<p>Dare(!) to speak in every possible situation with your Chinese friends, using the words that you have learned so far. If you don't know a word or an expression, your friends are likely to help you out. Practising your oral skills will make you improve very fast at your level, because it also gives you a better clue at the moment when you look at some advanced grammar book. If I got you right, your stay in China is limited, so make the best out of it – you will learn nowhere better Chinese than in China. It helped myself to attend part time Chinese class, where I can approach the language in a more structured way (and you will improve your writing skills of course!). But always continuing "street style", dare to express yourself, do mistakes and learn from others, write Chinese with your friends in Wechat or QQ, pick up your phone using "喂，你好！", this way it is also less possible to lose the passion and fun to actually starting to master a foreign language. Moreover you will be up to date with slang and contemporary expressions. Good luck</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-04-23T01:28:26.980Z
Thank you! No, my time isn't limited. I've been here in china for 1 year so far, and I'll actually be here for the next 3 years atleast, I own 2 English schools and doing some other businesses. I live in a smaller city and I'm literally the only foreigner. So because of that, the only time I speak English is when I'm teaching in my school. Which is why I've learned as much Chinese as I have so far because no one else can speak English, so my brain was forced to remember and make connections.So my spoken level is 很棒(wonderful), atleast thats what the locals always tell me haha.
Courtney
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-04-23T01:30:52.350Z
So I can speak a lot more than I can read and write. But I still need to increase my vocabulary and definitely work on grammar. I admit a lot of my learning my first year here was almost subconcious, II didn't have to really try hard to understand or learn. I remember the day I learned what the chinese pronouns were last May, and after that it was a like a floodgate. My brain was like a sponge and made connections effortlessly. I guess now that's why I am having trouble, because now starting my 2nd year, I'm not passively absorbing the information anymore.
Courtney
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-04-23T01:36:51.373Z
Most of my dreams now are always in Chinese, even words I don't know the meaning of. But I guess this is how learning a language works. I've never wanted to read a textbook or attend a class. I just wanted to interact with the locals and learn the "natural" way, like an infant or toddler would. They absorb and make connections and remember the same way I did tihs first year. But I guess now, language-wise, I'm at the point that the child would need to go to school to learn to write and read the chinese words they already know and improve their grammar while also learning more words.
Courtney
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-04-23T02:03:35.987Z
So, I think you hit the point in your last comment. Now it's time to go to school! :D School can be awesome, you will be able to gain a lot from an experienced teacher who understands your level and pushes you from the right spot. Anyway, it's hard to perfectionize Chinese by pure self study. I am a very passionate Chinese learner, but I wouldn't progress half as fast if there wasn't our teacher who will check thrice a week if I did my homework.
flaudre
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-04-23T02:04:03.230Z
If I only think about how Chinese children learn to write (writing the same Character over and over and over again), I believe nobody could do that by pure self-study.
flaudre
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-04-22T15:35:17.073Z
2015-04-22T15:35:17.073Z
flaudre
<p>You can 考虑 signing up for the 汉语水平考试. There are 六 different levels. 你 might start with 三级 or 四级. 每个 level is 差不多 twice the 难度 as the previous one. Having a 考试 to 准备 for is good 动力. You 也有一个 deadline to keep you on track. I 考的时候 learn了很多 new words. 你还可以 use Anki's HSK 记忆卡片. They are 很 useful.</p>

<p>第二， reading 小说 really helped 我的词汇 and 阅读 ability. 小说比 children's books 好多了，因为儿童书's words are not as useful to 日常生活. Find a 对 you 感 interesting 的 novel. 如果 you're interested in the content 的话, then its easy to 继续. Don't 查 every 生词 in your 词典， just 查 the 新 words that you 经常遇到 and are important for 掌握ing the 主要 meaning. </p>

