Hacking Chinese Podcast

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 article:   The most common Chinese words, characters and components for language learners and teachers : https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-most-common-chinese-words-characters-and-components-for-l...

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 already learnt. Link to article: How to become fluent in Chinese : https://www.hackingchinese.com/how-to-become-fluent-in-chinese/ #learnchinese #fluency #fourstrands Which words you should learn and wher...

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 everything you're doing and get to the bottom of it", and it all depends on what kind of mistake you've made! Link to article:   How to get honest feedback to boost your Chinese speaking and writing : ht...

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 write by hand? And are there any other benefits with handwriting that might make it all worthwhile? Link to article: Do you have to learn to write Chinese characters by hand? https://www.hackingchinese.com...

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 much can you express using only the ten hundred most used words? Link to article: Which words you should learn and where to find them : https://www.hackingchinese.com/which-words-you-should-learn-in-and...

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 you should use more than one Chinese textbook : https://www.hackingchinese.com/why-you-should-use-more-than-one-chinese-textbook/ #learnchinese #textbooks #input #reading #listening Analyse and balance...

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 learning with Paul Nation's four strands : https://www.hackingchinese.com/analyse-and-balance-your-chinese-learning-with-paul-nations-four-strands #learnchinese #fourstrands #sla #input #output #fluenc...

As if learning basic tones wasn't enough, tones in Mandarin also influence each other and change depending on context. Some of these tone change rules you have to learn, but others are better left alone and will be absorbed naturally over time. Link to article: On accuracy, communication and comprehensibility when learning Chinese : https://www.hackingchinese.com/on-accuracy-communication-and-comp...

As if learning basic tones wasn't enough, tones in Mandarin also influence each other and change depending on context. Some of these tone change rules you have to learn, but others are better left alone and will be absorbed naturally over time. Link to article: Obligatory and optional tone change rules in Mandarin : https://www.hackingchinese.com/optional-obligatory-tone-change-rules-mandarin/ #le...

Listening is probably the most important skill when learning Chinese, and the more you practise, the better. In order to listen as much as you should, you need to stop thinking about listening as a study activity and start thinking about it as a way of life! Link to article: How to find more time to practise Chinese listening : https://www.hackingchinese.com/how-to-find-more-time-to-practise-liste...

Authentic texts not written specifically for second language learners are rich, varied, interesting and engaging, but they can also be terribly difficult and confusing. Should you use such texts for learning Chinese, or are you better off using content tailored to language learners? Link to article: Are authentic texts good for learning Chinese or is graded content better? https://www.hackingchine...

Reading in Chinese has many benefits, but why you read should also inform your choice of what to read. Link to article: What to read to improve your Chinese and why : https://www.hackingchinese.com/what-to-read-to-improve-your-chinese-and-why #learnchinese #reading #comprehensibility #authenticity The 7 best Chinese reading resources for beginners: https://www.hackingchinese.com/beginner-chinese-r...

Tones in Chinese can be hard to master, but did you know that most of what you need is contained in just twenty words? Link to article: How to learn Chinese pronunciation as a beginner : https://www.hackingchinese.com/learning-pronunciation-as-a-beginner/ #learnchinese #pronunciation #beginner #tones Hacking Chinese Pronunciation: Speaking with Confidence: https://www.hackingchinese.com/courses/ma...

Tones in Chinese can be hard to master, but did you know that most of what you need is contained in just twenty words? Link to article: Focusing on tone pairs to improve your Mandarin pronunciation: https://www.hackingchinese.com/focusing-on-tone-pairs-to-improve-your-mandarin-pronunciation/ #learnchinese #tones #tonepairs #pronunciation Link to pronunciation course: Hacking Chinese Pronunciation:...

Many students think that learning a language is limited to going to class, working your way through difficult texts or having conversations with native speakers. These all contribute to your learning, but learning is not limited to things you can schedule in your calendar. If you think of it like that, you'll miss so many learning opportunities! Link to article: Time quality: Studying the right th...

Finding the right resources for learning and teaching Chinese can be tricky considering how much there is on offer. How do you find resources suitable for your level, apps designed to help you meet a particular challenge, or information and advice in general? You go to Hacking Chinese Resources, of course, which features 500 resources for learning and teaching Chinese, tagged by level, topic and t...

Are you picking up Chinese again after a break, and struggle to find the words and characters? Does spoken Mandarin sound vaguely familiar but incomprehensible? Then this guide will help you get back on track! Link to article: How to start learning Chinese again after a break : https://www.hackingchinese.com/how-to-start-learning-chinese-again-after-a-break #learnchinese #recover #gettingback #hac...

Stroke order can feel difficult and pointless for beginners, but if you want to be able to write Chinese characters, it's important to get it right from the start. Instead of taking my word for it, let me explain why stroke order matters!  Link to article: Is it necessary to learn the stroke order of Chinese characters? https://www.hackingchinese.com/is-it-necessary-to-learn-the-stroke-order-...

How do you survive a Chinese course that's too hard for you, regardless if you ended up there on purpose or because of circumstances? What are the key strategies to ensure you stay afloat and learn as much as possible? Link to article: How to survive and thrive in a difficult Chinese course : https://www.hackingchinese.com/how-to-survive-and-thrive-in-a-difficult-chinese-course #learnchinese #cour...

Most foreigners learning Chinese rely on textbooks written specifically for foreigners, but what about textbooks written for native speakers, can’t we use those to learn Chinese too? Link to article: The benefits of using 语文/國文 textbooks to learn Chinese https://www.hackingchinese.com/benefits-using-语文國文-textbooks-learn-chinese/ #learnchinese #textbooks #语文 #國文 #chinese John' article a...

Chinese has a reputation for being hard to learn and it can be even harder if you take a course that is above your level. But why would you do that? What are the potential pros and cons of deliberately seeking out a learning environment where just keeping your head above water will be hard? https://www.hackingchinese.com/is-taking-a-chinese-course-thats-too-hard-good-for-your-learning/ #learnchine...

Learning to write Chinese characters takes a lot of time and might not be strictly necessary, but if you want to improve your handwriting, how should you go about it? Link to article: How to improve your Chinese handwriting https://www.hackingchinese.com/how-to-improve-your-chinese-handwriting/ Tags: #learnchinese #handwriting #characters #writing Chinese writing challenge, February 2022: https://...

Text adventure games are awesome for learning Chinese, but how do they work and how can you get the most out of them? Link to article in Chinese: 文字冒险游戏及其在对外汉语教学中的应用 https://www.hackingchinese.com/wenzi-maoxian-youxi/ Link to article in English (including separate podcast episode 78a): Text adventure games and how to use them in the Chinese language classroom https://www.hacking...

Text adventure games are awesome for learning Chinese, but how do they work and how can you get the most out of them? Link to article in English: Text adventure games and how to use them in the Chinese language classroom https://www.hackingchinese.com/how-to-play-adventure-text-games-with-a-chinese-teacher/ Link to article in Chinese (including separate podcast episode 78b): 文字冒险游戏及其在对外...

2021 was an eventful year on Hacking Chinese, but which were the best articles and podcast episodes? Let’s summarise the year that was and highlight things you really shouldn’t miss! Link to article: Best of Hacking Chinese 2021 : https://www.hackingchinese.com/best-of-hacking-chinese-2021/ Tags: #learnchinese #bestof #summary #wrapup Listen to this and other episodes on your favourite podcasting...