That's a great question. Many students who start to learn Chinese want to focus on expanding their vocabulary quickly. There's nothing wrong with that! Vocabulary is an essential part of any language, and if you want to be able to speak, you'll want to have a mighty arsenal of words. And I believe the best way to improve is to work one-to-one with a qualified instructor. That said, there are other methods you can use.

Immersion:

The benefits of immersion are well documented. Use it or lose it they say, and they are right. If you want to improve your vocabulary fast, putting yourself in an environment where you have to use the language will help tremendously. If you can't visit China, you can try to simulate a Chinese-language environment wherever you are. You can do this with a variety of tools.

In-person language partner:

A language partner is classic way of using your Chinese. Depending on what country you live in, it might be easy for you to get a language partner. The number of Chinese students at universities in the US, UK, Canada and other English-speaking countries is growing rapidly. If you can, contact a nearby university's international student department. They should be able to help you find a language buddy.

Online language partner:

So what if you don't live in one of those countries, or maybe you'd prefer to work online? Finding an online language partner isn't hard. It's also possible to work with a professional teacher via Skype. Again, just something to consider.

Podcasts:

Podcasting is the new big thing, and it's extremely useful for language learners. There are a number of good podcasts out there that will help you continue adding to your vocabulary. They've been around a long time and they have a lot of content to choose from.

Television shows and movies:

Get to Googling. If you're into action films, you're in luck: China has plenty of kung-fu flicks. Think you like soap operas? China loves soap operas. There are probably too many for you to choose from. Check out this list for some classics, and read this for more guidance into the colorful world of Chinese TV.

Word Tree:

No one knows what you like better than you do, right? So to keep your learning experience interesting, focus on learning about what you want, at least initially. With vocabulary, that's pretty easy. I like to tell my students to start out by making a word tree.

First come up with something you like. Got it? Good. Write it down in Chinese characters, Chinese Pinyin, and English. Now think of things related to that subject, repeat the previous step, and draw a line connecting the two words. Rinse and repeat. You'll want to spice it up to make memorizing the words easier. Try drawing pictures alongside the words or watch videos related to the words you've written down.

Use Line Dict to help you find words and definitions.

Children's books:

It might sound a little childish, but children's books are a good way of learning some basic vocabulary. Most of us can remember learning to read from our favorite books as a kid. There's a reason for that. Those books were simple and offered easy, quick rewards. Getting rewarded helps you learn. It'll make you feel better when you can get through a book, and you can bump up the difficulty as you go along. Plus, kids books have pretty pictures! Who doesn't like that?

Labels:

Go out, buy some labels, and stick them everywhere. Write the Chinese characters and pinyin on the label for each object. Household objects are some of the first items you'll be adding to your vocabulary if you're working from a textbook or with a teacher. Using labels is a good way to reinforce what you're learning, as you'll be seeing Chinese all over your house!

Flashcards:

This is a tried-and-true way of beefing up your vocabulary. You can go with handmade flashcards or try going digital with something like Anki. The benefit of Anki is that it learns as you do. The better you are at recalling the information on a flashcard, the less often you'll see that flashcard in your deck.

Apps:

Speaking of going digital, there are plenty of other apps out there that will help you improve your vocabulary. Check this list out for a little inspiration.

These are my tips for learning Chinese.