speakers are likely to have a decent English

level and they themselves also like to throw in the odd English word into

conversation so itrsquos fine to follow suit At very least it keeps conversation

going to the next topic where you remember the Chinese words

NEXT TIME For our next installment in this series wersquore going to

get into the role writing has on your speaking how to write what

to write and where amp when to write Itrsquos not at all as intimidating

(or boring) as you may think

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

48

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Combine any and all of these tips to your speaking at any time to make yourself speak better instantly8

USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

49

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

WRITE REGULARLY9

Supercharge your active vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Many beginners (and higher levels too) struggle with the frustration of

not being able to express their thoughts and feelings properly in

Chinese Even with many months and years of practice they can still feel

like the words just arenrsquot there when they need them Wersquove already

given you a bunch of steps you can take to solve this problem and we

realize that writing may be an unexpected additional step but trust us

when we say how valuable it can be

WHY WRITING IMPROVES SPEAKING IT DEMANDS FOCUS AND ATTENTION

Writing practice is the aspect of language learning that involves the

most focus and attention as you have to think about every word as you

write Just like reading writing is a slow process at first but after a short

period of regular practice you can almost hear the ldquoclicksrdquo as the words

you write become part of your vocabulary which can now be used

when you practice speaking with your tutor After all writing and

speaking are both expressive forms of communication using similar

mental processes

IT ACTIVATES VOCABULARY VERY EFFECTIVELY

Writing may just be the ultimate way to solidify your understanding of

the words and phrases yoursquove acquired through reading and listening It

may be even more effective than speaking

9WRITEREGULARLY

51

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WRITING IS MORE PERSONAL

After some practice you can start to write in your own personal style

using your own ldquovoicerdquo which naturally makes the process much more

enjoyable Writing a journal is the best way to access this benefit Posting

thoughts in Chinese on social media is another option especially for

lower levels

WRITING GIVES YOU MORE TIME TO FORMULATE THOUGHTS

Writing gives you time to think and practice the language

simultaneously whereas with speaking there is little opportunity to

really contemplate all the various ways of expressing a thought unless

you have an extremely patient (and masochistic) paid tutor

EVEN IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER YOU CAN STILL WRITE

If you donrsquot have much vocabulary you can still practice writing Just

write individual sentences or phrases Look at example sentences and

try to re-write them using slightly different vocabulary Remember just as

the incredible graded readers we talked about in chapter 4 can be

written with just a few select words and characters you too can write a

surprising amount using the small vocabulary you have at your disposal

5 INCREDIBLE WRITING TIPS GO FOR QUANTITY

Write every day Write a blog or WeChat post write individual sentences

9WRITEREGULARLY

52

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoWriting to me is simply thinking through my fingersrdquo

- Isaac Asimov

53

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

write a question on how to write something write anything You should

write something everyday and make a routine out of it The more

content the better but donrsquot ask too much of yourself or you will burn out

and not want to do it for weeks

An added bonus to writing regularly is the ability to look back on your

previous writing practice after a few weeks or months and see how far

yoursquove come This is called ldquobenchmarkingrdquo which wersquoll talk about more

next time

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT

Write about something or someone you love Write about a problem

yoursquore having Write about your goals and dreams Write about a book

you read or a youtube video you watched Write about what yoursquove

learned or would like to learn Write a journal When you do this your

own personality will shine through in your writing which will make the

words and structures you practice far more memorable

9WRITEREGULARLY

54

AIM FOR ZERO MISTAKES

Thatrsquos correct ZERO mistakes Think about what you write Take your time

to think before you put pen to paper or keyboard and look up example

sentences for words you donrsquot quite know how to use If you do these

things you will produce correct output which is fantastic for your

language skills Bad output leads to what Thatrsquos right bad habits

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

GET CORRECTIONS

Writing and getting corrections will help you notice very quickly the

patterns and structures in Chinese This attentiveness will pay off when

it comes to speaking reading and listening too

USE A WRITING SOFTWARE

Try Ommwriter Flowstate Awriter or similar writing apps designed for

writers to get you into the flow of writing

MAKE FLASHCARDS OUT OF YOUR MISTAKES

Create ultra-personalised reviewable content by taking any corrected

sentences and making a flashcard out of it

Try to combine regular speaking practice with regular writing

practice from now on and see for yourself how fast your fluency

improves

NEXT TIME For our final installment in this series wersquore going to

focus on continuing to improve your Chinese when you start to

plateau and the going getrsquos tough

9WRITEREGULARLY

55

Share your writing with a paid language exchange partner or tutor Check

out HiNative for a great place to get corrections on your writing and ask

general questions about how to use Chinese from native speakers

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Writing is a similar mental process as speaking with some important differences that can make it a more attractive outputting method under certain circumstances

Writing makes you more easily notice things about Chinese helps you activate passive vocabulary creates more personal connections to the language and gives you more time to convey your thoughts than speaking does

You can write at any level

Write as often as you can but donrsquot burn out

Write about things you care about and are passionate about so you can really enjoy the process and create more emotional connections that improve your retention

Aim not to make any mistakes because bad output means bad habits This is much easier to accomplish than with speaking as you have more time to think

Get your writing corrected by paid or free native speakers Make flashcards for words or structures you get wrong

KEY POINTS9WRITEREGULARLY

56

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

10SHARPEN THE SAW

Keep moving forward

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 43: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Wersquove already mentioned the importance of good output Too many

mistakes without being corrected can lead to bad habits but mistakes

are inevitable Even if you follow our advice you will still have trouble

sometimes Enjoy being wronghellipevery mistake or misunderstanding

can bring you closer to fluency The key is to not worry about what you

canrsquot say just take note of it and take action Try to say something and it

came out as gibberish Make a note and try it out next time you get the

chance Get a flashcard completely wrong Good Less likely to next time

NEXT TIME Wersquore going to be sharing with you our favorite

speaking hacks that will instantly have you speaking Chinese

much more like a native and with less effort

Donrsquot take yourself too seriously Learning Chinese is just a game Enjoy yourself and take criticism with a smile

Mistakes when speaking and reviewing are inevitable and an important part of the learning process

KEY POINTS

7BE COOL

43

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

8USE THESE

Speak ldquorealrdquo Chinese

SPEAKING HACKS

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

OUR FAVORITE SPEAKING HACKS Apply even one of these techniques to your day-to-day speaking and

you will not only sound more native but will also find it much easier

to speak in general

SPEAK WITH FLUENCY

Fluency is not knowing every word It is simply the ability to say what it is

you want to say accurately using the vocabulary that you have Donrsquot

know how to say ldquointernational traderdquo Just say ldquowhen one country buys

and sells things with another countryrdquo After you say this your

conversation partner will likely say ldquooh yeah thatrsquos lsquointernational tradersquordquo

Boom New word learned within the emotional context of the

conversation to boot The key is when you donrsquot know a word donrsquot

just give up Instead do your best to explain what you want to say

with the vocabulary you have

SLOW DOWN

Speaking at around 80 of your normal rate wonrsquot sound weird at all and

it will improve both your pronunciation and your fluency instantly

Speaking more slowly gives your mouth and tongue muscles time to

get into position before a sound is made which is very helpful for those

sounds that donrsquot exist in English Plus it gives you a few extra

microseconds to think of something to say in conversation Combine

this with the next 2 hacks and yoursquore really in businesshellip

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

45

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoFake it until you make itrdquo - Steven Tyler

46

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

USE ldquoFILLERSrdquo

Everyone (including Chinese people) use these all the time in their

various native languages Why would you give yourself less of a chance

than a native speaker would to sound fluent Thatrsquos just crazy Here are

the top five uhh er umhelliprdquofillersrdquo

ēnhellip jiugraveshihellip negraveigehellip zhegraveigehellip raacutenhograveuhellip

Throw one or more of these utterances anywhere you like Put them in

every sentence if you feel the need Chinese people wonrsquot notice as they

do it too

USE CONVERSATION CONNECTORS

This is a term coined by Anthony Lauder referring to those everyday

fixed phrases that you say at the beginning middle or end of a sentence

to dress up what you want to say Here are some examples

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

我想告诉你hellip woacute xiǎng gagraveosu nǐhellip

Irsquod like you to know thathellip

你别介意不过hellip nǐ bieacute jiegraveyigrave buacuteguogravehellip Dont be upset buthellip

就像你已经知道的hellip jiugrave xiagraveng niacute yǐjīng zhīdagraveo dehellip

As you already know

多数情况hellip dagrave duō shugrave qiacutengkuagraveng

Most of the timehellip

47

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot give up so easily if you canrsquot think of a word you want to use Just use more common words to describe it

Speaking a bit slower will give you more time to think of what to say and will usually go unnoticed by a native speaker

Throw in fillers and fixed expressions to sound more like a native speaker and give yourself more time to speak at the same time

You can even thrown in English words to fill in the gaps if the above suggestions arenrsquot on the table Many young educated Chinese people do this anyway

KEY POINTS

USE ENGLISH WORDS

As a last ditch effort if you really donrsquot have the energy to ldquouse fluencyrdquo to

describe a word yoursquove forgotten just say the English word Younger

more educated Chinese speakers are likely to have a decent English

level and they themselves also like to throw in the odd English word into

conversation so itrsquos fine to follow suit At very least it keeps conversation

going to the next topic where you remember the Chinese words

NEXT TIME For our next installment in this series wersquore going to

get into the role writing has on your speaking how to write what

to write and where amp when to write Itrsquos not at all as intimidating

(or boring) as you may think

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

48

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Combine any and all of these tips to your speaking at any time to make yourself speak better instantly8

USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

49

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

WRITE REGULARLY9

Supercharge your active vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Many beginners (and higher levels too) struggle with the frustration of

not being able to express their thoughts and feelings properly in

Chinese Even with many months and years of practice they can still feel

like the words just arenrsquot there when they need them Wersquove already

given you a bunch of steps you can take to solve this problem and we

realize that writing may be an unexpected additional step but trust us

when we say how valuable it can be

WHY WRITING IMPROVES SPEAKING IT DEMANDS FOCUS AND ATTENTION

Writing practice is the aspect of language learning that involves the

most focus and attention as you have to think about every word as you

write Just like reading writing is a slow process at first but after a short

period of regular practice you can almost hear the ldquoclicksrdquo as the words

you write become part of your vocabulary which can now be used

when you practice speaking with your tutor After all writing and

speaking are both expressive forms of communication using similar

mental processes

IT ACTIVATES VOCABULARY VERY EFFECTIVELY

Writing may just be the ultimate way to solidify your understanding of

the words and phrases yoursquove acquired through reading and listening It

may be even more effective than speaking

9WRITEREGULARLY

51

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WRITING IS MORE PERSONAL

After some practice you can start to write in your own personal style

using your own ldquovoicerdquo which naturally makes the process much more

enjoyable Writing a journal is the best way to access this benefit Posting

thoughts in Chinese on social media is another option especially for

lower levels

WRITING GIVES YOU MORE TIME TO FORMULATE THOUGHTS

Writing gives you time to think and practice the language

simultaneously whereas with speaking there is little opportunity to

really contemplate all the various ways of expressing a thought unless

you have an extremely patient (and masochistic) paid tutor

EVEN IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER YOU CAN STILL WRITE

If you donrsquot have much vocabulary you can still practice writing Just

write individual sentences or phrases Look at example sentences and

try to re-write them using slightly different vocabulary Remember just as

the incredible graded readers we talked about in chapter 4 can be

written with just a few select words and characters you too can write a

surprising amount using the small vocabulary you have at your disposal

5 INCREDIBLE WRITING TIPS GO FOR QUANTITY

Write every day Write a blog or WeChat post write individual sentences

9WRITEREGULARLY

52

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoWriting to me is simply thinking through my fingersrdquo

- Isaac Asimov

53

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

write a question on how to write something write anything You should

write something everyday and make a routine out of it The more

content the better but donrsquot ask too much of yourself or you will burn out

and not want to do it for weeks

An added bonus to writing regularly is the ability to look back on your

previous writing practice after a few weeks or months and see how far

yoursquove come This is called ldquobenchmarkingrdquo which wersquoll talk about more

next time

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT

Write about something or someone you love Write about a problem

yoursquore having Write about your goals and dreams Write about a book

you read or a youtube video you watched Write about what yoursquove

learned or would like to learn Write a journal When you do this your

own personality will shine through in your writing which will make the

words and structures you practice far more memorable

9WRITEREGULARLY

54

AIM FOR ZERO MISTAKES

Thatrsquos correct ZERO mistakes Think about what you write Take your time

to think before you put pen to paper or keyboard and look up example

sentences for words you donrsquot quite know how to use If you do these

things you will produce correct output which is fantastic for your

language skills Bad output leads to what Thatrsquos right bad habits

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

GET CORRECTIONS

Writing and getting corrections will help you notice very quickly the

patterns and structures in Chinese This attentiveness will pay off when

it comes to speaking reading and listening too

USE A WRITING SOFTWARE

Try Ommwriter Flowstate Awriter or similar writing apps designed for

writers to get you into the flow of writing

MAKE FLASHCARDS OUT OF YOUR MISTAKES

Create ultra-personalised reviewable content by taking any corrected

sentences and making a flashcard out of it

Try to combine regular speaking practice with regular writing

practice from now on and see for yourself how fast your fluency

improves

NEXT TIME For our final installment in this series wersquore going to

focus on continuing to improve your Chinese when you start to

plateau and the going getrsquos tough

9WRITEREGULARLY

55

Share your writing with a paid language exchange partner or tutor Check

out HiNative for a great place to get corrections on your writing and ask

general questions about how to use Chinese from native speakers

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Writing is a similar mental process as speaking with some important differences that can make it a more attractive outputting method under certain circumstances

Writing makes you more easily notice things about Chinese helps you activate passive vocabulary creates more personal connections to the language and gives you more time to convey your thoughts than speaking does

You can write at any level

Write as often as you can but donrsquot burn out

Write about things you care about and are passionate about so you can really enjoy the process and create more emotional connections that improve your retention

Aim not to make any mistakes because bad output means bad habits This is much easier to accomplish than with speaking as you have more time to think

Get your writing corrected by paid or free native speakers Make flashcards for words or structures you get wrong

KEY POINTS9WRITEREGULARLY

56

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

10SHARPEN THE SAW

Keep moving forward

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 44: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

8USE THESE

Speak ldquorealrdquo Chinese

SPEAKING HACKS

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

OUR FAVORITE SPEAKING HACKS Apply even one of these techniques to your day-to-day speaking and

you will not only sound more native but will also find it much easier

to speak in general

SPEAK WITH FLUENCY

Fluency is not knowing every word It is simply the ability to say what it is

you want to say accurately using the vocabulary that you have Donrsquot

know how to say ldquointernational traderdquo Just say ldquowhen one country buys

and sells things with another countryrdquo After you say this your

conversation partner will likely say ldquooh yeah thatrsquos lsquointernational tradersquordquo

Boom New word learned within the emotional context of the

conversation to boot The key is when you donrsquot know a word donrsquot

just give up Instead do your best to explain what you want to say

with the vocabulary you have

SLOW DOWN

Speaking at around 80 of your normal rate wonrsquot sound weird at all and

it will improve both your pronunciation and your fluency instantly

Speaking more slowly gives your mouth and tongue muscles time to

get into position before a sound is made which is very helpful for those

sounds that donrsquot exist in English Plus it gives you a few extra

microseconds to think of something to say in conversation Combine

this with the next 2 hacks and yoursquore really in businesshellip

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

45

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoFake it until you make itrdquo - Steven Tyler

46

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

USE ldquoFILLERSrdquo

Everyone (including Chinese people) use these all the time in their

various native languages Why would you give yourself less of a chance

than a native speaker would to sound fluent Thatrsquos just crazy Here are

the top five uhh er umhelliprdquofillersrdquo

ēnhellip jiugraveshihellip negraveigehellip zhegraveigehellip raacutenhograveuhellip

Throw one or more of these utterances anywhere you like Put them in

every sentence if you feel the need Chinese people wonrsquot notice as they

do it too

USE CONVERSATION CONNECTORS

This is a term coined by Anthony Lauder referring to those everyday

fixed phrases that you say at the beginning middle or end of a sentence

to dress up what you want to say Here are some examples

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

我想告诉你hellip woacute xiǎng gagraveosu nǐhellip

Irsquod like you to know thathellip

你别介意不过hellip nǐ bieacute jiegraveyigrave buacuteguogravehellip Dont be upset buthellip

就像你已经知道的hellip jiugrave xiagraveng niacute yǐjīng zhīdagraveo dehellip

As you already know

多数情况hellip dagrave duō shugrave qiacutengkuagraveng

Most of the timehellip

47

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot give up so easily if you canrsquot think of a word you want to use Just use more common words to describe it

Speaking a bit slower will give you more time to think of what to say and will usually go unnoticed by a native speaker

Throw in fillers and fixed expressions to sound more like a native speaker and give yourself more time to speak at the same time

You can even thrown in English words to fill in the gaps if the above suggestions arenrsquot on the table Many young educated Chinese people do this anyway

KEY POINTS

USE ENGLISH WORDS

As a last ditch effort if you really donrsquot have the energy to ldquouse fluencyrdquo to

describe a word yoursquove forgotten just say the English word Younger

more educated Chinese speakers are likely to have a decent English

level and they themselves also like to throw in the odd English word into

conversation so itrsquos fine to follow suit At very least it keeps conversation

going to the next topic where you remember the Chinese words

NEXT TIME For our next installment in this series wersquore going to

get into the role writing has on your speaking how to write what

to write and where amp when to write Itrsquos not at all as intimidating

(or boring) as you may think

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

48

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Combine any and all of these tips to your speaking at any time to make yourself speak better instantly8

USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

49

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

WRITE REGULARLY9

Supercharge your active vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Many beginners (and higher levels too) struggle with the frustration of

not being able to express their thoughts and feelings properly in

Chinese Even with many months and years of practice they can still feel

like the words just arenrsquot there when they need them Wersquove already

given you a bunch of steps you can take to solve this problem and we

realize that writing may be an unexpected additional step but trust us

when we say how valuable it can be

WHY WRITING IMPROVES SPEAKING IT DEMANDS FOCUS AND ATTENTION

Writing practice is the aspect of language learning that involves the

most focus and attention as you have to think about every word as you

write Just like reading writing is a slow process at first but after a short

period of regular practice you can almost hear the ldquoclicksrdquo as the words

you write become part of your vocabulary which can now be used

when you practice speaking with your tutor After all writing and

speaking are both expressive forms of communication using similar

mental processes

IT ACTIVATES VOCABULARY VERY EFFECTIVELY

Writing may just be the ultimate way to solidify your understanding of

the words and phrases yoursquove acquired through reading and listening It

may be even more effective than speaking

9WRITEREGULARLY

51

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WRITING IS MORE PERSONAL

After some practice you can start to write in your own personal style

using your own ldquovoicerdquo which naturally makes the process much more

enjoyable Writing a journal is the best way to access this benefit Posting

thoughts in Chinese on social media is another option especially for

lower levels

WRITING GIVES YOU MORE TIME TO FORMULATE THOUGHTS

Writing gives you time to think and practice the language

simultaneously whereas with speaking there is little opportunity to

really contemplate all the various ways of expressing a thought unless

you have an extremely patient (and masochistic) paid tutor

EVEN IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER YOU CAN STILL WRITE

If you donrsquot have much vocabulary you can still practice writing Just

write individual sentences or phrases Look at example sentences and

try to re-write them using slightly different vocabulary Remember just as

the incredible graded readers we talked about in chapter 4 can be

written with just a few select words and characters you too can write a

surprising amount using the small vocabulary you have at your disposal

5 INCREDIBLE WRITING TIPS GO FOR QUANTITY

Write every day Write a blog or WeChat post write individual sentences

9WRITEREGULARLY

52

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoWriting to me is simply thinking through my fingersrdquo

