Learning Chinese as a beginner can be confusing. Here are answers to 50 common questions asked by new learners! Link to article: 50 beginner questions about learning Chinese : https://www.hackingchinese.com/50-beginner-questions-about-learning-chinese/ #learnchinese #beginner #questions Unlocking Chinese: The Ultimate Course for Beginners: https://unlockingchinese.com Hacking Chinese Pronunciation: Speaking with Confidence: http://pronunciation.hackingchinese.com/ Which Chinese language course s...
Aug 23, 2022•32 min•Season 1Ep. 107
Which transcription system should you use when learning Mandarin: Pinyin, Zhuyin or perhaps IPA? Let’s discuss their pros and cons! Link to article 1: Learning to pronounce Mandarin with Pinyin, Zhuyin and IPA: Part 1 : https://www.hackingchinese.com/learning-to-pronounce-mandarin-with-pinyin-zhuyin-and-ipa-part-1/ Link to article 2: Learning to pronounce Mandarin with Pinyin, Zhuyin and IPA: Part 2 : https://www.hackingchinese.com/learning-to-pronounce-mandarin-with-pinyin-zhuyin-and-ipa-part-2...
Aug 16, 2022•17 min•Season 1Ep. 106
Games are great for learning languages. Here are ten ways you can use games to learn or teach Chinese as a second language! Link to article: 10 ways of using games to learn and teach Chinese : https://www.hackingchinese.com/10-ways-using-games-learn-teach-chinese/ #learnchinese #games How to improve fluency in Chinese by playing word games: https://www.hackingchinese.com/playing-word-games-to-practise-fluency/ Playing Codenames to learn Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/playing-codenames-l...
Aug 08, 2022•15 min•Season 1Ep. 105
How do you stop translating in your head? Is it worthwhile to study a Pinyin chart? And how do you learn traditional characters after learning simplified? Link to article: Hacking Chinese Podcast two-year anniversary Q&A : https://www.hackingchinese.com/hacking-chinese-podcast-two-year-anniversary-qa/ #learnchinese #chinesecharacters #translation #pinyin A list of all episodes can be found here: https://www.hackingchinese.com/podcast/ Hacking Chinese Pronunciation: Speaking with Confidence A...
Aug 02, 2022•24 min•Season 1Ep. 104
Whole books have been written about how the Chinese writing system works, and really understanding Chinese is a lifelong adventure, but what do you do as a beginner when asked to memorise a list of characters and words? Here are eight easy-to-follow strategies! Link to article: How to learn Chinese characters as a beginner : https://www.hackingchinese.com/how-to-learn-chinese-characters-as-a-beginner/ #learnchinese #beginner #chinesecharacters The building blocks of Chinese, part 1: Chinese char...
Jul 26, 2022•13 min•Season 1Ep. 103
There are many ways of writing down the tones of Mandarin beyond the standard tone marks. Which are they and what pros and cons do they have for learners? Link to article: 7 ways to write Mandarin tones : https://www.hackingchinese.com/7-ways-to-write-mandarin-tones/ #learnchinese #tones #marks #letters What’s the difference between Chinese pronunciation and Pinyin? Does it matter? https://www.hackingchinese.com/whats-the-difference-chinese-pronunciation-and-pinyin-does-matter/ Learning to prono...
Jul 21, 2022•25 min•Season 1Ep. 102
When learning Chinese, questions about the language pop up all the time, but what's the best way to answer them? Link to article: Chinese language question triage: When to ask whom about what : https://www.hackingchinese.com/language-question-triage-general-guidelines/ #learnchinese #questions #answers #triage 5 websites to help answer your questions about Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/5-websites-to-help-answer-your-questions-about-chinese/ How to look up Chinese characters you don’t k...
Jul 11, 2022•10 min•Season 1Ep. 101
A good principle for choosing what to learn is to focus on the most useful things first, but how do you know what's most useful? Frequency lists can be helpful, but are often misused. Link to article: The most common Chinese words, characters and components for language learners and teachers : https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-most-common-chinese-words-characters-and-components-for-language-learners-and-teachers/ #learnchinese #words #hanzi #components #frequency Three factors that decide how m...
Jul 06, 2022•17 min•Season 1Ep. 100
Being fluent in Chinese is more about being good at applying what you know, rather than knowing everything. Many students focus too much on learning new things, and neglect mastering what they've already learnt. Link to article: How to become fluent in Chinese : https://www.hackingchinese.com/how-to-become-fluent-in-chinese/ #learnchinese #fluency #fourstrands Which words you should learn and where to find them: https://www.hackingchinese.com/which-words-you-should-learn-in-and-where-to-find-the...
Jun 28, 2022•18 min•Season 1Ep. 99
Making mistakes is a natural part of learning Chinese, but how can you make sure you learn as much as possible from the mistakes you make? The answer can be anything from "ignore it" to "stop everything you're doing and get to the bottom of it", and it all depends on what kind of mistake you've made! Link to article: How to get honest feedback to boost your Chinese speaking and writing : https://www.hackingchinese.com/about-the-importance-of-separating-various-kinds-of-mistakes/ #learnchinese #m...
