Does Watching Chinese Shows Help in Learning Mandarin?
Many students ask me if there is a more entertaining way to learn Chinese, since the regular learning can sometimes get a little boring. Well, there is such a way, and that is learning the language through Chinese TV series.
Watching TV shows can teach students a myriad of popular and authentic words or sentences in vivid situations to help them enlarge their vocabulary and understand words or sentences better. At the same time, the series usually tells a story with lots of cultural information, which also helps learners to know China even more. What’s more, by listening to how the actors and actresses talk, it can also help with one’s pronunciation and accent.
We’ve selected 5 programs for you to watch and help you learn Chinese in a more entertaining way.
Tips For Learning Chinese Through Watching a TV Series:
1. The most important thing is to enjoy and understand what you are watching. This will give you the context for when the Chinese words you hear could be used.
2. Try to write down words or sentences you are interested in (2-3 words or 1-2 sentences per episode) and then try to understand it according to the context, or ask your Chinese tutors or friends for explanations.
3. Review is important. Before you move on to the next episode, you should review the words or sentences you’ve learnt before, because it may help you understand the plot better.
4.Write down your own questions about this TV series, and talk with Chinese people about your questions. It can help you understand the conflicts shown in the TV series better.
5.If you have time, re-watch the shows! You may learn new things the second or third time around.
Chinese Show Recommendation
1. 爸爸去哪儿? (Where Are We Going, Dad?)
I believe the format of this show came from South Korea. A group of dads separate from their partners for a period of time and go travelling with their young sons or daughters, and take part in a range of challenges and competitions. The most interesting part of the show is the way the dads improve their relationship with their children.
2. 我是歌手 (I Am a Singer)
I’m going to put the singing shows close to the top as well, as the language in them is much more predicable, and the songs can be slower and easier to understand.
The difference between this show and others is that it features singers who are already stars, not hopefuls. Most of them are getting on in their careers or are young stars looking for a boost.
They don’t just sing their own songs each week, but also songs from other singers, and one person is voted off each time.
3. 最强大脑 (Super Brain/ The Brain)
This is a kind of reality TV show where people with ‘incredible mental abilities’ from different countries come to be tested by a panel of judges.
Expect to see people who can solve a Rubik’s cube underwater with their eyes closed, or memorize sets of 2D barcodes, and give the phone numbers contained in them. Most of the challenges are related to memorization, and you can pretty much figure out what is going on, even if you don’t know much Chinese.
4. 锵锵三人行 (Behind the Headlines with Dou Wentao)
Another show from Phoenix TV that’s on a couple of times a week and features a guy called Dou Wentao. Dou is always entertaining, and has a strong northern Chinese accent. He’s something of a personality in himself. The show is a discussion / talk show with guests but with a current affairs focus. I used to watch it quite a bit when I was a student, and it’s a refreshing break from more ‘entertainment’ shows.
5. 舌尖上的中国 (A Bite of China)
This last one is technically a documentary series, but it’s so worth watching that I want to give it a special mention in this list. It’s much higher calibre than most of the shows in this list. Beautifully shot, with a soothing voiceover, it’s an introduction to the finest of Chinese food right across the Chinese speaking world.
Food is a national pastime in China, and this show is not really aimed at an international audience, so you’re not going to see egg fried rice or a fried noodles here. Rather, you’ll discover a range of local specialities and delicacies, and it will make you seriously hungry!
This is just a short list of some of the popular Chinese TV programmes that you might not know about. I hope you enjoy them, whatever your level of Chinese is.
Supervisor: Crystal Huang
Don't forget to share this article with friends by pressing the top right corner.
What are some of your favorite Mandarin phrases and buzzwords! Comment below!
Editor's Pick