The Chinese you need.
By Kwadwo
WELCOME
We’ve had quite a few new visitors here lately so I thought I’d reintroduce myself, Elementary Chinese, and what we do.
We’re all about learning real Chinese, communicating, and having fun.
I’ve lived in China for 11 years. Don’t worry guys, I promise it gets better.
I teach everyday Chinese to foreigners here in China. I’ve been teaching other teachers, and non-Chinese adults here in China, how to speak Chinese for the past three years.
By Kwadwo
CHINESE PHRASES
Do you want to know my all-time secret tips for learning Chinese?
Talk to locals. Ask questions. Be brave enough to fail. No one is going to laugh at you, sometimes your tones might be off and your ego might deflate slightly, but generally, you’ll encounter upbeat locals who are delighted to help you with your Chinese.
Know a word but not a phrase? Deconstruct it to the simplest form and ask them how they’d say it, like a local. Write it down, or better yet, get them to write it down in pinyin and Chinese characters, and revise later. Repeat the same actions and phrases to memories them, and flashcards. Oh yeah, add them to your flashcard deck to sneak in new useful vocab.
By Kwadwo
CHINESE VOCAB
Today I’m in a supermarket and we’ll go through from start to finish what to say when paying for items at a cash register.
One of my most useful tips is to go to 7/11 or Family Mart and just listen to how the cashier greets other people in the queue. Listen to how they respond. Listen to how they ask for food items and how the cashier asks for money or methods of payment. Listen to the conversation about scanning QR codes, and using AliPay or WeChat. Write it all down in a note in your phone.
Go back to work and ask your colleagues to decipher your notes. Maybe you missed something and they can help you fill in the blanks. The next day go to the supermarket and listen all over again. Go early, during rush hour when everyone is getting their breakfast just before work. That way there will be more people in the queue and you can listen to the dialogue over and over again.
By Kwadwo
CHINESE PHRASES
It’s raining outside. Perfect timing for small-talk in Chinese to boost your listening, connect with locals, and practice your language skills.
Not only British people connect over the weather apparently!
By Kwadwo
CHINESE VOCAB
Have you seen or tasted this drink before? On the top, it looks like yogurt, and on the bottom regular old milk tea. Let’s ask a local what on earth this strange-looking drink is.
Read more below to find why it’s called cheese tea in Chinese!
By Kwadwo
TEST YOUR CHINESE
Do you want something way more fun than those boring textbooks? Tired of the standardized test-prep books? Me too! I’ve fallen in love with Mandarin Companion Graded Readers.
Get yourself the audio and a copy of the book and let’s dive right in.
Amazon Audible has a free 30-day trial, and lucky for you, this book is included. Sign-up now for full access to this book for 30 days. Or forever, if you decide Audible is life-changing and you choose to continue your membership. That totally didn’t happen to me, damn it Amazon and your convenient tools.