You're taking Mandarin classes. You show up, you take notes, you do the homework. But somewhere between Thursday's lesson and the following Tuesday, things start to slip. Vocabulary fades. Characters blur. The tones you nailed in class feel uncertain by the time you get home.
This is completely normal — and it has a straightforward fix.
Class time alone is rarely enough to reach fluency. Research on language acquisition consistently shows that learners need significantly more exposure and practice than any weekly class schedule can provide. The good news is that the resources to fill that gap are largely free, widely available, and don't require hours of extra study per day.
This guide covers the best free resources to supplement your Mandarin classes, organised by what they're best for — with some affordable paid extras for learners who want to go further.
Why Supplements Matter More Than You Think
Even an intensive twice-weekly Mandarin class gives you around 4–6 hours of Chinese per month. Language researchers estimate that reaching conversational proficiency in Mandarin requires somewhere between 1,200 and 2,200 hours of study — and that's study, not passive exposure.
The math is straightforward: classes get you pointed in the right direction. The supplementary practice you do between classes is what actually builds fluency.
The best supplements don't replace your class — they extend it. They reinforce what your teacher introduced, fill in the gaps your class doesn't have time to cover, and give you the repeated exposure that makes vocabulary stick.
Free Resources by Learning Need
For Vocabulary: The New HSK Vocabulary Lists
Best for: Knowing exactly what to study, building a clear vocabulary target
If your class is following the HSK curriculum — or if you're working toward an HSK exam alongside your classes — the official HSK vocabulary lists are the most useful free reference available. They tell you precisely which words you're expected to know at each level, giving your vocabulary study a clear, finite target rather than a vague "learn more words" instruction.
The complete New HSK vocabulary lists are available free at Mandarin Zest — covering all levels, with characters, pinyin, and English translations. Bookmark this and use it as your vocabulary reference throughout your studies.
How to use it alongside classes: After each lesson, cross-reference the new vocabulary your teacher introduced against the HSK list. You'll quickly see which level you're working at, what's coming next, and whether there are gaps to fill.
For Self-Assessment: The Quick HSK Level Test
Best for: Understanding where you actually are, tracking progress
Many class students have only a vague sense of their proficiency level. You know roughly what your class is covering, but you don't know how that maps to real-world or exam-level Chinese. The Quick HSK Level Test solves this.
Use it at the start of your studies as a baseline, and re-take it every 2–3 months. Seeing your level rise is one of the most motivating experiences in language learning — and knowing your level helps you choose appropriate supplementary materials.
For Motivation and Planning: The Chinese Learning Calculator
Best for: Setting realistic goals, understanding your timeline
One of the most common reasons class students plateau or quit is unmet expectations — they thought they'd be fluent in six months, and when they're not, they lose motivation. The Chinese Learning Calculator gives you a personalised, realistic timeline based on your study hours and starting level.
Calculate your learning timeline for free
Understanding that fluency is a multi-year project — and seeing clearly how your class hours plus supplementary study add up — is far more motivating than vague optimism. It also helps you set goals that are achievable in the short term.
For Listening: Podcasts and YouTube Channels
Best for: Training your ear between classes, building exposure to natural speech
Most classes provide some listening practice, but rarely enough to build the ear training that fluency requires. Free audio resources fill this gap effectively.
Mandarin Corner (YouTube) — Clear, structured Mandarin conversations at various levels, with subtitles in Chinese and English. One of the best free resources for intermediate learners.
HSK Standard Course (YouTube) — Official listening practice content aligned to the HSK framework. Useful for exam candidates at every level.
Mandarin Blueprint Podcast — Beginner-focused explanations of Mandarin grammar and pronunciation. Good for learners in the early stages of classes.
Chinese Pod — One of the longest-running Mandarin learning podcast series, with content from absolute beginner to advanced. The free tier provides access to a substantial library.
Tip: Choose content at or just below your class level for confidence-building, and occasionally stretch to just above your level for challenge. The goal is to hear natural Chinese regularly — even 10 minutes per day of good listening practice adds up significantly over weeks and months.
For Immersion: Chinese TV and Film
Best for: Hearing natural, colloquial Mandarin; picking up cultural context
Once you have a foundation of 200–300 words (roughly HSK 1–2 level), Chinese TV and film become useful supplements. You won't understand everything — and that's fine.
