Try Watching Chinese Television: A Chinese Language Tutorial

Watching Chinese television is a natural language acquisition in which you can learn Chinese without studying. Chinese television can improve your Chinese reading, listening, speaking, grammar and other aspects of Chinese language tutorial. Whether you are a newbie or advanced student, you can get as much input as you want from Chinese television programmes.

If you have a satellite television, you can find Chinese television channels such as CCTV, then go to their website and check out their schedules. The CCTV4 and CCTV9 also have their learning Chinese programs such as快乐【kuàilè=happy】中国【Zhōngguó=China】(CCTV4) and Learning Chinese (CCTV9). Both shows air twice a day, from Monday-Friday or Saturday.

Alternatively, you can watch Chinese television programs or movies in short videos. Find them on YouTube and watch them as often as you need to.

1. If you are a Chinese newbie, try watching children or learn Chinese programs first. To improve your speaking skill, you can try to memorize or repeat a simple phrase what is said on television.

Example 1:

Learn Chinese - Speak Mandarin - BCTV-I want to buy this one

I want to buy this one

我【wǒ=I】要【yào=want】买【mǎi=buy】这【zhè=this】个【gè=one】。

我 要 买 这 个。

Example 2:

Learn Chinese - Speak Mandarin - "Basic Verbs"

Sample video sentences:

What do you want?

你【nǐ】要【yào=want】什么【shénme】？

你 要 什么？

I want coffee.

我【wǒ=I】要【yào=want】咖啡【kāfēi=coffee】。

我 要 咖啡。

I want tea.

我【wǒ=I】要【yào=want】茶【chá=tea】。

我 要 茶。

I want to buy coffee

我【wǒ=I】要【yào=want】买【mǎi=buy】咖啡【kāfēi=coffee】。

我 要 买 咖啡。

I want to buy tea

我【wǒ=I】要【yào=want】买【mǎi=buy】茶【chá=tea】。

我 要 买 茶。

What do you want to buy?

你【nǐ】要【yào=want】买【mǎi=buy】什么【shénme】？

你 要 买 什么？

What do you like?

你【nǐ=you】喜欢【xǐhuān=like】什么【shénme=what】？

你 喜欢 什么？

I like coffee.

我【wǒ】喜欢【xǐhuān=like】咖啡【kāfēi=coffee】。

我 喜欢 咖啡。

I like tea.

我【wǒ】喜欢【xǐhuān=like】茶【chá=tea】。

我 喜欢 茶。

Do you like coffee?

你【nǐ=you】喜欢【xǐhuān=like】咖啡【kāfēi=coffee】吗【ma】？

你 喜欢 咖啡 吗？

No, I like tea.

不【bù=no】，我【wǒ】喜欢【xǐhuān=like】茶【chá=tea】。

不，我 喜欢 茶。

Example 3:

Learn Chinese for Kids绝色【juésè=exceedingly beautiful】中文【zhōngwén=Chinese】免费【miǎnfèi=free】课程【kèchéng=course】

Example 4:

Chinese Cartoon--The Magic Flute

2. Try watching Chinese news/movies you have seen in your language so you can predict the meanings of the words. Then try watching without ever seen them in your language. Here, you don’t have to understand each word or phrase, just focus on general understanding.

3. Most Chinese use Chinese subtitles that can help you improve your reading skill. At first, you could be not able to read them because it runs quickly, so just try your best. Don’t worry, after a lot of practice time, you would be able to read them.

If the subtitles are in your native language, you can try to understand their speaking especially for Chinese newbie. For advanced level, you should get rid of them.

Hope this helps!