Why recommend other courses and apps, you ask? Because we want to see you reach your goal in learning Chinese, whatever that may be. And these (mostly free) resources can help!
USEFUL APPS:
Pleco (translation/flashcards) Waygo (point & translate Chinese characters with your smartphone) Duolingo (fun, interactive lessons -- just be aware that some pronunciations are wrong in the app)
USEFUL WEBSITES:
Dig Chinese(this site offers a list of measure words, popular chengyu idioms and more) Yoyo Chinese (this Pinyin pronunciation chart includes a recording of every sound/tone in Chinese) Chinese Resources from Wyoming LLC Attorney (Thanks to a tip from Hailey on this one! Scroll down and you'll find a wonderful list of resources to help you learn Chinese, including podcasts, comics, games and more)
New HSK: Complete Vocabulary Lists: Word lists for HSK levels 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 (on Amazon)
For beginners:
Integrated Chinese: Simplified Characters Textbook, Level 1, Part 1 (on Amazon)
For advanced learners:
Literature and Society: An Advanced Reader of Modern Chinese - Revised Edition (on Amazon)
PRACTICE TIPS:
Having trouble with your pronunciation? Download Audacity on your computer (a free audio MP3 player/editor) and record yourself speaking some Chinese words. Compare your pronunciation to the audio clips on Yoyo Chinese's Pinyin chart. Do you sound the same? It's often difficult to hear how you really sound when you speak, but much easier when you listen to a recording of yourself. Practice speaking Chinese and listening to yourself daily.
Having trouble remembering how to write Chinese characters? Try making up a little story for each component of a difficult character. For example, the bottom part of 篮 lán from 篮球 lánqiú (basketball) kind of looks like a net from above (皿). The three ⺮ zhú radicals could be players competing for the 'ball' (those two leftover lines on the left) around the basket (皿). Maybe it's a stretch, but you'd be surprised how much your imagination will help when memorizing all the 2,000 characters required for basic literacy in Chinese.