Immerse yourself in the environment. If you have the chance, study abroad or work in China for a while and that will significantly increase your abilities in the language. Out of necessity, you will learn some of the language. The more you are exposed to the language, the more of the language you will pick up.
Have friend or tutor who is fluent in the language teach it to you. One-on-one instruction will help you pick up the language faster. Having someone else who knows the language means you can check your pronunciation and inflection. If you are trying to learn Mandarin Chinese by yourself, tape record your speech so you can check your own inflection and pronunciation.
Use an online program to teach yourself Mandarin Chinese. Mandarin is a tonal language. Find a program that includes audio and video instruction so you can hear how words are pronounced. Different intonations of the same word in Mandarin Chinese mean different things, so hearing the language spoken is important to learning it correctly.
Find a class that teaches Mandarin Chinese. With China's growing influence in the world more colleges and community colleges are offering instruction in the language. Enroll in a class where you can learn the language along with others. This will give you contact with plenty of people who can help you practice.
Watch TV shows in Mandarin Chinese. This helps you understand the natural use of the language. Also, if you have seen the program in English, you can match up what the speaker is saying in Mandarin Chinese. Turn on the Chinese subtitles so you can see and hear the words. TV also offers visual cues to what the person is saying that you can't get listening to an audio CD.