Hello everyone!
I’m Grace.
Today, I’m going to interview a Chinese language learner
who has reached a high level of proficiency
through self-study in just a year and a half.
In this interview,
you’ll find out what resources and methods
he used to help him reach this level.
And our conversation will be all in Chinese,
so remember to turn on the subtitles if needed.
Now without further ado, let’s get started!
Since our topic for today is how to self-study Chinese,
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Juzi 汉语.
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W: At that time, I had a Chinese friend
who would chat with me in Chinese for an hour every day.
G: But when you were just starting out
and hadn't learned anything,
how did you chat with him?
W: It was simple conversations,
like asking, "What did you have for breakfast today?"
I found those words online
and added them to the Anki app to memorize.
When I had about 100 words or so,
I started chatting with him.
He would constantly teach me new expressions.
After I had built a solid foundation，
I could explore topics that interested me.
I developed some simple habits for myself,
like listening to podcasts when I go out alone.
And when I have free time at home or when I want to relax,
I watch Chinese TV dramas.
I also make sure to study with Anki every day,
adding at least five flashcards.
If I add five cards,
I need to review them for at least 20 minutes to half an hour each day.
However, I may spend more time
because my review process
is different from most people.
Most people might just look at a flashcard
and say, "Oh, I know it," and move on.
But for me, I constantly create sentences
and speak them out loud.
I test if I can actually use those words
because many people may think
they have mastered the words they’re learning,
but when they have to speak,
they struggle to use them.
G: Your method aligns with what I mentioned
in a previous video about increasing vocabulary.
To remember new words,
it's important to not only memorize them
but also use them in sentences related to your life.
W: Yes, this part is crucial.
Why is that?
Because our memory itself
is related to things that
connect to our own lives
or have some emotional attachment.
Moreover, when there's a certain level of difficulty involved,
when you force yourself to create sentences,
you will definitely remember them better.
Additionally, when I learn vocabulary,
I learn it in sentence contexts,
not just memorizing individual words.
I think that's another mistake.
For example,
I often use the word "認識" (to know or recognize) as an example.
When you translate "認識" to English, it's "to recognize."
However, it doesn't fully correspond to "to recognize."
"認識" has various uses.
Another example is "來" (to come).
In Chinese, "來" is extremely flexible with various uses.
So, you can't just rely on an English translation
to understand its entire usage and meaning.
W: I used different materials at different stages.
In the beginning, you can watch simpler TV dramas
like the one I always recommend, "Home with Kids" ("家有兒女").
If you want to learn Chinese as spoken in mainland China,
"Home with Kids" is relatively simple
and includes common expressions used in daily life.
I would directly copy the dialogue and put it in Anki.
As for learning new vocabulary,
I turn it into a fill-in-the-blank question.
For example, the sentence could be "我想上個廁所" ("I want to use the restroom"),
and if I don't know the word "廁所" (restroom),
I would block it out and place it at the end.
G: So, you don't write an English translation?
W: No, I try to avoid using English translations as much as possible
because I think it's challenging for many Chinese learners
to skip the step of relying on English
and instead think in Chinese.
G: Actually, my approach to learning English is quite similar.
When my English reached a certain level,
I would write down the vocabulary words,
and below each word, I would write a sentence in English
without any Chinese.
During the review, I would look at the word
and then the sentence
to remind myself of the meaning of the word
within the context of the sentence.
W: Yes, I resonate with that.
I think many times understanding the meaning of a word
comes primarily through the way it’s used.
You can understand its meaning
by looking at the context it appears in,
rather than just memorizing a translation.
Some people might ask,
"But what if I'm starting from zero,
with no prior knowledge of Chinese?
How can I avoid translation?"
In such cases, you can use a lot of visuals, like pictures.
I really like to use pictures
For example,
going back to the example of "廁所" (restroom),
you might add a picture of a restroom.
This way, it serves as a hint,
and you know the word you need to learn,
and it helps you avoid relying on English
G: So basically, you don't have a specific plan,
but you develop certain habits, is that right?
W: Yes, I think setting goals is essential.
However, for a long-term approach,
we need to develop daily habits
to the point where they become automatic.
For example, after waking up,
I know I need to start studying with Anki
without thinking or considering
whether or not I'm tired or feeling up to it.
It has almost become a subconscious decision for me.
G: Wow, I feel like your approach to learning Chinese
is almost identical to how I learned English.
W: Really? That's fascinating!
G&W：Yes.
G: Because I also learned English through self-study
and improved my proficiency.
At that time, for example,
while washing dishes, I would listen to podcasts.
W: Wow, just like me!
G: It becomes a habit, exactly!
W: I don't know if you've read the book
"Atomic Habits".
It also discusses these points.
For example, most people take a shower every day
or put on shoes before going out,
you can easily add another habit
before or after these activities.
G: Some habits can occur simultaneously.
For example, if you commute by bus to school every day.
During that bus ride,
you can listen to English (or in your case, Chinese)
And for activities like taking a shower,
where you can't do other things at the same time,
you can develop a specific habit
before (or after) that activity.
W: Exactly, exactly.
In summary, we need to set up an environment with many cues
that facilitate our desired behaviors.
Sometimes, we may feel lazy or unmotivated.
In those moments, we can rely on the cues and hints provided by our environment
to push ourselves to act.
