Podcast Episodes

120 - The simple trick I used to double the amount of Chinese I listen to

Season 1 Episode 120

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 …

Published on 2 years, 3 months ago

119 - Standard pronunciation in Chinese and why you want it

Season 1 Episode 119

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? Standar…

Published on 2 years, 4 months ago

118 - Tone errors in Mandarin that actually can cause misunderstandings

Season 1 Episode 118

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 confu…

Published on 2 years, 4 months ago

117 - How to study Chinese when you don’t feel like it

Season 1 Episode 117

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 …

Published on 2 years, 4 months ago

116 - Are there any shortcuts for learning Chinese?

Season 1 Episode 116

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 s…

Published on 2 years, 4 months ago

115 - The 10 best free Chinese listening resources for beginner, intermediate and advanced learners

Season 1 Episode 115

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 beginne…

Published on 2 years, 4 months ago

114 - Learning the neutral tone in Mandarin

Season 1 Episode 114

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 Mandar…

Published on 2 years, 5 months ago

113 - Training your Chinese teacher, part 1: Introduction

Season 1 Episode 113

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 …

Published on 2 years, 5 months ago

112 - From sound to meaning in Mandarin: Beyond tīng bu dǒng, part 2

Season 1 Episode 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 dǒn…

Published on 2 years, 5 months ago

111 - A guide to Chinese listening comprehension: Beyond tīng bu dǒng, part 1

Season 1 Episode 111

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 dǒn…

Published on 2 years, 5 months ago