Reading resources to learn Chinese

Now that you’re familiar with reading in Chinese, it’s time to dive into reading materials!

Two concepts to understand before you start reading

There are so many online Chinese reading resources to choose from. However, knowing how to navigate them is crucial to develop meaningful progress.

An introduction to extensive reading for Chinese learners by Hacking Chinese provides an introduction on the type of materials you should start reading as you learn a new language. I’ll summarize two important concepts below:

First, try to read a diverse range of materials, also known as extensive reading. Read short stories, articles, news, social media, comments—everything. The flip side of this is intensive reading where you look at a specific text in-depth. You may have done this in your English classes to study Shakespeare and analyze the same text at length. There are many benefits to both approaches, but extensive reading will expose you to many uses of the language. Just as you learned English, you did not just study it from a textbook, you learned it through all forms of media.

Second, aim to read at levels where you can achieve about 98% comprehensible input. If you read at 80 or 90%, you will not understand enough of the material. It can lead to frustration and discourage you to keep reading. So stick to material that’s a little below your level and slowly start increasing the difficulty.

Recommended reading materials to learn Chinese

I’m a paper and pen kind of person, so I prefer to read writing on paper. But when I visited my local library to find Chinese learning materials, they were all written for the complete beginner in textbook format. Unfortunately, I could only turn to online reading resources.

Here are the key ones I enjoy and find helpful:

1. Mandarin Bean
2. DuChinese

Mandarin Bean offers short articles from HSK 1-6. New articles are introduced regularly, and the content is relevant to current events covering topics on AI, mental health, social media, and so on. The articles are free to read, and you can toggle the pinyin on to help you identify new terms. They offer a paid plan which provides access to the article translation, exercises, and their full suite of grammar and HSK test prep. If you’re self-studying, the premium plan is worth trying for a year ($39/year). The price point is very reasonable compared to Chinese learning apps that charge $10-20/month for premium access.

My tutor and I read Mandarin articles together, focusing on sentence structure and grammar. After about 6-8 lessons, I noticed an improvement in my reading speed and character recognition.

DuChinese is a mobile app that provides short form Chinese articles for learners at all levels. You can toggle pinyin on or off and it translates every sentence. You can access their free plans as a basic user, while premium users can access all stories. This app is on the pricier end, charging $14.99/month. In addition, they have novels which extend to more than 10 chapters. DuChinese is a good choice if you want to read longer pieces.

Of course, I have a lot more resources to share than these two. But all the reading resources lists I’ve come across were too overwhelming— listing over a dozen at a time. This section was purposely kept short so you can just get started with reading.

Finding motivation to learn Chinese

Maintaining motivation is challenging because learning Chinese isn’t a pressing priority for heritage language learners. I’ve struggled with extended periods not touching any Chinese at all. I’ll suggest three ways that may help you stay motivated and consistent with your learning.

1. Participate in a Hacking Chinese challenge: These challenges feature a different theme each month (reading, vocabulary, speaking, writing, listening, translation) and anyone can join for free. You just need to create an account and enroll in the challenge. I tried a few of these and would log my progress during the challenge. It’s especially interesting to see the resources others are using. Learning is easier when it’s communal, so I highly recommend joining a challenge.

2. Find a designated time and space to study: Yes, I know, this is easier said than done. But it’s very useful. If you commute daily, then use that time to read a Chinese article on DuChinese. If you have an hour on Saturday evenings you can sit down and learn vocabulary, then do that. I currently commute two days a week and I use that time to read Chinese.

3. Work with a tutor: If you prefer more structure, you may benefit from hiring a Chinese tutor. Scheduled classes promote accountability, maximizing output within a limited time.

Don’t give up, keep going

Reading Chinese is hard and is a skill that takes time to develop. Think about when you learned English. You didn’t just acquire the reading skills in childhood. You studied for many years into your late adulthood, and you probably still look up English words on the dictionary. Chinese will take time to master, and at first, it might even be boring because the beginner material isn’t so interesting. But I promise it will be worth it. When I walk down the streets of Chinatown and suddenly recognize a character I didn’t before; or when I can read a Chinese YouTube comment in full without looking up the words, the feeling of competency is indescribable. There are still setbacks when I forget a character or don’t find the time to study. However, the challenge is what makes this learning journey fun and worthwhile.

Let me know if you’ve tried any of the reading resources I mentioned in the comments below.