How to Learn Fluent Chinese (Exact Plan for Part-Time Study)

If you're interested in learning more from me about how to self-study Mandarin Chinese to fluency, check out this link to hear more: www.izzysealey.com/mandarin-e... 🇨🇳
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❤️ In this highly requested video I'll share my exact learning plan and top tips for self-studying Chinese in limited time. I'm currently in my final year studying medicine at Cambridge, and so don't have as much spare time as I'd like to dedicate to learning Mandarin. This means that I have to be very efficient with my Mandarin learning time - and so here are my top tips on how to learn Chinese effectively by yourself for free and on a part-time basis. Hope this helps! :)
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» Mandarin Resources 🇨🇳
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» Links mentioned 💡
My favourite Chinese Textbooks:
- 1. geni.us/rQyfZBL (Amazon)
- 2. geni.us/4fAYBEW (Amazon)
- 3. geni.us/C273c0 (Amazon)
- 4. geni.us/IRTZ (Amazon) , geni.us/B3RBhHX (Amazon)
My favourite Chinese Workbooks:
- 1. geni.us/Ek9OjKp (Amazon)
- 2. geni.us/U3N2 (Amazon)
- 3. geni.us/wsLnmM0 (Amazon)
- 4. geni.us/ABgYs (Amazon) , geni.us/tCM0QO (Amazon)
» Gear ⚙️
📷 Camera: geni.us/wBKcp (Amazon)
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🎙 Podcast Mic: geni.us/XJXM2M (Amazon)
☀️ Sunrise Alarm: geni.us/ZIgi6p (Amazon)
🎶 Where I get my music (get a 30-day free trial): share.epidemicsound.com/nlt45q🎶 Music by Naomi - Osaka - thmatc.co/?l=2CAF834E
» Timestamps ⏱️
00:00 Learning Mandarin Chinese
01:35 Defining Goals and Motivation
02:20 Strategic Prioritisation
04:02 Spreadsheet Planning
04:30 Vocab and Grammar Learning Structure
05:00 Vocab and Grammar Learning Resources
06:30 How to improve Speaking
08:34 Comprehensible Input & Listening
12:27 My Excel Master Plan
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Sub count: 2,493
P.S. some of the links in this description are affiliate links that help support the channel at no extra cost to you. Thank you for the support! :)

[@user-cb7os8ot9c]

As a native Chinese speaker, I would say your Chinese is perfect.You've done a great job！And as a English learner I know how hard it is to master a second language.

[@IzzySealey]

Wow, thank you so much! :)

[@msvaidehi8185]

Here you have a grammatical error before the words "English learner" there should be "an" instead of "a", this was just to help you😁😊, and I'm learning mandarin Chinese as my 3rd language wish me luck

[@msvaidehi8185]

@Laura G i was trying to help them don't offend bro chill I was just trying to help the person

[@user-cb7os8ot9c]

@@msvaidehi8185 Oh, got it. Thanks😆

[@user-cb7os8ot9c]

@Laura G It's OK. There is a Chinese saying goes "闻过则喜". It literally means ”be glad to have one's errors pointed out“

[@ruriohama]

I was scrolling on KZbin and thought, who is this cute/beautiful girl 💁🏻‍♀️

[@IzzySealey]

awwh love you!!! ❤😊

[@wm5401]

Collab?

[@Gozdeekiilic]

Bad girl ruri her yerde

[@youngdavid8068]

The last video I just watched was Ruri's, and now I can still see you in the top comments😂

[@aminedaher3691]

and i thought she was you 🤦‍♂️

[@boris7417]

As a Chineses, I think I am qualified to say that your mandarin is almost perfect, especially having studied for only a year or so, you have mastered the accent and pronouncing the tones correctly! Congratulations !

[@jacktsaibr]

Thank you for this video. As a Chinese descendant born and raised in the West, Chinese was my family language but I've left it aside for so many years I can't even read it well anymore. Your video felt like a call to me, showing me the legacy I've thrown away while you treasure it and turn it to something beautiful. I'll rescue it starting today on. Thanks for the inspiration. See you on the other side.

[@Henry-teach-Chinese-in-jokes]

Hope somebody recommend my videos to those who want to learn Chinese. I’ve made many videos for an illustrated account of Chinese characters in a funny way. About 3000 Chinese characters cover 99% characters in newspapers and books. From my previous videos you can learn about 400 common characters. There are about 120 commonly used Chinese character radicals. From my previous videos, you can learn about 80 basic radicals. I’ve spent about 100,000 hours studying English humor and Western culture, and many years studying Chinese culture and jokes. My native language is Chinese.

[@jamiehush]

From my experience, as someone who put off writing for two years, I recommend everyone bite the bullet and learn it. I downloaded Skritter and got the basics of writing down after 15-30 minutes a day for two months. At the same time, I started writing the answers down in my textbook, which was PAINFULLY slow at first (like one minute per character). It helped me notice ordinary radicals in characters a lot better. Also, looking up symbols in pleco when you’re out and about my writing is faster than scanning with Google Translate. There’s no shortcuts. But being able to crack jokes with people in Taiwan in Chinese and talk to my girlfriend’s parents for 10 minutes makes it all worth it.

[@puccarts]

I just use google input tools on both the computer and on the phone and use pinyin/ jyutping to type in Chinese. From time to time I practice my handwriting too. It helps, but if you're someone on a tight schedule then just being able to type in pinyin is a great bridge.

