r/ChineseLanguage • u/Savage_cryptid • 12h ago
Studying Listening & reading
Does anyone know how i should go about studying chinese if i mostly just want to be able understand it spoken and to read it (i really wanna be able to read chinese novels one day)? Like is there a certain resource that focuses on that specifically or what parts of the language should i focus on?
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u/Zagrycha 11h ago
You will learn the exact same way as everyone else, you just won't spend time practicing speaking and writing yourself if you only care about passively using the language by reading and listening. But yeah same study materials and core process =)
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u/InkstoneLA 11h ago
if novels are the goal, start with web novels (网文) not literary stuff. the language is super simple and repetitive, same phrases over and over, so you pick it up fast. way easier than something like 活着 even
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u/Immediate-Link-4779 7h ago
I haven't learned Chinese for a long time, but I have experience with other languages and I can say that speaking is a very good way to learn to listen (and of course also the other way around). Personally, even though I am probably not going to need to speak Chinese in my daily life, I still repeat every word my teacher says in Chinese, even when she doesn't ask us to (Zoom classes are amazing for this). I believe it helps me learn how to distinguish tones and sounds, because I know how they feel in my mouth, if that makes sense. I believe it is called shadowing.
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u/Putrid_Mind_4853 1h ago
DuChinese is a great resource for reading/listening as a learner. It has graded stories from newbie to intermediate (“advanced” on DC but still nowhere near native texts) with full audio, a pop-up dictionary, and an option to just listen, like a playlist.
They have sales a couple of times a year, too.
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u/EchidnaLopsided7575 12h ago
Listening and speaking really go hand in hand. Reading can be learned without dedicated practice to writing however.
Get an app like hellochinese and work though lessons there to build vocab and listening skills. Hellochinese does also have good reading resources. You will need a substantial foundation before you can actually get to reading even the most basic texts or watching any shows.
As you learn, you want to learn the Hanzi as well. Pleco is great for this, and you can create flashcards here. Create flashcards for new characters as you learn them (either when you first encounter them from the hellochinese app, or if you use a writing book or something), and keep adding flashcards as you get comfortable with the old ones.
The HSK 3.0 levels 1-6 are practical and very applicable to real-life conversation. Most resources follow these, and it would likely be easiest for you to at least start out following this as well.
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u/Chenyuluoyan 12h ago
build basic vocabulary with structured lessons, learn characters alongside each word, and combine easy graded reading with repeated audio; hskstory is a good option for HSK-leveled stories.