Podcast Episodes

123 - Learning to process spoken Mandarin quickly and effortlessly: Beyond tīng bu dǒng, part 4

Season 1 Episode 123

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 p…

Published on 2 years, 10 months ago

122 - Learning Chinese words, characters and components

Season 1 Episode 122

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.hack…

Published on 2 years, 10 months ago

121 - Using what you already know to aid listening comprehension in Chinese: Beyond tīng bu dǒng, part 3

Season 1 Episode 121

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, pa…

Published on 2 years, 11 months ago

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, 11 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, 11 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, 11 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, 11 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 3 years 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 3 years 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 3 years ago