Chinese is growing in popularity, so there are new ways to learn online popping up every day. They aren’t all good though. I believe the best resource is, of course, you can work one-to-one with qualified instructors online. Here are some of the other
I think might be helpful.
Chinese is considered one of the most difficult languages for native English speakers to learn for a variety of reasons. Yet, many have conquered this language, and so can you. Here are some of the reasons learning Chinese is difficult. Keep in mind that a teacher would be able to assist you with handling each of these points.
Two good podcasts are Popup Chinese and Shiny Chinese. Popup is old but good. Its archives are overflowing with content. Shiny Chinese is newer and offers lessons based around current events. It’s fun if you’re into Chinese news and culture.
Duolingo and Memrise are good apps for learning on-the-go. Mixing up your podcast queue with some fun apps is a good way to keep your brain on its toes. These apps can be used wherever you are, so you don’t need to be chained down to your computer.
Stand on the shoulders of giants, as they say. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology offers a number of free online versions of the classes they teach on-campus. One of those is a Chinese class. The class comes with a textbook that includes exercises at the end of each chapter.
If you’re interested in new Chinese culture, you might find this resource useful. This website features Chinese fiction and posts from popular bloggers translated line-by-line into English.
This one is pretty cool. Just enter a URL and after a few moments the website will come to life. You’ll hear the content being read back to you in a native speaker’s accent. Useful for listening skills.
Pinyin is Chinese written with the Roman alphabet. You’ll be learning a lot about pinyin during the early stages of your Chinese language adventure, and this chart is a great tool. You’ll see a complete list of all the Chinese sounds, and if you click on one, you’ll also hear the pronunciation.
I can’t stress enough that none of the above tools should be used without a solid curriculum planned by a qualified HSK prep teacher. Working with a teacher will give you the confidence you need to take on the exam and the tools you need to get the score you want. As I mentioned above, actually using the knowledge with a real human being is easily the best way to commit it to memory. Get a good teacher!