Jun 21, 2022•22 min•Season 1Ep. 98
Chinese characters are beautiful, but they take a long time to learn, especially if you want to be able to write them by hand. But do you actually need handwriting? When might you be required to write by hand? And are there any other benefits with handwriting that might make it all worthwhile? Link to article: Do you have to learn to write Chinese characters by hand? https://www.hackingchinese.com/is-it-necessary-to-learn-to-write-chinese-characters-by-hand/ #learnchinese #handwriting #typing #r...
Jun 13, 2022•28 min•Season 1Ep. 97
When learning a language, it's important to know many words, but it's also important that you learn the right words. How do you know which words to learn? Where should you find those words? And how much can you express using only the ten hundred most used words? Link to article: Which words you should learn and where to find them : https://www.hackingchinese.com/which-words-you-should-learn-in-and-where-to-find-them/ #learnchinese #requency #wordlists #fluency June Chinese vocabulary challenge: ...
Jun 06, 2022•12 min•Season 1Ep. 96
A textbook can only provide a sliver of the content and activities you need to learn Chinese, but rather than throwing your textbook away, try using several of them in parallel. Link to article: Why you should use more than one Chinese textbook : https://www.hackingchinese.com/why-you-should-use-more-than-one-chinese-textbook/ #learnchinese #textbooks #input #reading #listening Analyse and balance your Chinese learning with Paul Nation’s four strands: https://www.hackingchinese.com/analyse-and-b...
May 30, 2022•17 min•Season 1Ep. 95
When learning Chinese, it’s hard to make sure you’re doing the right things. Paul Nation’s four strands allow you analyse and balance your learning! Link to article: Analyse and balance your Chinese learning with Paul Nation's four strands : https://www.hackingchinese.com/analyse-and-balance-your-chinese-learning-with-paul-nations-four-strands #learnchinese #fourstrands #sla #input #output #fluency Nation, P. (2007). The four strands. International Journal of Innovation in Language Learning and ...
May 24, 2022•20 min•Season 1Ep. 94
As if learning basic tones wasn't enough, tones in Mandarin also influence each other and change depending on context. Some of these tone change rules you have to learn, but others are better left alone and will be absorbed naturally over time. Link to article: On accuracy, communication and comprehensibility when learning Chinese : https://www.hackingchinese.com/on-accuracy-communication-and-comprehensibility-when-learning-chinese #learnchinese #errors #communication #accuracy Learning the thir...
May 16, 2022•15 min•Season 1Ep. 93
As if learning basic tones wasn't enough, tones in Mandarin also influence each other and change depending on context. Some of these tone change rules you have to learn, but others are better left alone and will be absorbed naturally over time. Link to article: Obligatory and optional tone change rules in Mandarin : https://www.hackingchinese.com/optional-obligatory-tone-change-rules-mandarin/ #learnchinese #tones #sandhi #pronunciation Hacking Chinese Pronunciation: Speaking with Confidence: ht...
May 09, 2022•14 min•Season 1Ep. 92
Listening is probably the most important skill when learning Chinese, and the more you practise, the better. In order to listen as much as you should, you need to stop thinking about listening as a study activity and start thinking about it as a way of life! Link to article: How to find more time to practise Chinese listening : https://www.hackingchinese.com/how-to-find-more-time-to-practise-listening/ #learnchinese #listening #extensive #immersion Hacking Chinese Pronunciation: Speaking with Co...
May 03, 2022•16 min•Season 1Ep. 91
Authentic texts not written specifically for second language learners are rich, varied, interesting and engaging, but they can also be terribly difficult and confusing. Should you use such texts for learning Chinese, or are you better off using content tailored to language learners? Link to article: Are authentic texts good for learning Chinese or is graded content better? https://www.hackingchinese.com/are-authentic-texts-good-for-learning-chinese-or-is-graded-content-better/ #learnchinese #rea...
Apr 27, 2022•18 min•Season 1Ep. 90
Reading in Chinese has many benefits, but why you read should also inform your choice of what to read. Link to article: What to read to improve your Chinese and why : https://www.hackingchinese.com/what-to-read-to-improve-your-chinese-and-why #learnchinese #reading #comprehensibility #authenticity The 7 best Chinese reading resources for beginners: https://www.hackingchinese.com/beginner-chinese-reading/ 6 challenges students face when learning to read Chinese and how to overcome them: https://w...
Apr 20, 2022•16 min•Season 1Ep. 89
Tones in Chinese can be hard to master, but did you know that most of what you need is contained in just twenty words? Link to article: How to learn Chinese pronunciation as a beginner : https://www.hackingchinese.com/learning-pronunciation-as-a-beginner/ #learnchinese #pronunciation #beginner #tones Hacking Chinese Pronunciation: Speaking with Confidence: https://www.hackingchinese.com/courses/mandarin-chinese-pronunciation-course/ All articles on Hacking Chinese tagged with “pronunciation”: ht...