[@catherinenamazuo758]

True this is helping me have just downloaded it.thank you

[@LeiaLouise]

Pleco!!!

[@spicytranslations9604]

There's no shortcuts or there are no shortcuts? 😎

[@MrDavi2751]

Two reflections: 1. How faster would you learn the whole language if you dropped the handwriting?! 2. How faster someone who ALREADY RECOGNIZE characters can learn how to handwrite? My hypothesis is: It's faster to learn handwriting after you learn how to recognize characters. Why? Because it's a COMPLETELY different story trying to draw something that you can't even recognize. Be familiar with the characters first and then the handwriting will be much easier In my opinion it's like trying to learn to run in high heels when you don't know how to run nor how to stand with a high heels. First: learn to run; second learn to stand with a high heels; third mix both.

[@ericchen776]

This is a great language learning guide, Izzy. I've been neglecting learning Chinese because of school and this is a good reminder for me.

[@IzzySealey]

Thank you Eric! So glad it was helpful :) 🙌

[@bdren5116]

@@IzzySealeylove you

[@dongshengdi773]

@@bdren5116 Teaching Chinese kids to carry explosives like ISIS. . kzbin.info/www/bejne/lYmnf4mvZsRmpdE . Teaching Chinese kids how to k*ll as their homework, Part 1 kzbin.info/www/bejne/m2Kzg42qeJloebc . Teaching Chinese kids how to k*ll as their homework, Part2 kzbin.info/www/bejne/rGSso4SnhLB6iLM

[@Litian3597]

@@IzzySealey 你太好看了 我几乎没在听你在讲什么 一直在盯着你的脸看 哈哈哈哈

[@savenstudies7650]

Yes it’s

[@Waverlyduli]

I only just discovered Izzy on KZbin. Such a bright, articulate useful person for anyone wishing to work hard on their Mandarin. She has a very reflective take on personal study program planning and really practical tips on resources and methodology. Good on you Izzy.

[@masterhide]

Wow you're so inspirational. I'm struggling balancing a fulltime job, an online store, and basic stuff like home maintenance, pet care, laundry, etc. The fact that you're a full time student and still making youtube videos is very motivational. Thank you!

[@goober5297]

this is so helpful. having structure when learning languages is so key, thank you for plugging the resources that helped you

[@eoghancasserly3626]

I've just started learning Chinese and I'm so happy to have stumbled on your amazing channel with a budget friendly and researched approach! I can already tell how much your videos and advice will help me

[@user-kt2cz6mi3u]

Hello ~ I am a Chinese, I want to find a friend who wants to learn Chinese. I can give you Chinese instruction for free. Look down if you need to. What can I do? 1. I can guide your Chinese pronunciation and give you the most standard oral instruction 2. I can give you appropriate topics to practice according to your Chinese leaver. 3. I can help you learn to write Chinese . What do I need? 1. I need you to help me practice spoken English. 2.There is a fixed time every week to learn from each other. What I expect from my language learning friend Age: 18-30 years old I'm a girl, so it would be better if you were a girl too. Accent: I need a good American accent Education: High school or above Personality: cheerful, honest, sincere, Other: Have a fixed time each week to study together. My self-introduction My name is Chenin, and my English level can handle the normal daily communication . However, my pronunciation is not good , I need someone to correct my pronunciation and give me some authentic language advice. I'm 21 years old and I just graduated from college and with some research on Chinese language education. I can give you professional advice and correct guidance on Chinese learning. if you need and match condition. please send me a message!!

[@sadface6635]

I will say, that learning stroke order is very useful for learning the basic Chinese characters. You don’t need to know it for every character, but I found it super helpful for remembering characters. You can remember them by stroke order, as well as pictographically, and phonetically.

[@shittalkatitsfinest3097]

i learned stroke order on phub

[@jisooya7878]

So happy to find your channel, you are amazing. I was feeling bit stuck learning chinese at HSK 3 and it was getting really hard but with your tips, I'm happy to continue the journey again. 谢谢您 🙏

[@kittensmitten3287]

Started learning Chinese in 2020 during the pandemic. I was studying for about 8 months until I completely fell off. Haven't fully studied since 2021. I'm just getting back into it and am looking for motivation to stay more dedicated again. Good luck guys

[@dutchessdreamer4543]

I recommend the apps Duolingo, Drops, Infinite Chinese, and LingoDeer.

[@xiangguo7110]

hello，I am a Chinese who also want to learn English，may be we can help each other！May I contact you？

[@samaval9920]

@@xiangguo7110Some suggestions 1) To find Chinese & English on line or book reference grammars (See Wikipedia websites for both) to compare similar generic vocabulary words. But for each languages unique words, we need to find articles, websites, articles, videos, books etc.Examples-- Chinese yin & yang English hip (Adjective) Zhu ni hao yunqi!!

[@scaleu]

@@xiangguo7110can we work together? I want to learn Mandarin and I’ll help you with English

[@remirambo2090]

Did to forget a lot what you Learnt?

