Listening is a very important part of learning Mandarin. Many Chinese learners want to know how to improve their listening skills. Learning Mandarin with a Chinese teacher is necessary but you usually have to choose a professional school. If you learn Mandarin by yourself, then you should choose some native Mandarin textbooks that include audio CDs, these would be a better way to practice Chinese listening skills.
Here Are Some of My Suggestions for You.
The best way is by listening to material that is challenging but not too difficult. Advanced learners can watch Chinese movies and listen to radio programs. Here is a list of movies to get you started:
Another way to increase your Chinese listening comprehension skill is that you should listen Chinese songs. Start with slower ones. Recently, one of our students used a difficult conjunction word during our class which is really impressed me. She got it from a classic Chinese song! There are also many good passages found in some books which share the great idea for your Chinese listening skills.
Beginners should start with simpler, shorter material. Examples include looking for an on-line class and live practice with a native speaker. Short stories on CD also can help.
Listening more than once can help. First you can listen and write down the information you hear. Then listen again to check if you are right. Listen one more time to ensure you have it!
You know there are many similar online class service in the market, but they are different in the starting point and the emphatic point. Today I highly recommend hanbridge mandarin online lessons, with this 1-1 online lessons and native teachers, you will can get the best results and have the opportunity to learn at your own pace, you can schedule your lessons anytime, no matter how busy you are, you can always find time to focus on your online Chinese lessons. Apart of Chinese listening skills, it also makes you practice Chinese speaking and your tones.
NOTE: To make you better understand the features of the 1-On-1 Online lessons on Hanbridge Mandarin, I suggest you try the online Chinese courses with your private & native teachers.
Some learners like to record native speakers telling stories or reading a passage from a book; then the learner can go home and listen repeatedly. If you are in China, communicating with local people is also an effective way to improve your listening skills. Instead of using simple English such as "hello" "thank you" or "see you", you can try "nǐ hǎo" "xiè xiè" and "zài jiàn". People would love to talk with you and in this way you can improve your listening easily.
In the end, there is no single best way that works for everyone if you want to improve Chinese listening skills. The main idea is to practice: you learned your native language by listening to the people around you, and listening will be the foundation of your Chinese proficiency too.