If you are interested to learn the Chinese language in Singapore, you may wonder if you should learn how to speak or read first.

We are here to tell you that you should try learning both.

Here’s why.

Why Do People Struggle to Learn Chinese?

According to the US Foreign Service Institute (FSI), the time it takes for someone to master Chinese is about four times as long as the time the same person takes to learn French.

The main reason for this is the writing system. Chinese characters can be hard to learn. Even native Chinese speakers who study the Chinese language will occasionally forget common words because there are thousands of different Chinese characters. Not to mention, the common approach used for learning and memorizing the Chinese language has remained relatively the same for thousands of years.

Has Learning How to Speak Chinese Become Easier?

Learning how to speak the Chinese language is definitely easier today. However, this does not mean that you should focus exclusively on merely learning how to speak Chinese. The tones and grammar of the language are especially challenging for beginners, especially since the structure of sentences works in a completely different manner in Chinese.

How Should You Learn?

As mentioned earlier, you should learn how to speak and read the language, but not at the same time.

The main reason for this is because it is a new language and it will be difficult for you to learn how to speak and read or write in Chinese at the same time.

When learning the Chinese language in Singapore, you should focus on one aspect first. We recommend you to start to master how to speak the language first. Thereafter, you can then move on to master how to read and write the numerous Chinese characters.

Spoken First, Read and Writing Later

When learning the Chinese language, you will find it easier and better for you to learn the language by speaking it throughout the first year of your learning journey. You may find yourself falling behind someone who learnt the language at the same time as you did if you focused on learning how to read or write the Chinese language first.

If you enrol yourself in a Chinese language course, you will also discover that most institutions focus on teaching students how to speak the Chinese language first.

But of course, while spoken Chinese is easier to learn and recommended for beginners, you should not skip learning how to read or write Chinese entirely. Because if you do, you will only end up setting your language learning journey back even further. You might never be able to achieve the level of fluency that you want just because you did not bother learning the Chinese characters.