Recommends for studying chinese more effectively?

[Fei翡cui翠]

Hi all,

I have a problem bout continue to study chinese. I've been learning chinese almost for 3.5 years ( I am intermediate level) and last year I was exchange student in Ningbo University to learn chinese Around 4 month.(I dont have time to go china for 6 months or more longer.) I only have a chance to go china for short term courses in summer time.

here is the problem:

This year I am so busy with the university's lectures. I cant practise my chinese. Sometimes I try to listen some chinese canal or tv series and realize I cannot understand many things.

This is so bad contiditions that I've been taking hardly effort to learn chinese for many years and right now everything is getting worse

Can someone any recommends how to study more effectively or any tips?

by the way, I cannot find any new chinese movie/tv series on websites.

Can someone recommend websites? ( I live in Turkey) (and to chatting with chinese people except QQ and Renren wang and practise reading,)

Many Thanks!

[renzhe]

I sympathise with your situation. I don't have any time for Chinese at the moment either.

In my experience, it is much easier to maintain a decent level after first reaching a level where you can understand regular things. If you can understand everyday stuff, then watching TV and listening to radio works really well for maintaining your level and slowly improving. Getting to that level in Chinese is difficult, however, and listening comprehension requires real, sustained effort.

Could you give us more information about your level? Can you read Chinese comfortably? Something like comics, for example? Can you understand ANY TV shows at all? Keep in mind that some shows (including news) are really insanely hard, while some others (talk shows with unrehearsed conversations with regular people) are relatively easy.

If you can understand SOME native materials (comics, easy talk shows), then you should find and read/watch such materials in your spare time. It won't feel like work and it will even help you improve slowly. If you can deal with any native-level materials, then you'll have to find some time for hard study, IMHO.

[Fei翡cui翠]

hello renzhe,

firstly, thank your for all tips. It may sound like stupid, but sometimes I can understand whole conversation in tv series,programs etc. However, sometİmes I only basic conversations.

as leveI I am in between upper intermediate-intermediate. sometimes studying in books, is kind of boring but some series are hard.

I have one question that sometimes I see the new grammar structure or a lot f vocabulary that I have never realize. I do not guess and I dont look up dictionary. This is really bad

at 2,5 year I learnt chinese in my country. maybe 3.5 years seems pretty long but this is what I 've done such a period.:/

Thank you !

[laurenth]

@renzhe: Any example of "easy talk shows"? Thanks!

[renzhe]

It may sound like stupid, but sometimes I can understand whole conversation in tv series,programs etc. However, sometİmes I only basic conversations.

It's completely normal. There is a vast range of difficulties, from relatively easy stuff to mind-boggingly difficult. And there are easier topics to follow and more difficult ones.

You can probably make really good progress by getting through a couple of TV series. I'd recommend 奋斗 -- the language is modern and approachable, it covers a range of everyday situations, and the thread is chock-full with vocabulary lists, summaries and grammar discussions.

Remember that listening is a skill you need to WORK on, it doesn't come automatically. So slow progress with a show like this can really improve your understanding.

Any example of "easy talk shows"? Thanks!

I'm not much use here because I don't watch many, but I found dating shows like 非诚勿扰 to be full of everyday language. I really don't know what's popular in terms of talk shows nowadays, I know that 鲁豫有约 is quite popular and has high-profile guests. You could find those on youtube and then click through related links until you find something interesting at your level.

I love 锵锵三人行, but it might be a bit too hard. Worth a try, though!

[imron]

I love 锵锵三人行

The great thing about this show is that it has no subtitles (so you're forced to practice listening), but it also has full transcripts so you can still find out what they are saying if there's something you don't understand.

[Fei翡cui翠]

@renzhe @imron ,

Thank you so much !

[eion_padraig]

I've just started to watch 家有儿女, and I'm finding it fairly understandable with lower intermediate skills it is a family sitcom.. I'm taking the time to watch the episodes multiple times and look up key vocabulary though.

[Fei翡cui翠]

@eion_padraig

really? Oh i am glad to hear that! Thanks for your recommend!

[Ritchie]

@Fei翡cui翠

Can someone any recommends how to study more effectively or any tips?

Studying Chinese when you have a busy lifestyle is definitely hard. One thing I noticed that helped though is scheduling

a regular talk with a language partner. Knowing that I will be talking to my language partner at a specific time and day every week

keeps me on my toes. I don't want to embarrass myself by not improving or slacking off. I want to show something I learned new

during the week.

A huge advantage of having a language partner is having a sense of accountability, something that we are naturally bad at doing

for ourselves. The emotion of losing face is stronger than the bliss of learning something new hence the fear of shame and embarrassment

could really kick you into action more than (ironically) the reward of fluency.