Learning a new language is hard enough, but trying to do so while also mastering the listening aspect can seem downright impossible at times. If you're struggling to catch everything your Mandarin-speaking friends or colleagues are saying, never fear! Here are the best exercises and practice tips to utilise to improve your Chinese listening skills.

Why is it Important to Sharpen Your Chinese Listening Skills?

As the second-most spoken language in the world behind English with 1.1 billion people, Mandarin is quickly becoming an increasingly important vernacular. Taught in schools and used more and more in the world of business, those who speak the language have a clear advantage. Speaking Chinese is only one piece of the overall jigsaw as you have to be able to listen to what others are saying in order to hold meaningful conversations.

It is also important to note that honing your listening skills will enable you to converse confidently and effectively with Chinese speakers who may have different accents or speak at varying speeds. With this in mind, we at Linguabox are here to give you a helping hand in ensuring your Chinese listening skills are as sharp as they can be. With this how to guide, along with the nifty exercises and practice tips provided,  we’re certain your Chinese listening capabilities will improve drastically and quickly.

1. Increase Your Vocabulary

One of the best ways to augment your Mandarin listening ability is to increase your vocabulary. The more words you know, the more you'll be able to pick up from conversations as the words will sound increasingly familiar. A great way to broaden your vocabulary is by using a dictionary or online translation tool when you come across a word you don't know. That way, you can look up the definition and get a better understanding of how it's pronounced. Additionally, try to learn at least one new word every day. Hearing it over and over again will not only help with your overall Mandarin speaking and listening skills but it can also be a fun way to challenge yourself. Think of it as a game where you constantly want to beat your high score!

In addition to this, when conversing with people, if you hear a word that you are not familiar with, don’t be afraid to ask them what it means. Not only will this do you a world of good to expand your knowledge of the language, but people will also respect the fact that you are making an effort to improve your overall Chinese listening and speaking abilities.

2. Listen to Native Speakers and Recordings

One of the most effective exercises to boost your Chinese listening skills is to listen to native speakers as much as possible. This doesn't mean you need to fly to China or other Chinese speaking regions (although that would help); there are plenty of ways to do this from the comfort of your own city or home. For example, there are many websites and apps where you can find audio clips of people speaking Mandarin. Listen to them over and over again, take notes if needed, and familiarise yourself with the pronunciation so that you immediately know what it means when you hear it in general conversation. You could also try watching Chinese movies or TV shows with subtitles on so that you can follow along and get used to the rhythm and flow of the language.

3. Take Notes

It may sound old school, but taking notes while listening to conversations in Mandarin can be helpful for two reasons. Firstly, it gives you something concrete to refer back to later if there's something you weren't able to catch the first time around. Secondly, it forces you to really focus on what's being said since you can't just rely on playback later on; once something is said, it's gone for good!

With that in mind, putting pen to paper and writing down repeated words or phrases you hear is one of the best ways to familiarise yourself with the language and it also enables you to start incorporating it into your conversations. You can also input the words into Google translate or a similar online language platform that gives you the option to hear what the words sound like. This is incredibly useful as it will ensure you are pronouncing it using the right pinyin. With the above methods, you can clearly see the benefits of paying attention and taking good notes if you want to make sure you understand everything that's being said. It’s one of the tried and trusted practices when it comes to the best ways to improve your Chinese listening prowess.

4. Practice With a Friend

 The old adage rings true - practice makes perfect! Practising with a friend or members of the general public who speak the language fluently will allow you to reap the rewards over time. Not only will you be able to hold conversations that revolve around various topics, which will help expand your vocabulary, but you'll also be able to build up your confidence in your listening and speaking capabilities. Should you get stuck on a particular word or phrase, the people you are speaking to will be there to help explain things so that you don't get lost along the way.

5. Take Mandarin classes

There are plenty of Mandarin classes and online learning platforms available out there that provide the perfect launching pad to enhance your skills, be it listening, speaking or writing.

We at Linguabox offer personalised curriculums tailored to meet your specific needs. So, if you are struggling with your Chinese listening or want to move on up from an intermediate level to a more advanced one, we have online classes that can help you achieve this.

Furthermore, after every lesson, our tutors will share recordings of the phrases you learned in that particular class so that you can study them and start using them on a daily basis. Simply put, taking Mandarin lessons is a surefire way to practice your Chinese listening skills and improve them by putting them to use via a variety of useful exercises.

Did You Hear All That?

Learning any new language comes with its fair share of challenges, but getting to grips with enhancing your Mandarin listening skills doesn't have to be one of them! By following these simple tips, you'll be well on your way towards becoming a pro in no time. So what are you waiting for? Start listening closely and practising today!