If you’re searching for tips to become more fluent in conversational Chinese for day-to-day usage, many sources might recommend you to find a learning partner. Whether you’re trying to learn to speak or other Chinese skills, having a learning partner can be a great boost to help you improve your ability. 

But, how do you exactly find a good learning partner and is it really necessary to do so? In this article, we will discuss further on how you can benefit from finding a learning partner to help you with your conversational Chinese learning. 

Admittedly, it isn’t impossible to learn conversational Chinese on your own. However, having a trustworthy learning partner can provide you with a better overall experience for the following reasons. 

Gaining Motivation

When learning conversational Chinese, it’s easy to feel alone, especially when you’re not in a Chinese environment. Many people can feel demotivated once they realize they’re alone and have no one to talk to about their progress. In this situation, having a learning partner can help provide an external motivation for you to continue your learning journey. Meeting people of similar interests and objectives means you can share your struggles and targets while encouraging each other. This way, you can help each other stay motivated during your learning journey. 

Understanding Conversational Flow

Unlike written Chinese where you get to review and rethink what you are planning to say, conversational Chinese requires spontaneity that often causes non-native speakers to be discouraged. Therefore, a great way for non-native speakers to boost their confidence and understand how conversational Chinese goes is by finding a learning partner that can provide you with a real-time experience. This way, you can understand better how to reply in Chinese spontaneously and learn conversational vocabulary to help you sound more fluent in speaking the language. 

Having Feedback

Whether you’re learning as a non-native speaker or someone with a strong Chinese background, making mistakes is something you would likely do throughout your learning progress. From incorrect pronunciation to grammar rules, making mistakes can often be another way for you to understand Chinese better. In this situation, having a learning partner while practicing conversational Chinese can help you notice your mistakes and provide advice depending on your current capabilities. This way, you will understand what you need to improve to be more natural in speaking Chinese. 

After knowing the importance of having someone to practice conversational Chinese with you, the next part you want to consider is how to actually find a great learning partner. Admittedly, this step might be difficult for many, especially if they don’t grow up near people who understand Chinese. If you’re trying to find Chinese learning partners, here are a few ways you can match with someone with a similar objective. 

Friends or Family 

The easiest way to find someone that can help you practice your conversational Chinese is by finding people closest to you. If you grow up with parents or siblings who are willing to speak or study Chinese, finding a reliable learning partner can be made easier. However, there are many cases where non-native speakers don’t have family members who are currently learning to speak Chinese or are fluent in the language.  

Another reliable partner you can seek for is from your own friend group. Given how Chinese has become more relevant nowadays, your chance of having friends who want to learn the language becomes higher. This way, you can begin learning conversational Chinese together and motivate each other when the materials become more challenging as time progresses.  

Social Media Platform

With how developed technology nowadays, you can easily find new people to learn conversational Chinese together. The easiest way to do this is by going to social media platforms and finding a community that matches your interests. Without place limitation, you can be connected more smoothly by people from different countries. If you’re lucky, you can also be connected with native Chinese speakers that can significantly help you improve your understanding of the language. However, it is important to remember that you need to practice being cautious and select your learning partner wisely. 

Learning Platform or Chinese Classes

If you’re trying to find people with the same motivation as yours when it comes to learning Mandarin, another worthy way to explore for partners is by finding a learning platform or classes. Whether you’re learning face-to-face or through online platforms, being enrolled in a Chinese class or learning community can provide vast options of learning partners and opportunities. This way, you will not only be able to meet someone with the similar Mandarin level as yours, but you can also discuss your progress and any assignments you might receive. 

Finding a suitable learning partner to improve your conversational Chinese skills might require thorough consideration. To some people, finding a suitable learning partner can take a while, especially if you want to find someone who you can trust with your learning progress. Although this process varies from one to another, here are some practical tips to help you find the best Chinese learning partners. 

Discuss the Objective

The first thing you need to do is find people who actually share the same objective as yours. Although you can totally find partners who are already fluent in Chinese, finding someone who shares a common goal can help you feel more comfortable in sharing your struggles and improving your overall skills. So, it is usually recommended to share your objectives with people you want to have as your learning partners. Be sure to communicate clearly and keep your intention transparent to avoid misunderstandings. 

Arrange Study Schedule

Since conversational Chinese requires partners and spontaneous responses, you might need to arrange a shared study schedule with your learning partner. Therefore, things like personal schedule and time zone may be a great factor you want to consider before committing to learn together. For example, you might want to find someone who is available during your free time and arrange your schedule depending on their availability. If your learning partner is someone from a different country, this step might be slightly more difficult to achieve. 

Consider Having Multiple Learning Partners

Another important thing to remember is having multiple learning partners is okay, especially if you’re trying to master conversational Chinese skills as quickly as possible. Aside from giving you more opportunities to engage in different topics, having multiple learning partners can also provide varying feedback and learning resources for you to utilize. 

Finding a learning partner can be hard if you still don’t have a concrete plan and objective. With how many people you can meet nowadays, choosing a suitable one can be a challenge. However, this doesn’t mean finding a good learning partner to help you master conversational Chinese is impossible.

One way you can try to find great learning partners to help you grow your Chinese skills is to enroll yourself in Chinese courses. Enrolling in a Chinese class will help you find people with similar goals and abilities as yours, which means you don’t have to spend a lot of time finding people who share similar views with yours. 

In Elite Linguistic Academy, we provide conversational Chinese classes for non-native speakers who wish to become more fluent in the language. With our group class options, you can meet peers who can help encourage you and improve your conversational Chinese skills. Learn more about our available classes by visiting our site.