Methods for learning Chinese can be good because they are efficient, because they to focus on the right content, or because they are enjoyable, allowing you to spend more time. But no method is good in all these ways at once, so what should you do if you just don't like the most efficient method? Link to article: Should you use an efficient method for learning Chinese even if you hate it? https://www.hackingchinese.com/should-you-use-an-efficient-method-for-learning-chinese-even-if-you-hate-it...
Mar 20, 2023•21 min•Season 1Ep. 137
To communicate in Chinese, many skills need to work in unison, but trying to improve all of them at once is a recipe for frustration. Instead, limit your focus to make progress and stay motivated! Link to article: Don't try to improve everything at once when learning Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/dont-try-to-improve-everything-at-once-limit-your-focus/ #learnchinese #focus #progress #motivation Beyond tīng bu dǒng, part 1: A guide to Chinese listening comprehension: https://www.hacking...
Mar 13, 2023•21 min•Season 1Ep. 136
My second year of learning Chinese was largely spent in Taiwan, where I learnt a lot, despite not always using the best approach. Link to article: How I learnt Chinese, part 3: My first year in Taiwan: https://www.hackingchinese.com/i-learnt-chinese-part-3-first-year-taiwan/ #learnchinese #mystory #taiwan #languagelearningjourney Chinese reading challenge, March 2023: https://www.hackingchinese.com/chinese-reading-challenge/ You won’t learn Chinese simply by living abroad: https://www.hackingchi...
Mar 06, 2023•23 min•Season 1Ep. 135
Playing games is a wonderful way of learning Chinese and 麻將 (májiàng) is one of the simplest games around. Apart from the numbers 1-9, you only need a handful of extra words to play. The game is extremely popular and as such, it can open up many doors, both cultural and social. Link to article: Learn Chinese by playing Mahjong (麻将, májiàng): https://www.hackingchinese.com/learning-chinese-by-playing-mahjong-%e9%ba%bb%e5%b0%87-majiang/ #learnchinese #majiang #mahjong #game #tiles 10 ways of using...
Feb 27, 2023•20 min•Season 1Ep. 134
Learning Mandarin finals is mostly about understanding how vowels work and how they are combined. Link to my pronunciation course: Hacking Chinese Pronunciation: Speaking with Confidence: https://www.hackingchinese.com/courses/mandarin-chinese-pronunciation-course/ #learnchinese #pronunciation #course #finals #mandarin A guide to Pinyin traps and pitfalls: Learning Mandarin pronunciation: https://www.hackingchinese.com/a-guide-to-pinyin-traps-and-pitfalls/ What’s the difference between Chinese p...
Feb 20, 2023•22 min•Season 1Ep. 133
ChatGPT has been all over the news for its ability to interact with humans. It has even been used to pass university exams. But how good is ChatGPT at Chinese? Can it pass the HSK? Link to article: Can ChatGPT pass the HSK? https://www.hackingchinese.com/can-chatgpt-pass-the-hsk/ #learnchinese #chatgpt #hsk #exam #ai #reading Hacking Chinese Pronunciation: Speaking with Confidence: https://www.hackingchinese.com/courses/mandarin-chinese-pronunciation-course/ ChatGPT: https://chat.openai.com/ The...
Feb 13, 2023•26 min•Season 1Ep. 132
My first year of learning Chinese was spent in an intensive but conventional university environment. While I learnt a lot, many things were also left out! Link to article: How I learnt Chinese, part 2: Learning Mandarin in Sweden : https://www.hackingchinese.com/how-i-learnt-chinese-part-2-foreign-language-learning-in-sweden/ #learnchinese #mystory #sweden #languagelearningjourney How I learnt Chinese, part 1: Where it all started: https://www.hackingchinese.com/how-i-learnt-chinese-part-1-why-i...
