HOW TO SELF-STUDY CANTONESE - A COMPLETE GUIDE

Do you want to learn a new language but cannot find the time or the money to go about it? Well, the only logical solution will be to learn it by yourself. There are many resources available for you from books to the all-knowing internet. Since we are a Cantonese teaching service, we will provide you a step by step guide to self-study Cantonese. 

Step 1: Identify your reason to study cantonese 

This is the most important step. This will determine if you will have the motivation and determination to go through with the self-study process and actually retain a certain level of commitment. Examples would be:

1.Reconnecting with your roots

If you are from a Cantonese family but grew up speaking a different language, then you might have lost fluency due to infrequent use. Communicating with family or relatives that only speak Cantonese might be difficult. Re-learning the language can improve communication with your family and help you avoid the awkward silence at the family dinner table. You will also be able to pass on the language to your children in the future.

2.Business or Employment

Knowing an additional language is only going to be beneficial for you in the workforce. It is an additional skill that cannot be easily acquired, which will increase your competitive advantage. Even if you can get a translator for business meetings, knowing the language yourself can act as a second layer of insurance to assure there was no miscommunication between customers or collaborators.

3.Personal Interest or Personal Growth

Learning a new language is great for personal growth and it is an amazing achievement. It can train your determination and self-discipline. It will keep you productive on lazy days and it can also be a fun activity. Learning another language will also open a lot more entertainment sources such as foreign shows, movies, and games. I probably don’t have to explain how understanding the language is so much better than reading subtitles (Although reading subtitles is a great way to learn a language.) To someone who is self-studying Cantonese, understanding TVB dramas can be the greatest achievement and entertainment.

We listed some more reasons in our post of Why learn Cantonese in 2022. Read it for inspiration and motivation.

Step 2: Prepare all the resources 

There is a great deal of reliable resources that can provide you with everything you need to self-study Cantonese. You can start with free resources online, such as youtube, before moving on to investing a little bit of money. This way you can try the language out before committing. We will make a separate blog with resources that we recommend. Books can help you learn the basics, youtube videos can help with vocabulary and practice sessions, and podcasts will help with pronunciations.

Step 3: Prepare a study schedule

Prepare a schedule that you can follow. If you have more spare time, study more vigorously. If you have less time, study as much as you can. The most important thing is to set a schedule that you can follow for the long term. For example, if you have a short attention span and can’t even sit still for an hour, study in 15-20 minute increments.

Adjust your schedule to your life. Find idle time, even 10-15 minutes, for a short vocab study. Set a study goal for the week.

Examples of goals: 

• Number of vocab words memorized/learnt in a week
• Pages of book studied
• Number of podcast episodes listened to
• Courses completed. 

Note: Hours studied would not be the best measurement for beginners, since it is a lot harder to quantify results.

Find a way to test yourself every week, every two weeks, or every month depending on the amount of free time you have. This is a way to measure your achievements. You can use flash card apps like Quizlet and Anki to record audios for the words you studied. Play them back to test your Jyutping or your Chinese writing skills.

Step 4: Learn the basics 

Having the basics down will provide a solid base for more advanced learning. For Cantonese:

1.Get familiar with tones and reading Jyutping. Once you know how to read Jyutping, you will be able to understand and pronounce Cantonese sentences without reading Chinese characters.

NOTE: We have a youtube video that teaches Jyutping. Check it out!

2.Learn conversational vocabulary such as greetings, introducing, and simple adjectives.

NOTE: We have a beginner podcast for that.

3.Learn basic Chinese characters along with Jyutping sounds. 

Check out our resource recommendations blog for resources to help you learn jyutping.

Step 5: Practice oral pronunciations

Being able to speak the language is likely the ultimate goal. You can practice by watching and listening to Cantonese shows, videos, and dramas (the best option). Then repeating those words and phrases out loud. Remember to make sure you understand the meaning of the phrases first. You can also find someone to chat with online. Resources like HelloTalk will help you connect with native speakers to chat and practice your pronunciations. However, something to keep in mind, the quality of free resources like HelloTalk is hard to gauge because it is hard to know the expertise of the person you get connected with.

Step 6: Have fun with it

Studying a language does not have to be stressful and boring. You can learn and practice through games and movies. Wordle or Zidou is a fun game to play for a daily warm up. For those of anime lovers out there, you can try to watch the anime Cantonese dubbed version. Some of my recommended Cantonese dubbed animes are:

• Yuyu Hakusho （幽遊白書) 
• Chibi Maruko-chan（櫻桃小丸子) – You can find some Cantonese episodes on Youtube.
• Crayon Shin-chan（蠟筆小新) – Youtube 
• Snow White with the Red Hair（赤發白雪姬）
• The Disastrous Life of Saiki. K (齐木楠雄的灾难) – The Cantonese version is available on Netflix

Enjoy the process. The progress will follow.

If you think you might need additional help, you can check out our courses at Inspirlang.com. We are a Chinese teaching service situated in New York City. However, we catered to people all over the world. Currently, we primarily teach Cantonese, Mandarin, and Taishanese online. We will open in-person classes soon, so stay tuned!

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