- Don’t be afraid of making mistakes.
As long as you are trying, the people will appreciate it. Think of how appreciative you are when a non-native speaker tries really hard to speak English. Generally, that admiration and encouragement is the same for Chinese natives. - Study every day.
Mandarin is a very difficult language to learn so I would suggest studying everyday. - Get out and practice!
The best way to practice is to leave the house and meet new people. Even just going out to buy something can be an adventure and a great way to practice your Mandarin skills. - Speak all the time.
Seize any opportunity you have to speak Mandarin. Tone marks and pronunciation are two important parts of Mandarin. If you aren’t practicing speaking a lot, it will make it very difficult to become fluent no matter how much you study. - Watch TV shows and movies in Mandarin.
You can really vamp up your listening skills by consuming media in Mandarin. Start out with English subtitles. You can gradually use them less and less. Also, try to watch the same things over again so you can pick up more vocabulary. Remember, repetition is the best teachers! - Learn new words every day.
You can start with common words, or ask strangers what certain things are. Write them down in a little notebook and cover the definitions to memorize them. If you add a few words to your vocabulary consistently each day, you’ll be surprised how many words you know. - Ask native speakers for help.
If there’s a phrase or word you don’t understand, ask a local what it means. Sometimes hearing a definition in the language itself can help you learn it better.
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