[@victoriayuart]

Thank you so much for sharing your learning process of learning a new language! Mandarine is hard, mostly the reading and writing part! I'm willing to try out and build a spread sheet of my own to learn Japanese and also to brush up my Chinese too! Mostly the reading and writing part! Keep up the amazing work Izzy! Really love what you do and you're such an amazing inspiration! Thank you for sharing what you love! Looking forward to more new tips and advice on how to learn and improve language learning and never stop learning and improve ourselves!

[@Epicer95]

So much value in this video. Thank you for sharing!! Love the intent and thoughtfulness behind your learning journey, will definitely be incorporating that in my own.

[@adinejabinez]

Wow! I used to self-study Chinese before, but I stopped when our classes started. Thank you for this, you are such an inspiration to do so:)

[@billwu2294]

So refreshing to hear about your language learning approach from someone who isn't trying to be a polyglot; those channels get very old very fast. This has been helpful even though I'm trying to learn other languages, thanks!

[@jtz2537]

感谢你对于学习中文的热情，有一说一，你的中文说的很好，加油！ Thanks for your passion for learning Chinese and you speak really good as a foreigner. Keep learning!

[@anyaliu5915]

Your videos make me feel calm and peaceful, I love your tone.

[@ViVi-]

Omg thank you for the recommendation ! Especially the podcast, I have been searching for a good mandarin podcast to help me learn chinese :)

[@tranceleo3800]

Native Chinese speaker here~ From my experience of learning english. It''s very important to listen more(If you only have time to learn it in extra free time). We had english lessons at school so after mastering the basic pronouciation, words and grammar, I started to listen to podcasts 4 years ago and keep doing that until now(After work/study, around 10-20min before sleep). It's kind of like a natural leraning process. At first, I struggle to understand each words in sentences but I find myself gradually cultivating a sense of this language and can guess the word after hearing words before it. And sometimes I don't know a word but I know its pronouciation and can guess its meaning so I try to type it in dictionary to see whether I'm right or not. I also find myself spearking more fluently~ I learn new words from podcasts or videos and I will do some readings(most efficent way to increase voca) before my lunch breark. Now I can understand most of what you say without the subtitle(You speak quite clear!!) and I'm still using this way to improve my english(Listening more plus reading sometimes). I think this approach can apply to every language(e.g. I like watching korean dramas and suprisingly find myself have cultivated a sense of korean).

[@xxkissmeketutxx]

Your technique is "acquiring" English. It is how native learners acquire their language, and polyglots that use it to gain extra languages say that it helps learners to learn more naturally and to keep what they learn (as long as you don't give it up) Well done!

[@xeris6541]

Imma apply this tips for learning Korean and English. Thank you so much Izzy, this is a great guide for any language!

[@kimlyg4862]

Korean sucks its very annoying actually 😂

[@kiananakamura6385]

Thank you sooo much for posting these detailed videos describing how you learned on your own. When I search online everyone is selling their own materials and there are not a lot of people describing how they went about learning on their own.

[@winnie5498]

Thank you for this!! I'm relearning Chinese after not taking it seriously when I was younger. So all the best to those learning as well. Don't give up 🙌

[@katc3131]

Very motivating with many useful tips! Love the video!💕 Thanks for sharing! Hope to see more videos like this.

[@IzzySealey]

Thank you so much! More are on the way :) 💓

[@jirehcioran4851]

Your tips of learning mandarin inspired me how to improve my methods of English learning! I really enjoy your voice! I hope you can record some covers of Chinese songs.

[@paullee4210]

I’m all for learning anything new in this life. Way to go Izzy.

[@samaazeinelabedin5726]

Your voice and talk make everything smooth and easy... thank you

[@dougm24]

Quite inspiring. Have met a lot of people try to learn mandarin part time (even living in China) but it is a minority that are able to get past the basics. Impressive to do from the Uk and good tips for language learning overall. When I was studying I saw a benefit in writing to help remember and recognise characters which is ultimately helpful to separate so many homonyms. Like you mention Pleco was a great tool for this, and mdbg brought back memories! However, I think this is due to peoples learning style so what was best me may not be everyone. Good luck with the hsk!

[@echizensakuno4914]

Thank you Izzy for this absolute amazing advice, yeah...you're right. Even though, I learn arabic language almost 10 years...I still can't speak because i didnt practice with my friends. By the way, its really helped me a lot...I hope you're always in good health and long live...I'm from Malaysia...and also your pronounciation, voice and expression is perfect. Tq again

[@reddotcam]

Thank you very much. You are so genuine and sincere; extremely inspiring. I have lots to learn from you.

[@alexcampbell1895]

Really good tips & guide! Super thanks to you, Izzy! 谢谢你！希望你更加成功!

[@haakla8438]

Well done - it took me about 4 years to get to HSK 5 on self-study, and about 7 years for HSK 6 (although I was not learning every day and only as a hobby)

[@chinesehello6547]

给你点赞，真棒啊

[@musingepitaphy]

oh, OH! OOOOOOOH!!!!

[@arnaud2816]

I mean 7 years to reach hsk6 level is excellent, I know few foreigners that reached that level. I lived in China and studied Chinese very seriously (like 8 hours per day for 1year, non stop) but I was still far away from the hsk6 level. So I think you should be proud of yourself.

[@iicii77]

@@arnaud2816 what's your level?

