Podcast Episodes

103 - How to learn Chinese characters as a beginner

Season 1 Episode 103

Whole books have been written about how the Chinese writing system works, and really understanding Chinese is a lifelong adventure, but what do you do as a beginner when asked to memorise a list of c…

Published on 3 years, 3 months ago

102 - 7 ways to write Mandarin tones

Season 1 Episode 102

There are many ways of writing down the tones of Mandarin beyond the standard tone marks. Which are they and what pros and cons do they have for learners?

Link to article: 7 ways to write Mandarin to…

Published on 3 years, 3 months ago

101 - Chinese language question triage: When to ask whom about what

Season 1 Episode 101

When learning Chinese, questions about the language pop up all the time, but what's the best way to answer them?

Link to article: Chinese language question triage: When to ask whom about what: https:…

Published on 3 years, 3 months ago

100 - The most common Chinese words, characters and components for language learners and teachers

Season 1 Episode 100

A good  principle for choosing what to learn is to focus on the most useful things first, but how do you know what's most useful? Frequency lists can be helpful, but are often misused.

Link to articl…

Published on 3 years, 3 months ago

99 - How to become fluent in Chinese

Season 1 Episode 99

Being fluent in Chinese is more about being good at applying what you know, rather than knowing everything. Many students focus too much on learning new things, and neglect mastering what they've alr…

Published on 3 years, 4 months ago

98 - How to learn from your mistakes and errors when learning Chinese

Season 1 Episode 98

Making mistakes is a natural part of learning Chinese, but how can you make sure you learn as much as possible from the mistakes you make? The answer can be anything from "ignore it" to "stop everyth…

Published on 3 years, 4 months ago

97 - Do you have to learn to write Chinese characters by hand?

Season 1 Episode 97

Chinese characters are beautiful, but they take a long time to learn, especially if you want to be able to write them by hand. But do you actually need handwriting? When might you be required to writ…

Published on 3 years, 4 months ago

96 - Which words you should learn and where to find them

Season 1 Episode 96

When learning a language, it's important to know many words, but it's also important that you learn the right words. How do you know which words to learn? Where should you find those words? And how m…

Published on 3 years, 4 months ago

95 - Why you should use more than one Chinese textbook

Season 1 Episode 95

A textbook can only provide a sliver of the content and activities you need to learn Chinese, but rather than throwing your textbook away, try using several of them in parallel.

Link to article: Why …

Published on 3 years, 5 months ago

94 - Analyse and balance your Chinese learning with Paul Nation's four strands

Season 1 Episode 94

When learning Chinese, it’s hard to make sure you’re doing the right things. Paul Nation’s four strands allow you analyse and balance your learning!

Link to article: Analyse and balance your Chinese …

Published on 3 years, 5 months ago