<p>Add oil to your 学习！</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-04-22T15:35:22.120Z
I like your answer.
FortCpp
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-04-22T15:07:35.197Z
2015-04-22T15:07:35.197Z
Suragch
<p>你好！我是美国人, 我做在中国 一年 也学习中文一年。我想 to continue with 我的中国学习. 现在 我能 rate my 中国口语 level as intermediate, 拼音 and 汉字 beginner level. I have not formally 学习 the language. 我的 method for learning thus far as just been purely immersion，听， 说遍, and using body language, like an infant. But 我能 carry on conversations 每天 quite well. But 我 feel like 我不是 growing anymore. 例如, lately I've been getting involved in coversations with topics 我 am unfamiliar with. So 我没有 the words to express my opinions, nor am I able to 听懂 the opinions of others. Also, 我看不懂汉字。我能 type more 汉字 than 我可以明白, simply 因为我知道这个拼音. The only reason 我知道 more 拼音 is 因为 of the 发音 of the words. so when I type 拼音 into my computer or 手机, 我 说一遍 the word in my head and that’s how 我知道 what to type. 然后 eventually that‘s how 我学习 to read some of the 汉字 better, 因为 would make mistakes when 我不知的哦 the differece, 例如, between 汉字 and 汉子. </p>

<p>So what should I do to start improving more? I'm not so worried about 我的 speaking level 现在, my pronunciation is great and I know that my conversational level will improve once 我知道 more words and 他们的 usages. So would learning more 拼音 be the best route for 我 to take at this point? What is the best resource for that? 我有这个 Mandarin versions of Rosetta Stone, I only used it a few times when I first arrived 这里 but never kept up with it 因为 the only thing 学习 from it 挡住 was how to say water(水) haha. Oh, I should also mention that 我的 Chinese 是 local dialect（山东）and not standard Chinese. I don't mind switching to learning standard now. 谢谢 so much for your help!!!</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-04-22T08:49:42.507Z
I just found its not a easy thing to read the composited text for me.Now that you know pinyin,and you are able to communicate to others.If I were  you,I would try to read textbooks for children,because there are pinyin appended to every word.So you don't have to check dictionaries.How about to learn basic grammars,then you can use complete chinese sentence.山东 dialect is similar to mandarin and 东北dialect.It won't be a big problem to switch to mandarin.
sfy
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-04-22T13:11:14.780Z
Me, similar situation and I am using 网易(mobile app) to get the local news and it helps me to study letters as well
vichevstefan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-04-22T15:38:11.790Z
In my opinion, try to learn some grammar. Then try to speak/type in sentences. Without grammar, the paragraphs in your question are the best you can have.
FortCpp
<learning>
Where to start/continue my learning?
# Where to start/continue my learning?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-04-22)

你好！我是美国人, 我做在中国 一年 也学习中文一年。我想 to continue with 我的中国学习. 现在 我能 rate my 中国口语 level as intermediate, 拼音 and 汉字 beginner level. I have not formally 学习 the language. 我的 method for learning thus far as just been purely immersion，听， 说遍, and using body language, like an infant. But 我能 carry on conversations 每天 quite well. But 我 feel like 我不是 growing anymore. 例如, lately I've been getting involved in coversations with topics 我 am unfamiliar with. So 我没有 the words to express my opinions, nor am I able to 听懂 the opinions of others. Also, 我看不懂汉字。我能 type more 汉字 than 我可以明白, simply 因为我知道这个拼音. The only reason 我知道 more 拼音 is 因为 of the 发音 of the words. so when I type 拼音 into my computer or 手机, 我 说一遍 the word in my head and that’s how 我知道 what to type. 然后 eventually that‘s how 我学习 to read some of the 汉字 better, 因为 would make mistakes when 我不知的哦 the differece, 例如, between 汉字 and 汉子.

So what should I do to start improving more? I'm not so worried about 我的 speaking level 现在, my pronunciation is great and I know that my conversational level will improve once 我知道 more words and 他们的 usages. So would learning more 拼音 be the best route for 我 to take at this point? What is the best resource for that? 我有这个 Mandarin versions of Rosetta Stone, I only used it a few times when I first arrived 这里 but never kept up with it 因为 the only thing 学习 from it 挡住 was how to say water(水) haha. Oh, I should also mention that 我的 Chinese 是 local dialect（山东）and not standard Chinese. I don't mind switching to learning standard now. 谢谢 so much for your help!!!

