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Learn Chinese: Introduction to Chinese Pronunciation and Tone

Master the correct pronunciation and tone of the Mandarin language and improve your Chinese speaking skills with Shanghai International Studies University.

Duration

3 weeks

Weekly study

2 hours

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How it works

Unlimited subscription

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Become comfortable pronouncing the syllables in the Mandarin Chinese language

Understanding the correct pronunciation and tone of Mandarin Chinese is essential for beginners learning the language. On this three-week course, you’ll be introduced to Chinese phonetics, tones, and syllables to help build your confidence in speaking Chinese.

Using videos and audio content to enhance your learning, this interactive course will teach you the main rules of spelling and how to correct errors in pronunciation.

You’ll cover useful phrases such as greetings, self-introduction, expressing thanks, love, and apology to help you become more comfortable in speaking Chinese Mandarin correctly.

Understand the basics of Chinese phonetics

You’ll learn the key elements of Chinese phonology, including initials, finals, and the four main tones to help you speak the language more effectively.

As well as this, you’ll learn how to tackle the difficult Chinese pronunciations by understanding how to differentiate similar sounds.

You’ll also improve your Chinese written skills by learning the core rules of spelling.

Use Pinyin to develop your Mandarin pronunciation

Pinyin is a helpful and widely-used tool that uses the Latin alphabet to write Mandarin Chinese. You’ll learn how to use this system to help you accurately pronounce different words, and further your study of the language.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to demonstrate impressive pronunciation of all syllables in Mandarin Chinese, and feel confident in applying words and sentences to daily communication.

This course is part of a series:

Week 1
Introduction to Pinyin: initials and finals 1
- Introduction to Pinyin
  Here we introduce the role of Pinyin in the Chinese language. You can learn to pronounce initials "b p m f" and simple finals "a o e i u ü" and how to combine initials, finals and tones into syllables.
- Initials and Finals 1
  You will learn how to pronounce initials g k h, d t n l, j q x; compound finals starting with a o e and how to express agreements and compliments.
Week 2
Initials and finals 2 and special cases in Pinyin
- Initials and Finals 2
  Here you will learn how to pronounce initials zh ch sh r; z c s; compound finals starting with i u ü and how to address your family members.
- Special cases in Chinese Pinyin
  Here you will learn the compound final "er", er-colored words and basic rules of modified tones.
Week 3
Differentiation of similar sounds
- Differentiation of similar sounds 1
  Do you have any questions about practicing pronunciation? In this part, we'll help you to distinguish similar sounds. Here you'll also be able to introduce yourselves and ask for prices.
- Differentiation of similar sounds 2
  By learning more similar sounds and daily expressions, you'll be able to gain a systematic knowledge of Pinyin and speak Chinese confidently.