How can you improve Chinese quickly in just a few weeks or months? It is possible to get better Chinese in a very short amount of time!
There are simple steps you can take in daily life to rapidly improve your Chinese language skills. Here are our top tips to help you make rapid improvements in your Chinese ability whether you are taking a class or not.
#1 Practice 15-30 minutes a day
It’s very simple. You need to be reviewing Chinese every day for the lessons to stick! If you need advice on where to start, we have a guide: How to Self-Study Chinese for Free
#2 Set your phone/app language into Chinese
This is a great way to force yourself to read Chinese each day. Set your whole phone in Chinese, or just one app like WeChat or Instagram.
#3 Turn on Chinese subtitles
When you watch TV series, turn on Chinese subtitles and see how much you can read. Repeatedly seeing the same characters over and over (such as names, places, exclamations) will help you review Chinese while you watch shows.
#4 Keep a Chinese daily journal
Keep a notebook by your bed or desk and spend a few minutes each day writing in Chinese. You can write about things as simple as the day’s weather, or you could write about your daily plans or what dreams you had. Even if you don’t have perfect handwriting or grammar, practicing writing in Chinese each day will help develop your memory for Chinese characters.
#5 Memorize some idioms (成语)
One of the #1 ways to sound like a native speaker is to use Chinese idioms in your sentences. You can start by learning one or two and practicing using them in daily life. Here are the 10 top idioms for you to learn, and every Chengyu in the HSK 6.
#6 Chat in Chinese with friends
If you have Chinese-speaking friends, practice speaking or texting them in Chinese. Having regular short conversations will help increase your conversational fluency.
#7 Fix your learning mistakes
Even though you are trying to improve Chinese quickly, it’s important not to rush through the process and make mistakes that will be hard to undo later. Tones, stroke order, and grammar are still important. You don’t want to accidentally develop a horrible accent. Read the biggest mistakes to avoid when learning Chinese here.
#8 Set a goal, and reward yourself!
You won’t go from HSK 1 to 5 in a month. But you might be able to watch an episode of a Chinese TV show, read a news article in Chinese, or have a short conversation in Chinese where you don’t need to use a translator! Set reasonable and achievable goals, then reward yourself when you reach them. Chinese is a hard language, and you’re making progress even if you can’t see it right away. Here are tips to set a good language goal.
Improve Chinese Quickly with a Class
If you’re serious about improving Chinese, a Chinese class from a top Chinese university is one of the best ways. Learning with a professional native teacher, and even with dedicated classmates, can give you the foundation and resources you need to become fluent. Check out our top recommended classes for improving Chinese quickly:
Online Group General Graded Chinese Classes (0 to HSK5) Popular
Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU)
Online Group General Graded Chinese Classes (0 to HSK5)
Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU)
1 on 1 Online Chinese Classes Popular Free Trial Class Available
Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU)
1 on 1 Online Chinese Classes
Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU)
Bachelor’s in Chinese BLCC + USTB Scholarship Program (1+3)
University of Science and Technology Beijing (USTB)
Bachelor’s in Chinese BLCC + USTB Scholarship Program (1+3)
University of Science and Technology Beijing (USTB)
Contemporary China and Chinese Culture Online Course
Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU)
Contemporary China and Chinese Culture Online Course
Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU)
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