Using the right resources is important when learning anything, but it's essential when learning Mandarin pronunciation. Here are 24 great resources, most of them completely free! #learnchinese #pronunciation #resources #free Link to article: 24 great resources for improving your Mandarin pronunciation: https://www.hackingchinese.com/24-great-resources-for-improving-your-mandarin-pronunciation/ Hacking Chinese Pronunciation: Speaking with Confidence: https://pronunciation.hackingchinese.com/ Why ...
May 14, 2024•19 min•Season 1Ep. 197
Why is your teacher is so much easier to understand than anybody else? Should you read transcripts or subtitles before, during or after listening? And why do I refuse to recommend certain podcasts? #learnchinese #listening #teacher #podcasts #transcripts #subtitles Student Q&A, May 2024: Understanding strangers, listening with transcripts, and which podcasts to avoid: https://www.hackingchinese.com/student-qa-may-2024-understanding-your-teacher-but-nobody-else-listening-with-transcripts-and-...
May 07, 2024•18 min•Season 1Ep. 196
Many people assume that the hardest part of learning Chinese must be the characters or the tones, but it turns out that most learners struggle more with listening comprehension. Why is that, and what can you do about it? #learnchinese #listening #comprehension #challenges Link to article: Beyond tīng bu dǒng, part 6: Why is listening in Chinese so hard? https://www.hackingchinese.com/why-is-listening-in-chinese-so-hard/ Is Chinese difficult to learn? https://www.hackingchinese.com/is-chinese-di...
May 01, 2024•34 min•Season 1Ep. 195
Chengyu are idioms linked to ancient literature. Are they the key to Chinese language and culture or a waste of time? #learnchinese #chengyu #idiom #vocabulary Link to article: Chengyu, a magic key to Chinese language and culture, or a waste of time? https://www.hackingchinese.com/learning-the-right-chengyu-the-right-way/ The building blocks of Chinese, part 1: Chinese characters and words in a nutshell: https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-building-blocks-of-chinese-part-1-chinese-characters-...
Apr 23, 2024•17 min•Season 1Ep. 194
If I wrote a comprehensive guide to learning Chinese with a special focus on vocabulary, what would it look like? Now you can find out - for free! #learnchinese #studyguide #skritter #vocabulary Link to article: Interview: Insights from Skritter’s Complete Guide to Learning Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/interview-insights-from-skritters-complete-guide-to-learning-chinese/ Get Skritter (and the study guide): https://www.skritter.com/?ref=hackingchinese&?coupon=HCSKRITTER Buy the g...
Apr 15, 2024•37 min•Season 1Ep. 193
Is recording and listening to your own Chinese useful for improving your speaking ability? How can you use chengyu to expand your repertoire? And how can role-playing games be utilised to improve your spoken Chinese? #learnchinese #speaking #recording #chengyu #role-playing Link to article: Student Q&A, April 2024: Learning chengyu, listening to yourself and using role-playing games to learn Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/student-qa-april-2024-learning-chengyu-listening-to-yourself-...
Apr 09, 2024•18 min•Season 1Ep. 192
What languages do you speak ? Do you speak Chinese? We often use speaking to represent language ability in general, but does that mean that speaking is more important than listening? #learnchinese #speaking #listening #input #output Link to article: Is speaking more important than listening when learning Chinese? https://www.hackingchinese.com/is-speaking-more-important-than-listening-when-learning-chinese/ Why is listening in Chinese so hard? https://www.hackingchinese.com/why-is-listening-in-c...
Apr 01, 2024•10 min•Season 1Ep. 191
Podcasts let you create your own Chinese immersion experience, with level-appropriate stories and authentic conversations. Learn flexibly on the go with the best podcasts for beginners, intermediate and advanced students! #learnchinese #podcasts #listening #beginner #intermediate #advanced Link to article: The best podcasts for learning Chinese in 2024: https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-best-podcasts-for-learning-chinese/ Is speaking more important than listening when learning Chinese? https://...
Mar 25, 2024•18 min•Season 1Ep. 190
A language is a structured system used for communication, so the idea to focus on communication when learning Chinese sounds obvious, but it’s surprisingly new and rarer than you think! #learnchinese #communication #meaning-focused #communicativelearning Link to article: Real communication: What it is, why you want it and how to get it: https://www.hackingchinese.com/real-communication-what-it-is-why-you-want-it-and-how-to-get-it/ Translating to improve your Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.c...
Mar 18, 2024•19 min•Season 1Ep. 187
While strong motivation doesn't necessarily accelerate your learning or improve your memory, without it you won't spend enough time learning Chinese. So how can you stay motivated for months, years and even decades? #learnchinese #motivation #sdt #autonomy #competence #relatedness Link to article: How to learn Chinese in the long term with intrinsic motivation: https://www.hackingchinese.com/how-to-learn-chinese-in-the-long-term-with-intrinsic-motivation/ Is Chinese dif...