- Isaac Asimov

53

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

write a question on how to write something write anything You should

write something everyday and make a routine out of it The more

content the better but donrsquot ask too much of yourself or you will burn out

and not want to do it for weeks

An added bonus to writing regularly is the ability to look back on your

previous writing practice after a few weeks or months and see how far

yoursquove come This is called ldquobenchmarkingrdquo which wersquoll talk about more

next time

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT

Write about something or someone you love Write about a problem

yoursquore having Write about your goals and dreams Write about a book

you read or a youtube video you watched Write about what yoursquove

learned or would like to learn Write a journal When you do this your

own personality will shine through in your writing which will make the

words and structures you practice far more memorable

9WRITEREGULARLY

54

AIM FOR ZERO MISTAKES

Thatrsquos correct ZERO mistakes Think about what you write Take your time

to think before you put pen to paper or keyboard and look up example

sentences for words you donrsquot quite know how to use If you do these

things you will produce correct output which is fantastic for your

language skills Bad output leads to what Thatrsquos right bad habits

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

GET CORRECTIONS

Writing and getting corrections will help you notice very quickly the

patterns and structures in Chinese This attentiveness will pay off when

it comes to speaking reading and listening too

USE A WRITING SOFTWARE

Try Ommwriter Flowstate Awriter or similar writing apps designed for

writers to get you into the flow of writing

MAKE FLASHCARDS OUT OF YOUR MISTAKES

Create ultra-personalised reviewable content by taking any corrected

sentences and making a flashcard out of it

Try to combine regular speaking practice with regular writing

practice from now on and see for yourself how fast your fluency

improves

NEXT TIME For our final installment in this series wersquore going to

focus on continuing to improve your Chinese when you start to

plateau and the going getrsquos tough

9WRITEREGULARLY

55

Share your writing with a paid language exchange partner or tutor Check

out HiNative for a great place to get corrections on your writing and ask

general questions about how to use Chinese from native speakers

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Writing is a similar mental process as speaking with some important differences that can make it a more attractive outputting method under certain circumstances

Writing makes you more easily notice things about Chinese helps you activate passive vocabulary creates more personal connections to the language and gives you more time to convey your thoughts than speaking does

You can write at any level

Write as often as you can but donrsquot burn out

Write about things you care about and are passionate about so you can really enjoy the process and create more emotional connections that improve your retention

Aim not to make any mistakes because bad output means bad habits This is much easier to accomplish than with speaking as you have more time to think

Get your writing corrected by paid or free native speakers Make flashcards for words or structures you get wrong

KEY POINTS9WRITEREGULARLY

56

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

10SHARPEN THE SAW

Keep moving forward

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 45: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

OUR FAVORITE SPEAKING HACKS Apply even one of these techniques to your day-to-day speaking and

you will not only sound more native but will also find it much easier

to speak in general

SPEAK WITH FLUENCY

Fluency is not knowing every word It is simply the ability to say what it is

you want to say accurately using the vocabulary that you have Donrsquot

know how to say ldquointernational traderdquo Just say ldquowhen one country buys

and sells things with another countryrdquo After you say this your

conversation partner will likely say ldquooh yeah thatrsquos lsquointernational tradersquordquo

Boom New word learned within the emotional context of the

conversation to boot The key is when you donrsquot know a word donrsquot

just give up Instead do your best to explain what you want to say

with the vocabulary you have

SLOW DOWN

Speaking at around 80 of your normal rate wonrsquot sound weird at all and

it will improve both your pronunciation and your fluency instantly

Speaking more slowly gives your mouth and tongue muscles time to

get into position before a sound is made which is very helpful for those

sounds that donrsquot exist in English Plus it gives you a few extra

microseconds to think of something to say in conversation Combine

this with the next 2 hacks and yoursquore really in businesshellip

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

45

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoFake it until you make itrdquo - Steven Tyler

46

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

USE ldquoFILLERSrdquo

Everyone (including Chinese people) use these all the time in their

various native languages Why would you give yourself less of a chance

than a native speaker would to sound fluent Thatrsquos just crazy Here are

the top five uhh er umhelliprdquofillersrdquo

ēnhellip jiugraveshihellip negraveigehellip zhegraveigehellip raacutenhograveuhellip

Throw one or more of these utterances anywhere you like Put them in

every sentence if you feel the need Chinese people wonrsquot notice as they

do it too

USE CONVERSATION CONNECTORS

This is a term coined by Anthony Lauder referring to those everyday

fixed phrases that you say at the beginning middle or end of a sentence

to dress up what you want to say Here are some examples

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

我想告诉你hellip woacute xiǎng gagraveosu nǐhellip

Irsquod like you to know thathellip

你别介意不过hellip nǐ bieacute jiegraveyigrave buacuteguogravehellip Dont be upset buthellip

就像你已经知道的hellip jiugrave xiagraveng niacute yǐjīng zhīdagraveo dehellip

As you already know

多数情况hellip dagrave duō shugrave qiacutengkuagraveng

Most of the timehellip

47

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot give up so easily if you canrsquot think of a word you want to use Just use more common words to describe it

Speaking a bit slower will give you more time to think of what to say and will usually go unnoticed by a native speaker

Throw in fillers and fixed expressions to sound more like a native speaker and give yourself more time to speak at the same time

You can even thrown in English words to fill in the gaps if the above suggestions arenrsquot on the table Many young educated Chinese people do this anyway

KEY POINTS

USE ENGLISH WORDS

As a last ditch effort if you really donrsquot have the energy to ldquouse fluencyrdquo to

describe a word yoursquove forgotten just say the English word Younger

more educated Chinese speakers are likely to have a decent English

level and they themselves also like to throw in the odd English word into

conversation so itrsquos fine to follow suit At very least it keeps conversation

going to the next topic where you remember the Chinese words

NEXT TIME For our next installment in this series wersquore going to

get into the role writing has on your speaking how to write what

to write and where amp when to write Itrsquos not at all as intimidating

(or boring) as you may think

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

48

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Combine any and all of these tips to your speaking at any time to make yourself speak better instantly8

USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

49

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

WRITE REGULARLY9

Supercharge your active vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Many beginners (and higher levels too) struggle with the frustration of

not being able to express their thoughts and feelings properly in

Chinese Even with many months and years of practice they can still feel

like the words just arenrsquot there when they need them Wersquove already

given you a bunch of steps you can take to solve this problem and we

realize that writing may be an unexpected additional step but trust us

when we say how valuable it can be

WHY WRITING IMPROVES SPEAKING IT DEMANDS FOCUS AND ATTENTION

Writing practice is the aspect of language learning that involves the

most focus and attention as you have to think about every word as you

write Just like reading writing is a slow process at first but after a short

period of regular practice you can almost hear the ldquoclicksrdquo as the words

you write become part of your vocabulary which can now be used

when you practice speaking with your tutor After all writing and

speaking are both expressive forms of communication using similar

mental processes

IT ACTIVATES VOCABULARY VERY EFFECTIVELY

Writing may just be the ultimate way to solidify your understanding of

the words and phrases yoursquove acquired through reading and listening It

may be even more effective than speaking

9WRITEREGULARLY

51

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WRITING IS MORE PERSONAL

After some practice you can start to write in your own personal style

using your own ldquovoicerdquo which naturally makes the process much more

enjoyable Writing a journal is the best way to access this benefit Posting

thoughts in Chinese on social media is another option especially for

lower levels

WRITING GIVES YOU MORE TIME TO FORMULATE THOUGHTS

Writing gives you time to think and practice the language

simultaneously whereas with speaking there is little opportunity to

really contemplate all the various ways of expressing a thought unless

you have an extremely patient (and masochistic) paid tutor

EVEN IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER YOU CAN STILL WRITE

If you donrsquot have much vocabulary you can still practice writing Just

write individual sentences or phrases Look at example sentences and

try to re-write them using slightly different vocabulary Remember just as

the incredible graded readers we talked about in chapter 4 can be

written with just a few select words and characters you too can write a

surprising amount using the small vocabulary you have at your disposal

5 INCREDIBLE WRITING TIPS GO FOR QUANTITY

Write every day Write a blog or WeChat post write individual sentences

9WRITEREGULARLY

52

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoWriting to me is simply thinking through my fingersrdquo

- Isaac Asimov

53

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

write a question on how to write something write anything You should

write something everyday and make a routine out of it The more

content the better but donrsquot ask too much of yourself or you will burn out

and not want to do it for weeks

An added bonus to writing regularly is the ability to look back on your

previous writing practice after a few weeks or months and see how far

yoursquove come This is called ldquobenchmarkingrdquo which wersquoll talk about more

next time

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT

Write about something or someone you love Write about a problem

yoursquore having Write about your goals and dreams Write about a book

you read or a youtube video you watched Write about what yoursquove

learned or would like to learn Write a journal When you do this your

own personality will shine through in your writing which will make the

words and structures you practice far more memorable

9WRITEREGULARLY

54

AIM FOR ZERO MISTAKES

Thatrsquos correct ZERO mistakes Think about what you write Take your time

to think before you put pen to paper or keyboard and look up example

sentences for words you donrsquot quite know how to use If you do these

things you will produce correct output which is fantastic for your

language skills Bad output leads to what Thatrsquos right bad habits

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

GET CORRECTIONS

Writing and getting corrections will help you notice very quickly the

patterns and structures in Chinese This attentiveness will pay off when

it comes to speaking reading and listening too

USE A WRITING SOFTWARE

Try Ommwriter Flowstate Awriter or similar writing apps designed for

writers to get you into the flow of writing

MAKE FLASHCARDS OUT OF YOUR MISTAKES

Create ultra-personalised reviewable content by taking any corrected

sentences and making a flashcard out of it

Try to combine regular speaking practice with regular writing

practice from now on and see for yourself how fast your fluency

improves

NEXT TIME For our final installment in this series wersquore going to

focus on continuing to improve your Chinese when you start to

plateau and the going getrsquos tough

9WRITEREGULARLY

55

Share your writing with a paid language exchange partner or tutor Check

out HiNative for a great place to get corrections on your writing and ask

general questions about how to use Chinese from native speakers

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Writing is a similar mental process as speaking with some important differences that can make it a more attractive outputting method under certain circumstances

Writing makes you more easily notice things about Chinese helps you activate passive vocabulary creates more personal connections to the language and gives you more time to convey your thoughts than speaking does

You can write at any level

Write as often as you can but donrsquot burn out

Write about things you care about and are passionate about so you can really enjoy the process and create more emotional connections that improve your retention

Aim not to make any mistakes because bad output means bad habits This is much easier to accomplish than with speaking as you have more time to think

Get your writing corrected by paid or free native speakers Make flashcards for words or structures you get wrong

KEY POINTS9WRITEREGULARLY

56

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

10SHARPEN THE SAW

Keep moving forward

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 46: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoFake it until you make itrdquo - Steven Tyler