Feb 06, 2023•19 min•Season 1Ep. 131
The best way to learn to understand spoken Mandarin is to listen as much as you can to engaging content you can make sense. In this article, I go through what to listen to and how to do it. Link to article: Beginner Chinese listening practice: What to listen to and how : https://www.hackingchinese.com/beginner-chinese-listening-practice-what-to-listen-to-and-how #learnchinese #beginner #listening #comprehensibleinput The 10 best free Chinese listening resources for beginner, intermediate and adv...
Jan 31, 2023•24 min•Season 1Ep. 130
For some students, the HSK is not just a proficiency test, but also a roadmap to learning Chinese. Is treating it as such a good idea? And if you do, what should you keep in mind? Link to article: Using the HSK as a roadmap to learning Chinese : https://www.hackingchinese.com/using-the-hsk-as-a-roadmap-to-learning-chinese/ #learnchinese #hsk #roadmap The new HSK 3.0: What you need to know: https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-new-hsk-3-0-what-you-need-to-know/ Which words you should learn and wher...
Jan 25, 2023•26 min•Season 1Ep. 129
Some people have a clear goal in mind when they start learning Chinese, others just stumble into it and have to figure things out along the way. Link to article: How I learnt Chinese, part 1: Where it all started : https://www.hackingchinese.com/how-i-learnt-chinese-part-1-why-i-started-learning-chinese/ #learnchinese #mystory #motivation Chinese New Year and New Semester Course Discount: https://www.hackingchinese.com/chinese-new-year-and-new-semester-course-discounts/ Chinese listening challen...
Jan 17, 2023•12 min•Season 1Ep. 128
2022 was a year of stability on Hacking Chinese; consistent but without major breakthroughs. What was the most popular article? The most popular podcast episode? Let’s summarise the year that was and highlight content you really shouldn’t miss! Link to article: Best of Hacking Chinese 2022 : https://www.hackingchinese.com/best-of-hacking-chinese-2022/ #learnchinese #bestof #2022 Chinese listening challenge, January 2023 Top 5 articles (in my humble opinion) How to become fluent in Chinese How to...
Jan 09, 2023•26 min•Season 1Ep. 127
Introverts are not worse language learners than extroverts, but not using opportunities to communicate can slow you down. Here are some methods I've used to compensate for this as an introvert learner. Link to article: 8 tips for learning Chinese as an introverted student : https://www.hackingchinese.com/learning-chinese-as-an-introverted-student/ #learnchinese #introverted #languagelearning Chinese listening challenge, January 2023: https://www.hackingchinese.com/chinese-listening-challenge/ Ha...
Jan 03, 2023•13 min•Season 1Ep. 126
500 articles and 125 podcast episodes on Hacking Chinese, but how is this content created? And what do you think about it? Link to article: Hacking Chinese reader and listener survey : https://www.hackingchinese.com/readerlistenersurvey/ #learnchinese #survey Listen to this and other episodes on your favourite podcasting platform, including Apple Podcasts, Breaker, Google Podcast, Overcast, Pocket Casts, RadioPublic, Spotify and YouTube: https://www.hackingchinese.com/podcast More information an...
Dec 29, 2022•17 min•Season 1Ep. 125
Learning Chinese efficiently is a better goal for most people than learning Chinese quickly. Link to article: Learn Chinese efficiently, not quickly : https://www.hackingchinese.com/learning-efficiently-vs-learning-quickly/ #learnchinese #speed #efficiency #method Enjoying the journey while focusing on the destination: https://www.hackingchinese.com/enjoying-the-journey-while-focusing-on-the-destination/ Alan Watts - Life is not a journey: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBpaUICxEhk How to reach...
Dec 19, 2022•11 min•Season 1Ep. 124
Our ability to consciously process spoken Mandarin is limited; the only way forward is to listen so much that processing becomes automated. Link to article: Beyond tīng bu dǒng, part 4: Learning to process spoken Mandarin quickly and effortlessly : https://www.hackingchinese.com/beyond-ting-bu-dong-part-4-learning-to-process-spoken-mandarin-quickly-and-effortlessly #learnchinese #listening #processing Beyond tīng bu dǒng, part 1: A guide to Chinese listening comprehension: https://www.hackingchi...
