{"id":183316,"date":"2015-03-18T21:30:32","date_gmt":"2015-03-19T01:30:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/practice-chinese-online\/"},"modified":"2025-05-26T05:43:55","modified_gmt":"2025-05-26T09:43:55","slug":"practice-chinese-online","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/chinese\/practice-chinese-online\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Practice Chinese Online in 12 Steps"},"content":{"rendered":"

Are you tired of your usual methods of\u00a0studying Chinese\u2014too many\u00a0movies<\/a>,\u00a0TV shows<\/a> and pop songs<\/a>? Looking for something fresh that will push your Chinese to the next level as you surf the Internet?<\/p>\n

Here are 12 great ways for you to practice Chinese online. Whether you’ve just learned your first Chinese word or you’ve been studying for years, there’s sure to be something here that you’ll find useful.<\/p>\n

[fluentu-toc]<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

1. Read Blogs About Learning Chinese<\/h2>\n

This one’s for all those\u00a0procrastinators out there who are looking to spend their web surfing time just a little bit more productively. But it’s also for those of you who are looking for some inspiration for the language learning process.<\/p>\n

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

When you feel like your Chinese learning is stuck and just not going anywhere, reading about what’s helpful for other people may be just the ticket to getting you back on track. One great choice that’s Chinese-specific is Hacking Chinese<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But if you’re just looking for some inspiration from people who\u00a0are really, really good at learning languages, one of these 37 polyglot bloggers<\/a>\u00a0is sure to fit your style. Not all of them speak Chinese, but they’ve all learned multiple foreign languages, and they’ve done it well.<\/p>\n

2. Appreciate the Usefulness of an Online Chinese Dictionary\"Naver<\/a><\/h2>\n

If you haven’t used an online Chinese dictionary before, you may not realize just how useful they can be.<\/p>\n

Naver<\/a>, for example, not only gives you the expected translation and part of speech for a word you look up, but it also lists synonyms and\u2014best of all\u2014gives you example after example of how the word is used in a sentence.<\/p>\n

The examples give you a much better feel for when and how a word is used. If you get a lot of confused looks when you try to put together a sentence, try looking up one of the key words in this dictionary. You might learn, for example, that while English speakers “have fun,” Chinese speakers “\u73a9\u5f97\u5f00\u5fc3”<\/strong> (<\/em>w<\/em>\u00e1n de k\u0101i x\u012bn) <\/em>\u2014 “play happily.”<\/p>\n

The examples can also help you figure out the range of meanings a word has,\u00a0and learn the difference between two similar words.<\/p>\n

3. Watch Real-world Chinese Videos on FluentU<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/div><\/span><\/p>\n

FluentU<\/a> is an immersive language program that uses short video clips from authentic Chinese media\u2014think movie clips, music videos, news segments, etc.\u2014to teach you new vocabulary and develop your comprehension.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Each video comes with interactive subtitles so you can hover over or click on any unfamiliar word and get key information including its translation, example sentences and other videos where it’s found.<\/p>\n

\"FluentU<\/p>\n

This means you’ll learn new words, phrases and expressions in real-life contexts, as they’re actually used by native speakers. Flashcards and personalized vocabulary quizzes will help you review and remember this new vocabulary so you can use it in your future Chinese conversations.<\/p>\n

4. Play Online Games on Chinese Servers\"video<\/a><\/h2>\n

So you like playing computer games, but all the apps you’ve found\u00a0for Chinese practice<\/a>\u00a0are getting old? That doesn’t mean you can’t play games and learn at the same time. If you play a game like\u00a0Minecraft that has Chinese as a menu option, this is as simple as\u00a0switching languages.<\/p>\n

Online gaming is also hugely popular<\/a> among Chinese teenagers, so\u00a0if you play on Chinese servers, you’ll be playing right alongside them.<\/p>\n

League of Legends<\/a> and Starcraft<\/a> are two games that have brief guides available online in English explaining how to get started playing\u00a0the game in Chinese.<\/p>\n

5. Take Online Language Lessons from a Chinese Teacher<\/h2>\n

\"Italki<\/a>Did you know that these days, even a Chinese language class can be taken from the comfort of your own home? Hire a professionally certified Chinese teacher and get private lessons online from italki<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

