Whether you’re a student or a working adult, it can be challenging to learn Mandarin in Singapore out of class time, as you juggle your studies or work. These duties or responsibilities would usually take top priority, leaving little time to practise and boost your Mandarin proficiency before it’s time to hit the bad and rest for the next day.
But, fret not if you’re worried about needing a much longer time to reach your desired Mandarin skill level – there are actually many pockets of time in the day that you can utilise to practise some language skills. Squeezing in some Chinese language studies during these periods ensures your progress continues even while you’re out and about. With that, here are three suggestions to get you started with your new study regimen.
Kick start some practice as you commute
Whether you drive or take public transport daily, the fact remains that commuting towards any destination doesn’t take too much brainpower or attention. As such, it’s best to make the most out of these relatively idle moments to make some progress on your studies, especially if you’re keen on taking the HSK test in Singapore.
If you prefer to drive, it might be better to stick to audio-based studies since you will need to keep your eyes on the road. You can do a few things to enhance your listening skills, such as playing Chinese media on your speakers (e.g. songs, news, or podcasts). These handy resources are sure to perfect your pronunciation and tones.
If you take the public transport, you have more options available with your phone or tablet. Perhaps, seek your Mandarin language teacher for relevant books or other online resources that complement what you are currently learning. Then, download or store these resources into your digital devices to pick up from what you’ve been learning.
Tune in to Chinese news daily for at least 30 minutes
An informative and immersive way to boost your budding Chinese proficiency is to tune in to Chinese news. Doing so exposes you to instances to use the words you’ve picked up in Chinese lessons, while introducing you to new words that you’re unlikely to encounter in workbooks. In this way, your Chinese word bank is sure to increase gradually.
To help you get started, considering listening to China Radio International first. They regularly stream their broadcasts online and the reporters speak in Standard Mandarin, making it easy for you to understand every word being said. Additionally, their speech serves as an excellent standard to base how the pronunciation of your Chinese tones should sound.
Utilise the language immersion extension
One innovative language learning activity that is too good to ignore is ‘The Language Immersion’ extension. This extension, available on the Google Chrome Web Store, essentially allows you to translate texts on the websites you visit into your preferred language.
In this case, to test your existing and growing Mandarin vocabulary, you would first start by selecting Mandarin in the settings and then pick your appropriate learning level. It converts individual words during a lower learning level, and gradually translate more content as you turn up the challenge. Then, if you’re curious as to what the Chinese words mean in the translated text, simply hover your mouse over them and a translation will pop up.
Conclusion
If you’re set on attaining your desired proficiency in Mandarin, use these above tips to get you busy practising as you go about your daily routines. On top of a regular Mandarin class with quality instruction, these tips are sure to complement and easily be adopted in your busy schedules. With that, rest assured that you can make leaps and bounds of progress even with limited time.