Dec 12, 2022•16 min•Season 1Ep. 123
Vocabulary is the foundation of all other language skills. But how should you learn Chinese words, characters and character components? Link to article: Chinese vocabulary challenge : https://www.hackingchinese.com/chinese-vocabulary-challenge/ #learnchinese #vocabulary #characters #words #challenge Hacking Chinese Challenges: https://challenges.hackingchinese.com/ Chinese vocabulary challenge, December 2022: https://www.hackingchinese.com/chinese-vocabulary-challenge/ Kickstart your learning wi...
Dec 06, 2022•18 min•Season 1Ep. 122
Listening comprehension is not only about extracting information from the spoken Mandarin you hear, it's also about applying what you already know and expect. Link to article: Beyond tīng bu dǒng, part 3: Using what you already know to aid listening comprehension in Chinese : https://www.hackingchinese.com/beyond-ting-bu-dong-part-3-using-what-you-already-know-to-aid-listening-comprehension-in-chinese/ #learnchinese #listening #comprehension #top-down Beyond tīng bu dǒng, part 1: A guide to Chin...
Nov 28, 2022•22 min•Season 1Ep. 121
Learning to understand spoken Chinese requires an awful lot of listening practice. In this episode, I’ll introduce and explain a simple trick that allowed me to double the amount of Chinese I listen to! Link to article: The simple trick I used to double the amount of Chinese I listen to : https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-simple-trick-i-used-to-double-the-amount-of-chinese-i-listen-to/ #learnchinese #listening #habits #trick Improving listening ability is mostly a matter of practice: https://ww...
Nov 22, 2022•10 min•Season 1Ep. 120
What pronunciation should you learn if your local friends say one thing and your teacher something else? How should you navigate the space between standard pronunciation and regional accents? Standard pronunciation will help you communicate, but a regional accent might help you fit in. Link to article: Standard pronunciation in Chinese and why you want it : https://www.hackingchinese.com/standardised-pronunciation-in-chinese-and-why-you-want-it/ #learnchinese #pronunciation #standard #mandarin H...
Nov 14, 2022•17 min•Season 1Ep. 119
Accidentally saying “chest hair” in Chinese when you actually mean “panda” is certainly amusing, but it rarely causes misunderstandings. Let’s talk about some tone errors that actually do cause confusion! Link to article: Tone errors in Mandarin that actually can cause misunderstandings : https://www.hackingchinese.com/tone-errors-in-mandarin-that-actually-can-cause-confusion/ #learnchinese #tones #communication #misunderstanding The Hacking Chinese guide to Mandarin tones: https://www.hackingch...
Nov 08, 2022•20 min•Season 1Ep. 118
The more you study the better, but what if you don't feel like studying at the moment? Instead of giving up, gear down and find ways of learning Chinese that suit your current state of mind. Link to article: How to study Chinese when you don’t feel like it : https://www.hackingchinese.com/how-to-study-chinese-when-you-dont-feel-like-it/ #learnchinese #motivation #studytime #procrastination Have fun learning Chinese or else… https://www.hackingchinese.com/have-fun-or-else/ The 10 best free Chines...
Nov 02, 2022•19 min•Season 1Ep. 117
Some say that there are no shortcuts for learning Chinese, others say that there are many shortcuts. So which one is it, are there any shortcuts for learning Chinese? Link to article: Are there any shortcuts for learning Chinese? https://www.hackingchinese.com/are-there-any-shortcuts-for-learning-chinese/ #learnchinese #shortcuts #method #howtolearn Why spaced repetition software is uniquely well suited to learning Chinese characters: https://www.hackingchinese.com/why-spaced-repetition-software...
Oct 24, 2022•16 min•Season 1Ep. 116
Listening is the most important skill of all, because it accelerates all other learning and is crucial for social integration. What are the best free Chinese listening resources out there for beginner, intermediate and advanced learners? Link to article: The 10 best free Chinese listening resources for beginner, intermediate and advanced learners : https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-10-best-free-chinese-listening-resources-for-beginner-intermediate-and-advanced-learners/ #learnchinese #listening...
