Improve your speaking without being in a Chinese environment.
A lot of learners ask me how to learn Chinese if they’re not in a Chinese environment. It’s not as easy but there is one trick I use all the time that helps a lot.
Throughout my day while I say things and think in English, I ask myself, "Can I say this in Chinese?" This simple question helps me build a habit of applying the vocabulary I’ve learned to my life.
For instance, if I’m listening to a podcast in English and they say something that resonates with me, I immediately think, "How would I say this in Chinese?"
The process of figuring this out forces me to actively recall vocabulary that I’ve learned in the past and look up new vocabulary to build a new sentence. Although it may not sound completely natural, this is a great starting point.
Often the reason we don’t feel confident speaking is because there’s a gap between what we want to say in English and what we can say in Chinese.
For example, I might want to say, "I need to finish my homework before dinner," but I’m not sure how to translate "finish my homework" accurately. In Chinese, it’s "我需要在晚饭前完成作业" (wǒ xūyào zài wǎnfàn qián wánchéng zuòyè).
The right way to study is to fill those gaps because it’s the most relevant and practical for me. If I’ve used a phrase in English, chances are I’ll need to use it in Chinese too. So, I focus on learning those specific phrases.
The wrong way to study is just memorizing textbook phrases or theoretical sentences that won’t use or will rarely use. Not only is that an inefficient use of time and effort, but it will likely confuse you more.
Instead, I only learn phrases I want to use and have used in real conversations. It makes the learning process more meaningful and directly applicable to my daily life. And as a result, I will remember it more vividly.
To me this is the definition of fluency, being able to say what you’d normally say in your daily life comfortably in another language.
加油,
Danyo
PS If you don’t want to struggle with guessing what to say and figuring it out on your own, the shortcut that helped me get conversational fast is copying native Chinese speakers using the Copy Paste Speak System.
You can access it here:
https://copypastespeaking.danyopang.com/
And as a bonus, for anyone who enrolls, I’ll throw in the Language Learner OS to help you organize your study notes and vocabulary all in one place.
(this week only).
PPS cool Chinese vocabulary the day:
人云亦云 (rén yún yì yún)
人 (rén): Person; people.
云 (yún): Say.
亦 (yì): Also.
云 (yún): Say.
Translation: To echo others' views; to say what everyone else is saying without independent thought.
Example sentence: 在讨论中,不要人云亦云,要有自己的见解。(Zài tǎolùn zhōng, bùyào rén yún yì yún, yào yǒu zìjǐ de jiànjiě.) During discussions, don't just echo what others say; have your own insights.