Apr 11, 2022•15 min•Season 1Ep. 88
Tones in Chinese can be hard to master, but did you know that most of what you need is contained in just twenty words? Link to article: Focusing on tone pairs to improve your Mandarin pronunciation: https://www.hackingchinese.com/focusing-on-tone-pairs-to-improve-your-mandarin-pronunciation/ #learnchinese #tones #tonepairs #pronunciation Link to pronunciation course: Hacking Chinese Pronunciation: Speaking with Confidence : https://pronunciation.hackingchinese.com/ Focusing on tone pairs to impr...
Apr 04, 2022•31 min•Season 1Ep. 87
Many students think that learning a language is limited to going to class, working your way through difficult texts or having conversations with native speakers. These all contribute to your learning, but learning is not limited to things you can schedule in your calendar. If you think of it like that, you'll miss so many learning opportunities! Link to article: Time quality: Studying the right thing at the right time : https://www.hackingchinese.com/time-quality-and-studying-chinese/ #learnchin...
Mar 28, 2022•15 min•Season 1Ep. 86
Finding the right resources for learning and teaching Chinese can be tricky considering how much there is on offer. How do you find resources suitable for your level, apps designed to help you meet a particular challenge, or information and advice in general? You go to Hacking Chinese Resources, of course, which features 500 resources for learning and teaching Chinese, tagged by level, topic and type. Link to article: 500 resources for learning and teaching Chinese, tagged by level, topic and ty...
Mar 21, 2022•14 min•Season 1Ep. 85
Are you picking up Chinese again after a break, and struggle to find the words and characters? Does spoken Mandarin sound vaguely familiar but incomprehensible? Then this guide will help you get back on track! Link to article: How to start learning Chinese again after a break : https://www.hackingchinese.com/how-to-start-learning-chinese-again-after-a-break #learnchinese #recover #gettingback #hackingchinese Chinese language logging, part 2: A healthy, balanced diet of Mandarin: https://www.hack...
Mar 14, 2022•19 min•Season 1Ep. 84
Stroke order can feel difficult and pointless for beginners, but if you want to be able to write Chinese characters, it's important to get it right from the start. Instead of taking my word for it, let me explain why stroke order matters! Link to article: Is it necessary to learn the stroke order of Chinese characters? https://www.hackingchinese.com/is-it-necessary-to-learn-the-stroke-order-of-chinese-characters/ #learnchinese #characters #strokeorder #hanzi Link to the first episode about diffi...
Mar 07, 2022•14 min•Season 1Ep. 83
How do you survive a Chinese course that's too hard for you, regardless if you ended up there on purpose or because of circumstances? What are the key strategies to ensure you stay afloat and learn as much as possible? Link to article: How to survive and thrive in a difficult Chinese course : https://www.hackingchinese.com/how-to-survive-and-thrive-in-a-difficult-chinese-course #learnchinese #course #difficult #challenge Link to the first episode about difficult courses (#80 on the podcast): htt...
Feb 28, 2022•21 min•Season 1Ep. 82
Most foreigners learning Chinese rely on textbooks written specifically for foreigners, but what about textbooks written for native speakers, can’t we use those to learn Chinese too? Link to article: The benefits of using 语文/國文 textbooks to learn Chinese https://www.hackingchinese.com/benefits-using-语文國文-textbooks-learn-chinese/ #learnchinese #textbooks #语文 #國文 #chinese John' article about learning Classical Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/learning-classical-chinese-is-for-everyone-no-se...
Feb 21, 2022•12 min•Season 1Ep. 81
Chinese has a reputation for being hard to learn and it can be even harder if you take a course that is above your level. But why would you do that? What are the potential pros and cons of deliberately seeking out a learning environment where just keeping your head above water will be hard? https://www.hackingchinese.com/is-taking-a-chinese-course-thats-too-hard-good-for-your-learning/ #learnchinese #difficulty #immersion #comprehensible Listen to this and other episodes on your favourite podcas...
Feb 14, 2022•14 min•Season 1Ep. 80
Learning to write Chinese characters takes a lot of time and might not be strictly necessary, but if you want to improve your handwriting, how should you go about it? Link to article: How to improve your Chinese handwriting https://www.hackingchinese.com/how-to-improve-your-chinese-handwriting/ Tags: #learnchinese #handwriting #characters #writing Chinese writing challenge, February 2022: https://www.hackingchinese.com/chinese-writing-challenge/ The building blocks of Chinese, part 1: Chinese ch...
Feb 08, 2022•21 min•Season 1Ep. 79
Text adventure games are awesome for learning Chinese, but how do they work and how can you get the most out of them? Link to article in Chinese: 文字冒险游戏及其在对外汉语教学中的应用 https://www.hackingchinese.com/wenzi-maoxian-youxi/ Link to article in English (including separate podcast episode 78a): Text adventure games and how to use them in the Chinese language classroom https://www.hackingchinese.com/how-to-play-adventure-text-games-with-a-chinese-teacher/ Tags: #learnchinese #textgame #wordswing #interact...
Jan 31, 2022•19 min•Season 1Ep. 78
