Many English speakers believe that Mandarin Chinese is one of the most difficult languages to learn. Let us explore why Mandarin seems to be a lot more difficult to learn than many other languages.
1. Chinese is not a phonetic language
To a beginner, it’s intimidating to look at complicated-looking Chinese characters which seem to have no clue as to how they are pronounced. To speakers of phonetic languages, we are used to guessing how unfamiliar words are pronounced based on the spelling, so the prospect of having to memorize the pronunciation of Chinese characters is daunting. (See Diving into Chinese Characters)
2. Pronunciation is difficult because of the tones
For English speakers who have no experience with tone accents, it is intimidating to learn about Chinese tones and how they completely change the meaning of words. Plus, it takes a lot of practice to start using them correctly. (See Adventures with Chinese Tones)
3. There are no spaces separating words in written Chinese
Language learners must get used to recognizing the words and reading in this way. In the beginning it looks complicated because Chinese words are multiple characters long and you’re not sure where one word stops and the next start.
4. There are many homonyms
When listening to Chinese, you must deduce the word being said based on the context and grammar, because many words are pronounced the same but have entirely different meanings.
5. The characters are difficult to write
This is particularly true in the beginning. It is a challenge to remember both the correct stroke order and how to write characters you have learnt. When I first started, I experienced many frustrating nights writing characters over and over, while thinking there was no way I’d remember them. As you begin to learn more and more characters, it becomes easy to mix different characters up, especially those that just have a slight difference (like an extra stroke or different radical). (See Secrets of Chinese Radicals)
But here is why it isn’t actually as difficult as it seems at first.
Once you get used to these differences between the languages and implement good language learning strategies, you’ll find your language learning will accelerate. Our brains have an incredible ability to adapt, and in the process of learning Chinese you’ll be pleasantly surprised about just how powerful the mind is at doing so. To me, this in and of itself is an excellent reason to study a language like Chinese – to break down perceived limits of what the mind is capable of. On this website you’ll learn how to overcome these challenges in a way that is both effective and enjoyable.