Whether you're heading to China on a business trip, a vacation or to start a new job overseas, you need to learn Chinese fast. No problem, right? It's not like Chinese is that difficult... Oh wait - Chinese, with its characters and complex pronunciation, is actually pretty intimidating for most native English speakers. Fortunately, there are several things you can do to learn Chinese fast.
1. Focus on the important parts - You don't need to know how to introduce your great-grandmother right off the bat. Instead, focus on survival phrases that include introductions and basic directions.

2. Learn to speak before you read - You'll be much better off if you can ask someone what a certain character means than if you can't communicate with the people around you.

3. Listen to native speakers - Use an audio program that features native speakers. You'll be much more likely to pick up on important inflections that will help Chinese people understand you.

4. Practice regularly - Cramming a new language all at once works about as well as it did in college - you'll be lucky if you retain anything! Instead, set aside a regular time to practice for at least a half hour each day and you'll quickly and easily learn Chinese fast.

5. Start using the language as quickly as possible - Before you've even left your native soil, find Chinese speakers to practice your skills with. Literacy programs in your area can help you find practice partners, or you can find Chinese speakers looking to brush up their English online. You'll mess up and sound silly, but you'll improve much faster this way.

One of the best ways to learn any new language fast is with a software program that's interactive and engaging. After traveling extensively and learning the basics of several different languages, I've found that one of the best programs on the market is Rocket Languages. It'll have you up and running with your new language in a matter of minutes - plus, it's affordable and the on-the-spot downloads mean you can get started right away. It's a great tool to help you learn any language fast! http://www.languagelearners.info/learnchinese/.