Where to find it:
- YouTube — Chinese Vlog channels, language learning channels, and officially uploaded Chinese content
- Netflix — has a growing library of Chinese-language films and series (search "Chinese" or "Mandarin" in language filters)
- iQiyi — China's largest streaming platform; accessible outside China with a VPN or via the international version
How to watch effectively: Turn on Chinese subtitles, not English ones. This connects what you hear to what you read in characters — a much more effective practice than reading an English translation while passively hearing Chinese. Don't worry about understanding everything. Focus on recognising words you know and noticing patterns in what you don't.
For Characters: Daily Writing Practice
Best for: Reinforcing character recognition and stroke order beyond class time
Most Mandarin classes touch on character writing but can't provide the volume of practice students need to build automatic recognition. This is one of the biggest gaps that supplementary practice can fill.
Free options:
- Skritter (free trial) — animated stroke order, spaced repetition for characters
- Pleco (free) — the best Chinese dictionary app, with character look-up and flashcard functionality built in
- Handwriting input on your phone — switching your keyboard to Chinese pinyin input and practising typing vocabulary forces you to recognise characters in context
Affordable upgrade: If you want structured handwriting practice that goes beyond screen-based tools, the New HSK 1: Character Writing Practice Book gives you all HSK 1 characters with stroke order diagrams and practice grids — the kind of focused, physical writing practice that class time rarely provides enough of. The Chinese Handwriting Practice Sheets are a flexible blank-grid option that works across all HSK levels.
Learn Chinese Characters the right way!
Chinese characters are often seen as one of the most intimidating parts of learning Mandarin. This guide was created to change that.
For Vocabulary Retention: Spaced Repetition
Best for: Making sure words you've learned actually stay learned
The biggest enemy of class-based learning is the forgetting curve. You learn a word in Tuesday's class, and by Friday it's gone. Spaced repetition software combats this directly by reviewing words at increasing intervals, just before you're about to forget them.
Anki (free, desktop and Android; small one-time fee on iPhone) — the most powerful and widely used spaced repetition tool. Download a pre-made HSK vocabulary deck or build your own using your class vocabulary.
Pleco (free) — has a built-in flashcard system with spaced repetition. Excellent for Chinese because you can look up a word and add it to your review deck in one tap.
How to use it: After each class, add the new vocabulary from that lesson to your Anki or Pleco deck. Set a target of reviewing 10–15 minutes per day. Words you already know well will appear less frequently; words you're struggling with will come up more often. Over time, this turns class vocabulary into permanent knowledge.
For Reading: Graded Readers
Best for: Building reading fluency, encountering vocabulary in context
Classes rarely provide enough reading practice. Textbook dialogues are short and artificial — useful for introducing structures, but not sufficient for building real reading fluency. Graded readers fill this gap: they're full-length stories written at your exact HSK level, using only vocabulary and grammar you already know.
Free starting point: Any text you can find at your HSK level — simple news articles on Chinese learning sites, graded reader samples, or HSK-level passages online — is useful reading practice. Look for content with both Chinese and pinyin.
Affordable upgrade: If you're at HSK 3 or above, Mandarin Zest's graded readers are written specifically for learner levels and are far more engaging than typical textbook content:
- 上海，我来了！— Shanghai, I'm Coming! (HSK 3) — $8.00
- 上海，我回来了！— Shanghai, I'm Back! (HSK 4–5) — $8.00
- 一封来自广东的信 — A Letter from Guangdong (HSK 4–5) — $8.00
- The Shanghai Trilogy — Complete Collection — $14.00
Reading 15–20 minutes per day at your level is one of the highest-leverage habits available to any language learner.
For Speaking: Language Exchange Partners
Best for: Practising real conversation outside class
Most Mandarin classes don't provide enough speaking time — there are too many students and not enough minutes. Language exchange partners solve this directly: you speak Chinese with a native speaker for 30 minutes, then switch to English (or your native language) for 30 minutes.
Where to find partners:
- HelloTalk (free app) — matches you with native speakers wanting to learn your language
- Tandem (free) — similar to HelloTalk, with voice, video, and text options
- italki Community (free) — language exchange partner matching on the italki platform
- Local Chinese community groups — Chinese student associations at universities often welcome conversation practice partnerships
Even one 30-minute session per week outside of class makes a measurable difference to speaking confidence and fluency.
