Award-Winning Mandarin Chinese Lessons in Austin, TX

Chinese is regarded as the most difficult second major language in the world to learn. As such, if you are studying Chinese and having a tough go of it, you may be interested in contacting Varsity Tutors and signing up for Austin Chinese lessons. Chinese is extremely difficult for English speakers to learn because of how unique it is when compared to English. Chinese does not contain an alphabet. Rather it consists of over 50,000 different characters. Each symbol represents one symbol, and about 20,000 of the characters are used regularly, though with around 2,500 you can be considered fluent.

Chinese is pictographic, which means that its characters come from drawings of the items they describe. This type of language is challenging to learn because the symbols don't offer any sort of clue about how to pronounce them. There is a system that can help ameliorate some of the issues with learning the characters. This system is called Pinyin, which is a way of translating Chinese characters into letters in the Roman (and thus, English) alphabet based on their pronunciation.

There are an array of reasons why you might be interested in learning Chinese. One reason is that with Chinese being such a prevalent language around the world, it can be useful in career choices such as international trade and business. Being bilingual in Chinese and English could offer you an advantage when it comes to landing a job because it may set you apart from other candidates. Whether you are beginning a Chinese class at Westlake High School or Vandegrift High School or continuing with them at the University of Texas-Austin, Austin Chinese lessons can help you reach for your goals.

You may also be interested either moving to or simply traveling to a country like the People's Republic of China or Taiwan, each of which has Chinese as an official language. If you are planning on traveling to one of these countries, learning spoken and written Chinese could help in terms of getting around and talking to the local people. If you have designs on moving to one of these countries, it could be helpful to learn these skills and a bit about Chinese history and culture. This could make your adjustment to the new country a bit more seamless.

If you decide to sign up for Austin Chinese lessons, you have a choice between two types, including Chinese courses and Chinese tutoring. Chinese courses resemble regular classes in that you can work with an instructor and other students. Chinese tutoring offers a more personal approach to studying as you can work with a private instructor on an individual level.

What skills can an instructor in Austin Chinese lessons help me go over?

There are a myriad of different skills an instructor in Austin Chinese lessons can help you review. Some of these areas include grammar, vocabulary, and pronouns. Chinese grammar can be very challenging for English speakers to pick up because of how different it is than English. Chinese does not have plural words, verb inflections, or articles, all of which are featured in English. One aspect of Chinese that's difficult for English speakers to pick up is that Chinese nouns are the same whether they are plural or singular.

Pronouns are different in Chinese as well because the language has different characters for them that are determined by gender. These characters sound the same, but they're actually pronounced differently. Chinese vocabulary can also present quite a challenge because you have to memorize each individual character. Austin Chinese lessons can help with all of this. Your instructor can be there to guide you through all of these complex topics while your fellow classmates can help you practice your skills by engaging in class activities. Additionally, if you are having a rough time figuring out a concept, you have the option of meeting with your instructor after your class period to discuss things further.

One of the more challenging areas of learning Chinese is learning how to speak it, and one thing that makes this so difficult is the fact that Chinese is a tonal language. Thus, words can mean different things based on the tone of voice being used by the speaker. Chinese is actually multiple languages, or dialects. If you speak Mandarin, for example, you may not communicate well with someone who speaks Cantonese. Some of these dialects include Hakka, Xiang, and Wu. When it comes to different tones, Mandarin has four of them, including flat, rising, falling then rising, and falling. Some of the other dialects have as many as 9 different tones.

Learning how to speak Chinese takes a lot of practice. Practice can be achieved in a Chinese class because you can work on your language skills with your fellow students in class discussions. It is also possible that some of your class sessions could be presented entirely in Chinese if you are at a certain level of proficiency, which offers you a chance to engage in simulated immersion. This is often one of the best ways to learn a language because it gives you an opportunity to simultaneously practice your speaking and listening skills.

Studying with an Austin Chinese tutor can also be useful because you have more flexibility. You can decide which topics you cover and how much time you spend on each one, or you can leave that up to your instructor to ensure you are getting efficient study in. You can also determine what concepts you talk about and what sorts of activities you engage in. If you would rather just sit and talk to your Austin Chinese tutor to simulate immersion, you have the option of doing so. But you also have the option of applying your language skills more practically by going out in the world and using them alongside your instructor.

How do the two types of Austin Chinese lessons work?

Chinese classes involve working with both an instructor and other students. It takes place completely online so you don't have to commute to your class. You can simply take your class at home, the library, or your dorm, depending on your preferences. Classes are offered at many different times throughout the day, making it simple to fit one into your hectic schedule. With Chinese tutoring, you can choose between meeting your instructor online or in person. It may be even easier to find a time that works because you just have to work things out with your instructor.

How can I get started with Austin Chinese lessons?

Getting started with Austin Chinese lessons is as simple as contacting Varsity Tutors either over the phone or online. Classes begin every month, and we can help you reach out to a private instructor within 24 hours.