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Guest Post: Learn Chinese Language Online, Fast and Free (The Ultimate Guide) Part 2


2. PDFs

What’s cool about the internet is you can download PDF versions of textbooks. PDF textbooks for learning Chinese can be very comprehensive, delving in-depth into the language. Once you download them to your e-reader, you no longer need an internet connection to read them. Take them with you wherever you go. Study while you’re riding the bus or metro or waiting for an appointment.
This is by far one of the best Chinese Guides out there. It was constructed by LTL Mandarin School and the guide is written by 10 world famous Chinese language learners that share their secrets how to learn Mandarin Chinese. They will take through every language aspect to becoming fluent in Chinese.

Use this guide to help you learn valuable shortcuts that will speed up your learning process with any language.

2.3. chinEASE – Guide to learning Chinese characters

This is by far one of the best guides how to learn Chinese characters in just a few days. This ebook was written by Aaron Posehn. He will guide you through the process of easy learning with pictures and detailed descriptions of each symbol.

PROs
CONs

  • In-depth resources with detailed, comprehensive information 
  • Offline access 
  • Downloadable 
  • Free 
  • View on any device

  • You may need to download a program to open these files 
  • The structured nature of textbooks does not fit every learning style

3. Free Trials

There are a number of popular foreign language learning systems these days. Some of these take the form of online courses, while others include downloadable software packages. These courses are in-depth, designed for all levels (beginner thru advanced), and are expertly crafted to make linguistic learning easy.

Most have a price tag attached, but many offer free trials! That means you can test them out and enjoy a few free lessons. If you find one you like which you think will be worth the money, you can make a purchase.

3.1. Pimsleur

30-minute audio trial.
The focus of Pimsleur courses is to get you speaking Chinese right from day one. All lessons focus on providing you with a real-world context and fluid, flexible vocabulary. This course is for Mandarin (Standard) Chinese.

3.2. Rocket Languages

Free selected lessons.
The free trial includes four hours of Premium lessons, the weekly Rocket Chinese Vocab Builder Series, instant eBook access, and occasional promotions and specials

Rocket Languages is one of the best-known providers of foreign language courses online. Rocket is designed specifically to help people with limited time to learn a foreign language quickly. The course not only teaches you the language but explains how the language works. The emphasis on mechanics, real-world context, flexibility, and reinforcement really works!

Be sure to read our in-depth review of Rocket to learn more about how Rocket Languages courses work!

PROs
CONs

  • Comprehensive and usually designed for learners with tight schedules 
  • You can go back over all the coursework at any time for a quick review 
  • Great conversational teaching materials 

  • Temporary access 
  • You will need to pay the full price for the whole course

4. Watch Podcasts and Movies

One of the best developments to come out of YouTube is the abundance of free educational videos and tutorials which have been together by experts on various topics. That means you can now learn Chinese from native speakers, linguistic experts, and others who can provide you with their unique perspectives and learning approaches.

4.1. Learn Chinese Now

Interesting and entertaining YouTube videos made by a young man and a native Chinese woman. Their comprehensive videos cover just about everything under the sun, and they’re funny to boot!


4.2. Learn Chinese with Yangyang

Educational videos made by a native woman named Yangyang. She will take you through the basics and teach you how to pronounce everything correctly.

PROs
CONs

  • Quickly locate exactly what you need 
  • View podcasts on highly specific topics 
  • Get quick answers to questions 
  • Learn from native speakers (best way to learn pronunciation) 
  • User-friendly and free


  • You may find misinformation 
  • You may have to sort through a lot of videos to find teachers you like

4.3. Movies and TV shows

Another awesome way to learn Chinese is by watching Chinese-language films or TV shows! Watch familiar films/shows first, and then start watching movies you’ve never seen before. Use English subtitles first, and later, try Chinese subtitles. Focus on how words are pronounced, and take notes as you watch on words and phrases you don’t comprehend. This is an awesome way to learn the tonal intricacies of Chinese in context!

If you have a problem finding Chinese subtitles then we recommend checking out www.opensubtitles.org! They provide a large variety of subtitles for almost every movie and also for almost every language.

Tip! For the beginners, we recommend watching TV shows for children as they are easy to understand and generally with subtitles. More at Youku or Tudou.

Adam
I am Adam and I originally come from the Czech Republic, a small but adorable country in the heart of Europe. I started to learn languages in kindergarten and since then I am a big language enthusiast. Besides my native language, which is Czech, I can also speak Spanish, German, English and partly Chinese. However, I am also in the process of mastering Russian. It took me lots of time to manage each of the languages mentioned, therefore, I wanted to share all the methods, tips and tricks that I developed over time with people who might find it useful.


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