
Their videos might be better suited for intermediate to advanced learners.

ChineseFor.UsĬhineseClass101 ( see their popular online course or read the review) covers a wide range of skills and topics related to learning Mandarin Chinese, some of which target common pain points of novice Mandarin speakers. Some of these advanced videos are filmed entirely in Mandarin, so you’ll need a firm grasp of the language to follow through (or you could try keeping up with the English subtitles provided). If you’re already well-versed with the basics of the Chinese language, you can opt for higher-difficulty videos explaining the different usages of words with similar meanings and helping you build around your knowledge of sentence structure and grammar. These topics include occupation, expressing emotions and feelings, standard greetings, countries and nationalities, and even festivals and celebrations. Once you’ve gotten the hang of the basics, you can then turn to other videos covering commonly used phrases. Their videos slowly guide you towards picking up the different pronunciations, sounds, and tones of various Chinese words. You can begin from the very core basics of Chinese pinyin. With over 400,000 subscribers on YouTube, this popular channel is a resource center catering to beginners all the way through to advanced learners. Best YouTube channels to learn Mandarin Chinese (all levels) Everyday Chinese Note: Some of these channels are beginner-friendly and cater to first-timers, while others require foundational knowledge of Mandarin and are better suited for advanced learners. Without a doubt, there’s no better way to attain quality content at zero cost, so let’s dive into this list of the best YouTube channels to learn Mandarin Chinese.
CHINEASY YOUTUBE FREE
It’s widely accessible to anyone with a working device and Internet connection and of course, free to use. In addition to that, picking up a new language through an exciting and entertaining platform such as YouTube minimizes the stress and pressure linked to learning something new. Well, you’ll get to learn Mandarin from experienced teachers and language enthusiasts worldwide.

Why is YouTube one of the most practical language-learning tools? This resource powerhouse is packed with a wide range of content spanning thousands of topics and if you’re looking to learn Mandarin Chinese, it’s a fantastic place to start. Hsueh says Chineasy is currently not so much a replacement for more comprehensive methods of language learning than it is a way to lay a good baseline and supplement future learning.YouTube is an underrated source of Mandarin Chinese content. The book and app guide learners through the very basics of the Chinese language. If they struggle, we go back to the studio and do it all over again.”Ĭhineasy was first introduced via a very successful Kickstarter campaign last fall, and Hsueh is now releasing the first edition of the book and will be launching an accompanying app for phones and tablets later this spring. “If they can guess the answer immediately, I know we’ve got it right. “Whenever a new illustration is created, I show them to my children,” she says. The goal is to tell a story with each building block so that a narrative for more complex characters can be built on top of it. A Hunt Through Historyīefore they begin designing a character, the Chineasy team researches the definition, origin and history of the character. Likewise, for the character “big (大 ),” a straight line with hands is added to “person,” which makes it look like a person stretching his arms wide to signify how big something is. So for example, the Chinese character “person (人)” traditionally looks like a wishbone, but in Chineasy, Hsueh has added a head and shoes to make it look like a person walking. “The Chinese language has long been considered the most difficult major language to learn,” explains Hsueh, “Largely on account of the vast number and complexity of the characters.”Įach of the characters is turned into a clever illustration that is meant to make a memorable impression on the learner. The whole point of Chineasy is to give the Chinese language context in order to make the thousands of characters easier to learn and remember. “I asked them, what do you think the character ‘woman’ means? Of course they knew the literal meaning,” she continues, “But no one knew the character is based on the shape of a woman laying on the floor bowing to her man.”

“Was I going to teach native Chinese speakers about the language?”Īfter the event, Hsueh was surrounded by a group of 30 Chinese-speaking journalists. “I wasn’t sure a press conference was necessary,” she says.

It made little sense to the Taiwan-born Hsueh. Last month ShaoLan Hsueh found herself at a press conference in Taiwan to promote Chineasy, a highly visual method for learning the Chinese language she had developed over the past few years.