Oct 18, 2022•19 min•Season 1Ep. 115
The neutral tone in Mandarin Chinese can be tricky to learn. How is it pronounced? Is it a fifth tone? And how do you know when it should be used? Link to article: Learning the neutral tone in Mandarin : https://www.hackingchinese.com/learning-the-neutral-tone-in-mandarin #learnchinese #pronunciation #neutraltone #tones Learning the third tone in Mandarin Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/learning-the-third-tone-mandarin-chinese/ The Hacking Chinese guide to Mandarin tones: https://www.hac...
Oct 12, 2022•19 min•Season 1Ep. 114
Finding a good Chinese teacher is not easy, but there are many things you can do to get more out of the time you spend with a teacher, and in a sense, train him or her to better suit your needs and preferences. Link to article: Training your Chinese teacher, part 1: Introduction : https://www.hackingchinese.com/training-your-chinese-teacher-part-1-introduction/ #learnchinese #teacher #class #improve Chinese pronunciation challenge, October 2022: https://www.hackingchinese.com/chinese-pronunciati...
Oct 04, 2022•21 min•Season 1Ep. 113
Listening comprehension is essential when learning Chinese, but if we want to improve, we need to move beyond tīng bu dǒng and identify what the problem really is. Link to article: Beyond tīng bu dǒng, part 2: From sound to meaning in Mandarin : https://www.hackingchinese.com/beyond-ting-bu-dong-part-2-from-sound-to-meaning-in-mandarin Link to the first article in this series: : Beyond tīng bu dǒng, part 1: A guide to Chinese listening comprehension : https://www.hackingchinese.com/beyond-ting-b...
Sep 26, 2022•24 min•Season 1Ep. 112
Listening comprehension is essential when learning Chinese, but if we want to improve, we need to move beyond tīng bu dǒng and identify what the problem really is. Link to article: Beyond tīng bu dǒng, part 1: A guide to Chinese listening comprehension : https://www.hackingchinese.com/beyond-ting-bu-dong-part-1-a-guide-to-chinese-listening-comprehension #learnchinese #listening #comprehension The building blocks of Chinese, part 5: Making sense of Chinese words: https://www.hackingchinese.com/th...
Sep 20, 2022•22 min•Season 1Ep. 111
What’s the best way to learn Chinese characters as a beginner? The Skritter character course is my best attempt at answering that question. Link to article: Kickstart your learning with the Skritter Character Course : https://www.hackingchinese.com/kickstart-your-learning-with-the-skritter-character-course/ Link to the course (use this link or coupon code HCSKRITTER to get 10% off): https://skritter.com/vocablists/view/5290918137167872?ref=hackingchinese&?coupon=HCSKRITTER #learnchinese #cha...
Sep 13, 2022•16 min•Season 1Ep. 110
When Chinese characters appear next to Pinyin, the familiar letters distract us from the characters. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could keep information about the tones, but throw Pinyin away? Link to article: Focusing on Mandarin tones without being distracted by Pinyin : https://www.hackingchinese.com/focusing-on-mandarin-tones-without-being-distracted-by-pinyin/ #learnchinese #pinyin #tones #reading Should you learn to speak Chinese before you learn Chinese characters? https://www.hackingchinese...
Sep 06, 2022•13 min•Season 1Ep. 109
You should be responsible for your own learning, and if you outsource that to someone else, the results might be disastrous. This might sound obvious, but I think the problem is widely overlooked, especially by students enrolled in language courses. Link to article: Take responsibility for your Chinese learning now : https://www.hackingchinese.com/take-responsibility-for-your-own-learning/ #learnchinese #responsibility #control #independence Unlocking Chinese: The Ultimate Course for Beginners: ...
Aug 29, 2022•13 min•Season 1Ep. 108
