1. Language acquisition TAKES EFFORT. Study new vocabulary and sentence patterns for 15-20 minutes a day. Studying a little every day is more effective than cramming the night before a quiz or test.
2. Make flash cards with pinyin and characters on one side and definitions on the other. Review them often.
3. Practice reading OUT LOUD. Read with correct tones, and exaggerate the tones for emphasis. Practice saying your phrases and dialogs to a friend or family member even if they don’t know what you are saying.
4. Do all your classwork/homework. The more you practice something new the easier it is to remember it.5. Practice writing new characters at least 10x each. Use the correct stroke order and count the strokes out loud as you write them.
6.Make associations between different characters with similar radicals. Remember, you cannot memorize characters just by staring at them.
7. Review regularly. Language is a cumulative skill.
8. Study with a Chinese speaking friend or classmate.
9. Sing Chinese songs.
10. Use post-it notes to write down words and stick them on corresponding objects around your house.
11. Increase your exposure to Mandarin by listening to Chinese radio broadcasts, tv shows, Chinese songs on Youtube, Mandarin movies with English subtitles, etc. See "Listening to Chinese" under My Links in the navigation bar at left.