Tones!!! What can I do to learn these tones?

Answer 1

One simple way to learn Chinese tones is to use hand gestures while reading. My students find this method really effective.

For example:

•Tone 1 (high level): move your hand straight across.

•Tone 2 (rising): move your hand upward.

•Tone 3 (fall-rise): dip your hand down and then up.

•Tone 4 (falling): move your hand downward.

Using your hand helps your brain and body feel the tone better.

It’s like singing with your hand — very helpful for beginners!

Answer 2

Practice, practice, practice! You can make it less torturing by practicing the tones using a single syllable. The key point is to get the 'hang' of it.

Answer 3

Tones are difficult when you first start learning, but with enough practice, anyone can improve. My tones were horrible when I first started learning, so I understand the frustration.

I recommend taking a passage or a sentence of Chinese and rewriting the pinyin above or next to the characters. When you write the pinyin, add the proper tone marks above the vowels so you can read the romanized version and really practice tones. Also, read slowly and try to exaggerate the tonal differences. It may sound silly, but this will also help you to differentiate how the four tones sound.

This may make you feel like you're leaning too much on the pinyin, but reading requires working other muscles. For tone practice, this will help!

Answer 4

First,tones are changes of pitch of syllables.in the standard Chinese when a syllable is pronounced in different tones,it has different meanings.So you have to practice every tone accurately and let the teacher correct your mistakes,

Second，You have to practice changing tune

for example (1)a third tone,when immediately followed by another third tone,should be pronounced in the second.（2）a third tone when follow by a first,second and fourth,or by the majority of the neutral tones, usually becomes a half third tone,that is,the tone that only falls but does not rise.(3)changes of tones of "一" and "不“.(4) nautral tone

Listen more and practice more.Come on!

Answer 5

Most students find tones of Chinese language very difficult to learn. It is so different from English speaking at some very basic level. A very basic way to deal with a difficult task is to divide the task into smaller and easier steps. In the language-learning field, some teachers use the term "comprehensible input". Remember, this is critical.

How is this done in the classroom depends, of course, on the teacher's skill. However, there are many things the student can do him/herself. One such thing is to listen to a native speaker speak -- often. In the meantime, you may want to know either from your Chinese teacher, or other resources regarding to the accuracy or specifics of the "Beijing Mandarin". Today, there are various resources of recordings, lessons, and videos online.

Tones are complicated not just because it is essential to speak with pretty good tone for each character. It is also because the connection between syllables involves special voice control regarding the stopping of your voice in the middle of a sentence -- quite often several times in one short sentence!!! This is a basic difference from the speaking of other languages, such as English.

At YouTube, just enter "Chinese language tones", and you will see many videos available to you.