[@nicoleraheem1195]

@@arnaud2816 it took me 2 years to reach hsk level 3 and that's because I didn't study every day and I took a 14-month break. I spend my time constantly reviewing things Easy to forget if you don't use it everyday

[@user-ix5rg2uz2m]

I have been started learning Chinese language from a 3 months and i found this video is really helpful , thank you for sharing this with us (谢谢您).🤩👍✨

[@Bill-ww9df]

It is not appropriate use 您 for her. You should just say "谢谢你“。 您 is for respectful senior.

[@baileyshirleen37]

加油

[@ketodiana]

Your Chinese level is definately amazing! keep up the work and your contents are super helpful!

[@paulseoighemcgee5772]

Inspirationally positive , meaningful and helpful content ! Well done Izzy ! : )

[@kennymoone9972]

你的发音音调很标准哦~继续加油！Like most of the time when i see someone trying to speak in mandarin they struggle to get the tone right but i see you handling it pretty well , WELL DONE IMPRESSIVE

[@ashbautista]

Congratulations for becoming a Doctor! This gave me inspiration, hopefully i can learn more Mandarin and use it with my partner. Cheers

[@andystieg6339]

This is very encouraging. I'm not a fast learner but have stuck with it and will be hopefully be finishing hsk 4 in about 6 weeks.

[@aivlisa2344]

Thank you for all these wonderful tips! Good vibes and energy for learning Chinese!

[@LearnChineseChannel]

你好 Izzy! Thank you very much for sharing your valuable tips about Chinese learning. 👌 I've already listed 2 of your vids in my "How to Self-Study" section and will share them tonight with my Twitter community. 你真棒! 🌷🏆 Patrick

[@IzzySealey]

哇，非常感谢你！Thank you so much for sharing! 😃

[@cursivevibes4964]

Hi Izzy, native Mandarin speaker here. I came across your channel by accident and I would like to point out how good your accent is. You can differentiate all the tones and that’s very impressive.

[@seniorpm6717]

Wonderful Strategy" Thank's Izzy...for sharing your break downs, techniques, and overall plan. Good Luck!

[@jordanjpayne]

Very impressive! I really appreciate all these extra resources.

[@e-genieclimatique]

in brief: The video is about the narrator's approach to learning Mandarin Chinese while having limited time due to their medical school studies. They started studying Mandarin a year ago, and they're planning to make more progress in 2022, so they share their learning strategies, resources, and time planning. Firstly, they emphasized the importance of goal setting, which includes understanding why you're learning Mandarin and setting priorities. They personally prioritized communication skills and digital literacy and de-prioritized handwriting skills, considering modern means of digital communication. They have an Excel spreadsheet for tracking their progress using various resources. The structure of their learning is loosely based on the HSK curriculum, which is a standard for Chinese proficiency, and they aim to reach HSK 5 level by the end of 2022. The narrator uses HSK standard course books and workbooks, Anki decks, and the websites MDBG and Pleco for learning vocabulary. They plan to learn around 10 new characters per day, although they acknowledge that this might be ambitious. For speaking practice, the narrator schedules weekly chats with native Chinese speakers. They find their language partners on italki or other language exchange websites. Alternatively, they suggested finding a teacher. They also emphasize the importance of comprehensible input, language that they can mostly understand, as a way to naturally acquire the language. They listen to ChinesePod, a podcast for learners of Chinese, during their morning routine and watch Mandarin-speaking TV shows on Netflix using a Chrome extension called Language Reactor, which shows dual subtitles and has other helpful functions. They believe this approach, while demanding, is the most efficient and enjoyable way to learn Mandarin in their spare time. They are using a service that links certain words to dictionary definitions, aiding in understanding while consuming content in Mandarin. They intend to incorporate watching Chinese TV shows as part of their learning and relaxation routine. They use a software called Anki for spaced repetition learning, with two different decks, one of which contains full sentences (spoon-fed) and another with just the HSK vocabulary words and their meanings. The individual has set a goal to learn 1,300 new words and complete the HSK5 vocabulary within 222 days, despite the challenge of being a full-time medical student. The spreadsheet used for tracking progress has details about their Anki card learning progress, HSK book curriculum progress, listening and speaking practice, and even a journal for recording their feelings and experiences each day. They also maintain a list of all the resources, TV shows, music, etc., relevant to learning Chinese in one place. Their philosophy toward learning is attributed to a quote by Confucius, emphasizing the importance of continual progress, regardless of speed. The individual plans to share more about their Mandarin learning process in future videos and encourages viewers to comment on what they'd like to see next.

[@tashajoykin5192]

I love this bot. It's so incredibly useful, especially on videos which list out tons of resources.

[@e-genieclimatique]

@@tashajoykin5192 I‘m not a bot 🤖

[@tashajoykin5192]

@@user-qc3tt4di5x I don’t know what kind of bot it is; all I have is it’s KZbin username.

[@a.d.c.3553]

Thank you! I did not want to watch all that

[@scapegoat5143]

😂😂😂😂​@@e-genieclimatique

[@zragon3k]

This video has actually motivated me to STOP trying to learn new things and to hammer down on my fluency. I had no idea you were an HSK4. Your pronunciation and speed sounds very similar to my native Chinese teachers. I mock-test at HSK4 with a recommendation to study 5, but I find that I am unable to actually produce the vast majority of what I've learned. Lately, I have been focusing on review and making myself handwrite traditional characters as part of my spaced repetition (I am NOT studying medicine at Cambridge and have the luxury of a bit more time.) I've found over the last two months that it actually saves me time to do so. I seem to learn them better by making myself also cover handwriting, and that cuts down on the time it takes for me to learn words overall. I think for the next month I'll just focus on review and speaking so that I can feel more confident with my fluency before moving onto the next level. After all, there's not much sense in me being able to watch the news and talk about terraforming mars or global warming if I can't even reserve a hotel room without stumbling all over the place.

