How I learned to speak fluent Mandarin Chinese in 1 year (10 steps)

Learning to speak Mandarin is not hard. Here are 10 steps to learn Chinese fast for beginners and intermediate learners who feel stuck.

As a beginner learner, I was terrified to speak Chinese and this destroyed my learning.

I was self-conscious about what others would think.

I thought I was an imposter for trying to speak without having proper tones and grammar.

Unfortunately, this meant I was not practicing my speaking, which decreased my confidence more and this vicious cycle started.

But then I discovered a system that improved my speaking without the need to talk to people.

After applying this system I began speaking with confidence with native speakers in real life, podcasts, live streams, and even giving presentations in Chinese.

Here are 10 steps that helped me go from being anxious to speak to having smooth conversations in Chinese:


1. Immerse in native content.

I stopped relying solely on textbooks and started consuming native Chinese content like podcasts, videos, TV shows, etc.

This immersion shot my comprehension and speaking skills up significantly.

This "simple" approach worked partly because of reasons 2, 3, and 4:


2. Practice speaking daily.

Every day, I dedicated time to speaking Chinese, even if it was just for a few minutes.

The practice of speaking every day helped me overcome my fear of speaking and helped me apply what I learned.

This works well if you have reason 3:


3. Focus on core vocabulary.

Instead of memorizing endless word lists, I concentrated on words and phrases relevant to my daily life and interests.

Focusing on mastering a few key phrases and structures allowed me to use them confidently in conversation.

When you have a good foundation, everything else falls into place.


4. Get feedback from native speakers.

I sought out native speakers for feedback on my pronunciation, tones, vocabulary use and grammar.

This helped me correct mistakes early, prevent building bad habits and improve more quickly.

Feedback made a huge difference.


5. Copy native speakers

Languages are more an art than a science. There are many rules but just as many exceptions.

The best way to learn how to speak like native speakers is to copy them.

I held my first conversation in Chinese after I started copying the way they speak, the phrases they use, the cadence of their speech, etc.

You won’t find this in a textbook. Only from observing and interacting with Chinese speakers.


6. Make learning fun.

I made sure to only learn from material and topics that I enjoyed.

Otherwise, I would lose interest and burn out.

This is another reason I focus on native content like podcasts, interviews and vlogs. It’s more interesting than material curated for Chinese learners.


7. Keep it simple

The best way to stick to a habit is to keep it simple and frictionless to do every day.

My goal every day is to learn one new phrase or word deeply and try to use it in some way.

No big numbers.

No big vocabulary goals.

Just a little bit every day goes a long way.


8. Limit study resources.

Learning Chinese has become too confusing.

There are too many resources, apps, textbooks, videos, podcasts, etc.

It’s easy to get lost in changing resources and never build any momentum.

I limit the number of resources I consume so I can study the ones I choose more deeply and progress faster.

Which leads me to step 9.


9. Repeat until it’s boring.

I have a habit of listening to podcasts and videos on repeat until I get bored.

I do this on purpose because each time I listen, I notice a new word, phrase, or way of saying something that I didn’t notice before.

This is how I leveraged dead time throughout the day to learn passively and build up my passive vocabulary.


10. Don’t study for an unlimited amount of time.

Long study sessions have diminishing returns.

Short study sessions have efficient returns.

It forces you to be efficient with your time.

I’m a big fan of creating deadlines and capping your study time.

This is why I only actively study less than 1 hour a day.


All these steps are simple but few find them easy.

At every step, there is a decision.

What content should I choose?

How do I keep myself motivated?

How should I practice speaking?

What should I focus on next?

What should I say?

Most people get stuck at each decision without appreciating that action and consistency trump perfection every single time.

Following even half of these steps will quickly show an uplift in your speaking skills and confidence.

加油，

Danyo

PS Want to improve your speaking?

Get the Copy Paste Speak System to learn how to speak like native speakers: ​https://copypastespeaking.danyopang.com/​

New here?

Here’s a bit about me:

嗨，我叫 Danyo.

I was born and raised in Canada and spent most of my life training and working as a medical doctor.

But in 2019 I burnt out and quit my job to pursue my passion to learn Mandarin Chinese.

When I arrived in Taiwan I couldn’t say a sentence without freezing up and panicking. Within 6 months I was having hour-long conversations.

Getting conversational in Mandarin changed my life.

It’s helped me travel the world, make lifelong friends, and expand my work opportunities.

I documented my journey on Youtube, in podcasts, and even in livestreams, interviews and presentations, all speaking in Mandarin Chinese.

So I know this method works. Unfortunately, learning Chinese has become too complicated.

That’s why I created this newsletter. To help fellow learners avoid the same mistakes as me.

So I will keep it simple and give you everything you need to get conversational, and nothing you don’t.

I’ll send you daily insights and resources to help you start speaking Chinese with confidence.