Chinese has the reputation of being one of the hardest languages to learn. Thousands of people in Singapore are learning Chinese every day despite being one of the challenging languages. The fact that the language has now become a necessity for anyone looking to do business in China, Singapore, or any other Asian countries makes this language a necessity for anyone looking to thrive in the business world.
China’s position as the second largest economic power in the world has significantly contributed to the increased number of people learning the language. Therefore, you do not want to be left behind as the rest of the world starts to speak the language that will drive the economic world in the next few decades. Below are some tips that will help you master the language within the shortest time possible.
Acquire the right motivation and drive to learn
Learning a new language requires a lot of practice and attention to detail. Chinese is a tonal language and uses thousands of characters instead of alphabetic letters. This means that the language is slightly different from other European languages but not hard to learn as most people will tell you. Therefore, you will need extra effort and drive to learn the language to master all the new rules of the language. The fact that learning Chinese will expand your career and business prospects should be enough motivation for you to learn the language.
Frequent practice
You are not going to master any new language if you do not practice thoroughly. Mastery of the Chinese language involves gaining fluency in writing, reading, listening and speaking. Therefore, your training should revolve around the four necessary skills during the entire time of your Singapore business Chinese course. You should always make it your goal to interact with a native friend or anyone else who has mastered the language for at least 15 minutes each day for you to learn the four skills fluently. There are also hundreds of online chat rooms available in Chinese or other language meet up events in Singapore that will help you polish up your language. Reading Chinese textbooks, newspapers, and magazines is also a perfect way of learning.
Surround yourself with Chinese
You are lucky if you are an expatriate or an entrepreneur living in Singapore since the biggest percentage of people can understand Chinese. Surrounding yourself with Chinese speakers will not only polish your speaking skills, but it will improve your vocabulary. This includes your colleagues, friends, and even family. Other activities that will develop your Chinese skills include listening to the radio and music in Chinese or watching a TV show or movie aired in Chinese. Attending Chinese cultural fairs and interacting with people on different topics will help you on your quest to learn a new language.
Find a learning style that you enjoy
Being in business can be quite tasking for everyone, hence the need to find an exciting way of learning the language. You can choose to engage in a hobby or learn a skill such as playing musical instruments, cooking, or dancing in Chinese instead of using your local language. Hiring a private tutor instead of going to a public college will make a difference in your attempts to master the language. You can also choose to incorporate other learning tools such as listening to audio tapes and podcasts if being in a classroom setting is getting monotonous and boring.
Learning Chinese language allows you to communicate with more than one billion people hence the need to master the language if you want to enjoy a new world of opportunities and growth. Mastering the language is a gradual process that takes time and patience to achieve. Some people will take longer to learn while others will master the language in a relatively shorter period. Therefore, you should not be frustrated if your efforts in learning the Chinese language do not seem to be making progress after a few months of learning.