{"id":183306,"date":"2015-04-20T21:19:02","date_gmt":"2015-04-21T01:19:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/learn-advanced-chinese\/"},"modified":"2025-02-25T05:21:40","modified_gmt":"2025-02-25T10:21:40","slug":"learn-advanced-chinese","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/chinese\/learn-advanced-chinese\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Tips to Start Learning Advanced Chinese [with Resources]"},"content":{"rendered":"

The step from intermediate to advanced Chinese is a hard (and most distinct) step in your entire language journey, requiring you to readjust your study routine<\/strong> and switch up your learning materials.<\/p>\n

A\u00a0lot of dedication and hard work is involved, and getting stuck at the intermediate level is common. But with the tools and tips presented below, you can\u00a0<\/em>reach an advanced level of Chinese.<\/p>\n

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How to Create an Advanced Chinese Study Plan<\/h2>\n

One of the hardest parts of getting to that advanced Chinese level is the dedication and proper time management to keep on track. We all have busy lives full of work, family, friends and hobbies. It is therefore important not to lose track of what you want to achieve. That’s where proper time management in the form of a study plan comes in.<\/p>\n

Creating a study plan helps you stay focused on your goals.<\/strong> Determine a certain period of time you want to give yourself to efficiently study advanced Chinese. Keep it realistic! For example, try a timeframe of six months.<\/p>\n

Your goals should also include the dialect and Chinese accent you favor most.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Do you fancy the standard Putonghua dialect from around Beijing? Or do you pronounce words in a Southern accent since you spent most of your time studying in Guangzhou? It’s up to you, as long as it is correct and the people around you can understand you.<\/p>\n

Next, determine what tools you want to use (mentioned below). How many books do you think you can finish in half a year? How many chapters of a textbook<\/a>\u00a0can you work through? Or how many podcasts<\/a> do you want to listen to?<\/p>\n

Keep your tools and goals realistic but challenging, and adjust them to your daily life. It’s so much better to study a little every day<\/strong> than to study for a long period once a week.<\/p>\n

Write everything down on a neat study plan for the next week or month, with specific tasks and an amount of time for each day. I only suggest planning a week or month out so that you can adjust based on what’s working well, where you need extra work, etc.<\/p>\n

Lastly, hang up your plan in a very visible place<\/strong>, and don’t forget to check off the steps after you complete them.<\/p>\n

Resources for Learning Advanced Chinese<\/h2>\n

There is quite a difference between tools for beginners and intermediate Chinese learners compared to advanced learners. Incorporate the following tools into your study plan, and you’ll be well on your way up the hill toward advanced Chinese.<\/p>\n

Chinese Reading Materials<\/h3>\n

Reading is the vitamin A of learning Chinese and getting to that advanced level. The more you read, the more vocabulary and grammar patterns you absorb, and the more you’re able to actively use them.<\/p>\n

Even though textbooks seem a little useless at this point, there are special books made specifically for advanced learners that focus on advanced grammar content.<\/p>\n

\"Advanced<\/a><\/p>\n

Yale University published a great textbook called “Advanced Chinese: Intention, Strategy, and Communication.”<\/a>\u00a0This book includes an audio program focusing on the variety of Chinese linguistic strategies that are essential for advanced communication.<\/p>\n

Five types of discourse are considered in detail: narration, description, persuasion, exposition and lyrical expression. The book assists learners in improving all parts of the Chinese language through carefully selected vocabulary, grammar and exercise sections in each lesson.<\/p>\n

\"Graded<\/a>Besides textbooks, reading novels is key. If you haven’t read a book in Chinese before, you might want to start with a guided book. “The Graded Chinese Reader 2000 Words”<\/a> containing selected contemporary short stories can help you with your first Chinese novel experience.<\/p>\n

The book features various versions of mini-stories and novellas written by contemporary Chinese writers, reflecting the everyday lives of ordinary Chinese people. The stories are limited to about 2,000 common Chinese words, which are based on the 2,500 Chinese words listed in the Chinese Proficiency Test Syllabus Level 5.<\/p>\n

The key to efficiently using an advanced Chinese book is to remember the new vocabulary. Highlight new words and look up their meanings afterward. There’s no need to write down every single word. Choose up to 10 words of new vocabulary per chapter and practice them afterward.<\/p>\n

Study plan examples:<\/strong><\/p>\n