Mar 12, 2024•23 min•Season 1Ep. 188
How can you improve your ability to read aloud in Chinese? How can you learn to see where a word starts and ends in a text? And how can you make sure you get the most out of your reading practice? #learnchinese #reading #segmentation #chinesetext Link to article: Student Q&A, March 2024: Reading aloud, finding word boundaries, and working actively with reading materials: https://www.hackingchinese.com/student-qa-march-2024-reading-aloud-finding-word-boundaries-and-working-actively-w...
Mar 06, 2024•23 min•Season 1Ep. 187
Mastering Chinese characters, whether you find them enchantingly beautiful or overwhelmingly complex, is essential for literacy in Chinese. Outlier Linguistics will help you understand how the Chinese writing system works, making it easier to learn! #learnchinese #characters #hanzi #course #reviewSocial media and sharing Link to article: Outlier Chinese Character Masterclass review: Understand more, learn faster, remember longer: https://www.hackingchinese.com/outlier-chin...
Feb 26, 2024•28 min•Season 1Ep. 186
Learning to hear and pronounce the tones in Mandarin as an adult learner can be tricky, but with the right methods, anyone can do it! #learnchinese #tones #mandarin #pronunciation Link to article: The Hacking Chinese guide to Mandarin tones: https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-hacking-chinese-guide-to-mandarin-tones/ Hacking Chinese Pronunciation: Speaking with Confidence: https://www.hackingchinese.com/courses/mandarin-chinese-pronunciation-course/ The Hacking Chinese tone ...
Feb 19, 2024•28 min•Season 1Ep. 185
Are perfect tones necessary to communicate in Chinese? Or can you ignore tones and still be understood? Or does the truth lie somewhere in between? #learnchinese #tones #mandarin #pronunciation Link to article: The Hacking Chinese guide to Mandarin tones: https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-hacking-chinese-guide-to-mandarin-tones/ Hacking Chinese Pronunciation: Speaking with Confidence: https://www.hackingchinese.com/courses/mandarin-chinese-pronunciation-course/ Beyond tīng bu ...
Feb 12, 2024•19 min•Season 1Ep. 184
Learning tones is a unique challenge for most learners of Chinese. What are tones? How important is it to learn tones? And how do you learn to both hear and pronounce them? #learnchinese #tones #mandarin #pronunciation Link to article: The Hacking Chinese guide to Mandarin tones: https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-hacking-chinese-guide-to-mandarin-tones/ Hacking Chinese Pronunciation: Speaking with Confidence: https://www.hackingchinese.com/courses/mandarin-chinese-pronunciation-course...
Feb 05, 2024•23 min•Season 1Ep. 183
Is it better to practise writing Chinese on a computer or by hand? How do you find the right words when writing? And how can you leverage AI to improve your writing ability? #learnchinese #typing #handrwriting #vocabulary #ai Link to article: Student Q&A, February 2024: Typing or handwriting, using new words in texts, and how to use AI to improve your writing: https://www.hackingchinese.com/student-qa-february-2024-typing-or-handwriting-using-new-words-in-texts-and-how-to-use-ai-to-i...
Jan 29, 2024•23 min•Season 1Ep. 182
The more you listen, the more you learn, but listening more is not as easy as it sounds. By building a personal Chinese audio library, you ensure that you always have something suitable to listen to, no matter what situation you're in. #learnchinese #listening #resources #immersion Link to article: Listen more and learn more by building a personal Chinese audio library: https://www.hackingchinese.com/listen-more-and-learn-more-by-building-a-personal-chinese-audio-library/ Beyond tīng bu ...
Jan 22, 2024•23 min•Season 1Ep. 181
Listening and reading in Chinese can be a challenge, especially when your level is not high enough. To understand more and thereby also learn more, use scaffolding! #learnchinese# listening #reading #comprehension Link to article: 8 great ways to scaffold your Chinese listening and reading: https://www.hackingchinese.com/8-great-ways-scaffold-chinese-learning/ Text adventure games and how to use them in the Chinese language classroom: https://www.hackingchinese.com/how-to-play-adventure-text...
Jan 15, 2024•21 min•Season 1Ep. 180
In 2023, I published one article and one podcast episode every week. Which was the best article? The most popular podcast episode? Let’s summarise the year that was and highlight the things you really shouldn’t miss! #learnchinese #bestof #hacknigchinese Link to article: Best of Hacking Chinese 2023: https://www.hackingchinese.com/best-of-hacking-chinese-2023/ Best articles on Hacking Chinese 2023 - Editor's choice 5) Listen more than once: How the replay button can help you learn more Chinese...
Jan 08, 2024•22 min•Season 1Ep. 179
Is listening to music a good way to learn Chinese? How can you learn to understand Mandarin spoken in noisy environments? And what if your teacher speaks only Chinese, but you don’t understand what she says? #learnchinese #music #tones #noise #teacher #immersion Link to article: Student Q&A, January 2024: Chinese music, too much Mandarin in the classroom, and listening in noisy environments: https://www.hackingchinese.com/student-qa-january-2024-chinese-music-too-much-mandarin-in-the-classro...
