Articles tagged with ‘Pinyin’

Hacking Chinese Pronunciation: Speaking with Confidence is now open!

Hacking Chinese Pronunciation: Speaking with Confidence is now open for enrollment again! Take this opportunity to boost your pronunciation and improve your ability to communicate in Mandarin. The courses closes again on midnight Tuesday, January 18th.
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7 ways to write Mandarin tones

There are many ways of writing down the tones of Mandarin beyond the standard tone marks. Which are they and what pros and cons do they have for learners?
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A guide to Pinyin traps and pitfalls: Learning Mandarin pronunciation

When learning to pronounce Mandarin, you need to learn both the sounds and how they are written, usually with Pinyin. Did you know that many student errors actually come from a poor understanding of Pinyin, rather than the sounds themselves being difficult? Welcome to my guide to Pinyin traps and pitfalls.
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6 challenges students face when learning to read Chinese and how to overcome them

Learning to read Chinese comes with several challenges, some of them unique to Chinese. What are these challenges, what do they mean for you as a student and how can you overcome them?
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What’s the difference between Chinese pronunciation and Pinyin? Does it matter?

It’s not uncommon for both students and teachers to treat Chinese pronunciation and Pinyin as the same thing, but they are not, and thinking that they are can lead to certain problems.
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Chinese input methods: A guide for second language learners

There are many different input methods available for Chinese characters, including phonetic typing, non-phonetic typing, handwriting and speech recognition, but which method is best for people who study Chinese? And why?
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The most serious mistake students make when learning Mandarin pronunciation

Learning to hear and say the sounds of Mandarin can be tricky, but it’s made much more difficult by the way many students go about it. By focusing on reading over listening, they are making themselves a big disservice!
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9 answers to questions about Pinyin and pronunciation

Pronunciation is best learnt by listening attentively and mimicking, but it’s also necessary to be able to learn Pinyin properly. This article answers nine questions about Pinyin and Chinese pronunciation.
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Why learning Chinese pronunciation by using English words is a really bad idea

Learning Mandarin pronunciation is not easy, so some people use English words to approximate Chinese pronunciation. This is a really bad idea.
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Does using colour to represent Mandarin tones make them easier to learn?

Some learning materials, apps and tools allow you to add colours to show Mandarin tones, but is this really helpful? This article discusses the ins and outs of using colour to learn and remember tones, along with some practical considerations.
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