What Are the Best Apps for Learning Mandarin?
Mandarin, the standard form of Chinese, is one of the most widely spoken languages on the planet. The official language of the world's most populous nation, it's also used extensively throughout eastern Asia, as well as among Chinese-derived populations throughout the world. In spite of this, Mandarin isn't one of the commonly learnt languages in the west. This is largely because both the form of the language and its writing system are very unfamiliar to anyone used to European languages. However, there are many advantages to learning Mandarin, from interacting with the world's fastest-growing economy to accessing one of the earth's greatest literary cultures. There are many ways of learning Mandarin, but in a busy schedule having an app on your phone could be invaluable. Here are a few of the best apps for learning Mandarin Chinese.
One of the most important aspects of learning any language is to master as wide a vocabulary as possible, and Mandarin is no exception. A valuable tool for this, whether you're approaching your lessons physically or digitally, is to use flashcards. Anki is a free app designed for learning through flashcards. Although not specifically for languages, it's ideal for that use. Once you've downloaded the app, you can import a Chinese vocabulary, allowing you to test yourself by a variety of methods, including text, images, audio and speech synthesis, offering spaced repetitions.
Pleco is a great app both for building up your Mandarin vocabulary and practising writing the characters. Its large Chinese dictionary can be accessed either by drawing the Chinese characters with your finger or typing them in Pinyin (the standard way of using the alphabet to write Mandarin). It will also generate flashcards for memorising the characters. An extra paid function uses Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to scan Chinese characters through your phone's camera and identify them, even if they're not drawn perfectly. You can save the characters you've scanned for later reference.
Like all HelloTalk's language programs, their Chinese app is based on the method of putting you in touch with Chinese-speaking people near you in order to practice speaking. You can set your own level, whether you're at a beginner, intermediate or advanced level. The HelloTalk system generally works best if you find Chinese speakers who are also learning English. This makes the interaction two-way, allowing you each to correct the other's usage and pronunciation. HelloTalk is described as a "freemium" app. This means the basic app is free, but you can pay to unlock more advanced features if you choose.
The HSK (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) is the standard test for Mandarin in mainland China, and you're likely to need to take it if you want to attend a Chinese university or work for a Chinese company. Hello HSK is the official app that helps students prepare for the exams. The app provides lessons, exercises and practice papers, divided into six levels, that cover listening, reading and writing Chinese characters. It also helps you learn vocabulary and expressions that might typically appear in your exam. All these apps, which are available for both iPhones and Android phones, will be invaluable in helping you learn Mandarin — but they can't teach you the language by themselves. Register with TutorExtra to find private tutors who can teach you Mandarin Chinese.
