Been trying a few methods, and I feel these are the ones I’ve been enjoying so far (will keep updating as I improve my study methods):

1. The Basics

• Understand Pinyin and tones. Watch a short YouTube video like this intro to Pinyin and tones. If you later work with a teacher, they’ll cover this early on.
• Get familiar with the HSK system. I recommend getting a digital or physical HSK exam book and workbook. Most apps and teachers use the HSK levels as a guide, and it helps you track progress and find material at the right difficulty.

2. A Teacher

• Can use Preply or Italki to find a tutor online. Or if you know someone in person from elsewhere.
  • Remember a teacher and a native speaker are not the same, so don’t have the same expectations for one as you do for the other. A native speaker can help you practice but a teacher will have systems to educate you. (Whether you think they’re efficient systems or not is a separate matter!)
  • If you go for Preply ask me for a referral link!

3. Audio Input (hands free, useful when driving or cooking too)

Audio-based courses like Pimsleur, Rocket Chinese, or Chinese Track can be good. I personally completed Pimsleur Mandarin and found it really effective.

Chinese pod (or any suitable podcast) is useful too, but it won’t automatically refresh your memory so you need to use a flash card system for long term memory (see below).

There’s another style of app called Glossika, where you hear phrases and repeat them out loud. I haven’t tested it myself, but it could be worth trying.

4. Learning New Vocabulary

Aside from all the other aspects mentioned, I recommend using a simple app daily (or multiple apps if you enjoy variety). Options include:

• Super Chinese
• Hello Chinese
• Duolingo
• Airlearn
• Lingodeer
• Drops

5. Comprehensible Input

Comprehensible input means language that you can understand despite not knowing every word, based on what you already know. The concept, coined by Stephen Krashen, suggests that language acquisition happens when you’re exposed to messages you can mostly understand, with the ideal level being “i+1”, slightly beyond your current ability.