You’ll get lessons tailored specifically to your skill level and learning speed, plus you’ll be able to focus your lessons on topics you’re actually interested in.<\/p>\n

Do you want to perfect your tones<\/a>? Learn how to do business negotiations in Chinese? Get some explanations for where you’re supposed to use le<\/em>? Or learn how to correctly describe the haircut you want to your hairdresser?<\/p>\n

You can also try\u00a0eChineseLearning<\/a><\/strong> for a Chinese-specific site that has a more structured curriculum available.<\/p>\n

The beauty of finding tutors online is that there’s sure to be one available who can teach you what you need to know, instead of forcing you to sit through yet another textbook lesson about\u00a0life on a university campus.\u00a0If you’re used to rates charged by American tutors, you’ll also find the prices are very reasonable.<\/p>\n

6. Read the New York Times<\/em>\u00a0in Chinese<\/h2>\n

Maybe you’re a news junkie. If so, I’m sure you’ve already realized that you can head on over to a Chinese news website and read the news in Chinese<\/a>. But what you may not have realized is that the\u00a0New York Times<\/em> also has a Chinese edition<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Not only is it not behind a paywall, but the added value for you as a language learner is that many of the articles are available in both Chinese and English, so you can read side by side. You don’t have to wonder what a difficult sentence is actually trying to express because someone has already done that work for you.<\/p>\n

7. Talk with an Online Language Exchange Partner<\/h2>\n

Don’t have a lot of extra cash on hand, but want to interact with a real person? Can’t find anyone where you live who speaks Chinese and can’t move to China either? Get yourself there virtually instead using an app or website.<\/p>\n

\"mylanguageexchange<\/a>Language exchange websites seem to be everywhere these days.\u00a0MyLanguageExchange<\/a>, the Mixxer<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0italki<\/a> are a few websites that match language learners with each other.<\/p>\n

You can find a language partner who is interested in practicing your native language, and you’ll become both a student and a teacher. Not only will you get to practice your speaking and listening skills<\/a>, but you’ll get an introduction to Chinese culture in a way that a textbook could never offer, and in the process, you might even make a friend.<\/p>\n

An\u00a0upside of an online language exchange is that you can prepare in advance for your conversation. Think of a few open-ended questions you want to ask your partner. While you’re at it, look up some key words for at least one topic you’d like to discuss and think about how you might express your ideas in Chinese.<\/p>\n

For example, if you want to talk about basketball, figure out in advance how to ask what someone’s favorite team is and who their favorite player is. Look up the names of your favorites in Chinese. Ask whether they’d rather watch the CBA or the NBA. And be sure to bring up Yao Ming.<\/p>\n

8. Listen to or Read Religious Materials in Chinese<\/h2>\n

For obvious reasons, religious texts have been translated into many languages. And\u00a0if you’re interested in the idea of using one\u00a0to study a language, you’re likely to be\u00a0familiar with it\u00a0in your own language already.<\/p>\n

Just a word of caution, though. Since most of these texts are very old and<\/em> you’re reading them in translation, you might not get the most natural language usage possible.<\/strong> (King James Bible, anyone?)<\/p>\n

Still, you can pick up huge ranges of vocabulary that are probably entirely absent from your Chinese textbooks. One modern translation of the Bible into Chinese can be found here<\/a>. I chose this one because it also has audio available, letting you read and listen at the same time.<\/p>\n

You could also try\u00a0Buddhist sutras<\/a>\u00a0and other Buddhist texts\u00a0translated into both Chinese and English. Or you can opt to read the Qu’ran<\/a> in Chinese and English (and many other languages) side by side.<\/p>\n

Although Buddhism has undoubtedly had more influence than the others over the course of Chinese history, all the\u00a0religions represented by these texts have long traditions in China, and there are groups of people there who follow them today.<\/p>\n

9. Read a Nobel Laureate Author’s Novel Online<\/h2>\n

If you really want to make sure you’re reading authentic Chinese (instead of Chinese that might\u00a0have translation artifacts in it), you might want to try reading Chinese books. What you might not realize is that, unlike English books, many well-known\u00a0Chinese books are freely available online<\/a>.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re not an advanced learner, and you’re living in an English-speaking country, look for books that h\"practiceave an English translation available. It will help your understanding to read the book (or part of it) first in English. When you’re ready to tackle the Chinese version, search for the book\u2019s Chinese title online.<\/p>\n

