[claylimo]

If someone wants to learn how to speak chinese, the best way IMO is to repeat and mimic the sound of a native speaker over and over again. I used Glossika (glossika.com) 3 or 4 years ago when they were just selling a zip file of MP3s. So rather than trying to master individual tones out of context, you learn how to say words within a sentence context. And through space-based-repetition and daily practice, these sounds get more easily embedded and familiar with your tongue and your listening ear too. So rather than trying to memorize a bunch of tones, you're learning how all the sounds and words flow together, and that's how you learn to sound like a native speaker.

[bayesian_horse]

I'd also suggest Duolingo which has audio for all sentences in its course and uses speech recognition.

Additionally the Pimsleur courses are great, with non-interactive lessons you can listen to with a media player. But relatively expensive, if you want to own it legally. They also don't do characters at all, so it can only be a part of the journey.

[faitswulff]

As an alternative to Pimsleur, you can often find a login to Mango Languages at your local library's digital resources, which uses a very similar teaching methodology.