46

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

USE ldquoFILLERSrdquo

Everyone (including Chinese people) use these all the time in their

various native languages Why would you give yourself less of a chance

than a native speaker would to sound fluent Thatrsquos just crazy Here are

the top five uhh er umhelliprdquofillersrdquo

ēnhellip jiugraveshihellip negraveigehellip zhegraveigehellip raacutenhograveuhellip

Throw one or more of these utterances anywhere you like Put them in

every sentence if you feel the need Chinese people wonrsquot notice as they

do it too

USE CONVERSATION CONNECTORS

This is a term coined by Anthony Lauder referring to those everyday

fixed phrases that you say at the beginning middle or end of a sentence

to dress up what you want to say Here are some examples

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

我想告诉你hellip woacute xiǎng gagraveosu nǐhellip

Irsquod like you to know thathellip

你别介意不过hellip nǐ bieacute jiegraveyigrave buacuteguogravehellip Dont be upset buthellip

就像你已经知道的hellip jiugrave xiagraveng niacute yǐjīng zhīdagraveo dehellip

As you already know

多数情况hellip dagrave duō shugrave qiacutengkuagraveng

Most of the timehellip

47

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot give up so easily if you canrsquot think of a word you want to use Just use more common words to describe it

Speaking a bit slower will give you more time to think of what to say and will usually go unnoticed by a native speaker

Throw in fillers and fixed expressions to sound more like a native speaker and give yourself more time to speak at the same time

You can even thrown in English words to fill in the gaps if the above suggestions arenrsquot on the table Many young educated Chinese people do this anyway

KEY POINTS

USE ENGLISH WORDS

As a last ditch effort if you really donrsquot have the energy to ldquouse fluencyrdquo to

describe a word yoursquove forgotten just say the English word Younger

more educated Chinese speakers are likely to have a decent English

level and they themselves also like to throw in the odd English word into

conversation so itrsquos fine to follow suit At very least it keeps conversation

going to the next topic where you remember the Chinese words

NEXT TIME For our next installment in this series wersquore going to

get into the role writing has on your speaking how to write what

to write and where amp when to write Itrsquos not at all as intimidating

(or boring) as you may think

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

48

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Combine any and all of these tips to your speaking at any time to make yourself speak better instantly8

USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

49

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

WRITE REGULARLY9

Supercharge your active vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Many beginners (and higher levels too) struggle with the frustration of

not being able to express their thoughts and feelings properly in

Chinese Even with many months and years of practice they can still feel

like the words just arenrsquot there when they need them Wersquove already

given you a bunch of steps you can take to solve this problem and we

realize that writing may be an unexpected additional step but trust us

when we say how valuable it can be

WHY WRITING IMPROVES SPEAKING IT DEMANDS FOCUS AND ATTENTION

Writing practice is the aspect of language learning that involves the

most focus and attention as you have to think about every word as you

write Just like reading writing is a slow process at first but after a short

period of regular practice you can almost hear the ldquoclicksrdquo as the words

you write become part of your vocabulary which can now be used

when you practice speaking with your tutor After all writing and

speaking are both expressive forms of communication using similar

mental processes

IT ACTIVATES VOCABULARY VERY EFFECTIVELY

Writing may just be the ultimate way to solidify your understanding of

the words and phrases yoursquove acquired through reading and listening It

may be even more effective than speaking

9WRITEREGULARLY

51

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WRITING IS MORE PERSONAL

After some practice you can start to write in your own personal style

using your own ldquovoicerdquo which naturally makes the process much more

enjoyable Writing a journal is the best way to access this benefit Posting

thoughts in Chinese on social media is another option especially for

lower levels

WRITING GIVES YOU MORE TIME TO FORMULATE THOUGHTS

Writing gives you time to think and practice the language

simultaneously whereas with speaking there is little opportunity to

really contemplate all the various ways of expressing a thought unless

you have an extremely patient (and masochistic) paid tutor

EVEN IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER YOU CAN STILL WRITE

If you donrsquot have much vocabulary you can still practice writing Just

write individual sentences or phrases Look at example sentences and

try to re-write them using slightly different vocabulary Remember just as

the incredible graded readers we talked about in chapter 4 can be

written with just a few select words and characters you too can write a

surprising amount using the small vocabulary you have at your disposal

5 INCREDIBLE WRITING TIPS GO FOR QUANTITY

Write every day Write a blog or WeChat post write individual sentences

9WRITEREGULARLY

52

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoWriting to me is simply thinking through my fingersrdquo

- Isaac Asimov

53

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

write a question on how to write something write anything You should

write something everyday and make a routine out of it The more

content the better but donrsquot ask too much of yourself or you will burn out

and not want to do it for weeks

An added bonus to writing regularly is the ability to look back on your

previous writing practice after a few weeks or months and see how far

yoursquove come This is called ldquobenchmarkingrdquo which wersquoll talk about more

next time

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT

Write about something or someone you love Write about a problem

yoursquore having Write about your goals and dreams Write about a book

you read or a youtube video you watched Write about what yoursquove

learned or would like to learn Write a journal When you do this your

own personality will shine through in your writing which will make the

words and structures you practice far more memorable

9WRITEREGULARLY

54

AIM FOR ZERO MISTAKES

Thatrsquos correct ZERO mistakes Think about what you write Take your time

to think before you put pen to paper or keyboard and look up example

sentences for words you donrsquot quite know how to use If you do these

things you will produce correct output which is fantastic for your

language skills Bad output leads to what Thatrsquos right bad habits

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

GET CORRECTIONS

Writing and getting corrections will help you notice very quickly the

patterns and structures in Chinese This attentiveness will pay off when

it comes to speaking reading and listening too

USE A WRITING SOFTWARE

Try Ommwriter Flowstate Awriter or similar writing apps designed for

writers to get you into the flow of writing

MAKE FLASHCARDS OUT OF YOUR MISTAKES

Create ultra-personalised reviewable content by taking any corrected

sentences and making a flashcard out of it

Try to combine regular speaking practice with regular writing

practice from now on and see for yourself how fast your fluency

improves

NEXT TIME For our final installment in this series wersquore going to

focus on continuing to improve your Chinese when you start to

plateau and the going getrsquos tough

9WRITEREGULARLY

55

Share your writing with a paid language exchange partner or tutor Check

out HiNative for a great place to get corrections on your writing and ask

general questions about how to use Chinese from native speakers

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Writing is a similar mental process as speaking with some important differences that can make it a more attractive outputting method under certain circumstances

Writing makes you more easily notice things about Chinese helps you activate passive vocabulary creates more personal connections to the language and gives you more time to convey your thoughts than speaking does

You can write at any level

Write as often as you can but donrsquot burn out

Write about things you care about and are passionate about so you can really enjoy the process and create more emotional connections that improve your retention

Aim not to make any mistakes because bad output means bad habits This is much easier to accomplish than with speaking as you have more time to think

Get your writing corrected by paid or free native speakers Make flashcards for words or structures you get wrong

KEY POINTS9WRITEREGULARLY

56

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

10SHARPEN THE SAW

Keep moving forward

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 47: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

USE ldquoFILLERSrdquo

Everyone (including Chinese people) use these all the time in their

various native languages Why would you give yourself less of a chance

than a native speaker would to sound fluent Thatrsquos just crazy Here are

the top five uhh er umhelliprdquofillersrdquo

ēnhellip jiugraveshihellip negraveigehellip zhegraveigehellip raacutenhograveuhellip

Throw one or more of these utterances anywhere you like Put them in

every sentence if you feel the need Chinese people wonrsquot notice as they

do it too

USE CONVERSATION CONNECTORS

This is a term coined by Anthony Lauder referring to those everyday

fixed phrases that you say at the beginning middle or end of a sentence

to dress up what you want to say Here are some examples

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

我想告诉你hellip woacute xiǎng gagraveosu nǐhellip

Irsquod like you to know thathellip

你别介意不过hellip nǐ bieacute jiegraveyigrave buacuteguogravehellip Dont be upset buthellip

就像你已经知道的hellip jiugrave xiagraveng niacute yǐjīng zhīdagraveo dehellip

As you already know

多数情况hellip dagrave duō shugrave qiacutengkuagraveng

Most of the timehellip

47

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot give up so easily if you canrsquot think of a word you want to use Just use more common words to describe it

Speaking a bit slower will give you more time to think of what to say and will usually go unnoticed by a native speaker

Throw in fillers and fixed expressions to sound more like a native speaker and give yourself more time to speak at the same time

You can even thrown in English words to fill in the gaps if the above suggestions arenrsquot on the table Many young educated Chinese people do this anyway

KEY POINTS

USE ENGLISH WORDS

As a last ditch effort if you really donrsquot have the energy to ldquouse fluencyrdquo to

describe a word yoursquove forgotten just say the English word Younger

more educated Chinese speakers are likely to have a decent English

level and they themselves also like to throw in the odd English word into

conversation so itrsquos fine to follow suit At very least it keeps conversation

going to the next topic where you remember the Chinese words

NEXT TIME For our next installment in this series wersquore going to

get into the role writing has on your speaking how to write what

to write and where amp when to write Itrsquos not at all as intimidating

(or boring) as you may think

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

48

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Combine any and all of these tips to your speaking at any time to make yourself speak better instantly8

USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

49

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

WRITE REGULARLY9

Supercharge your active vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Many beginners (and higher levels too) struggle with the frustration of

not being able to express their thoughts and feelings properly in

Chinese Even with many months and years of practice they can still feel

like the words just arenrsquot there when they need them Wersquove already

given you a bunch of steps you can take to solve this problem and we

realize that writing may be an unexpected additional step but trust us

when we say how valuable it can be

WHY WRITING IMPROVES SPEAKING IT DEMANDS FOCUS AND ATTENTION

Writing practice is the aspect of language learning that involves the

most focus and attention as you have to think about every word as you

write Just like reading writing is a slow process at first but after a short

period of regular practice you can almost hear the ldquoclicksrdquo as the words

you write become part of your vocabulary which can now be used

when you practice speaking with your tutor After all writing and

speaking are both expressive forms of communication using similar

mental processes

IT ACTIVATES VOCABULARY VERY EFFECTIVELY

Writing may just be the ultimate way to solidify your understanding of

the words and phrases yoursquove acquired through reading and listening It

may be even more effective than speaking

9WRITEREGULARLY

51

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WRITING IS MORE PERSONAL

After some practice you can start to write in your own personal style

using your own ldquovoicerdquo which naturally makes the process much more

enjoyable Writing a journal is the best way to access this benefit Posting

thoughts in Chinese on social media is another option especially for

lower levels

WRITING GIVES YOU MORE TIME TO FORMULATE THOUGHTS

Writing gives you time to think and practice the language

simultaneously whereas with speaking there is little opportunity to

really contemplate all the various ways of expressing a thought unless

you have an extremely patient (and masochistic) paid tutor

EVEN IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER YOU CAN STILL WRITE

