Has anybody attempted (and succeeded) to learn Chinese - Mandarin?

My suggestion is, you may want to start with online programs. When you finish the high level programs, you may start the language exchange with Chinese people who want to practice oral English. You can post your free ad on the local Chinese organizations, or supermarkets etc.

After having finished the high level on-line programs and mastered the general conversational skill through the language exchange, you can look for a professional private tutor who has experiences in teaching Chinese and majored in Chinese Literature or Education when he/she was in China, to help your Chinese language.

The duration can be 3 months, once a week, 1.5 to 2 hours per session. If you can afford the tuition, you can resume the private lessons after 6 months for another 3 months instructions.

Learning from a pro is not for the purpose of practicing your oral Chinese, which would be too expensive, but to have a professional to refine your language ability by pointing out your problems and helping you with a better way master the language. For oral Chinese practice, you can just do it free during the language exchange.
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First of all, I am Canton Chinese, my mother togue is Cantonese, so it was not hard for me to learn how to speak Mandarin fluently. I am now tutoring Cantonese and Mandarin for $12 an hour because it is only my part time job.

In the beginning, I went to Mandarin classes and practised with my Mandarin speaking friends. I listened to Mandarin songs and watched Mandarin movies with subtitle to correct my pronounciation.

Depends how fluent you want your Mandarin to be, the software can only teach you very basic phrases and grammar. So if someone asks you "How are you?" you know to say "I am fine". But you wouldn't know what to say if someone asks you "What do you think about the future economics in China?".

If you only need to know a few phrases to impress people, then the software would be enough. If you need Mandarin to communicate, and especially in the business field with all the different terms and professionalism, you will definitely need a tutor or attend classes where you can practise listening and speaking. And you will have a lot of questions on the Chinese grammar and vocabs because it is very different from English.

Learning Mandarin could be very rewarding this present day that is why it is so standard and why many folks are taking Mandarin guides. The intent is, China is emerging to the highest rapid and will probably be doing trade with the US for decades and now have ties with the US. I am additionally studying Mandarin proper now on account that of that very intent. Knowing one more language asides from English could be very priceless and can aid you whilst you're watching for jobs. Many employers love it whilst staff are bilingual, trilingual, and many others.