For Community and Accountability: The Mandarin Zest Discord
Best for: Staying motivated, practising with other learners, getting questions answered
One of the underrated challenges of class-based learning is that your progress between lessons is largely solitary. The Mandarin Zest Discord community solves this — it's a free, active community of Mandarin learners at every level, with native-speaking moderators, daily practice opportunities, and a place to ask questions between classes.
Whether you want to practise a sentence you're unsure about, find a conversation partner, or simply stay accountable to your study goals, having a community of people on the same journey makes a genuine difference to long-term motivation.
join our discord server!
Join the Mandarin Zest community on Discord. Discover Chinese pop culture and internet trends, chat with fellow learners, and interact with teachers and fluent moderators.
For Daily Exposure: Mandarin Zest on Instagram
Best for: Bite-sized daily Chinese content, keeping Mandarin present in your life between classes
Consistency matters more than intensity in language learning — and one of the easiest ways to keep Chinese present in your daily life is following content that delivers it passively. The Mandarin Zest Instagram posts daily Chinese content: vocabulary, characters, grammar tips, cultural context, and learner encouragement.
Follow Mandarin Zest on Instagram for your daily dose of Chinese between classes. It takes 30 seconds and keeps the language alive in your mind even on days when you don't have time to study properly.
For Weekly Learning Insights: The Mandarin Zest Newsletter
Best for: Structured learning tips, resource recommendations, and staying on track week to week
The Mandarin Zest newsletter is a free weekly resource for Mandarin learners — covering study strategies, language insights, new content, and practical tips for making progress outside of class. It's designed specifically for learners who want more than just random app notifications: structured, thoughtful content delivered to your inbox.
Subscribe for free at chinesemandarinzest.substack.com
Many class students find the newsletter useful for bridging the gap between lessons — it gives you something structured to read and think about mid-week, even on days when full study sessions aren't possible.
A Simple Weekly Supplement Plan for Class Students
You don't need to use everything above. Here's a realistic, manageable weekly plan for a student attending one or two Mandarin classes per week:
| Activity | Time | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Anki/Pleco vocabulary review | 10–15 min | Daily |
| Chinese listening (podcast/YouTube) | 10–15 min | Daily |
| Instagram daily Chinese content | 2–3 min | Daily |
| Graded reader or Chinese TV | 15–20 min | 3–4x per week |
| Character writing practice | 10 min | 3–4x per week |
| Discord community — chat, questions, practice | 10–15 min | 2–3x per week |
| Language exchange or conversation practice | 30 min | 1x per week |
| Mandarin Zest newsletter | 5–10 min | Weekly |
Total supplementary time: roughly 30–45 minutes per day. Combined with your class hours, this is the kind of consistent exposure that produces real, measurable progress.
Final Thoughts
The class students who make the fastest progress aren't necessarily the most talented — they're the ones who treat class time as a foundation and build consistently on top of it. A few minutes of Anki each day, some listening practice on your commute, a graded reader before bed — none of these are big commitments individually. Together, they create the repeated exposure that turns classroom learning into genuine fluency.
Start with the free tools. Build a routine that fits your life. And when you're ready to go further, the structured materials are there.
FAQ
Even 20–30 minutes of focused daily practice between classes makes a significant difference. The specific activities matter less than the consistency — daily short sessions outperform long, irregular ones.
Yes. The HSK vocabulary lists and level structure are a useful reference regardless of your class curriculum, because they're based on frequency and real-world usefulness. You may find your class covers many HSK words without explicitly labelling them as such.
Start with the Quick HSK Level Test to confirm your baseline, then focus on three things: pinyin and tones (your class will cover this), the HSK 1 vocabulary list (free), and daily Anki review of the words your class introduces. Everything else can be added gradually.
Many of the self-study resources on this site are designed for independent learners — so yes, many learners do use them without a class. But if you're currently in classes, supplements work best as extensions of your class learning rather than replacements. The structured instruction from a teacher, especially on tones and pronunciation in the early stages, is genuinely valuable.
Take the Quick HSK Level Test — it'll give you a good indication. You can also compare your class vocabulary against the HSK vocabulary list to see which level you're working at.