There is a myriad of different software on offer for anyone learning languages. From Rosseta Stone to learning Chinese podcasts, there is a lot on offer. Most of these services and software programs are not cheap. Considering the amount of time and work when it comes to developing a simple app to teach Mandarin can set someone back a fair penny, it is important to assess what apps best suit your needs. I am coming from the point of view that whoever is reading this is studying Mandarin in some capacity. As someone who achieved a high level of Mandarin, my advice is simply this, get Pleco.  This app can be useful for different types of people travelling or living in China. From the Westerner who has only mastered a nice ‘Nihao’ to the level 6 HSK holder, Pleco is a diverse piece of software. It is available for the Android, iPhone and iPad.

The first function on Pleco which is very useful is the dictionary. Many apps provide simple English-Chinese and Chinese-English dictionaries with an interface to write pinyin or characters. Pleco has this interface and provides two others, handwriting and using radicals to spell the word to find it.

This might not look like a big deal for some but the writing interface is correct as long you can write the correct stroke order. As well as that, cursive writing can be recognized too. This can save a lot of time trying to find characters. Trying to find a character in a Chinese dictionary(新华字典) is a necessary skill for Mandarin learners but Pleco can shave off nearly 90% of the time finding words with their radicals and even offers the use of radicals to find words in the app’s dictionary. Having the ability to write characters hand written on a touch screen is an extremely useful tool for learning Mandarin. It will help avoid the use of Pinyin and can cut down the time used otherwise to find words. As well as that it is a great way to practice mandarin when you are searching new or known words in the dictionary.

The other great feature of Pleco is the function to scan words. This function is also incredibly useful when handwriting characters is an issue with the user. Pleco uses the camera on phone or iPad and within the confines of a rectangle it can decipher what the characters means. Other functions include storing characters for later use and they can also be saved into flash card folder. Flash cards on Pleco are very good for Mandarin learning and can be saved by the user themselves for a more fine tuned session or they can be downloaded ranging from HSK levels 1-6 or common Mandarin learning materials. Many apps only cater one of the many functions that Pleco provides together. However, Pleco’s free app is quite restricted. The dictionary can only be used with a pinyin and radical interface.

For most of us this is good enough. Also the flash card training is available. But for the full experience, you can buy single functions such as hand writing  function and character scanner or you can buy the basic bundle which provides the essentials for Pleco. As stated before, there is a lot of apps and software in the market for Mandarin learning and so far Pleco has been the only one i have been willing to put a decent amount of money into because it is worth every penny. Whether you are an advanced learner or just looking for the free version to look up a few words, i can confidently say Pleco is the best app for aiding in learning Mandarin.

Originally posted on: http://nihaositgoing.com/2016/01/05/best-tools-for-learning-mandarin-pleco-and-skritter/