If you donrsquot have much vocabulary you can still practice writing Just

write individual sentences or phrases Look at example sentences and

try to re-write them using slightly different vocabulary Remember just as

the incredible graded readers we talked about in chapter 4 can be

written with just a few select words and characters you too can write a

surprising amount using the small vocabulary you have at your disposal

5 INCREDIBLE WRITING TIPS GO FOR QUANTITY

Write every day Write a blog or WeChat post write individual sentences

9WRITEREGULARLY

52

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoWriting to me is simply thinking through my fingersrdquo

- Isaac Asimov

53

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

write a question on how to write something write anything You should

write something everyday and make a routine out of it The more

content the better but donrsquot ask too much of yourself or you will burn out

and not want to do it for weeks

An added bonus to writing regularly is the ability to look back on your

previous writing practice after a few weeks or months and see how far

yoursquove come This is called ldquobenchmarkingrdquo which wersquoll talk about more

next time

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT

Write about something or someone you love Write about a problem

yoursquore having Write about your goals and dreams Write about a book

you read or a youtube video you watched Write about what yoursquove

learned or would like to learn Write a journal When you do this your

own personality will shine through in your writing which will make the

words and structures you practice far more memorable

9WRITEREGULARLY

54

AIM FOR ZERO MISTAKES

Thatrsquos correct ZERO mistakes Think about what you write Take your time

to think before you put pen to paper or keyboard and look up example

sentences for words you donrsquot quite know how to use If you do these

things you will produce correct output which is fantastic for your

language skills Bad output leads to what Thatrsquos right bad habits

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

GET CORRECTIONS

Writing and getting corrections will help you notice very quickly the

patterns and structures in Chinese This attentiveness will pay off when

it comes to speaking reading and listening too

USE A WRITING SOFTWARE

Try Ommwriter Flowstate Awriter or similar writing apps designed for

writers to get you into the flow of writing

MAKE FLASHCARDS OUT OF YOUR MISTAKES

Create ultra-personalised reviewable content by taking any corrected

sentences and making a flashcard out of it

Try to combine regular speaking practice with regular writing

practice from now on and see for yourself how fast your fluency

improves

NEXT TIME For our final installment in this series wersquore going to

focus on continuing to improve your Chinese when you start to

plateau and the going getrsquos tough

9WRITEREGULARLY

55

Share your writing with a paid language exchange partner or tutor Check

out HiNative for a great place to get corrections on your writing and ask

general questions about how to use Chinese from native speakers

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Writing is a similar mental process as speaking with some important differences that can make it a more attractive outputting method under certain circumstances

Writing makes you more easily notice things about Chinese helps you activate passive vocabulary creates more personal connections to the language and gives you more time to convey your thoughts than speaking does

You can write at any level

Write as often as you can but donrsquot burn out

Write about things you care about and are passionate about so you can really enjoy the process and create more emotional connections that improve your retention

Aim not to make any mistakes because bad output means bad habits This is much easier to accomplish than with speaking as you have more time to think

Get your writing corrected by paid or free native speakers Make flashcards for words or structures you get wrong

KEY POINTS9WRITEREGULARLY

56

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

10SHARPEN THE SAW

Keep moving forward

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 48: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Donrsquot give up so easily if you canrsquot think of a word you want to use Just use more common words to describe it

Speaking a bit slower will give you more time to think of what to say and will usually go unnoticed by a native speaker

Throw in fillers and fixed expressions to sound more like a native speaker and give yourself more time to speak at the same time

You can even thrown in English words to fill in the gaps if the above suggestions arenrsquot on the table Many young educated Chinese people do this anyway

KEY POINTS

USE ENGLISH WORDS

As a last ditch effort if you really donrsquot have the energy to ldquouse fluencyrdquo to

describe a word yoursquove forgotten just say the English word Younger

more educated Chinese speakers are likely to have a decent English

level and they themselves also like to throw in the odd English word into

conversation so itrsquos fine to follow suit At very least it keeps conversation

going to the next topic where you remember the Chinese words

NEXT TIME For our next installment in this series wersquore going to

get into the role writing has on your speaking how to write what

to write and where amp when to write Itrsquos not at all as intimidating

(or boring) as you may think

8USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

48

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Combine any and all of these tips to your speaking at any time to make yourself speak better instantly8

USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

49

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

WRITE REGULARLY9

Supercharge your active vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Many beginners (and higher levels too) struggle with the frustration of

not being able to express their thoughts and feelings properly in

Chinese Even with many months and years of practice they can still feel

like the words just arenrsquot there when they need them Wersquove already

given you a bunch of steps you can take to solve this problem and we

realize that writing may be an unexpected additional step but trust us

when we say how valuable it can be

WHY WRITING IMPROVES SPEAKING IT DEMANDS FOCUS AND ATTENTION

Writing practice is the aspect of language learning that involves the

most focus and attention as you have to think about every word as you

write Just like reading writing is a slow process at first but after a short

period of regular practice you can almost hear the ldquoclicksrdquo as the words

you write become part of your vocabulary which can now be used

when you practice speaking with your tutor After all writing and

speaking are both expressive forms of communication using similar

mental processes

IT ACTIVATES VOCABULARY VERY EFFECTIVELY

Writing may just be the ultimate way to solidify your understanding of

the words and phrases yoursquove acquired through reading and listening It

may be even more effective than speaking

9WRITEREGULARLY

51

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WRITING IS MORE PERSONAL

After some practice you can start to write in your own personal style

using your own ldquovoicerdquo which naturally makes the process much more

enjoyable Writing a journal is the best way to access this benefit Posting

thoughts in Chinese on social media is another option especially for

lower levels

WRITING GIVES YOU MORE TIME TO FORMULATE THOUGHTS

Writing gives you time to think and practice the language

simultaneously whereas with speaking there is little opportunity to

really contemplate all the various ways of expressing a thought unless

you have an extremely patient (and masochistic) paid tutor

EVEN IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER YOU CAN STILL WRITE

If you donrsquot have much vocabulary you can still practice writing Just

write individual sentences or phrases Look at example sentences and

try to re-write them using slightly different vocabulary Remember just as

the incredible graded readers we talked about in chapter 4 can be

written with just a few select words and characters you too can write a

surprising amount using the small vocabulary you have at your disposal

5 INCREDIBLE WRITING TIPS GO FOR QUANTITY

Write every day Write a blog or WeChat post write individual sentences

9WRITEREGULARLY

52

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoWriting to me is simply thinking through my fingersrdquo

- Isaac Asimov

53

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

write a question on how to write something write anything You should

write something everyday and make a routine out of it The more

content the better but donrsquot ask too much of yourself or you will burn out

and not want to do it for weeks

An added bonus to writing regularly is the ability to look back on your

previous writing practice after a few weeks or months and see how far

yoursquove come This is called ldquobenchmarkingrdquo which wersquoll talk about more

next time

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT

Write about something or someone you love Write about a problem

yoursquore having Write about your goals and dreams Write about a book

you read or a youtube video you watched Write about what yoursquove

learned or would like to learn Write a journal When you do this your

own personality will shine through in your writing which will make the

words and structures you practice far more memorable

9WRITEREGULARLY

54

AIM FOR ZERO MISTAKES

Thatrsquos correct ZERO mistakes Think about what you write Take your time

to think before you put pen to paper or keyboard and look up example

sentences for words you donrsquot quite know how to use If you do these

things you will produce correct output which is fantastic for your

language skills Bad output leads to what Thatrsquos right bad habits

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

GET CORRECTIONS

Writing and getting corrections will help you notice very quickly the

patterns and structures in Chinese This attentiveness will pay off when

it comes to speaking reading and listening too

USE A WRITING SOFTWARE

Try Ommwriter Flowstate Awriter or similar writing apps designed for

writers to get you into the flow of writing

MAKE FLASHCARDS OUT OF YOUR MISTAKES

Create ultra-personalised reviewable content by taking any corrected

sentences and making a flashcard out of it

Try to combine regular speaking practice with regular writing

practice from now on and see for yourself how fast your fluency

improves

NEXT TIME For our final installment in this series wersquore going to

focus on continuing to improve your Chinese when you start to

plateau and the going getrsquos tough

9WRITEREGULARLY

55

Share your writing with a paid language exchange partner or tutor Check

out HiNative for a great place to get corrections on your writing and ask

general questions about how to use Chinese from native speakers

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Writing is a similar mental process as speaking with some important differences that can make it a more attractive outputting method under certain circumstances

Writing makes you more easily notice things about Chinese helps you activate passive vocabulary creates more personal connections to the language and gives you more time to convey your thoughts than speaking does

You can write at any level

Write as often as you can but donrsquot burn out

Write about things you care about and are passionate about so you can really enjoy the process and create more emotional connections that improve your retention

Aim not to make any mistakes because bad output means bad habits This is much easier to accomplish than with speaking as you have more time to think

Get your writing corrected by paid or free native speakers Make flashcards for words or structures you get wrong

KEY POINTS9WRITEREGULARLY

56

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

10SHARPEN THE SAW

Keep moving forward

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 49: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Combine any and all of these tips to your speaking at any time to make yourself speak better instantly8

