The first three months determine whether you continue, and the order you do things in matters more than the hours you put in. Get the order wrong and you can study hard for a month while storing every word incorrectly.
- Month one belongs to tones and the sound system
- Month two builds vocabulary and the pronoun system
- Month three puts it together and starts speaking to people
- Daily short sessions beat long weekend blocks
How to divide three months
Month one on tones, the vowel system and the script, with around two hundred words learned through audio rather than text. Month two expanding vocabulary while working seriously on pronouns and classifiers. Month three assembling it: building sentences, listening daily, and starting to speak to real people.
What a day looks like
Thirty minutes split three ways: ten on tones and pronunciation out loud, ten on vocabulary or a structure with sentences you write yourself, and ten listening. Do not drop the listening even when you understand almost nothing, because the ear needs a longer runway than any other skill.
Where you will be at the end
Producing the tones distinctly, around five hundred words, comfortable with a small set of pronouns, and able to handle predictable situations like ordering food or buying something. You will not follow a conversation between two native speakers at normal speed, and that is entirely normal at this point.
Common mistakes
- Learning vocabulary from text before your ear can hold the tone distinctions
- Studying three hours at the weekend instead of thirty minutes daily
- Measuring progress by lessons completed rather than by what you can do
Frequently asked questions
Why do tones have to come first?
Because every word you learn carries one, and a word stored without its tone is stored incorrectly. Repairing that later costs far more than the month you spend on it now.
How much daily study is enough?
Twenty to thirty minutes consistently beats several hours occasionally. Language consolidates between sessions, so the number of sessions matters more than their length.
Can I hold a conversation after three months?
In predictable situations, yes. Free conversation needs more vocabulary and faster recall, so setting that expectation correctly is what keeps you going into month four.
Should I learn to read from day one?
Yes, since the Latin script costs you almost nothing to learn. Just make sure you are also hearing every word, because reading alone will let you skip the tones.