| The best way to tackle the challenge of | | | | Chat programs such as QQ up being rapidly |
| learning Chinese is to identify your reason | | | | taken up by the Chinese populations, and |
| and motivation for learning the language, as | | | | foreign users always attract curious Chinese |
| this will help you focus on the things that | | | | locals that want to offer language exchange |
| you should look out for. For example, the | | | | through the translation and dictionary |
| business owner wanting to learn Chinese has | | | | functions of the program. Virtual reality |
| different needs to the traveler going over | | | | worlds such as Second Life and HiPiHi have |
| for a two week trip, and so you have to | | | | also opened up new communication channels for |
| direct your learning to achieve the best | | | | users to interact with each other, and |
| results. Of course, perhaps a combination of | | | | several linguistic and language interest |
| methods would work best for you, but first | | | | groups are emerging and embracing the new |
| let's look at some of the popular approaches | | | | medium for communication and exchange of |
| today. | | | | ideas/information. |
| | | | |
| The traditional way of studying Chinese is to | | | | Despite all the convenience of technology, |
| enroll in a course. The psychological | | | | any language enthusiasts will tell you the |
| trigger of paying for books, resources, | | | | difference between learning the language and |
| lessons, teacher all motivate the student to | | | | experiencing the language (i.e. travel to the |
| put in a certain amount of effort. However, | | | | country). To be immersed in the language |
| learning this way can become slightly | | | | beats any method of learning, but the costs |
| monotonous. The benefit of this approach is | | | | of travel and accommodation tends to entice |
| that you can gain formal assessment for your | | | | only those who find it a financially viable |
| study efforts, and can take something away | | | | means of learning, or those die hard culture |
| from the course that will help further | | | | language enthusiasts. |
| advance your studies. On the other hand, it | | | | |
| doesn't necessarily suit the style and pace | | | | Instead of traveling to the country, it might |
| of everyone. | | | | also be worthwhile considering making friends |
| | | | with Chinese people who have made the trip to |
| Nowadays, with the widespread use of | | | | your country. Perhaps enquire about how you |
| technology as a learning tool, many | | | | can host foreign exchange students, or join |
| possibilities have been created for those who | | | | language exchange programs with local English |
| prefer a different approach to learning | | | | language schools or organizations. That way, |
| languages. Of course, the traditional method | | | | you can bring the people to you, rather than |
| of learning has evolved to keep pace with | | | | having to go to the people to learn the |
| technology, with many institutions offering | | | | language. |
| distance or online courses or modules to | | | | |
| tailor to individual needs. However, there | | | | Anyway, which ever way you decide to learn |
| have been some interesting new ways to learn | | | | Chinese, the important thing for beginners is |
| languages that are just been explored | | | | to work out your motivation for learning the |
| recently. | | | | language (it is one of the most difficult and |
| | | | greatest learning curve). When you have |
| One of the most innovative ways to learn | | | | figured that out, you will want to adjust |
| Chinese is by joining a chat room or virtual | | | | your learning style to the method of |
| reality environment. The design of software | | | | learning. If all goes well, then your |
| programs have allowed the use of | | | | motivation for learning Chinese, combined |
| multi-lingual input and output, along with | | | | with an efficient and enjoyable method of |
| speech and voice recognition to offer users a | | | | learning, will go a long way to ensure that |
| much richer learning environment even in the | | | | the experience will be a rewarding, even if |
| absence of direct human face-to-face contact. | | | | slightly challenging one. |