Podcast Episodes

51 - Chinese language logging, part 3: Tools and resources for keeping track of your learning

Season 1 Episode 51

Logging you language  learning can be very useful, and there are many tools and resources out there to help you, but which are the best and how do you use them? 

Link to article: Chinese language log…

Published on 3 years, 7 months ago

50 - Chinese language learning in the twenty-first century: Towards a digital ecosystem? Interview with Julien Leyre

Season 1 Episode 50

Digital resources have made learning Chinese considerably easier than it used to be, but another problem has appeared: How can we make sense of and navigate the vast number of resources and find what…

Published on 3 years, 7 months ago

49 - The benefits of using Wikipedia to look up words when learning Chinese

Season 1 Episode 49

Wikipedia is an encyclopedia, not a dictionary, but did you know that it can be better than a dictionary for looking up words when learning Chinese?

Link to article: The benefits of using Wikipedia t…

Published on 3 years, 8 months ago

48 - How to get past the intermediate Chinese learning plateau

Season 1 Episode 48

When you start learning Chinese, your ability to communicate increases with every word you learn, but as your level improves, this feeling goes away and you it might feel  like you're no longer makin…

Published on 3 years, 8 months ago

47 - The new HSK 3.0: What you need to know

Season 1 Episode 47

On July 1st, 2021, a new Chinese proficiency standard took effect. This will have big consequences for the HSK, the most widely used proficiency test for non-native speakers. What are these changes a…

Published on 3 years, 8 months ago

46 - Learning to understand regionally accented Mandarin

Season 1 Episode 46

As soon as you leave the classroom, you will notice that people don't speak Chinese the way your teacher and textbook do. Why is that, and what can you do to learn to understand regionally accented M…

Published on 3 years, 8 months ago

45 - The importance of tones is inversely proportional to the predictability of what you say

Season 1 Episode 45

Tones in Mandarin carry roughly as much information as vowels do, but still some people insist that tones are not very important, or even that native speakers don't really use tones. Why is that and …

Published on 3 years, 8 months ago

44 - Lost in transcription: Saylaw, Ice Island and Aristotle

Season 1 Episode 44

Do you know the world's best footballer, Saylaw? What about Yàlǐshìduōdé? You probably do know them , even though you might not realise it.

Link: Lost in transcription: Saylaw, Ice Island and Aristot…

Published on 3 years, 9 months ago

43 - How important is reading speed on tests like HSK and TOCFL?

Season 1 Episode 43

Many students who take Chinese proficiency exams say that they understand the text, but can't read fast enough. Is that a valid complaint? And how fast do you have to read to pass the hSK or TOCFL?

L…

Published on 3 years, 9 months ago

42 - Chinese language logging, part 2: A healthy, balanced diet of Mandarin

Season 1 Episode 42

How do you balance your learning to make sure you get a healthy diet of Mandarin? Logging how much you listen, speak, read and write is easy, but are there better ways of doing it?

Link: Chinese lang…

Published on 3 years, 9 months ago