[@Nature_adventure]

This is very helpful as I have just started learning Chinese recently. Thank you.

[@JoseRodriguez-jb5pd]

Great video. Thank you for providing a structured way to learn mandarin!

[@saxmaniac6321]

Haha! I’m a Darwinian and my Cambridge experience led to my making many Chinese friends. This, in turn, led to an interest in Chinese culture, history, hanyu, and hanzi. I am currently at the 10 months’ intense learning mark and have an online teacher and two language exchanges from Beijing. Thanks for your advice! See you at the Darwin May Ball, June 24th? 🍾🥂😉

[@by_sha]

Izzy I’ve been looking for someone to share their self-learning process or structure while juggling other full-time responsibilities. Although I’m learning Dutch which isn’t the most mainstream one out there, 我觉得你的方法会对我有用，我会试一试！一起加油吧🙌🏻

[@bertbosman]

Do you need a language buddy by any chance? I'm Dutch and in the starting phase of learning Chinese. :)

[@techow]

So much useful information to get started. This really motivated me, thanks!

[@rosarioyoutube_]

Thank you so much Izzy for these kinds of videos!! I'm looking forward being a polyglot and your videos motivates me a lot. I heard people that have a mixed accent, I mean, a little bit of American and a little bit of British and just listening to your lovely voice made me improve my 'mixed accent'. I'm currently learning English, French, and Chinese and my native language is Spanish. Wish me luck :D

[@digambersxngh]

It was really really helpful for me because I'm also learning a language and i was getting demotivated to continue recently, tysm

[@IzzySealey]

You got this! Best of luck with the language learning journey 😊

[@LawrencePhilemon]

Hi, I am on the way to learning Chinese as my third Language. After successfully learning English (now I can use it in my daily working life as my primary language), I want to learn Chinese. I must admit that self-study Chinese is hard for me, but when scrolling KZbin, I found your video, and watching it, gave me an idea of how to execute it. Thank you for your comprehensive explanation, including the complete breakdown of budget tools. It helps me.

[@user-kt2cz6mi3u]

Hello ~ I am a Chinese, I want to find a friend who wants to learn Chinese. I can give you Chinese instruction for free. Look down if you need to. What can I do? 1. I can guide your Chinese pronunciation and give you the most standard oral instruction 2. I can give you appropriate topics to practice according to your Chinese leaver. 3. I can help you learn to write Chinese . What do I need? 1. I need you to help me practice spoken English. 2.There is a fixed time every week to learn from each other. What I expect from my language learning friend Age: 18-30 years old I'm a girl, so it would be better if you were a girl too. Accent: I need a good American accent Education: High school or above Personality: cheerful, honest, sincere, Other: Have a fixed time each week to study together. My self-introduction My name is Chenin, and my English level can handle the normal daily communication . However, my pronunciation is not good , I need someone to correct my pronunciation and give me some authentic language advice. I'm 21 years old and I just graduated from college and with some research on Chinese language education. I can give you professional advice and correct guidance on Chinese learning. if you need and match condition. please send me a message!!

[@ericsonhermanto6733]

shout out from Indonesia. I really appreciate your effort you put in, this is a great learning video.

[@khoinguyencht6352]

I love it!!! You saved my Mandarine learning journey!!!

[@JoyfulContentedGem]

很好，讲得不错！ I grew up with bilingual education. I can imagine how difficult it is to pick up another language as an adult. At school, there's many friends to practice with. As adults, the opportunities to practice can be hard to come by. You did really well.

[@xepinephrine4743]

Time is luxury for adults, I just want to lie on the bed and watch some funny videos after a-whole-day work. In general, most adults lose motivation and passion to learn new skills.

[@giadaspoldi1288]

Good luck for your HSK 5! I made it a couple of year ago, the reading part was really really really really long, but I did it!!!

[@IzzySealey]

Thank you! And congratulations on passing HSK 5, that's fantastic to hear!! :)

[@krisli3630]

你真棒

[@magicmonk]

I haven't met many people who can make both languages sound better than I can - well done!

[@jayjsheltonzi9608]

You are really a hard worker. Medical student and self teaching Chinese. That's exceptional

[@kinglowtier]

Definitely going to be stealing some of your techniques as I get back into Japanese. I should have a leg up since I used to live there, but this will definitely help!

[@DD-lol]

OMG as a native speaker I must say your mandarin is so great! !! your pronunciation is even better than my mom😂

[@carlosaguirre6341]

Great tips. Something I did with my first language which was English and I am actually using on my new target language is movies, soap operas, radio, music or anythyng fun that you actually enjoy. It really works!!!

[@agabrzostkowski8354]

I don't learn Chinese but I love yours tips how to learn a new languages! Especially when your main job/study is different.

[@MagnaAnima]

Nice video! I’m learning chinese mandarin part time too. For me I’ve had a tough time finding comprehensible input. I like to get into Native content as soon as possible. I highly recommend Bilibili (chinese KZbin).

