Hacking Chinese Podcast

When we first start learning Chinese, each new character is hard to learn, but as we learn more, it gets easier. But a new problem soon appears: Mixing up similar characters. #learnchinese #characters #vocabulary #forgetting Link to the article this podcast episode is based on: Dealing with Chinese characters you keep mixing up: https://www.hackingchinese.com/dealing-with-chinese-characters-you-ke...

Listening is the most important skill. To improve your listening ability in Chinese, you need to listen a lot, but how much should you listen every day? #learnchinese #listening #time #practice #immersion Link to the article this podcast episode is based on: How much Chinese should you listen to every day? https://www.hackingchinese.com/how-much-chinese-should-you-listen-to-every-day/ The Fluent L...

Technology can make learning Chinese easier, but only if it helps you engage more with the language. Used poorly, the same tools can get in the way of learning instead of supporting it. #learnchinese #technology #traps #ai Link to the article this podcast episode is based on: How technology can make learning Chinese easier: https://www.hackingchinese.com/technology-makes-learning-chinese-easier/ H...

Technology can make learning Chinese easier, not by doing the learning for you, but by helping you spend more time on what actually matters: listening, reading and communicating in Chinese. #learnchinese #technology #ai #benefits Link to the article this podcast episode is based on: How technology can make learning Chinese easier: https://www.hackingchinese.com/technology-makes-learning-chinese-ea...

Spaced repetition software is designed to delay reviews as long as possible without letting you forget. For learning Chinese, though, barely remembering something is not enough. #learnchinese #vocabulary #srs #flashcards Link to the article this podcast episode is based on: When spaced repetition fails, and what to do about it: https://www.hackingchinese.com/when-spaced-repetition-fails-and-what-t...

Mnemonics are clever memory techniques that can be used to memorise everything from decks of cards to speeches, but how do you use them to learn Chinese? #learnchinese #mnemonics #memory #vocabulary Link to article: How to make Chinese easier by using mnemonics and memory techniques: https://www.hackingchinese.com/memory-aids-and-mnemonics-to-enhance-learning/ Remembering is a skill you can learn:...

Chinese chess, or 象棋 (xiàngqí), is more than a classic strategy game. It’s a fun, practical way into Chinese language and culture. #learnchinese #xiangqi #chinesechess Link to article: Learn Chinese by playing Chinese chess (象棋, xiàngqí): https://www.hackingchinese.com/learn-chinese-by-playing-chinese-chess-xiangqi/ Learn Chinese by playing Mahjong 麻將 (májiàng): https://www.hackingchinese.co...

Podcasts let you create your own Chinese immersion experience, with level-appropriate stories and authentic conversations. Learn flexibly on the go with the best podcasts for beginners, intermediate and advanced students! #learnchinese #podcasts #listening #beginner #intermediate #advanced  Link to article: The best podcasts for learning Chinese in 2026: https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-best-pod...

Measuring your Chinese progress is a double-edged sword: it can keep you motivated, but it can also tempt you to chase numbers that don’t reflect real progress. #learnchinese #progress #motivation #measure #benchmark Link to article on Hacking Chinese: Effective progress or experience points? The double-edged sword of measuring your Chinese learning: https://www.hackingchinese.com/measurable-progr...

Learning Mandarin pronunciation is not easy, so some people try to use English words to learn or teach the sounds. This is a really bad idea. #learnchinese #pronunciation #english #sounds Link to article on Hacking Chinese: Why learning Chinese pronunciation by using English words is a really bad idea: https://www.hackingchinese.com/why-learning-chinese-pronunciation-by-using-english-words-is-a-re...

Mnemonics are clever memory techniques that help you remember everything from PIN codes to Chinese characters. Good mnemonics make learning easier, but bad ones can distract you or even hold you back. #learnchinese #characters #hanzi #mnemonics #memory #vocabulary Link to article on Hacking Chinese: How to not memorise Chinese characters: The anatomy of bad mnemonics: https://www.hackingchinese.co...

The best time to start learning Chinese might be behind you, but the second-best time is now. If you’ve been surrounded by Mandarin for years and keep putting off learning the language, this guide is for you! #learnchinese #expat #china #bubble #immersion Link to article on Hacking Chinese: The best time to start learning Chinese is now: A guide for expats: https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-best-...

