I just started my Mandarin learning journey and as many of you have probably found out, there are SO many apps at our disposal. I can't afford them all, so I'm doing the typical trial periods then trying to decide whether I want to splurge on the purchase. Some are just ridiculously expensive (unless you pay for the full year up front) and some are completely free, but extremely limited. I'm trying to do a hybrid of podcasts, youtube, apps and even physical books; this combination seems kind of effective, but with so many resource options, I end up doing only a little bit with each. I need structure!

For apps, the ones that I seem to have pretty good luck with are HelloChinese, Chineasy, Yo Yo Chinese, DuChinese (and the indispensable Pleco...). Which ones do you all have good luck with in terms of progress? I've certainly found out that there's no one app to rule them all. Which ones have you decided to pay for and found out that you had good progress with?

Hey everyone,
I’ve set myself a pretty wild challenge and could use some advice from people who have been down this road.
A close friend of mine is getting married to his Chinese girlfriend in about 2 years. He’s lined me up as his best man and joked/threatened that I’ll need to give a speech. I want to turn the tables on him and deliver part or all of my best man speech as a complete surprise in Mandarin.
The Timeline: Roughly 2 years.

The Goal: A heartfelt, understandable wedding speech (not fluency, but enough to genuinely shock and impress the bride, groom, and guests).

Current Level: Absolute zero. I speak English natively and have never studied an Asian language before.

I know consistency and focusing on spoken Mandarin/pinyin early on is key, but I'm trying to figure out the best blueprint for a complete beginner.
If you were starting from scratch today with a 24-month horizon and a heavy focus on eventually speaking/speech-giving, how would you structure your first few months? Any specific apps, beginner traps to avoid, or advice on when to bring in a tutor would be hugely appreciated!

Je suis étudiante en master spécialisé dans l'enseignement du chinois à l'étranger et j'ai besoin d'utiliser les données issues de questionnaires ou d'entretiens réalisés auprès d'apprenants français ayant utilisé la « Méthode de chinois : deuxième niveau » (《中级汉语》) pour ma thèse de fin d'études. Ces données seront utilisées à des fins de recherche universitaire et ne porteront pas atteinte à la vie privée. J'ai vraiment besoin de distribuer ces questionnaires à ces personnes et j'espère que vous n'hésiterez pas à me contacter si vous lisez ce message.