On the previous post when I posted about the very beginning step to learn Chinese, I did mention about the most basic and essential which happened to be Bo Po Mo Fo (注Zhu 音 Yin 字 Zi 母 Mu or sound-notating alphabet) and 汉Han 语 Yu 拼 Pin 音 Yin or spelled sounds in my learning process version. Then, After mastering these most basic one, what to learn next? This also often being asked. Most private courses will likely to teach simple wording structure such as daily conversation words example 你Nǐ 好 hǎo 吗 ma？(How are you?), 你Nǐ 叫 jiào 什 shén 么Nǐ me 名 míng 字 zì? (What is your name), While in School most often they emphasized on vocabulary, short poems and writing single word such as 我 wo, 你 ni 他 ta (for male) 她 ta (for female). This likely happened in Indonesia Private courses and Schools (Private and International School)
Since I am doing self-study, most of time, I just study whatever I want and learn the most comfortable for myself. So the answer is none of them go first for me. Vocabulary and Grammar must be learned together as part of language structure in order to understand Chinese language as whole. But again there is no such thing called as the ‘best way to learn’ only the suitable one’s then called as the best if it works. Of course, as someone who is really new to this language you must know what the things you are studied and practice it, at least the basic you should master before you can continue to the next level, let say advance level, perhaps?
不闻不若闻之，闻之不若见之，见之不若知之，知之不若行之；学至于行之而止矣
Tell me and I’ll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I’ll understand
Myself as learner, instead of hand books that contain Chinese language modules or conversation type books, I prefer to read children books in order to help me recognized words. For me, children books are more interesting because it consists words also pictures. Children books teach me many things such as wording, structures, strokes, etc.
Chinese is different to English for example tenses matter. In English, tenses are important components as part of the language itself. In Chinese there are no tenses really exist because the tense in English is a category that expresses time reference, while in Chinese language it has specific words to expresses the time itself without need to memorize v1, v2 and v3.
For example:
Chinese words : 以 (Yi) 后 (hou) 我 (Wo) 们 (men) 再 (Zai) 见 (jian)
Translation : Next time we will meet again
Chinese Words: 不 (Bu) 久 (jiu) 以 (yi) 前 (qian) 我 (wo) 有 (you) 看 (kan) 到 (dao)
Translation : Not long ago I have seen it.
Closing:
There are many methods which available in order to learn Chinese also there are many resources furthermore we are living in global world, technology is advancing. So that, it actually not difficult to get resources to study. Again as reminder, there is no perfect or best way of learning, including my way. It just happened this method fit and suit me most which I do find it best for me at least before I find another one which more suitable.
Do you find this post useful? If you have question, feel free to drop it in comment box. I will try my best to give answer ^-^
azurro4cielo 