USE THESESPEAKING HACKS

49

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

WRITE REGULARLY9

Supercharge your active vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Many beginners (and higher levels too) struggle with the frustration of

not being able to express their thoughts and feelings properly in

Chinese Even with many months and years of practice they can still feel

like the words just arenrsquot there when they need them Wersquove already

given you a bunch of steps you can take to solve this problem and we

realize that writing may be an unexpected additional step but trust us

when we say how valuable it can be

WHY WRITING IMPROVES SPEAKING IT DEMANDS FOCUS AND ATTENTION

Writing practice is the aspect of language learning that involves the

most focus and attention as you have to think about every word as you

write Just like reading writing is a slow process at first but after a short

period of regular practice you can almost hear the ldquoclicksrdquo as the words

you write become part of your vocabulary which can now be used

when you practice speaking with your tutor After all writing and

speaking are both expressive forms of communication using similar

mental processes

IT ACTIVATES VOCABULARY VERY EFFECTIVELY

Writing may just be the ultimate way to solidify your understanding of

the words and phrases yoursquove acquired through reading and listening It

may be even more effective than speaking

9WRITEREGULARLY

51

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WRITING IS MORE PERSONAL

After some practice you can start to write in your own personal style

using your own ldquovoicerdquo which naturally makes the process much more

enjoyable Writing a journal is the best way to access this benefit Posting

thoughts in Chinese on social media is another option especially for

lower levels

WRITING GIVES YOU MORE TIME TO FORMULATE THOUGHTS

Writing gives you time to think and practice the language

simultaneously whereas with speaking there is little opportunity to

really contemplate all the various ways of expressing a thought unless

you have an extremely patient (and masochistic) paid tutor

EVEN IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER YOU CAN STILL WRITE

If you donrsquot have much vocabulary you can still practice writing Just

write individual sentences or phrases Look at example sentences and

try to re-write them using slightly different vocabulary Remember just as

the incredible graded readers we talked about in chapter 4 can be

written with just a few select words and characters you too can write a

surprising amount using the small vocabulary you have at your disposal

5 INCREDIBLE WRITING TIPS GO FOR QUANTITY

Write every day Write a blog or WeChat post write individual sentences

9WRITEREGULARLY

52

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoWriting to me is simply thinking through my fingersrdquo

- Isaac Asimov

53

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

write a question on how to write something write anything You should

write something everyday and make a routine out of it The more

content the better but donrsquot ask too much of yourself or you will burn out

and not want to do it for weeks

An added bonus to writing regularly is the ability to look back on your

previous writing practice after a few weeks or months and see how far

yoursquove come This is called ldquobenchmarkingrdquo which wersquoll talk about more

next time

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT

Write about something or someone you love Write about a problem

yoursquore having Write about your goals and dreams Write about a book

you read or a youtube video you watched Write about what yoursquove

learned or would like to learn Write a journal When you do this your

own personality will shine through in your writing which will make the

words and structures you practice far more memorable

9WRITEREGULARLY

54

AIM FOR ZERO MISTAKES

Thatrsquos correct ZERO mistakes Think about what you write Take your time

to think before you put pen to paper or keyboard and look up example

sentences for words you donrsquot quite know how to use If you do these

things you will produce correct output which is fantastic for your

language skills Bad output leads to what Thatrsquos right bad habits

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

GET CORRECTIONS

Writing and getting corrections will help you notice very quickly the

patterns and structures in Chinese This attentiveness will pay off when

it comes to speaking reading and listening too

USE A WRITING SOFTWARE

Try Ommwriter Flowstate Awriter or similar writing apps designed for

writers to get you into the flow of writing

MAKE FLASHCARDS OUT OF YOUR MISTAKES

Create ultra-personalised reviewable content by taking any corrected

sentences and making a flashcard out of it

Try to combine regular speaking practice with regular writing

practice from now on and see for yourself how fast your fluency

improves

NEXT TIME For our final installment in this series wersquore going to

focus on continuing to improve your Chinese when you start to

plateau and the going getrsquos tough

9WRITEREGULARLY

55

Share your writing with a paid language exchange partner or tutor Check

out HiNative for a great place to get corrections on your writing and ask

general questions about how to use Chinese from native speakers

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Writing is a similar mental process as speaking with some important differences that can make it a more attractive outputting method under certain circumstances

Writing makes you more easily notice things about Chinese helps you activate passive vocabulary creates more personal connections to the language and gives you more time to convey your thoughts than speaking does

You can write at any level

Write as often as you can but donrsquot burn out

Write about things you care about and are passionate about so you can really enjoy the process and create more emotional connections that improve your retention

Aim not to make any mistakes because bad output means bad habits This is much easier to accomplish than with speaking as you have more time to think

Get your writing corrected by paid or free native speakers Make flashcards for words or structures you get wrong

KEY POINTS9WRITEREGULARLY

56

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

10SHARPEN THE SAW

Keep moving forward

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 50: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

WRITE REGULARLY9

Supercharge your active vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Many beginners (and higher levels too) struggle with the frustration of

not being able to express their thoughts and feelings properly in

Chinese Even with many months and years of practice they can still feel

like the words just arenrsquot there when they need them Wersquove already

given you a bunch of steps you can take to solve this problem and we

realize that writing may be an unexpected additional step but trust us

when we say how valuable it can be

WHY WRITING IMPROVES SPEAKING IT DEMANDS FOCUS AND ATTENTION

Writing practice is the aspect of language learning that involves the

most focus and attention as you have to think about every word as you

write Just like reading writing is a slow process at first but after a short

period of regular practice you can almost hear the ldquoclicksrdquo as the words

you write become part of your vocabulary which can now be used

when you practice speaking with your tutor After all writing and

speaking are both expressive forms of communication using similar

mental processes

IT ACTIVATES VOCABULARY VERY EFFECTIVELY

Writing may just be the ultimate way to solidify your understanding of

the words and phrases yoursquove acquired through reading and listening It

may be even more effective than speaking

9WRITEREGULARLY

51

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WRITING IS MORE PERSONAL

After some practice you can start to write in your own personal style

using your own ldquovoicerdquo which naturally makes the process much more

enjoyable Writing a journal is the best way to access this benefit Posting

thoughts in Chinese on social media is another option especially for

lower levels

WRITING GIVES YOU MORE TIME TO FORMULATE THOUGHTS

Writing gives you time to think and practice the language

simultaneously whereas with speaking there is little opportunity to

really contemplate all the various ways of expressing a thought unless

you have an extremely patient (and masochistic) paid tutor

EVEN IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER YOU CAN STILL WRITE

If you donrsquot have much vocabulary you can still practice writing Just

write individual sentences or phrases Look at example sentences and

try to re-write them using slightly different vocabulary Remember just as

the incredible graded readers we talked about in chapter 4 can be

written with just a few select words and characters you too can write a

surprising amount using the small vocabulary you have at your disposal

5 INCREDIBLE WRITING TIPS GO FOR QUANTITY

Write every day Write a blog or WeChat post write individual sentences

9WRITEREGULARLY

52

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoWriting to me is simply thinking through my fingersrdquo

- Isaac Asimov

53

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

write a question on how to write something write anything You should

write something everyday and make a routine out of it The more

content the better but donrsquot ask too much of yourself or you will burn out

and not want to do it for weeks

An added bonus to writing regularly is the ability to look back on your

previous writing practice after a few weeks or months and see how far

yoursquove come This is called ldquobenchmarkingrdquo which wersquoll talk about more

next time

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT

Write about something or someone you love Write about a problem

yoursquore having Write about your goals and dreams Write about a book

you read or a youtube video you watched Write about what yoursquove

learned or would like to learn Write a journal When you do this your

own personality will shine through in your writing which will make the

words and structures you practice far more memorable

9WRITEREGULARLY

54

AIM FOR ZERO MISTAKES

Thatrsquos correct ZERO mistakes Think about what you write Take your time

to think before you put pen to paper or keyboard and look up example

sentences for words you donrsquot quite know how to use If you do these

things you will produce correct output which is fantastic for your

language skills Bad output leads to what Thatrsquos right bad habits

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

GET CORRECTIONS

Writing and getting corrections will help you notice very quickly the

patterns and structures in Chinese This attentiveness will pay off when

it comes to speaking reading and listening too

USE A WRITING SOFTWARE

Try Ommwriter Flowstate Awriter or similar writing apps designed for

writers to get you into the flow of writing

MAKE FLASHCARDS OUT OF YOUR MISTAKES

Create ultra-personalised reviewable content by taking any corrected

sentences and making a flashcard out of it

Try to combine regular speaking practice with regular writing

practice from now on and see for yourself how fast your fluency

improves

NEXT TIME For our final installment in this series wersquore going to

focus on continuing to improve your Chinese when you start to

plateau and the going getrsquos tough

9WRITEREGULARLY

55

Share your writing with a paid language exchange partner or tutor Check

out HiNative for a great place to get corrections on your writing and ask

general questions about how to use Chinese from native speakers

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Writing is a similar mental process as speaking with some important differences that can make it a more attractive outputting method under certain circumstances

Writing makes you more easily notice things about Chinese helps you activate passive vocabulary creates more personal connections to the language and gives you more time to convey your thoughts than speaking does

You can write at any level

Write as often as you can but donrsquot burn out

Write about things you care about and are passionate about so you can really enjoy the process and create more emotional connections that improve your retention

Aim not to make any mistakes because bad output means bad habits This is much easier to accomplish than with speaking as you have more time to think

Get your writing corrected by paid or free native speakers Make flashcards for words or structures you get wrong

KEY POINTS9WRITEREGULARLY

56

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

10SHARPEN THE SAW

Keep moving forward

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 51: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Many beginners (and higher levels too) struggle with the frustration of

not being able to express their thoughts and feelings properly in

Chinese Even with many months and years of practice they can still feel

like the words just arenrsquot there when they need them Wersquove already

given you a bunch of steps you can take to solve this problem and we

realize that writing may be an unexpected additional step but trust us

when we say how valuable it can be

WHY WRITING IMPROVES SPEAKING IT DEMANDS FOCUS AND ATTENTION

Writing practice is the aspect of language learning that involves the

most focus and attention as you have to think about every word as you

write Just like reading writing is a slow process at first but after a short

period of regular practice you can almost hear the ldquoclicksrdquo as the words

you write become part of your vocabulary which can now be used

when you practice speaking with your tutor After all writing and

speaking are both expressive forms of communication using similar

mental processes

IT ACTIVATES VOCABULARY VERY EFFECTIVELY

Writing may just be the ultimate way to solidify your understanding of

the words and phrases yoursquove acquired through reading and listening It

may be even more effective than speaking

9WRITEREGULARLY

51

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WRITING IS MORE PERSONAL

After some practice you can start to write in your own personal style

using your own ldquovoicerdquo which naturally makes the process much more

enjoyable Writing a journal is the best way to access this benefit Posting

thoughts in Chinese on social media is another option especially for

lower levels

WRITING GIVES YOU MORE TIME TO FORMULATE THOUGHTS

Writing gives you time to think and practice the language

simultaneously whereas with speaking there is little opportunity to

really contemplate all the various ways of expressing a thought unless

you have an extremely patient (and masochistic) paid tutor

EVEN IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER YOU CAN STILL WRITE

