One of the most gratifying facets of the human experience is having the ability to communicate and stay connected with others. Bilinguals, who speak two languages, have the best opportunity as they are able to connect with a wider range of people. This not only helps them with their professional and personal lives, but it also comes with undeniable cognitive benefits.

Learning a new language can significantly improve your brain development and fend off mental ageing. In our current situation, where indoors are the safest place to be, it is the perfect time for you to learn a foreign language that you never had the chance to do so before. One of the best languages you could learn at home is Mandarin. While it can be confusing for students in online Chinese classes in Singapore, you should know that Mandarin one of many Chinese languages, which also includes Hakka, Cantonese, and more. Despite being widely spoken around the world, Mandarin can be difficult to learn for people of an English-speaking background. To get you in the mood for learning, here are some ways you can explore Mandarin without leaving your home!

1. Recall simple vocabulary

Regardless of the language you are learning, the more words you can memorise, the easier it will be for you to place words into sentences. With the opportunity to learn Mandarin at home, you can prioritise your timetable according to your needs.

For example, you can begin with alphabets and numbers. Once you feel confident and motivated, you can explore and learn more. Soon, you’ll be able to start your day by picking up at least 10 new words every day! Looking out for things around you and switching to speak in Mandarin can further enhance your learning too. It is best to understand that it might take days or weeks before you memorise a few useful expressions, so don’t fret!

2. Memorise basic phrases

Once you’ve got the hang a few words, you can move on to basic and common phrases. By doing so, you will be able to find out how each word is placed, and in which order they are structured to form sentences. Simultaneously, you should keep a separate notebook and jot down any new words you may have learnt. From there, you can look up synonyms for these words and improve upon the basics of your Mandarin.

3. Studying the basics of grammar

When you have nailed down the basics of Mandarin, you should learn about basic grammar rules. It is during this time that you can form meaningful utterances through longer words or simple phrases. The great thing about Mandarin is that the grammar is relatively simple! If you attend an online Chinese class, you should be able to grasp the grammar rules quite quickly.

As soon as you have a firmer grasp of the basic rules of grammar, you will find yourself having the capabilities of forming sentences on your own. At this stage, you should try to write about familiar topics. Don’t feel bad about making mistakes! Mistakes will encourage you to become better in the language you are learning.

4. Enjoy entertainment media in Mandarin

Many learners of a new language prefer to start by watching cartoons as the words used in cartoons are much more basic when compared to movies or music. Keep the captions on whenever possible and write down any new words that you might come across so that you can look for its meaning later on.

One other suggestion is to take a couple of new words you learn every day and create a few sentences out of it. While doing so, you could place more emphasis on your writing. By the end of this stage, you should look to keep mistakes to a minimum and improve on your speaking fluency.

5. Continue learning when possible!

Just because you’ve reached the end of this article, it is not the end of your learning! You should look to make use of all the resources you have available to you while you are staying at home. Now that you have excelled in speaking, listening and writing, you can start to look for more in-depth ways to improve, such as picking up a few reading materials. You can start with short stories before moving on to literature that requires higher proficiency in Mandarin.

With the helpful tips above, it won’t be long until you are able to start a natural conversation in Mandarin. Always remember, the learning never stops!