[grizzles]

Based on my experience learning Japanese I'd say this is the perfect approach. In the early days, people should stay away from the written side of a language.

As someone not in China but interested in learning, I'd prefer to try to understand what I'm hearing before working on tonal pronounciation. This is why I'd love and pay good money for a dataset of engaging Chinese tv shows, etc with the English translation and the Hanyu Pinyin displayed simultaneously and perfectly synchronized to what's being spoken on the screen. For me, listening comprehension is everything.

[rtpg]

As someone who has learned Japanese and is currently going through Mandarin : the written stuff is super useful in the mid term. It’s the equivalent to learning Latin and Greek roots for English. It’s a vocabulary multiplier and let’s you find words yourself even when you hear them for the first time.

It might feel like an uphill battle but it helps a lot imo