A widespread myth about learning Chinese is that you will master the language simply by living in an immersion environment. However, how much you learn is determined by what you do, not where you live. #learnchinese #immersion #china #taiwan #expat Link to article: You won't learn Chinese simply by living abroad: https://www.hackingchinese.com/you-wont-learn-chinese-simply-by-living-abroad/ Immersion at home or: Why you don’t have to go abroad to learn Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/imm...
Oct 16, 2023•16 min•Season 1Ep. 167
The more you listen, the more you learn. That's why I listened to one hundred hours of Chinese in just three weeks. Here's what I learnt and how you can apply that to your learning. #learnchinese #listening #input #immersion Link to article: 100 hours of Chinese listening in 3 weeks: What I learnt and how to apply it: https://www.hackingchinese.com/100-hours-of-chinese-listening-in-3-weeks-what-i-learnt-and-how-to-apply-it/ Hacking Chinese Challenges: https://challenges.hackingchinese.com/ Hab...
Oct 09, 2023•28 min•Season 1Ep. 166
How do you build a broad vocabulary in Chinese quickly? How do you best use video-sharing platforms to boost your learning? And how should you study to nail all your 听写 or dictation? #learnchinese #vocabulary #videolearning #dictation Link to article: Hacking Chinese podcast episode 165 Q&A: Expanding vocabulary quickly, learning by watching videos and nailing dictation tests: https://www.hackingchinese.com/hacking-chinese-podcast-episode-165-qa-expanding-vocabulary-quickly-learning-by-watc...
Oct 04, 2023•22 min•Season 1Ep. 165
Listening more than once is a simple yet overlooked trick for improving your listening ability. By replaying audio, you give your brain more time to process the language, and as a result, you will understand and learn more. #learnchinese #listening #repetition #comprehension Link to article: Listen more than once: How the replay button can help you learn more Chinese: http://www.hackingchinese.com/listen-more-than-once-how-the-replay-button-can-help-you-learn-more-chinese/ Why is listening in Ch...
Sep 26, 2023•19 min•Season 1Ep. 164
The cheapest and most convenient way to improve your speaking ability in Chinese is… to talk to yourself! Beyond being both easy and free, speaking to yourself is more helpful than you might think. #learnchinese #speaking #fluency Link to article: The cheapest and most convenient way to improve your spoken Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-cheapest-and-most-convenient-way-to-improve-your-spoken-chinese/ Is speaking more important than listening when learning Chinese? https://www.hackin...
Sep 18, 2023•18 min•Season 1Ep. 163
The best way to improve your Chinese pronunciation is to mimic native speakers. But why, and how exactly should you go about it? #learnchinese #pronunciation #mimicking #guide Learn more about the course: https://pronunciation.hackingchinese.com Link to video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/AMx6A_EMXwI Other excerpts and previews from the course: Welcome to the Hacking Chinese pronunciation course! https://youtu.be/ekf7bN7vKP8? Hacking Chinese Pronunciation: Section 2: Lesson 4: Tone pairs:...
Sep 12, 2023•24 min•Season 1Ep. 162
For some, the allure of Chinese lies in language, culture and society, but for many, practical utility is also important. So, how long do you have to study Chinese to make it useful? Tags: #learnchinese #listening #pronunciation #flashcards Chinese listening challenge, September 2023: https://www.hackingchinese.com/chinese-listening-challenge/ Hacking Chinese Challenges: https://challenges.hackingchinese.com/ Links for question #1: Listening comprehension Beyond tīng bu dǒng, part 1: A guide to ...
Sep 06, 2023•19 min•Season 1Ep. 161
For some, the allure of Chinese lies in language, culture and society, but for many, practical utility is also important. So, how long do you have to study Chinese to make it useful? Link to article: How long do you have to study Chinese to make it useful? https://www.hackingchinese.com/long-study-chinese-make-useful/ Tags: #learnchinese #useful #time #study How long have you studied Chinese? 290 years or 58 992 hours! https://www.hackingchinese.com/how-long-have-you-studied-chinese-290-years-or...
Aug 28, 2023•18 min•Season 1Ep. 160
Hacking Chinese can seen as a very long response to the question of what I would have done differently if I could go back in time and learn Chinese again from scratch. However, most people don't want to read 800,000 words to get the full picture, which is why I have distilled all that into a few courses. Getting the most out of your learning with Hacking Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/back-to-school-hacking-chinese-course-discount/ Tags: #learnchinese #courses #unlockingchinese #pronu...
Aug 21, 2023•16 min•Season 1Ep. 159
Many students rely on textbooks to learn Chinese, but is this a good idea? Some people say that to unleash your full potential, you should throw your textbook away. Link to article: Should you throw away your Chinese textbook? https://www.hackingchinese.com/should-you-throw-away-your-chinese-textbook/ #learnchinese #textbooks Should you learn Chinese vocabulary from lists? https://www.hackingchinese.com/should-you-learn-chinese-vocabulary-from-lists/ The most common Chinese words, characters and...
