Learn Foreign Languages

Always looking for language-learning theories without practice
Think back when you were learning how to ride a bike. Did you learn by reading a bunch of books and articles on how to ride a bike? Did you learn by watching videos or see other people do it? The same is true when it comes to learning a foreign language. You might be able to learn some things from reading books, and watching videos. But what you really need to do is to get Chinese friends to practice with you, look for online Chinese radio stations, rent Chinese movies, and then listen and watch.
Chinese is a tonal language, with 4 different tones. The tones are easily the most challenging part about Chinese for English speakers. The tone problem is why I believe beginners should avoid learning from books. The best benefit about having an in person tutor or software or learning online is that you can hear and learn the correct pronunciation.
Believing commercials
The commercials for programs that claim you can “Learn Chinese in days” are undoubtedly lies. Many eager students fall into these traps, wasting both time and money. Learning a new language takes hard work and dedication. Chinese is absolutely one of the hardest languages to learn, but the benefits you reap will last you a lifetime.
Always following English sentence order
Chinese sentence structure is actually simpler than English in several ways. For example, when someone may say “I will run,” “I am running,” or “I have run.” Instead, in Chinese, someone would say “I run” and then add a timing phrase like today, yesterday, or in a little while. And this is just one of the many differences. Making sentences is fairly different, so pay attention when you are listening to the audios. Proper sentence structure will be useful for being understood in real life conversations.

Lack of focus
There are a huge number of materials on the market for learning Mandarin. Beginners may buy multiple courses and books. The most effective method is to concentrate on a suitable program that offers complete vocabulary, grammar, audio CDs and worksheets.

Make learning as fun as possible!
Learning a new language is hard enough. Don’t make things worse by dulling it. A good program is not designed to make learning work, but to keep things fun and interesting. I like programs that have a variety of tools to help me progress, with games, progress reports, and some tools to help me overcome trouble spots.

Be afraid to make mistakes
Mistakes are inevitable with learning, and the worst mistake you could make would be to be fearful of using what you know. Remember that no matter how many mistakes you make, wherever you go in the Chinese-speaking world your sincere attempts to learn the language will almost always be appreciated. Chinese is a language you will need to practice frequently.

Stopping after Programs
After you are done with one program, you can possibly harness the skills and knowledge you’ve learned and take it to the next level. Always remember that no matter what your level may be, it never hurts to engage someone in some friendly conversation, take a trip, get involved in groups, and watch some flicks when it comes to Mandarin Chinese. Take action, and keep pushing until you have what you want.

You can see from the above that there many common mistakes that people face when they are looking to get started in learning Chinese. However, the most daunting task for people is going through the many different programs available, trying to pinpoint the best one. Focus is what you need to pay attention to first.