[@All.starts.from.abandon]

hey我是中国人，希望你能看懂我的评论hhh我个人觉得bilibili的视频内容还不错，但评论区十分不友好，这就是为什么我更喜欢youtube。

[@baileyshirleen37]

你是对的,还可以去(西瓜视频)也是（中国KZbin）

[@YY-pu4md]

As a native, all I can say is perfect especially the tones . I wish my English could be as fluent as your mandarin 😂

[@yuenlau8387]

Izzy, you a kind of genius, i like the channel very much, speaking good and fluent.

[@yeshan6825]

一年时间就说的这么好，真的厉害！ 还有，你的英文发音也太好听了

[@enkaiii]

Hi. This is really inspiring. I’m Chinese but born in Paris, France. My Chinese level is so fluctuating depending on how much I practice it with my family. However, I’m learning Korean because I’m doing an exchange semester soon and I’m definitely going to incorporate some tips I learnt here ! Afterwards, I will absolutely start over learning Chinese to become an authentic native ! Thanks.

[@LL-mt3vr]

actually as a native, I can say its not rly hard, at least easier than my mother tone Cantonese. For Mandarin, you can start with pinyin and read some child books for basic vocab. And there are four sound for all pronunciation.

[@0rhythm_divine0]

Hello I am from India 😊

[@KtaChongloi123]

I fell in love in your voice,appearence,body language especially your smile. I love you Izzy

[@IzzySealey]

Thanks so much! 😊

[@GreenleafPhotography]

Inspired me so much as I have been on and off in learning Mandarin. Thank you 🙋‍♂️🙏

[@GeoScorpion]

Thank you! Liked and subscribed! I was spinning my wheels for a bit and gave up for awhile. Learning Mandarin, but gf speaks Cantonese, natively and therefore Mandarin with that accent, so asking her for help was a frustrating nightmare ("How do you NOT know tones and Pinyin when you use it to type ALL THE TIME?!?"). Your video got me re-motivated, I think. I put it in my 'Watch Later' and actually DID watch later. Several times. Copied your Excel with some modifications. Lucky for me, the Fenway of Boston has a HUGE Mandarin-speaking student population, so hopefully, I can move into the actual conversation phase of things smoothly. Seriously, your decision to wake up one day and make this video seriously motivated an old man an ocean away and probably a lot of other people, too! Good luck with your goals!

[@elisel8828]

As a Bilingual speaking Chinese and English, definitely listen to her! Her advices are very effective and useful.

[@AlanChikinChow]

Great video!!!

[@IzzySealey]

Thank you!! ❤️

[@matpk]

WRONG!

[@Lazy-Learners-Learn-Chinese]

Good job. love your video about how to self-taught yourself mandarin.

[@liangbenjapolkul]

Thank you very much indeed for your tips on learning Chinese. I am learning Chinese by myself.

[@Amaling]

I'm not even studying Chinese, but this is a good video in terms of a general language learning grindset Good stuff, as a fellow full-time Uni Student who's learning a language I'll try gradually using this combo of language learning methods for a while to see how it goes :)

[@elisabethangelina9210]

Hi Izzy, thanks for a great learning guide, esp the excel one. it is really helpful. Would you mind sharing the sheet link? thank you!

[@luoj3598]

You are a really good Chnese speaker.真的做的够好了而且很全面

[@JoshGodwinArt]

Great tips! One of the biggest hurdles is just being consistent. Am hoping that this app I'm building and documenting on my channel will help me with that as I think it's hard to stay motivated when so many of the current language learning apps just aren't all there.

[@odd1ty612]

Hi Izzy, how did you master the Mandarin's four tones? Your tones sound excellent, and I think that I and other Mandarin learners would be really interested in learning how you mastered the tone system.

[@ericchen776]

It’s best if you can practice with a native speaker so they can correct your pronunciation; or just listen to a lot of Chinese language media

[@IzzySealey]

I might make a video on this in the future! The key was lots of practice with correction from a native speaker :)

[@mcPoPh]

For myself a breakthrough came a few years in when I realized there are (only) 15 two-syllable combinations to know, i.e. 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4 and then 2.1, 2.2 etc. With 3.3 (two third tones) as we know eliding to 2.3, that gives 4x4 or 16, minus the one elision gives 15. These 15 combinations are the tonal building blocks you'll need to get down. You can make list of words with the same tonal contour, e.g. kan4shu1 and mian4bao1.

[@royyau912]

‍Hi odd1ty! I think I can help with your Chinese. Don`t worry, I don`t charge any fee since I`m also a language learner, and I hope to meet more friends.

[@mohmeegaik6686]

@@mcPoPh Your comments really enlighten learning tones value. Do you have any tips for memorising 'qian zi wen poem'? Please share if you do. xie xie.

[@andre5095]

I'm in a similar situation as you, I work full time and study Chinese during my spare time. Everything you say is spot on, especially with the writing Chinese characters part, I wouldn't say it's a waste of time, but it's not time used well considering the return on investment. I live in China and I've never had to write anything by hand except for my Chinese name and a few times my address.

