In Chinese learning, Pinyin seems to be an unavoidable obstacle. This is the same for Chinese children. Sinobus believes that Chinese children need to learn Pinyin step by step without an immersive language environment, but can practice pronunciation directly by following others in a language environment.
As learning progresses, dependence on Pinyin should be reduced, and only Pinyin should be used when learning new words. This is because some words in Chinese are homophones, which means they may have the same Pinyin spelling and intonation, but different characters.
If that's not confusing enough, the way Hanzi is written in learning Chinese Pinyin does not necessarily mean its pronunciation, as there are rules for tone changes. For example, when too many third tones appear together, they usually become the fourth and second tones to make pronunciation easier.
We know this sounds difficult, but once you start learning, you will find that it is actually quite simple, and you will be happy with Pinyin!
So after reading this article, you might ask, if Pinyin has so many confusing rules, how can it help me?
As a scholar of learning Chinese Pinyin, Pinyin gives you the opportunity to link sound and text. Without the mixed Chinese characters and Pinyin books, we cannot learn Chinese so easily. But don't just take our word for it, this is also the approach China has chosen, because most children's books in China are a mix of the two. This is because Hanzi itself is very difficult to learn, and you have to practice several times, and even by then, you may forget them.
Don't be too disappointed about this. Even the Chinese find it difficult to remember Hanzi because there are too many characters to remember! You may find that if you are shown a character, you can remember it immediately, but you cannot write it. This is why Pinyin is such an important aspect of being so useful! Just enter Pinyin on any mobile device, and it will give you a suggested character list that matches the Pinyin you can choose.
Most importantly, remember that Pinyin is a useful learning tool. But like all learning tools, you should not rely on it too much. Although having good basic language skills like this will help you, the best way to speak like a local is to talk to locals!
Sinobus Chinese is founded by Hanhe Cultural Science and Technology Co., Ltd., headquartered in Shenzhen, China, with branches in Hong Kong, Xi'an, China, and Los Angeles, USA. The company focuses on providing systematic, formal, and scientific Chinese training services for Chinese children aged 4-16. For consultation, please contact us.
