So, you have decided to learn to speak Chinese to advance your career or to get more from your travels. Am I right to assume that you find the prospect of learning a second language a bit daunting? If you are like me, you probably have nightmares about endless, mind-numbing lists of vocabulary and grammar rules. Relax! The solution lies in choosing a well-tested course for easy learning. You can’t expect to learn to speak Chinese in 5 minutes, but learning a new language doesn’t have to take forever either.

Now, there are some do’s and don’ts when it comes to choosing a top-rated, intensive, standard Chinese course pack. Let’s take a look at what you should avoid and what you should look for when going on this new, mind-expanding and enriching adventure.

What you don’t want to see in a Chinese course outline:

1. A ridiculous promise that you will learn Chinese in 5 minutes.

2. An emphasis on mindless repetition of long lists of grammar rules and vocabulary lists. Many language courses still focus on this with wretched results.

3. Being steered away from real conversations until you have a huge vocabulary.

What you do want to see in an intensive Chinese language pack:

1. An approach that will help you to learn to speak Chinese in an easy, fun and fast way. You want a course that will focus on building speaking confidence, while facilitating a natural accent.

2. Encouragement to take part in real conversations from the get go.

3. A learn-Chinese-for-beginners approach that will still have something to offer you when you are an advanced student. A language pack that is too basic will quickly become boring.

4. A quick start on the basics such as saying hello and introducing yourself, ordering food and drink and giving or receiving compliments with ease and grace. Imagine how impressed business partners or traveling companions will be with your new skill!

5. A course that offers constant Chinese language support and encouragement.

6. Language games and tools to keep things interesting and fun.

7. An emphasis on using actual conversational phrases, rather than the memorization of lists of words. This is the best way of developing a feel for the language and immersing yourself in it. This kind of course offers a much higher success rate.

8. A course built on years of practical language research with time-tested tools and techniques that facilitate fast, easy learning.

9. The ability to learn to speak Chinese with the help of native speakers to ensure that you learn the correct accent.

Whether you need this second language for business purposes or for travel, you will soon be ready to impress native speakers if you begin to learn to speak Chinese the easy, fun way today.