You might be a Thai living in Bangkok and you already have an excellent command of English, yet for one reason or another, you decide you need to learn Chinese. It might be that you are planning to live and work in China and you would like to have a basic grasp of Chinese when you arrive.
Whatever your reason for wishing to learn Chinese, here is some useful information.
Structured learning
Chinese is a difficult language for anyone to learn and it must be taught in a structured manner; enrolling in a Chinese language for beginners course is the best way forward. Such a course would typically be a 20-hour duration, covering numbers, days of the week, greetings and some basic vocabulary. There are some 50,000 Chinese characters and care should be taken about which ones you learn at the outset, otherwise confusion will prevail.
Free practice
As well as classroom learning, it is important to use the new language in a free social environment; talking to Chinese people about day-to-day things gives you the opportunity to use new language along with old language. Indeed, by conversing with Chinese native speakers, you can learn a lot of new words. There are many ethnic Chinese people in Bangkok, so you should have no problem finding people to talk to and who knows, you might make some new friends! You can chill out in a Zen corner with your friends.
Distance learning
Online learning is always a possibility; you can enjoy a one-to-one connection with real time video, which is as good as being in the same room. All language schools operate online courses and one on one sessions with native Chinese teachers, typically, the courses are 20-49 hours, depending on the level. The school records the class and you can access that via their online database; many students prefer online learning, as it is more convenient; there is no need to travel and classes are scheduled according to your timeframe.
Mandarin Chinese is the most common dialect and with the right teacher, progress is steady and if you are planning to do business in China, you will need at least an intermediate level of Chinese. Business language is slightly different, as with English and a business language course is recommended.
Studying in China
If you are Thai and Chinese is your 3rd language; you should take at least the first 2 courses starting with basic Mandarin; if you have Chinese friends, engage in conversation to reinforce the new language and progress will be quick. If you are a Westerner learning Chinese, your teacher would be a native Chinese who speaks English, while Thai teachers of Chinese are available.
Learning to speak Mandarin requires enrolling in basic Mandarin, either in a class or one-on-one and there are top-rated language schools in Bangkok to ensure that your language skills are adequate.