If you donrsquot have much vocabulary you can still practice writing Just

write individual sentences or phrases Look at example sentences and

try to re-write them using slightly different vocabulary Remember just as

the incredible graded readers we talked about in chapter 4 can be

written with just a few select words and characters you too can write a

surprising amount using the small vocabulary you have at your disposal

5 INCREDIBLE WRITING TIPS GO FOR QUANTITY

Write every day Write a blog or WeChat post write individual sentences

9WRITEREGULARLY

52

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoWriting to me is simply thinking through my fingersrdquo

- Isaac Asimov

53

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

write a question on how to write something write anything You should

write something everyday and make a routine out of it The more

content the better but donrsquot ask too much of yourself or you will burn out

and not want to do it for weeks

An added bonus to writing regularly is the ability to look back on your

previous writing practice after a few weeks or months and see how far

yoursquove come This is called ldquobenchmarkingrdquo which wersquoll talk about more

next time

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT

Write about something or someone you love Write about a problem

yoursquore having Write about your goals and dreams Write about a book

you read or a youtube video you watched Write about what yoursquove

learned or would like to learn Write a journal When you do this your

own personality will shine through in your writing which will make the

words and structures you practice far more memorable

9WRITEREGULARLY

54

AIM FOR ZERO MISTAKES

Thatrsquos correct ZERO mistakes Think about what you write Take your time

to think before you put pen to paper or keyboard and look up example

sentences for words you donrsquot quite know how to use If you do these

things you will produce correct output which is fantastic for your

language skills Bad output leads to what Thatrsquos right bad habits

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

GET CORRECTIONS

Writing and getting corrections will help you notice very quickly the

patterns and structures in Chinese This attentiveness will pay off when

it comes to speaking reading and listening too

USE A WRITING SOFTWARE

Try Ommwriter Flowstate Awriter or similar writing apps designed for

writers to get you into the flow of writing

MAKE FLASHCARDS OUT OF YOUR MISTAKES

Create ultra-personalised reviewable content by taking any corrected

sentences and making a flashcard out of it

Try to combine regular speaking practice with regular writing

practice from now on and see for yourself how fast your fluency

improves

NEXT TIME For our final installment in this series wersquore going to

focus on continuing to improve your Chinese when you start to

plateau and the going getrsquos tough

9WRITEREGULARLY

55

Share your writing with a paid language exchange partner or tutor Check

out HiNative for a great place to get corrections on your writing and ask

general questions about how to use Chinese from native speakers

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Writing is a similar mental process as speaking with some important differences that can make it a more attractive outputting method under certain circumstances

Writing makes you more easily notice things about Chinese helps you activate passive vocabulary creates more personal connections to the language and gives you more time to convey your thoughts than speaking does

You can write at any level

Write as often as you can but donrsquot burn out

Write about things you care about and are passionate about so you can really enjoy the process and create more emotional connections that improve your retention

Aim not to make any mistakes because bad output means bad habits This is much easier to accomplish than with speaking as you have more time to think

Get your writing corrected by paid or free native speakers Make flashcards for words or structures you get wrong

KEY POINTS9WRITEREGULARLY

56

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

10SHARPEN THE SAW

Keep moving forward

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 52: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

WRITING IS MORE PERSONAL

After some practice you can start to write in your own personal style

using your own ldquovoicerdquo which naturally makes the process much more

enjoyable Writing a journal is the best way to access this benefit Posting

thoughts in Chinese on social media is another option especially for

lower levels

WRITING GIVES YOU MORE TIME TO FORMULATE THOUGHTS

Writing gives you time to think and practice the language

simultaneously whereas with speaking there is little opportunity to

really contemplate all the various ways of expressing a thought unless

you have an extremely patient (and masochistic) paid tutor

EVEN IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER YOU CAN STILL WRITE

If you donrsquot have much vocabulary you can still practice writing Just

write individual sentences or phrases Look at example sentences and

try to re-write them using slightly different vocabulary Remember just as

the incredible graded readers we talked about in chapter 4 can be

written with just a few select words and characters you too can write a

surprising amount using the small vocabulary you have at your disposal

5 INCREDIBLE WRITING TIPS GO FOR QUANTITY

Write every day Write a blog or WeChat post write individual sentences

9WRITEREGULARLY

52

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoWriting to me is simply thinking through my fingersrdquo

- Isaac Asimov

53

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

write a question on how to write something write anything You should

write something everyday and make a routine out of it The more

content the better but donrsquot ask too much of yourself or you will burn out

and not want to do it for weeks

An added bonus to writing regularly is the ability to look back on your

previous writing practice after a few weeks or months and see how far

yoursquove come This is called ldquobenchmarkingrdquo which wersquoll talk about more

next time

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT

Write about something or someone you love Write about a problem

yoursquore having Write about your goals and dreams Write about a book

you read or a youtube video you watched Write about what yoursquove

learned or would like to learn Write a journal When you do this your

own personality will shine through in your writing which will make the

words and structures you practice far more memorable

9WRITEREGULARLY

54

AIM FOR ZERO MISTAKES

Thatrsquos correct ZERO mistakes Think about what you write Take your time

to think before you put pen to paper or keyboard and look up example

sentences for words you donrsquot quite know how to use If you do these

things you will produce correct output which is fantastic for your

language skills Bad output leads to what Thatrsquos right bad habits

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

GET CORRECTIONS

Writing and getting corrections will help you notice very quickly the

patterns and structures in Chinese This attentiveness will pay off when

it comes to speaking reading and listening too

USE A WRITING SOFTWARE

Try Ommwriter Flowstate Awriter or similar writing apps designed for

writers to get you into the flow of writing

MAKE FLASHCARDS OUT OF YOUR MISTAKES

Create ultra-personalised reviewable content by taking any corrected

sentences and making a flashcard out of it

Try to combine regular speaking practice with regular writing

practice from now on and see for yourself how fast your fluency

improves

NEXT TIME For our final installment in this series wersquore going to

focus on continuing to improve your Chinese when you start to

plateau and the going getrsquos tough

9WRITEREGULARLY

55

Share your writing with a paid language exchange partner or tutor Check

out HiNative for a great place to get corrections on your writing and ask

general questions about how to use Chinese from native speakers

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Writing is a similar mental process as speaking with some important differences that can make it a more attractive outputting method under certain circumstances

Writing makes you more easily notice things about Chinese helps you activate passive vocabulary creates more personal connections to the language and gives you more time to convey your thoughts than speaking does

You can write at any level

Write as often as you can but donrsquot burn out

Write about things you care about and are passionate about so you can really enjoy the process and create more emotional connections that improve your retention

Aim not to make any mistakes because bad output means bad habits This is much easier to accomplish than with speaking as you have more time to think

Get your writing corrected by paid or free native speakers Make flashcards for words or structures you get wrong

KEY POINTS9WRITEREGULARLY

56

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

10SHARPEN THE SAW

Keep moving forward

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 53: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoWriting to me is simply thinking through my fingersrdquo

- Isaac Asimov

53

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

write a question on how to write something write anything You should

write something everyday and make a routine out of it The more

content the better but donrsquot ask too much of yourself or you will burn out

and not want to do it for weeks

An added bonus to writing regularly is the ability to look back on your

previous writing practice after a few weeks or months and see how far

yoursquove come This is called ldquobenchmarkingrdquo which wersquoll talk about more

next time

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT

Write about something or someone you love Write about a problem

yoursquore having Write about your goals and dreams Write about a book

you read or a youtube video you watched Write about what yoursquove

learned or would like to learn Write a journal When you do this your

own personality will shine through in your writing which will make the

words and structures you practice far more memorable

9WRITEREGULARLY

54

AIM FOR ZERO MISTAKES

Thatrsquos correct ZERO mistakes Think about what you write Take your time

to think before you put pen to paper or keyboard and look up example

sentences for words you donrsquot quite know how to use If you do these

things you will produce correct output which is fantastic for your

language skills Bad output leads to what Thatrsquos right bad habits

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

GET CORRECTIONS

Writing and getting corrections will help you notice very quickly the

patterns and structures in Chinese This attentiveness will pay off when

it comes to speaking reading and listening too

USE A WRITING SOFTWARE

Try Ommwriter Flowstate Awriter or similar writing apps designed for

writers to get you into the flow of writing

MAKE FLASHCARDS OUT OF YOUR MISTAKES

Create ultra-personalised reviewable content by taking any corrected

sentences and making a flashcard out of it

Try to combine regular speaking practice with regular writing

practice from now on and see for yourself how fast your fluency

improves

NEXT TIME For our final installment in this series wersquore going to

focus on continuing to improve your Chinese when you start to

plateau and the going getrsquos tough

9WRITEREGULARLY

55

Share your writing with a paid language exchange partner or tutor Check

out HiNative for a great place to get corrections on your writing and ask

general questions about how to use Chinese from native speakers

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Writing is a similar mental process as speaking with some important differences that can make it a more attractive outputting method under certain circumstances

Writing makes you more easily notice things about Chinese helps you activate passive vocabulary creates more personal connections to the language and gives you more time to convey your thoughts than speaking does

You can write at any level

Write as often as you can but donrsquot burn out

Write about things you care about and are passionate about so you can really enjoy the process and create more emotional connections that improve your retention

Aim not to make any mistakes because bad output means bad habits This is much easier to accomplish than with speaking as you have more time to think

Get your writing corrected by paid or free native speakers Make flashcards for words or structures you get wrong

