Six months ago, I decided to start learning Mandarin Chinese. Not for any practical reason at first - I was just fascinated by the writing system and wanted a challenge outside of engineering. Here's what I've learned about learning itself along the way.
Why Mandarin?
Honestly, the initial motivation was curiosity. The idea of a tonal language with thousands of characters felt like reverse-engineering a completely alien system. As someone who spends most of their time looking at schematics and datasheets, I wanted something completely different.
There's also the practical side: China dominates electronics manufacturing. Being able to read component datasheets, navigate Taobao, or communicate with suppliers - even at a basic level - seemed genuinely useful.
The Engineering Approach to Language Learning
I approached Mandarin the same way I'd approach learning a new microcontroller architecture: understand the fundamentals first, build a solid foundation, then iterate.
Phase 1: The Core System
Before memorizing vocabulary, I spent the first few weeks just understanding how the language works. Tones, pinyin, stroke order, radical systems. It's like reading the reference manual before writing code - tedious but essential.
Phase 2: Spaced Repetition
Anki became my best friend. I built custom decks with audio, pinyin, and characters. The algorithm is essentially exponential backoff for memory - you review cards right before you're about to forget them. Engineers will appreciate the efficiency.
"The spacing effect is one of the most reliable findings in memory research. If you're not using spaced repetition, you're leaving performance on the table."
Phase 3: Immersion and Input
Once I had a base vocabulary (~500 characters), I started consuming content. Graded readers, YouTube channels with Chinese subtitles, podcasts. The goal was comprehensible input - material that's slightly above your current level.
What Worked
- Consistency over intensity - 30 minutes every day beats 4 hours once a week. I treat it like a daily standup.
- Learn characters, not just pinyin - Reading characters forces you to actually learn them. Pinyin is a crutch.
- Focus on high-frequency words - The top 1000 words cover ~90% of everyday conversation. Optimize for ROI.
- Shadowing practice - Repeating audio in real-time improved my tones dramatically.
What Didn't Work
- Grammar textbooks - Too abstract without enough examples. Context matters more.
- Trying to learn too many characters at once - Quality over quantity. 10 well-learned characters beat 50 half-learned ones.
- Neglecting output - Reading and listening are easier than speaking and writing. Need to practice all four.
The Tools
For anyone interested in starting, here's my current stack:
- Anki - Spaced repetition flashcards (free, open source)
- Pleco - The best Chinese dictionary app. Essential for looking up characters.
- Du Chinese - Graded readers with audio and inline translation
- HelloChinese - Good for absolute beginners, gamified learning
- YouTube - Channels like Comprehensible Chinese and Mandarin Corner
Where I Am Now
After six months of consistent practice, I can:
- Read simple texts and short stories
- Hold basic conversations about everyday topics
- Understand maybe 60-70% of simple YouTube videos
- Recognize around 800 characters
It's not fluency, but it's progress. The journey from "what do these symbols even mean" to "I can actually read this" has been incredibly rewarding.
The Meta-Lesson
The biggest takeaway isn't about Mandarin specifically - it's about learning itself. The same principles that make you good at picking up new programming languages or hardware platforms apply to human languages too: systematic practice, spaced repetition, lots of input, and consistent effort over time.
If you're an engineer thinking about learning a new language, I'd encourage you to try. It exercises completely different mental muscles, and there's something deeply satisfying about decoding a system that billions of people use every day.