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- I've been studying Chinese — one of the hardest languages for English speakers to learn — for over a decade
- Though you can't learn Chinese with apps alone, technology can be a great tool for language learning.
I've been studying Mandarin Chinese for about a decade, and even after many classes, living in Beijing, and countless hours of studying and practicing, the learning process can still be painfully demanding.
This might be because Chinese is one of the hardest languages in the world for English speakers to learn, according to the Foreign Service Institute. This is due in large part to the complexity and volume of Chinese characters, the absence of an alphabet, and the way that pronunciation and intonation can change the meaning of words.
While a love for studying the language, an ability to keep yourself motivated, and frequent practice with native speakers and Chinese content are crucial, these apps can be great for supplementing language study by helping you do everything from memorize vocabulary to watch Chinese TV shows.