KEY POINTS9WRITEREGULARLY

56

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

10SHARPEN THE SAW

Keep moving forward

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 54: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

write a question on how to write something write anything You should

write something everyday and make a routine out of it The more

content the better but donrsquot ask too much of yourself or you will burn out

and not want to do it for weeks

An added bonus to writing regularly is the ability to look back on your

previous writing practice after a few weeks or months and see how far

yoursquove come This is called ldquobenchmarkingrdquo which wersquoll talk about more

next time

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT

Write about something or someone you love Write about a problem

yoursquore having Write about your goals and dreams Write about a book

you read or a youtube video you watched Write about what yoursquove

learned or would like to learn Write a journal When you do this your

own personality will shine through in your writing which will make the

words and structures you practice far more memorable

9WRITEREGULARLY

54

AIM FOR ZERO MISTAKES

Thatrsquos correct ZERO mistakes Think about what you write Take your time

to think before you put pen to paper or keyboard and look up example

sentences for words you donrsquot quite know how to use If you do these

things you will produce correct output which is fantastic for your

language skills Bad output leads to what Thatrsquos right bad habits

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

GET CORRECTIONS

Writing and getting corrections will help you notice very quickly the

patterns and structures in Chinese This attentiveness will pay off when

it comes to speaking reading and listening too

USE A WRITING SOFTWARE

Try Ommwriter Flowstate Awriter or similar writing apps designed for

writers to get you into the flow of writing

MAKE FLASHCARDS OUT OF YOUR MISTAKES

Create ultra-personalised reviewable content by taking any corrected

sentences and making a flashcard out of it

Try to combine regular speaking practice with regular writing

practice from now on and see for yourself how fast your fluency

improves

NEXT TIME For our final installment in this series wersquore going to

focus on continuing to improve your Chinese when you start to

plateau and the going getrsquos tough

9WRITEREGULARLY

55

Share your writing with a paid language exchange partner or tutor Check

out HiNative for a great place to get corrections on your writing and ask

general questions about how to use Chinese from native speakers

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Writing is a similar mental process as speaking with some important differences that can make it a more attractive outputting method under certain circumstances

Writing makes you more easily notice things about Chinese helps you activate passive vocabulary creates more personal connections to the language and gives you more time to convey your thoughts than speaking does

You can write at any level

Write as often as you can but donrsquot burn out

Write about things you care about and are passionate about so you can really enjoy the process and create more emotional connections that improve your retention

Aim not to make any mistakes because bad output means bad habits This is much easier to accomplish than with speaking as you have more time to think

Get your writing corrected by paid or free native speakers Make flashcards for words or structures you get wrong

KEY POINTS9WRITEREGULARLY

56

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

10SHARPEN THE SAW

Keep moving forward

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 55: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

GET CORRECTIONS

Writing and getting corrections will help you notice very quickly the

patterns and structures in Chinese This attentiveness will pay off when

it comes to speaking reading and listening too

USE A WRITING SOFTWARE

Try Ommwriter Flowstate Awriter or similar writing apps designed for

writers to get you into the flow of writing

MAKE FLASHCARDS OUT OF YOUR MISTAKES

Create ultra-personalised reviewable content by taking any corrected

sentences and making a flashcard out of it

Try to combine regular speaking practice with regular writing

practice from now on and see for yourself how fast your fluency

improves

NEXT TIME For our final installment in this series wersquore going to

focus on continuing to improve your Chinese when you start to

plateau and the going getrsquos tough

9WRITEREGULARLY

55

Share your writing with a paid language exchange partner or tutor Check

out HiNative for a great place to get corrections on your writing and ask

general questions about how to use Chinese from native speakers

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Writing is a similar mental process as speaking with some important differences that can make it a more attractive outputting method under certain circumstances

Writing makes you more easily notice things about Chinese helps you activate passive vocabulary creates more personal connections to the language and gives you more time to convey your thoughts than speaking does

You can write at any level

Write as often as you can but donrsquot burn out

Write about things you care about and are passionate about so you can really enjoy the process and create more emotional connections that improve your retention

Aim not to make any mistakes because bad output means bad habits This is much easier to accomplish than with speaking as you have more time to think

Get your writing corrected by paid or free native speakers Make flashcards for words or structures you get wrong

KEY POINTS9WRITEREGULARLY

56

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

10SHARPEN THE SAW

Keep moving forward

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 56: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Writing is a similar mental process as speaking with some important differences that can make it a more attractive outputting method under certain circumstances

Writing makes you more easily notice things about Chinese helps you activate passive vocabulary creates more personal connections to the language and gives you more time to convey your thoughts than speaking does

You can write at any level

Write as often as you can but donrsquot burn out

Write about things you care about and are passionate about so you can really enjoy the process and create more emotional connections that improve your retention

Aim not to make any mistakes because bad output means bad habits This is much easier to accomplish than with speaking as you have more time to think

Get your writing corrected by paid or free native speakers Make flashcards for words or structures you get wrong

KEY POINTS9WRITEREGULARLY

56

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

10SHARPEN THE SAW

Keep moving forward

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 57: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

10SHARPEN THE SAW

Keep moving forward

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 58: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

No matter what eventually you will reach what is know as an ldquook

plateaurdquo a phrase coined by Joshua Foer in his book Moonwalking

with Einstein Basically you will stop moving forward and something in

your mind will tell you that yoursquore ldquogood enoughrdquo Itrsquos a natural response

that you can combat with the right frame of mind and the following

action steps

HAVE SMART GOALS Create goals for yourself in Chinese that are Specific Measurable

Attainable Relevant and Time-sensitive A weekly goal could be ldquoread 3

graded reader articles on lingqcomrdquo a monthly goal could be ldquoWrite

daily journal entries for 30 daysrdquo and an annual goal could be ldquoEnter a

public speaking competition in Chineserdquo Having goals is essential for

staying on the path to success and without them you are guaranteed to

stagnate Writing them down really helps especially if you do it

regularly (every day is ideal)

CONTINUE WITH REGULAR SPEAKING PRACTICE Even after you have been learning for a while make sure you have

regular speaking practice in various settings including with paid tutors

andor language exchange partners We know this sounds a little

obvious but there are more subtle benefits to speaking practice than

simply ldquoget better at speakingrdquo

10SHARPENTHE SAW

58

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 59: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are 3 key benefits to regular speaking practice

IT HELPS YOU STAY INTERESTED AND MOTIVATED

So far wersquove described the main function of speaking in a rather bland

fashion ldquoIt activates passive vocabularyrdquo Snooze What we didnrsquot mention

is the huge dopamine hit that comes with the feeling of saying

something yoursquove never said before in Chinese correctly being

understood and even complimented as a result Experiences like these

are a direct result of the time and effort invested in essentially re-wiring

your brain and they are one of the key motivating factors that spur you to

continue improving

YOU COMMUNICATE IN REAL AND MEANINGFUL SITUATIONS

This really is the true purpose of learning a language Sure maybe some

people say that itrsquos for padding their CV or some such practical reason

But long term Itrsquos about the value you get from connecting with people

building relationships and making memories

IT HELPS YOU IDENTIFY PROBLEMS

Do you know the difference between someone with an average skill level

and a master The master seeks out and works on his weaknesses as

well as his strengths If you practice attentively and try to communicate

your thoughts in Chinese often you will notice what you canrsquot do or what

you do badly Make a note of these things and find out how to say them

properly Just make sure to remember chapter 7 and be cool Chinese is

10SHARPENTHE SAW

59

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 60: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

ldquoKnow yourself to improve yourself

- Auguste Comte

60

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 61: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

something you will never master completely (and no-one ever has by the

way) but you can make it a goal of yours to suck a little less every day

Speaking often and with mindfulness is a great way of doing this

RECORD YOURSELF This is great for correcting your pronunciation Record yourself shadowing

a piece of native audio then compare it to your own audio to more easily

notice your problems Yoursquod be surprised what you notice hearing it

outside your own head You can use apps like WeChat or WhatsApp to

send voice messages to native Chinese speakers for corrections These

are great as you can slide your thumb up and try again if you mess up

(we still take advantage of this feature a lot) You can also send these

recordings to tutors

10SHARPENTHE SAW

61

BENCHMARK YOUR PROGRESS

Try to find ways of appraising your progress regularly A straight forward

method is to take HSK exams at regular intervals Although they arenrsquot the

best predictor of spoken Mandarin ability they are still the only officially

recognized benchmark for your Chinese skill

Another popyular option is to create a personal blog or video blog all

about your own personal learning journey Guess what you could also

(eventually) write andor film this in Mandarin

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 62: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

Here are some other ways to check your progress

Regular progress reports with tutors

Check your Anki statistics

Regularly film or record yourself giving speeches

Make a list of content you have consumed and check it regularly

Keep the things you have writtenrecorded and compare progress

over time

Try out one or more of these and you can be sure to notice when yoursquove

made a breakthrough which will happen surprisingly often if you spend

60-90 minutes per day with Chinese

ALWAYS BE EXPLORING Remember speaking is only a part of what makes you better at speaking

Itrsquos listening reading and even writing that really increase the size and

accessibility of your vocabulary Always always always be on the lookout

for new stuff You may get bored of something you may finish something

or you may just plain dislike something Never force yourself to use

materials you arenrsquot ldquofeelingrdquo Move onto something else Itrsquos actually very

likely in these situations that yoursquore level isnrsquot right for a certain comic

book or podcast and if you go back to it 6 months later you may love it

10SHARPENTHE SAW

62

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 63: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

wwwmandarinblueprintcomMandarin Blueprint reg 2019 all rights reserved

HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE LIKE A NATIVE10 Crucial Tips for the Independent Learner

If you become passive instead of pro-active in your learning you will never push past your plateaus

Think about your goals in Chinese and write them down Make them SMART and regular (weekly monthly and annually)

Make sure to have regular speaking practice Benefits include motivation having meaningful interactions with native speakers and identifying things you canrsquot yet do in the language

Record yourself to really hear what you sound like This is great for finding pronunciation issues

Find ways to benchmark your progress Keep track of achieved goals speaking recordings past writings anki statistics over time and listening and reading materials progression

KEY POINTS10SHARPENTHE SAW

This is a metaphor for you

exploring Chinese by the way Itrsquos definitely

not us not being able to find a picture to put

here I can assure you

63

WAS TODAYrsquoS ADVICE HELPFUL ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

GET IN TOUCH ANYTIME AT CONTACTMANDARINBLUEPRINTCOM

WErsquoRE ALWAYS HERE TO HELP

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 64: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

Want to learn how to read understand speak and even write Chinese quickly

Our patent-pending video curriculum will guide you to fluency

Sign Me Up

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 65: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary

THANK YOU FOR READINGCheck Us Out On Social Media

CONTACT US DIRECTLY

Luke Neale
Luke Neale
Page 66: We experienced them...Chinese spoken words, as frequency is usually determined by scanning written documents. The same even goes for those in the HSK exam (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) vocabulary
Luke Neale