Podcast Episodes
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Do music skills make you better at Chinese?
Does a musical background make you better at Chinese? Believe it or not, there is research on this very subject that John and I are going to delve in…
3 years, 4 months ago
Five qualities of good language learners
Anyone can learn a language, but in this episode, John and I are going to talk about five qualities of good language learners. Call them qualities, c…
3 years, 4 months ago
Four types of teachers to avoid
The Ultra-Traditional, the “Buddy”, the Know-it-All, and the “Too Nice” are all teacher types that John and Jared are going to break down and you sho…
3 years, 5 months ago
Game-based learning with Fred Poole, Ph.D.
Special episode with Fred Poole, a language acquisition expert from Michigan State University who shares his experience with game-based learning and …
3 years, 5 months ago
A rude awakening: Chinese norms and niceties
Have you ever had comments in Chinese about your weight, asked how much money you make, or experienced just a general lack of “please” and “thank-you…
3 years, 6 months ago
Brain exhaustion and building stamina
How long can you use Chinese before your “brain is full”? John and Jared talk about endurance in Chinese, how to build stamina, and what to expect as…
3 years, 6 months ago
When the dictionary is wrong
What do you do when your dictionary says one thing but native speakers say it differently? John and Jared will talk about how to handle this and put …
3 years, 7 months ago
Vocab apps and learner engagement
Jared and John discuss a research paper on learner engagement with vocabulary apps. Whether you’re an independent learner or a teacher, there are ple…
3 years, 7 months ago
The importance of anticipation in learning
Learning a language is much more than learning vocabulary. This includes understanding and anticipating interactions within a cultural context. John …
3 years, 8 months ago
The six types of Chinese learners
In 2021, Jared and John at Mandarin Companion surveyed over a thousand Chinese learners worldwide. Based on a statistical analysis, they found six ma…
3 years, 8 months ago