Learn Chinese in Beijing: Going Local

Entering a brand new environment such as China can be truly daunting. You don’t know the language, the food or the culture, and the vast size of Beijing can make things even worse. You really want to learn Chinese in Beijing, but if you let the culture shock get to you, then you will likely stay with things that you find familiar. Whilst this might help at first, in the long-term it will damage your changes of learning Chinese properly, because you will be exposed to fewer examples of local language and culture. So, ditch that McDonald’s and your group of expat friends, and spend your time in Chinese going local. This will greatly improve your learning effectiveness as you study Chinese in Beijing.

If you are an early riser, then getting up early and going to a local park is a great way to see local culture and see Beijing at its best. Before the smog settles and the weather becomes oppressive, mornings in Beijing are often marked by blue skies and many of the older generations exercising in public parks. From running and playing hacky sack to practising all forms of martial arts in China, mornings in Beijing offer a chance to join in with local activities, practice your Mandarin language skills and talk to the older generation in China. It might not be everyone’s idea of fun, but you can really see some of the traditions of China in those few hours before your classes begin.

There are many other opportunities to go local for those who prefer to sleep in a little later. Trying local restaurants is always a good way to learn more about China, and to test your Chinese reading and writing skills. Perhaps after you learn a certain set of characters in your Mandarin language lessons, you can go to any one of thousands of local restaurants and see what you can order.

Find the restaurants that look busy, and you are sure to have a great, cheap meal. Although some food items can seem a bit strange to western palates, eating new things is all part of the learning experience whilst you study abroad in China. You will certainly find some new favourite foods during your local restaurant adventures.

Another great way to go local involves not having to leave your room at all. Rather than spending your time surfing English websites online, it might be better to take some time and learn about China’s rapidly growing online community. With now over 500 million people online, there are many websites where you can interact with Chinese people, practising your Chinese and learning about what is going on in China. China’s version of Twitter, Weibo, is a great place to start. You’ll soon have a group of Weibo followers, and this will help you understand local culture and the meanings behind certain aspects of Chinese language. You can take this information into your Chinese language study, thereby improving and expanding what you learn.