Free Online Resources for Teaching and Learning Chinese

Researchers typically identify 4000 - 5000 characters in prints or online, which includes both simplified and traditional characters. The breakdown is that most frequently used 1000 characters account for 86–91% of the characters occurring, and the most frequently used 2000 for 95–98%. It seems like that, after students learn 2000 characters, they should be able to read newspapers. In reality, they still can’t.

The problem is that, with a focus on accumulating individual characters, students miss a focal point of the Chinese writing system, that the foundation of Chinese texts is words, not characters. Even when students recognise every character in a Chinese text, it is possible that they still don’t understand what they are reading.

Technically, learning pinyin is learning to speak Chinese. In fact, pinyin is not so essential at all. Students can make up their own spelling system with their own languages and can still learn to speak Chinese.

Pinyin, especially tones, is being talked so much because it is closely related to Chinese pronunciations, which are often over emphasised. There is a joke saying a foreigner was trying to order dumplings in a restaurant. But he did not say the tones right, and got slapped because the waitress thought he wanted to sleep with her. This joke itself is a joke. It was in a restaurant for crying out loud! That is the trouble of emphasising pronunciations and tones too much. In doing so, we turn a blind eye to the material conditions of verbal communications in practical situations. 

Read more about pinyin here:

• The gulf between pinyin and Mandarin Chinese pronunciation
• Why learning Mandarin using (only) pinyin will create more hurdles

Classical Chinese (wenyanwen) is difficult to learn, and people get by fine without learning it. Therefore, students don’t have to learn classical Chinese. Rather, learning classical texts gives them advantages.  

Over the millennia, classical Chinese texts have left many traces in the modern Chinese language, permeated in tones of fixed expressions, and been influencing people’s thinkings. Learning some classical Chinese texts help students understand the origins of many expressions, Chinese idioms and even behaviours, and allow them to establish effective communications with Chinese people. 

Moreover, classical Chinese texts offer students an opportunity to get a glimpse of Chinese historical, social and cultural changes over thousands of years. This is the coolest way for students to engage in dialogues and gain valuable insights on China. 

This is the reason that Mandarin Express Intermediate Level B includes a substantial amount of classical Chinese.

Many people believe that English translations should be provided to beginner students in their Chinese textbooks. They thought the translations will make learning easier. If students don't understand the Chinese text, they will if they read the translations. And quite often we see three different scripts in Chinese textbooks, Chinese characters, pinyin, and English translations.

We don’t agree. Translations laid side by side with the Chinese texts often have the following undesirable effects: (1) students often compare the Chinese texts word by word with the English translation, and arrive at the wrong conclusion, attributing a false translation to a Chinese character or word; (2) Chinese structures can not be translated well into English. Thus the English translations makes it hard for students to fully appreciate the Chinese texts; (3) students' attention is often drawn to the English texts which they can read quickly, and lose their focus on the Chinese texts; (4) the worse of all is that translations prevent students from thinking in the targeted language - Chinese. 

In short, English translations discourage students from engaging in the process of learning Chinese. This is the reason that both the Mandarin Express series and the Chinese Reading and Writing series do not have English translations in print.

Radicals have played an important role in learning Chinese. However, spending too much time on radicals no longer makes any sense.

Before, learning radicals was an effective way for students to understand the “bushou”, which was pretty much the only way for them to look up a character in a dictionary. Nowadays, students can use their Chinese learning Apps. 

Before, many beginner students learned characters according to their radicals. Now we have a better way for them to do the same thing with more efficiency. 

Also, it is often claimed that, learning radicals helps students understand the meanings of characters, such as ｲ relates to people, 口 relates to mouth. But it is only true to a small portion of radicals. It is also claimed that radicals help students guess the sounds of characters. Again, it is not always the case. Many radicals can not explain the meanings of Chinese characters, neither give clues to the sounds.

It is good to know some facts about radicals. But it is not necessary to spend too much time on radicals, especially not spending too much class hours.

Movies are fun to watch. But using movies in Chinese classes with the expectation that they can improve students' listening skills is to be carefully thought out. 

For lower level students, it is more effective when they are exposed to controlled listening exercises, including: (1) listening exercises which come with the textbooks and work books; (2)  moderated and authentic communications between students and teachers; (3) communication oriented exercises among peer students. Read more here: Controlled exercises - How lower level students develop listening ability. 

As students make progress, the following resources will gradually show up in Chinese classes and with some help from the Chinese teachers: (1) field trip to a Chinese speaking environment, or learn how to use a virtual tour instead of a real one; (2) YouTube clips in Chinese; (3) Chinese movies and TV dramas; (4) Chinese news and other TV variety shows. Read more here: Train for exceptional Mandarin listening ability - higher level students.