**Tags:** learning

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I just found its not a easy thing to read the composited text for me.Now that you know pinyin,and you are able to communicate to others.If I were  you,I would try to read textbooks for children,because there are pinyin appended to every word.So you don't have to check dictionaries.How about to learn basic grammars,then you can use complete chinese sentence.山东 dialect is similar to mandarin and 东北dialect.It won't be a big problem to switch to mandarin.  
> **username_2**: Me, similar situation and I am using 网易(mobile app) to get the local news and it helps me to study letters as well  
> **username_3**: In my opinion, try to learn some grammar. Then try to speak/type in sentences. Without grammar, the paragraphs in your question are the best you can have.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2015-04-22. Score: 1

Dare(!) to speak in every possible situation with your Chinese friends, using the words that you have learned so far. If you don't know a word or an expression, your friends are likely to help you out. Practising your oral skills will make you improve very fast at your level, because it also gives you a better clue at the moment when you look at some advanced grammar book. If I got you right, your stay in China is limited, so make the best out of it – you will learn nowhere better Chinese than in China. It helped myself to attend part time Chinese class, where I can approach the language in a more structured way (and you will improve your writing skills of course!). But always continuing "street style", dare to express yourself, do mistakes and learn from others, write Chinese with your friends in Wechat or QQ, pick up your phone using "喂，你好！", this way it is also less possible to lose the passion and fun to actually starting to master a foreign language. Moreover you will be up to date with slang and contemporary expressions. Good luck

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thank you! No, my time isn't limited. I've been here in china for 1 year so far, and I'll actually be here for the next 3 years atleast, I own 2 English schools and doing some other businesses. I live in a smaller city and I'm literally the only foreigner. So because of that, the only time I speak English is when I'm teaching in my school. Which is why I've learned as much Chinese as I have so far because no one else can speak English, so my brain was forced to remember and make connections.So my spoken level is 很棒(wonderful), atleast thats what the locals always tell me haha.  
> **username_0**: So I can speak a lot more than I can read and write. But I still need to increase my vocabulary and definitely work on grammar. I admit a lot of my learning my first year here was almost subconcious, II didn't have to really try hard to understand or learn. I remember the day I learned what the chinese pronouns were last May, and after that it was a like a floodgate. My brain was like a sponge and made connections effortlessly. I guess now that's why I am having trouble, because now starting my 2nd year, I'm not passively absorbing the information anymore.  
> **username_0**: Most of my dreams now are always in Chinese, even words I don't know the meaning of. But I guess this is how learning a language works. I've never wanted to read a textbook or attend a class. I just wanted to interact with the locals and learn the "natural" way, like an infant or toddler would. They absorb and make connections and remember the same way I did tihs first year. But I guess now, language-wise, I'm at the point that the child would need to go to school to learn to write and read the chinese words they already know and improve their grammar while also learning more words.  
> **username_4**: So, I think you hit the point in your last comment. Now it's time to go to school! :D School can be awesome, you will be able to gain a lot from an experienced teacher who understands your level and pushes you from the right spot. Anyway, it's hard to perfectionize Chinese by pure self study. I am a very passionate Chinese learner, but I wouldn't progress half as fast if there wasn't our teacher who will check thrice a week if I did my homework.  
> **username_4**: If I only think about how Chinese children learn to write (writing the same Character over and over and over again), I believe nobody could do that by pure self-study.  

---

### Answer by username_5 on 2015-04-22. Score: 1

You can 考虑 signing up for the 汉语水平考试. There are 六 different levels. 你 might start with 三级 or 四级. 每个 level is 差不多 twice the 难度 as the previous one. Having a 考试 to 准备 for is good 动力. You 也有一个 deadline to keep you on track. I 考的时候 learn了很多 new words. 你还可以 use Anki's HSK 记忆卡片. They are 很 useful.

第二， reading 小说 really helped 我的词汇 and 阅读 ability. 小说比 children's books 好多了，因为儿童书's words are not as useful to 日常生活. Find a 对 you 感 interesting 的 novel. 如果 you're interested in the content 的话, then its easy to 继续. Don't 查 every 生词 in your 词典， just 查 the 新 words that you 经常遇到 and are important for 掌握ing the 主要 meaning.

Add oil to your 学习！

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: I like your answer.  

---