[@IzzySealey]

Yes completely agree - I’d love to learn writing at some point but it’s just not the best return on time spent at the moment! I hope your mandarin studies are going great！😊 加油！

[@user-km4py1vk5f]

It's true. If you work in some country's company you might need do paperwork by writing. But most of those situations we seldom writing after we leave school work. As it turns out, writing is really hard for beginners. Even though I start learning writing since primary school, I still can't write fluently until grade 3. It's for a local writer. 🙄

[@dixingxu]

what?! You Chinese pronunciation is soooooooo good! Also your content is really helpful, thank you so much for sharing!

[@TheSmiley84]

I just came across your other video on studying tips and then this autoplayed, as i was watching i thought that you are a natural teacher and would be a wonderful educator in the future too, seeing in this video that you do teach esl on the side made absolutely perfect sense. Would love to know more of your experience with teaching english too. Is it worth it as a wage resource for you or do you just enjoy? Your resources for curriculum etc? Congratulations on everything you have achieved. As an older woman now going back into academia after 20yrs, it makes me so genuinely happy to see younger women pursuing and achieving their goals earlier, truly. Congratulations. Proud of you, wishing you all the best ahead. You'll make a wonderful practitioner. You have empathy, understanding and compassion which is truly lacking sadly with a lot of professionals in the medical field over time. Don't let the system draw that out of you.. You are exactly what all your future patients need and lack. Never forget their humanity first, you're going to be amazing. I feel quite emotional and proud. Well done!

[@kevintuesday6390]

I want to learn mandarin so I can read classic Chinese texts, and also I love the Chinese art of calligraphy.

[@cheslysha5520]

I guess what you need to learn is ancient chinese since this language is always used in chinese vintage books and articles, mandarin is actually a modern system and cannot be used to understand those classic art craft

[@bn8846]

maybe we can have a talk about how to learn

[@samaval9920]

To really understand or even pronounce rhymes, we need to also study Middle and/or Ancient & Cantonese or other modern dialects. In English there are a few books on earlier Chinese & modern dialects. Wikipedia articles on modern dialects also include some historical sound changes. Poems written before 1500 AD CE used rhymes that still work in modern dialects but not in modern “Mandarin”. Fortunately there are some English language textbooks, dictionaries, etc. for Cantonese & less for others. The sound & tone changes descriptions even in English, are like a a different language Major words at times had major meaning changes like Mandarin de Cantonese dak at 1st meant power, as in transla of title of a Daily De Jing as the Way & It’s Power. But now, de means ethics & morals. Zhu Ni😢hao yunqi!! Juk nei hou wanhei!!

[@kspectral1100]

Started HSK2 last month and I think I can finish HSK2 by end of March. Will aim for HSK3 in Apr and May, HSK4 in Jun, Jul, Aug and finally HSK5 in Sep, Oct, Nov and Dec. My motivation? Your achievements and outlook in life are very inspirational. Wish me luck

[@davronbekrazzokov2259]

hsk5 might take longer than you think

[@josephhill2868]

hsk5 could take a year in all honesty it's worth cementing the characters

[@user-kt2cz6mi3u]

Hello ~ I am a Chinese, I want to find a friend who wants to learn Chinese. I can give you Chinese instruction for free. Look down if you need to. What can I do? 1. I can guide your Chinese pronunciation and give you the most standard oral instruction 2. I can give you appropriate topics to practice according to your Chinese leaver. 3. I can help you learn to write Chinese . What do I need? 1. I need you to help me practice spoken English. 2.There is a fixed time every week to learn from each other. What I expect from my language learning friend Age: 18-30 years old I'm a girl, so it would be better if you were a girl too. Accent: I need a good American accent Education: High school or above Personality: cheerful, honest, sincere, Other: Have a fixed time each week to study together. My self-introduction My name is Chenin, and my English level can handle the normal daily communication . However, my pronunciation is not good , I need someone to correct my pronunciation and give me some authentic language advice. I'm 21 years old and I just graduated from college and with some research on Chinese language education. I can give you professional advice and correct guidance on Chinese learning. if you need and match condition. please send me a message!!

[@Chirimoyalegre-wq2th]

Thank you for the video, although I am bilingual I learned English through osmosis (while watching shows in english with subtitles in spanish) and never actually made a study plan. Your tips are really helping me :)

[@sergefrechette8995]

Quite structured, I will proceed in a more gentle approach as I spread my time to writing ,teaching and other . Thank you.😊

[@LostBunga]

Are you still using Zero to Hero? I am halfway through HSK 4 and considering pulling the trigger on it. Excellent videos. Your organizational skills are inspiring.

[@FrenchbrunetteinChina]

Hi! I'm very reluctant when it comes to learning Chinese. I've been living in China for almost 5 years now and my Chinese is terrible... I was thinking to study it but "I don't have time".... Your video arrived at the right moment to tell me that this is the time to start learning this language. Hopefully, I'll get through.

[@yadongli3420]

So how did you get by with your life for those 5 years in China?

[@FrenchbrunetteinChina]

@@yadongli3420 body language and phone... You don't actually have to speak that much for your everyday life needs. Of course, it will be much more easier. That's why I'm planning to try to find some time to learn Chinese this time..

[@shaikhsadiq565]

You have a great opportunity to learn and practice the language

[@yadongli3420]

@@FrenchbrunetteinChina That was very brave of you. Personally I think you should learn the language if you plan to stay for another 5 years here.

[@FrenchbrunetteinChina]

@@yadongli3420 That's for sure!!!