For example, the book “To Live”\u00a0by Yu Hua, often recommended to language learners because of the small number of characters used by the author, is available in Chinese\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

If you’re up for more of a challenge, you can also read books by Nobel laureate author\u00a0Mo Yan<\/a>. His\u00a0works have been widely translated into a variety of languages. Though not a Nobel laureate, some number\u00a0of Zhang Ai Ling<\/a>‘s (Eileen Chang’s) works have also been translated to English and adapted to film.<\/p>\n

10. Use a Pop-up Chinese-English Translator for Instant Word Look-up<\/h2>\n

Feeling intimidated by all this advanced reading? Fear not\u2014one benefit of reading online is that you can install a pop-up translator in your web browser and get instantaneous translation for any character you point at.<\/p>\n

All you have to do is hover over a character you don’t recognize, and the English translation will pop up.\u00a0If you’re used to looking up unknown words in the dictionary, this feels a little bit like magic.<\/p>\n

Some popular (and free) examples include Zhongwen<\/a> for Chrome and LiuChan<\/a> for Firefox.<\/p>\n

11. Annotate Any Chinese Text with Dictionary Definitions and Pinyin<\/h2>\n

There are a couple of downsides to using a\u00a0pop-up translator. One is that you have to be able to install it on the computer you’re using. The other is that it can be a little too convenient to look up a word instead of trying to remember it on your own.<\/p>\n

This is where a text annotator comes in handy. A text annotator is a website that allows you to copy any Chinese text from the web and paste it there. Then, with the click of a button, the site gives you pop-up or in-line definitions to the words.<\/p>\n

I like the one at Xiaoma Cidian<\/a>\u00a0because it lets you choose your difficulty level. It only gives you automatic translation for words above that level, which forces you to try to remember easier words on your own.<\/p>\n

12. Listen to Chinese Radio Online<\/h2>\n

All this reading is good for you, but if you’re trying to practice your listening skills or want\u00a0to increase your study time and multitask while you’re washing the dishes, maybe radio would be a better fit.<\/p>\n

Even beginners might want to listen just to get a feel for the rhythm and flow of the language.<\/p>\n

This site<\/a>\u00a0has a huge collection of online Chinese radio stations listed. If you want to be sure you’re getting\u00a0one that’s in Mandarin, the stations from Beijing should be a safe bet. If you want Mandarin with a standard accent, CRI (Beijing) and RTI (Taiwan) may be your best options.<\/p>\n

You can use radio to boost your language skills by using talk radio to learn how to talk about current events,\u00a0or by singing along with pop songs. If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed by so much Chinese, try to just pick out\u00a0specific names of political leaders or pop stars while listening.<\/p>\n

No matter what type of radio you listen to, you’ll gain an extra bit of value\u2014keeping up on current events and pop culture gives you natural conversation starting points. Ask your taxi driver what he thinks about the latest political developments, or chat with your hairdresser about the latest Mandopop hit. Then go listen some more.<\/p>\n

If you keep this up, you’ll find yourself with a natural positive feedback loop.\u00a0Not only that, but the ability to make small talk in Chinese will increase your language practice opportunities by leaps and bounds.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I hope by now you’ve found at least one way that you can move yourself towards better Chinese using the wonderful World Wide Web. Happy learning!
\n\u00a0
\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Are you tired of your usual methods of\u00a0studying Chinese\u2014too many\u00a0movies,\u00a0TV shows and pop songs? Looking for something fresh that will push your Chinese to the next level as you surf…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":801,"featured_media":252223,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"slim_seo":{"title":"How to Practice Chinese Online in 12 Steps | FluentU Chinese Blog","description":"If you want to improve your Chinese skills, you have to put them to practice. Click here for 12 unique, creative ways to practice Chinese online, including reading magazines in Chinese, getting a language partner, playing video games in Chinese and more. Plus, find useful resources to put these tips into action."},"footnotes":""},"categories":[724,732],"tags":[],"coauthors":[838],"class_list":["post-183316","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-chinese","category-chinese-resources"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/183316","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/801"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=183316"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/183316\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":253849,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/183316\/revisions\/253849"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/252223"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=183316"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=183316"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=183316"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=183316"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}