The obvious way to learn Mandarin is to listen to a person speaking the language. The less obvious way is to listen to the person who isn’t speaking in a conversation. What can you learn by listening to the listener? #learnchinese #listening #conversations #responses Link to article on Hacking Chinese: Improve your Chinese conversations by listening to the listener: https://www.hackingchinese.com/...

When learning a foreign language, some things might appear weird or even stupid. But does a negative attitude towards Chinese make it harder to learn? And if it does, how can you adopt a more positive approach? #learnchinese #attitude #motivation #stupid Link to article on Hacking Chinese: Chinese is fascinating and exciting, not weird and stupid: https://www.hackingchinese.com/chinese-is-fascinat...

The answer to the question of which Chinese language course you should choose is that it depends. But what does it depend on, and how do you make the right decision about which course to take? #learnchinese #course #class #learning Link to article on Hacking Chinese: Which Chinese language course should you take? https://www.hackingchinese.com/which-chinese-language-course-should-you-take/ Take re...

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 beginner, intermediate and advanced learners? Link to article: ⁠⁠The 10 best free Chinese listening resources for beginner, intermediate and advanced learners⁠⁠ : ⁠⁠https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-10-best-...

Remembering is not a fixed, innate ability; it's a skill you can learn. In fact, there are many proven and easy ways to improve your memory! #learnchinese #memory #mnemonics #vocabulary Link to article on Hacking Chinese: Remembering is a skill you can learn: Mnemonics for Chinese learners: https://www.hackingchinese.com/remembering-is-a-skill-you-can-learn/ Feats of memory anyone can do (Josh...

Motivation is not a personality trait that you either have or lack. It is a system you can design. Picture your future Mandarin self, make study sustainable, and let steady action close the gap. #learnchinese #motivation #l2mss #dörnyei Link to article on Hacking Chinese: A practical guide to your ideal Mandarin self: Build motivation that lasts: https://www.hackingchinese.com/a-practical-guide-to...

Mnemonics are clever memory devices designed to make it easier to remember things, but considering that they take time both to create and retrieve, are they really that useful for learning Chinese? #learnchinese #mnemonics #characters #memory #vocabulary Link to article on Hacking Chinese: Are mnemonics too slow for Chinese learners? https://www.hackingchinese.com/are-mnemonics-too-slow-for-chines...

Are you tired of learning Chinese characters and words only to forget them a day, a week or a month later? What if there were a simple method that would allow you to remember almost everything you learn, and that didn't take too much time and energy to use? There is: spaced repetition! #learnchinese #srs #vocabulary #flashcards #memory Link to article on Hacking Chinese: Spaced repetition: Wha...

I started Hacking Chinese to help people learn Mandarin, and your feedback is essential, so please fill out my listener survey. Also, to celebrate the Lunar New Year, I'm offering a hefty discount on three of my courses. #learnchinese #cny #discount #courses #survey Hacking Chinese reader and listener survey: https://forms.gle/FNKLcnDbxoBgULpK9 Chinese New Year and New Semester Course Discount...

I have published a book! It's called Hacking Chinese: the Dragon Collection and contains articles I wrote in 2024, the Year of the Dragon. The articles cover a wide variety of topics, but tones, listening comprehension and motivation are the most prominent. #learnchinese #anthology #hackingchinese #dragon Link to article on Hacking Chinese: New book: Hacking Chinese: the Dragon Collection: htt...

Feedback is important for learning, because it can show you how to not use the language and highlight things you hadn't noticed before. But getting honest feedback on your Chinese is harder than you might think. #learnchinese #feedback #correction #speaking #writing Link to article on Hacking Chinese: How to get honest feedback to boost your Chinese speaking and writing: https://www.hackingchinese...

The best way to learn to read Chinese is to read texts you can understand without constantly using a dictionary. As a beginner, those texts aren’t always easy to find, but let’s look at the best reading resources I know for beginners. #learnchinese #beginner #reading #resources Link to article on Hacking Chinese:  Chinese reading practice for beginners: 7 resources to improve your Mandarin: https:...

Subtitles and transcripts can help you understand spoken Chinese, but do they also help you become a better listener? Should you read along, read first, or save the text for after you’ve listened? #learnchinese #listening #reading #subtitles #transcripts Link to article on Hacking Chinese: Chinese subtitles and transcripts: Reading before, while or after listening: https://www.hackingchinese.com/c...