Aug 15, 2023•20 min•Season 1Ep. 158
Have you tried translating Chinese to your native language as learning method? You should; it has more benefits than you might realise! Link to article: How translation to another language can help you learn Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/how-translation-can-help-you-learn-chinese/ #learnchinese #translation #chineseenglish Chinese translation challenge: https://www.hackingchinese.com/chinese-translation-challenge/ Hacking Chinese Challenges: https://challenges.hackingchinese.com/ Ho...
Aug 07, 2023•16 min•Season 1Ep. 157
Should you drop everything you’re doing to learn Chinese for one year? How should you approach reading at an intermediate level? And how do you choose the best resources for learning? Link to article: Hacking Chinese Podcast three-year anniversary Q&A : https://www.hackingchinese.com/hacking-chinese-podcast-two-year-anniversary-qa/ #learnchinese #immersion #goingabroad #learningstrategy #reading A list of all episodes can be found here: https://www.hackingchinese.com/podcast/ Courses o...
Aug 02, 2023•32 min•Season 1Ep. 156
Is Chinese difficult to learn, even impossible? Or is it in fact quite easy? The answer is that learning Chinese is difficult, but not in the way most people think! Link to article: Is Chinese difficult to learn? https://www.hackingchinese.com/is-chinese-difficult-to-learn/ #learnchinese #difficult #easy Why is listening in Chinese so hard? https://www.hackingchinese.com/why-is-listening-in-chinese-so-hard/ 6 challenges students face when learning to read Chinese and how to overcome them: https...
Jul 24, 2023•22 min•Season 1Ep. 155
If you don’t invest the necessary time into learning Chinese, it doesn’t matter how good your method is. Timeboxing is a wonderful way to get more done in less time. Link to article: Timeboxing Chinese: Get more done in less time: https://www.hackingchinese.com/timeboxing-chinese/ #learnchinese #timemanagement #timeboxing #gettingthingsdone Three factors that decide how much Chinese you learn: https://www.hackingchinese.com/three-factors-decide-much-chinese-learn/ Learning Chinese is more like w...
Jul 17, 2023•16 min•Season 1Ep. 154
Are you curious about the new HSK? Do you want to know what it’s really like to take and pass the advanced level? And how should you prepare to ace your own exams? Link to article: Insights from the new HSK 7-9: Interview with Sara Jaaksola: https://www.hackingchinese.com/insights-from-the-new-hsk-7-9-interview-with-sara-jaaksola/ #learnchinese #hsk #advanced #proficiencytest #china Sara's website: http://sarajaaksola.com/ Sara's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@sarajaaksola Sara's Twit...
Jul 10, 2023•56 min•Season 1Ep. 153
Reaching an advanced level in Chinese is the goal of many learners, but what do you do when you get there? And is there such a thing as being done with Chinese? Link to article: How I learnt Chinese, part 7: Teaching, writing, learning: https://www.hackingchinese.com/how-i-learnt-chinese-part-7-teaching-writing-learning/ #learnchinese #mystory #sweden #teaching #professionaldevelopment Chinese reading challenge, July 2023: https://www.hackingchinese.com/chinese-reading-challenge/ My LinkedIn p...
Jul 03, 2023•17 min•Season 1Ep. 152
Varying your diet of Chinese reading and listening practice is often considered good, indeed necessary, but this could be wrong. In some cases, variation makes things too difficult, and then narrow reading and listening is a better option! Link to article: How narrow reading and listening can help you bridge the gap to real Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/narrow-listening-reading-can-help-learn-chinese/ #learnchinese #reading #listening #narrow #comprehensibleinput 101 questions and an...
Jun 26, 2023•20 min•Season 1Ep. 151
Courses and textbooks encourage narrow but advanced proficiency in Chinese, but if you want to be able to communicate well, you need to see through the illusion. Link to article: Seeing through the illusion of advanced Chinese learning: https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-illusion-of-advanced-learning-and-what-to-do-about-it/ #learnchinese #courses #illusion #proficiency #progress Seeing through the illusion of advanced Chinese learning: https://www.hackingchinese.com/why-your-chinese-isnt-as-goo...
Jun 21, 2023•18 min•Season 1Ep. 150
Travelling is often touted as one of the best ways to learn a language, but is it really? What are some downsides of travelling to learn Chinese, and how should you travel to get the most out of it? Link to article: Why travelling isn't the best method to learn Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/pros-and-cons-with-travelling-to-learn-a-language/ #learnchinese #travel #immersion #languagelearning Why is listening in Chinese so hard? https://www.hackingchinese.com/why-is-listening-in-chinese-...
Jun 12, 2023•19 min•Season 1Ep. 149
I’ve spent two years in a master’s program for teaching Chinese as a second language, designed for native speakers and taught in Chinese. Here’s what I learnt from the experience! My Skritter review: How I learnt Chinese, part 6: Graduate program in Taiwan: https://www.hackingchinese.com/i-learnt-chinese-part-6-graduate-program-taiwan/ #learnchinese #mystory #taiwan #ntnu #tcsl 5 insights from the first year of a master’s program in Taiwan: https://www.hackingchinese.com/5-insights-from-the-fi...