As Grace mentioned,
when you're sitting on the bus,
you already know that it's time to listen to English (or Chinese)
because it becomes a conditioned response.
You naturally do it without much thought.
G: so you didn't buy any... like
in Taiwan, a lot of foreigners learning Chinese use these textbooks.
You didn't purchase any of these textbooks for studying?
W: I've never bought textbooks, no.
However, I have used a different approach
that relates to this point.
I developed a habit of reading graded Chinese readers.
I don't know if you've heard of them,
but examples include Mandarin Companion and "Hanyu Feng."
They are very simple and easy to understand.
G：Are they e-books?
W: No, no, I bought the physical books.
These books usually are limited to only 500 words.
G: When did you start reading these graded readers?
W: Graded readers... I think it was around the time
when I started watching "Home with Kids" (《家有兒女》).
G: So it was around the time when you were at the beginner to intermediate level?
W: Yeah, around that time,
I started reading some graded readers specifically designed for beginners.
G: I see. So basically, your main learning materials were...
graded readers and TV dramas.
W: Yes, that way you can learn a lot of everyday expressions.
I also want to mention that
when I was a beginner,
I used Grace's videos to learn pronunciation.
I have to give Grace’s videos a shout out here!
G: Yes, you mentioned it in your email,
and I'm really glad to hear that
as your pronunciation is really good.
W: Grace goes into great detail about
the positions of your lips, teeth, and tongue for different sounds,
which is very helpful for pronunciation.
So if you're a beginner
and you want to learn pronunciation well,
I highly recommend checking out Grace's pronunciation videos!
G: So basically,
you searched for tutorials on YouTube
when you encountered difficulties
or didn’t know how to do something.
W: Yes, that was also quite helpful.
W: Alright, let me explain how I practice speaking.
First, I started with language exchange partners,
where we would practice half an hour of Chinese and half an hour of English.
We would constantly correct each other's mistakes
and write down the correct sentences
to add to Anki for repeated practice of correct expressions.
That's the first method.
Second, I practice speaking to myself using Anki every day.
I modify the example sentences slightly,
usually by changing one or two words.
By doing this, I found that
my grammar wouldn't be majorly incorrect,
and it also helps me create new sentences.
G: So basically, you create opportunities
for speaking practice by finding language exchange partners,
and you also practice speaking to yourself.
W: Yes, that's the general idea.
And "shadowing" can also be considered a form of practice,
mainly focused on pronunciation.
To some extent, it helps with speaking as well.
I enjoy shadowing too.
G: Oh, do you use "shadowing" or "echoing"?
the method from Professor Karen Chung?
W: I used both.
When I first started learning Chinese,
I relied more on echoing.
But as I progressed and my pronunciation became better,
I started incorporating shadowing
to work on my rhythm and intonation.
G: So, I wanted to ask,
what materials do you use when you do shadowing?
W: I use listening materials
like podcasts and TV shows.
I watch them while shadowing, speaking along with the audio.
Whenever I engaged in language exchange with a friend,
I always made a point to ask them
to correct my pronunciation mistakes
or let me know if there were any mistakes.
I aim to sound as much like a native speaker as possible.
G: Have you ever reached an intermediate level
where you feel like your progress has stalled
and it's difficult for you to improve further?
Have you experienced this kind of feeling?
W: Hmm... I have felt that way before.
I think the source of this feeling is
when your vocabulary reaches a certain level,
and you can basically express anything
and understand most things.
After that point, even if you continue learning,
you don't feel a significant improvement,
and it seems like your progress is very slow.
That's because your vocabulary is already sufficient.
G: Yeah, I think you've explained it very well.
I've seen a diagram before that was an inverted triangle.
When you're at the beginner level, because you start with nothing,
every little thing you learn feels like huge progress!
But as you learn more,
you have to learn even more to feel that same sense of improvement.（W：yes, exactly）
So when you're reaching the top of the triangle,
it actually gives you the impression that you're progressing slowly.
However, in reality, you're still slowly improving
if you continue using the same methods.
Of course, it depends on reaching a certain level
where you can naturally communicate in daily life without any issues.
At that point, it depends on your goals.
For example, if your goal is to conduct business in Chinese,
then business Chinese would be another area
where you need to strengthen your skills.
W: Yes, exactly.
G: Yes. So, in the later stages,
I think it's more important to consider
the specific field of Chinese you need.
W: I feel like many people set vague goals for themselves.
They say they want to speak fluent Chinese
or they want to reach a native-like level.
But how do you define a native-like level?
Or how do you define fluent Chinese?
It's indeed divided into different levels, right?
So, as Grace mentioned,
you really have to look at what your goal is
and what you want to do with Chinese.
Yes, or... you can also say it's about following your interests.
W: One area that I've probably overlooked
is improving my writing skills.
So, I'd like to ask everyone
if they have any suggestions in this regard.
Do you have any tips or methods to improve writing?
G: Thank you so much for sharing all of this with us today.
W：No problem at all, it's my pleasure.
Actually, these insights are not only helpful for those self-learning Chinese,
but also for those taking Chinese classes.
You can utilize these methods and resources
during your free time to enhance your Chinese skills.
If you liked today's video
remember to like, subscribe, and share!
I’ll see you next time! Bye!
See you next time! Bye!