What Is Fluency in Mandarin Chinese?

If you’re a language learner at any level and have sought to speed up the learning process, you’ve probably seen language learning companies make the following claims:

“Become FLUENT in ANY language in 3 months if you buy my NEW BOOK!”
“Meet the GENIUS who learned to speak PERFECT Mandarin in 4 WEEKS with THIS simple trick!”
“I reached FLUENCY in 5 MINUTES just by MEDITATING AND EATING A FORTUNE COOKIE!!”

I don’t know about you, but I hate this kind of stuff.

The first issue I have is that this mentality sucks the soul out of language learning and makes newbies see it as a race against time.

I get it.

We’re all busy.

We all want to learn faster.

But I don’t want to pay 50 dollars for an online course that tells me to look at more flashcards for the 100th time.

My second issue is the way language learning companies play on the ambiguous definition of the term ‘fluent’.

Definitions of Fluency

According to the Merrian-Webster dictionary…

So, if I can say ‘hello’ in Chinese using the correct tones pretty easily, does that make me fluent? Well according to the above definition, it does.

But what about when I listen to a Chinese news bulletin about the state of their economy in the current fiscal year?

If I’m lucky, I’ll understand about a third of what’s being said.

So, that’s my fluency badge taken away from me and thrown straight in the bin.

Luckily, there are quite a few smart folks out there who have offered a more detailed definition of fluency.

Let’s see what a linguistic professor, a CEO of a chain of language schools, and a polyglot (a real one) think.

What the Experts Say

Fluency has often been called the bridge from phonics to comprehension.
The link to phonics occurs when readers develop automaticity in their word recognition. The link to comprehension occurs when readers embed meaningful expression in their reading.
I often think of fluency as the gateway to comprehension.
It may not be comprehension itself, but readers have to have some degree of fluency to comprehend what they read.
Dr. Timothy Rasinski, Kent State Univers

I think that fluency actually refers to how smoothly and efficiently a second language (L2) speaker can speak on a range of topics in real-time.
While fluency may denote a degree of proficiency, it does not automatically imply accuracy – the ability to produce grammatically correct sentences – nor does it imply grammatical range.
Daniel Morgan, Shenker Institutes of English

The linguistic ability, combined with cultural awareness, to smoothly and confidently interact with native speakers in a meaningful way
Luca Lampariello, Polyglot

So, people who actually know what they’re talking about are essentially all in agreement:

Fluency implies you’re comfortable in a language and can communicate effectively in most situations, but you’re not perfect.

But wait, ‘perfect’?

Is being ‘perfect’ in another language even possible?

Native speakers also have different levels of fluency, right?

I’m a native English speaker, but I don’t know every English word. Am I perfect? Am I loved by anyone? Is my life a lie?

I think it’s time to talk about ‘proficiency’ instead…

Levels of Proficiency

Although it’s difficult to find a really accurate measurement of one’s language skills, the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages is probably the best thing we’ve got at the moment.

The Berlitz Language School has taken the CEFR framework and broke it down even further:

So, based on previous definitions of fluency, where would you place a fluent person on the above scale?

I personally think that only a C1 or C2 level learner can communicate in most situations easily.

But then what about the students I’ve met who’ve only passed the HSK 4 and can communicate in Mandarin very well, as opposed to those who have passed HSK 6 and can barely string a sentence together?

Vocabulary and Fluency

The CEO of Lingq and legend that is Steve Kauffman believes that knowledge of vocabulary is a somewhat accurate indicator of fluency.

He says that if we’re to agree that fluency isn’t the perfection of use in a language but more of an ability to understand and communicate, a database of words in our brain is a big piece of the puzzle.

Simply put, to understand and speak a lot, you need a lot of words.

Currently (although this is soon to change), the highest level of the HSK (Mandarin Proficiency Test for Foreigners) in China is level 6, which includes around 5000 words.

And most students who have passed this test will agree that it puts them at a high-intermediate level at best.

So, it sounds pretty obvious, but the more fluent you want to be, the more words you’re going to have to learn.

Reading and Fluency

Have you ever heard someone say that they can understand a lot of a language but can’t speak it?

Well, I have, and at first, I thought it was nonsense.

But in my quest to learn Mandarin I’ve seen learners of all levels and types.

Students who can read a LOT but can’t listen or speak.

Students who are great at speaking and listening but can’t read anything.

These people blur the line of fluency even further!

But to be able to reach a high level of fluency in Mandarin (or any language), you need to be able to read.

No ifs, no buts.

This is how we attain a high level of fluency in our own native language. We build a base of language as a child and grow on it by using our eyes and ears as we mature.

I often tell people that the most progress I’ve made in Mandarin Chinese has come as a result of reading.

It’s tough because the writing system isn’t phonetic, but it’s essential to progress in the language.

Can you call yourself fluent in a language if you can’t read?

I don’t think so.

Seriously, Though… What is Fluency in Mandarin Chinese?

I think the dictionary definition of ‘fluent’ is inadequate, and I much prefer Luca Lampariello‘s definition mentioned above.

And seen as though everyone’s allowed a crack at defining fluency these days, I’m going to have a go as well:

Fluency is reaching a high level of proficiency in all areas of a language (reading, writing, speaking, listening) yet being humble enough to know perfection in language doesn’t exist.
Me, just now