Jun 05, 2023•18 min•Season 1Ep. 148
You probably know what it’s like to use apps for learning Chinese vocabulary, but do you know what it’s like to run a company that builds such apps? And how can technology help us learn more, now and in the future? My Skritter review: Boosting your Chinese character learning (also contains episode 53 about Skritter): https://www.hackingchinese.com/skritter-chinese-review-boosting-your-character-learning/ #learnchinese #characters #technology #skritter Get 10% off your first subscription (us...
May 29, 2023•59 min•Season 1Ep. 147
Have you listened to a recording of yourself speaking Chinese, only to find that your voice sounds unfamiliar and strange, like another person? Then that means you’re doing something wrong. Link to article: Get to know your Chinese voice to level up your speaking ability: https://www.hackingchinese.com/know-your-chinese-voice/ #learnchinese #record #voice #mimic #pronunciation Get to know your Chinese voice to level up your speaking ability: https://www.hackingchinese.com/know-your-chinese-voi...
May 22, 2023•13 min•Season 1Ep. 146
Listening, mimicking and getting feedback is the best way to learn Chinese pronunciation, but unless you're a small child or extremely talented, adding some theory to the mix can also be helpful. Link to article: How learning some basic theory can improve your pronunciation: https://www.hackingchinese.com/how-learning-some-basic-theory-can-improve-your-pronunciation/ #learnchinese #pronunciation #theory #phonetics Hacking Chinese Pronunciation: Speaking with Confidence: https://www.hackingchines...
May 16, 2023•22 min•Season 1Ep. 145
Learning Chinese is more like walking a thousand miles than running 100-metre dash. Make sure that your strategy works in the long term Link to article: Learning Chinese is more like walking a thousand miles than running 100-metre dash: https://www.hackingchinese.com/learning-chinese-is-more-like-walking-a-thousand-miles-than-running-100-metre-dash/ #learnchinese #journey #sprint #longterm #goals Chinese listening challenge, May 2023: https://www.hackingchinese.com/chinese-listening-challenge...
May 08, 2023•17 min•Season 1Ep. 144
Learning Chinese full time is easy, the hard part is to make progress, even when you’re occupied with other things. Link to article: How I learnt Chinese, part 5: Returning to Sweden: https://www.hackingchinese.com/i-learnt-chinese-part-5%ef%bc%9a-returning-sweden/ #learnchinese #mystory #sweden #languagelearningjourney Chinese listening challenge, May 2023: https://www.hackingchinese.com/chinese-listening-challenge/ Hacking Chinese Pronunciation: Speaking with Confidence: https://www...
May 02, 2023•14 min•Season 1Ep. 143
Many things influence listening comprehension in Chinese, some are related to the language, and some to the situation, but some are also related to you as a listener. How can you become a better listener in Mandarin? Link to article: Beyond tīng bu dǒng, part 5: Becoming a better listener as a student of Chinese https://www.hackingchinese.com/beyond-ting-bu-dong-part-5-becoming-a-better-listener-as-a-student-of-chinese/ #learnchinese #listening #difficulty #learnerfactors Chinese listening ...
Apr 24, 2023•25 min•Season 1Ep. 142
Learning new characters and words from a list is rarely a good idea, but there are exceptions! Let's have a look at five types of vocabulary lists how to use them to learn Chinese. Link to article: Vocabulary lists that help you learn Chinese and how to use them: https://www.hackingchinese.com/different-lists-for-learning-chinese/ #learnchinese #vocabulary #lists #characters #words Should you learn Chinese vocabulary from lists? https://www.hackingchinese.com/should-you-learn-chinese-vocabular...
Apr 18, 2023•24 min•Season 1Ep. 141
Students often rely on lists to learn new Chinese characters and words. This can be useful in some situations, but there are also many problems with this approach. Link to article: Should you learn Chinese vocabulary from lists? https://www.hackingchinese.com/should-you-learn-chinese-vocabulary-from-lists/ Kickstart your Chinese character learning with the 100 most common radicals: https://www.hackingchinese.com/kickstart-your-character-learning-with-the-100-most-common-radicals/ What important ...
Apr 10, 2023•18 min•Season 1Ep. 140
I learnt a lot in my first year in Taiwan, but the more I learnt, the more I realised that a single year would not be enough. Link to article: How I learnt Chinese, part 4: My second year in Taiwan: https://www.hackingchinese.com/i-learnt-chinese-part-4%ef%bc%9a-second-year-taiwan/ #learnchinese #mystory #taiwan #languagelearningjourney Chinese speaking challenge, April 2023: https://www.hackingchinese.com/chinese-speaking-challenge/ Hacking Chinese Pronunciation: Speaking with Confidence: h...
Apr 03, 2023•19 min•Season 1Ep. 139
The general benefits of physical activity are of course well-known, but the more specific benefits for learning languages are often overlooked, so let's have a look at 6 benefits of learning Chinese through sports! Link to article: 6 benefits of learning Chinese through sports: https://www.hackingchinese.com/practising-sports-to-learn-chinese/ #learnchinese #sports #physicalactivity Learning Chinese through comprehensible input: https://www.hackingchinese.com/learning-chinese-comprehensible-...
Mar 27, 2023•19 min•Season 1Ep. 138
