Mastering Mandarin may not be as daunting as it seems, but it does require some dedicated practice. If you’re eager to practice and enhance your Mandarin, these tools may be able to help!
1. Speak Good Chinese [Computer Program]
Ever found yourself unsure if your Mandarin tones are correct while practicing? If so, you’re not alone! Introducing Speak Good Chinese, an innovative program designed to help you improve your Mandarin pronunciation.
With Speak Good Chinese, you can record your Mandarin speech and receive instant visual feedback on your tones. This unique feature displays the pitch contours of your speech, allowing you to compare your performance to the standard pronunciation easily.
Developed using Praat technology (see below), Speak Good Chinese offers this invaluable service entirely for free! Take your Mandarin language skills to the next level with our user-friendly and effective pronunciation tool.
Praat, a program developed by two linguists, is widely used in linguistic research and proves to be a valuable tool for practicing tones with its built-in pitch tracking function.
While Praat may not offer the same user-friendly experience as Speak Good Chinese, it offers more extensive functionalities beyond pitch tracking since it was not specifically designed solely for tone learning.
The best part is that Praat is completely free to use. If you have any linguist friends, don’t hesitate to ask them about Praat – chances are, they are already familiar with its capabilities.
Chinese Boost hosts articles on Mandarin grammar with clear and detailed explanations suitable for learners of all levels. Easily access articles based on criteria such as proficiency level, keywords, part of speech, and characters. The website offers formal grammar instruction, making it an excellent starting point for those interested in prescriptive grammar.
Looking to learn Mandarin in a more casual and fun way? Check out Duolingo, the app that offers lessons in dozens of world languages, including Mandarin.
In Mandarin, Duolingo is known as “duō lín guó,” phonetically resembling its English name and meaning “having lots of neighboring countries.”
Lessons on Duolingo are short, relaxed, and presented in an adorable, friendly user interface. While some include listening activities, the audio is computer-generated.
If you already have some Mandarin knowledge, no worries! Duolingo’s placement test will assess your level and place you appropriately.
Perfect for beginners and intermediate learners, Duolingo is an enjoyable language-learning experience.
You can access Duolingo on the web or download it on your mobile device for free, with ads.
Discover the fantastic world of Chinese characters with YellowBridge, an excellent website for practicing Chinese characters. It offers a diverse range of tools to aid your character learning journey, including memory games, character flashcards, stroke orders (the order in which lines are drawn), etymology, and much more!
Practice Chinese characters with Arch Chinese, a valuable resource hub for practice. Benefit from their useful resources, including characters recorded by native speakers, ensuring an authentic learning experience. Downloadable flashcards allow for convenient offline use, giving you the flexibility to practice wherever and whenever you want.