[@spacekettle2478]

Nice video, also the principles here works for other languages as well, not just Chinese. I'm learning Japanese now and am doing some of these, like listening to comprehensible inputs and learning to read and understand kanji but not putting importance on writing them.

[@a9udn9u]

I approve your Mandarin pronunciation, it's impressive how well you nailed tones.

[@LH-si9ir]

Hey, I am just starting to learn mandarin and the progress is okay. But sometimes I ask myself if I should only learn the pinyin because I don’t need the Chinese characters for HSK 1 and 2. Would you recommend learning them from the beginning so you’re not overwhelmed when you go for HSK 3 and higher? Good video btw:)

[@will4698]

use pinyin to learn some grammar and vocab and then learn characters a few months in once you're comfortable

[@donlert]

i'm a month late but i think its best to familiarize yourself with characters from the very beginning. relying on pinyin means having to study the same words all over again just to memorize the characters. if you havent started yet, maybe watch a few videos on how they're put together (pronunciation, radicals, meaning, etc). i know it can be overwhelming at first, but it's not as bad as you think! good luck on your language journey :)

[@retrocollector101]

I tried taking mandarin as my second high school language this past year and so far I am at grade 1 level 🥲. It is so hard trying to learn mandarin after learning French for 8-9 years, part of it being in French immersion. Your mandarin is so good compared to mine. I am having problems understanding that you’re self taught while I have a school teacher 🥲.

[@limmy1931]

Are you from Canada? I also wanted to take mandarin but I ended up sticking with extending french (between core and immersion) after doing immersion in elementary. I struggle with french and I just started learning. Do you have any tips for beginner material to study? I only tried using duolingo and I just found hello chinese but none seem very effectivez

[@dansedevie123]

Learning another language actually helps! Although very different languages, the skills for picking up a new language can transfer over.

[@zvezdoblyat]

Lol. I took French for 3 YEARS in high school. Cant speak a word of French. I realised language "learning" in America (not sure how it differs elsewhere) is about learning sentence structure and grammar, which is completely useless if you can't speak the language.

[@retrocollector101]

@@limmy1931 Yes I’m from Canada. My French is pretty good like I can hold decent conversations ( although I love lost some abilities over the years) but I think that’s because I had deep immersion while learning it. I remember getting detention if I spoke a word in English.

[@retrocollector101]

@@limmy1931 I suggest the “Easy steps to Chinese” books. I find them really helpful.

[@dsizzzle10]

Thanks for the tips! I'm trying to learn Spanish and German (probably shouldn't do both, we'll see how this goes). I also watched your study tips video. Great summary of those techniques. It's helpful knowing how someone at your level studies. Thanks!

[@shineng2396]

Hi Wir können zusammen deutsch lernen

[@raonei2339]

I usually stack my anki decks in the morning. It's so useful! Thank you for your tips. I also watch TV shows. I'm currently using language reactor as well. It's so good, I've been watching "Well Intended Love". I swear these shows are so funny!

[@gunyolk55]

Fun and encouraging hearing about someone's journey with learning Mandarin! I've been learning on the side for almost 3 years and sit somewhere between pre-intermediate and intermediate. I also am recently trying to listen to the Chinesepod podcasts daily, though the intermediate ones are just a touch over my head, but maybe that's actually the right level for learning. If you're ever looking for a show, the animated version of 全职高手 is excellent.

[@chunna_meimei7645]

thx sharing

[@user-kt2cz6mi3u]

Hello ~ I am a Chinese, I want to find a friend who wants to learn Chinese. I can give you Chinese instruction for free. Look down if you need to. What can I do? 1. I can guide your Chinese pronunciation and give you the most standard oral instruction 2. I can give you appropriate topics to practice according to your Chinese leaver. 3. I can help you learn to write Chinese . What do I need? 1. I need you to help me practice spoken English. 2.There is a fixed time every week to learn from each other. What I expect from my language learning friend Age: 18-30 years old I'm a girl, so it would be better if you were a girl too. Accent: I need a good American accent Education: High school or above Personality: cheerful, honest, sincere, Other: Have a fixed time each week to study together. My self-introduction My name is Chenin, and my English level can handle the normal daily communication . However, my pronunciation is not good , I need someone to correct my pronunciation and give me some authentic language advice. I'm 21 years old and I just graduated from college and with some research on Chinese language education. I can give you professional advice and correct guidance on Chinese learning. if you need and match condition. please send me a message!!

[@jeffteng6455]

你好，我是Jeff, 在找需要学习伙伴吗？

[@changliu703]

Hi, I’m a native Chinese speaker,I can help you study mandarin, could I study English with you ? if you don't mind i would be very grateful

[@francischukwu8493]

Hello Sealey, Thanks for this video too. Very explicit one! I really love the way you track your progress on your excel spreadsheet. But I don't have the technical skills to set a spreadsheet the way you did. Please, is it possible for us to have a link through which we can download a copy of you spreadsheet ?? I would really help me a lot. Xiexie

[@EGG_MusicMadness]

Agreed back when I was in college my professor recommended watching shows in Chinese to get more use to how it sounded. And it helped with the class. He also said listening to certain music in that language helps with the enunciation of certain phrases and words.

[@alanpotter6553]

Wow your a busy girl... Your Chinese is progressing exceptionally well...I will use your program or structure it to suit my preferences.... Thanks for sharing..