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One curious quirk that you may encounter with Chinese native speakers is their tendency to repeat the question you ask them. For example if you say “I’m going to work” you may get the response “You’re going to work?” While this may take some getting used to, it’s a great learning tool. If they repeat your question in the same manner that you originally asked it, you know that you were spot on in your phrasing. If however they correct it in their response, you can note the correction for next time! This is a great way to test yourself if you encounter a speaker like this, since you can make conversation using new constructions and see how accurate you are by listening closely to their responses.

In order to succeed in learning Chinese, you need to classify your experiences in speaking Chinese in two ways. When you have an experience where you were able to communicate with someone effectively in Chinese, consider that a confidence builder. If you have an experience where you were unsuccessful in communicating your meaning across, consider that a reality check. Use these latter experiences to help you figure out which areas you need to work on and where you need to improve. This way, all your experiences in speaking Chinese can be used to further your goals of achieving fluency!