Jan 01, 2024•26 min•Season 1Ep. 178
Chatting online is seldom considered a method for learning Chinese, but it has several unique benefits. While generally regarded as a frivolous waste of time, text-based chatting has a place in even the most serious learning strategy. #learnchinese #chat #text #writing Link to article: 12 ways chatting online will improve your Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/chat-your-way-to-better-chinese/ Using voice messaging as a stepping stone to Chinese conversations: https://www.hackingchinese.com...
Dec 25, 2023•16 min•Season 1Ep. 177
Flashcards; some people love them, some people hate them. The goal of Hacking Chinese is to go beyond the black and white and figure out how things work so we can get the most out of them. #learnchinese #flashcards #srs #reading #strategy Link to article: How to best use flashcards to learn Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/how-to-best-use-flashcards-to-learn-chinese/ Why flashcards are great for learning Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/why-flashcards-are-great-for-learnin...
Dec 18, 2023•24 min•Season 1Ep. 176
Flashcards are often viewed as a silver bullet, promising swift mastery of characters, words and more, but relying on flashcards too much has serious drawbacks, and if you’re not careful, they can hinder more than they help. #learnchinese #flashcards #drawbacks #vocabulary Link to article: Why flashcards are terrible for learning Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/why-flashcards-are-bad-for-learning-chinese/ Why flashcards are great for learning Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com...
Dec 11, 2023•25 min•Season 1Ep. 175
How many words is reasonable to learn in a day? Will focusing on radicals make this easier? And should you learn simplified or traditional characters, or maybe both? #learnchinese #vocabulary #hanzi #simplified #traditional #radicals Link to article: Student Q&A, December 2023: How many words to learn, if it’s good to learn radicals, and whether to learn simplified or traditional characters: https://www.hackingchinese.com/student-qa-december-2023-how-many-words-to-learn-if-its-good-to-lear...
Dec 04, 2023•23 min•Season 1Ep. 174
The humble flashcard: A key component in a successful strategy, or a distraction from what truly matters? Few things have sparked as much debate as the use of flashcards for learning a foreign language. #learnchinese #flashcards #vocabulary #srs Link to article: Why flashcards are great for learning Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/why-flashcards-are-great-for-learning-chinese/ Learning efficiently vs. learning quickly: https://www.hackingchinese.com/learning-efficiently-vs-learning-quick...
Nov 27, 2023•16 min•Season 1Ep. 173
Learning to read Chinese is an achievement in itself, but how fast you can read also matters, regardless of your level. So how do you increase your reading speed in Chinese? #learnchinese #reading #speed Link to article: Chinese reading speed revisited: https://www.hackingchinese.com/chinese-reading-speed-revisited/ Black Friday, 2023: https://www.hackingchinese.com/black-friday-discounts-for-hacking-chinese-courses/ Chinese reading speed: Learning how to read ten lines at a glance: https://ww...
Nov 22, 2023•13 min•Season 1Ep. 172
Learning things by heart used to be a mainstay of language education but is now often frowned upon. Is learning things by heart good for improving your Chinese or just a waste of time? #learnchinese #byheart #memorize #recite Link to article: Is learning things by heart good for improving your Chinese? https://www.hackingchinese.com/is-learning-things-by-heart-good-for-improving-your-chinese/ How to Approach Chinese Grammar: https://www.hackingchinese.com/how-to-approach-chinese-grammar/ Should ...
Nov 13, 2023•23 min•Season 1Ep. 171
Reading is a great way to build vocabulary, learn grammar and expand your horizons. Here are the ten best free Chinese reading resources for beginners, intermediate and advanced students. #learnchinese #reading #resources #free Link to article: The 10 best free Chinese reading resources for beginner, intermediate and advanced learners: https://www.hackingchinese.com/10-best-free-chinese-reading-resources-beginner-intermediate-advanced/ Student Q&A, November 2023: Reading Pinyin or charact...
Nov 09, 2023•15 min•Season 1Ep. 170
How do you transition from reading Pinyin to reading characters? Are compelling texts better than comprehensible texts? And which tools should you use when reading Chinese? #learnchinese #pinyin #hanzi #comprehensibility #text #tools Link to article: Chinese reading challenge, November 2023: https://www.hackingchinese.com/chinese-reading-challenge/ Hacking Chinese Challenges: https://challenges.hackingchinese.com/ The 10 best free Chinese reading resources for beginner, intermediate and advanced...
Nov 02, 2023•24 min•Season 1Ep. 169
Most Chinese characters are well-behaved and easy to recognise in compound characters. Some components are sneaky, though; they change appearance depending on context! #learnchinese #characters #components #radicals Link to article: Shapeshifting Chinese characters: https://www.hackingchinese.com/shapeshifting-chinese-characters/ 6 challenges students face when learning to read Chinese and how to overcome them: https://www.hackingchinese.com/6-challenges-students-face-when-learning-to-read-chi...
Oct 23, 2023•28 min•Season 1Ep. 168
