Hacking Chinese Podcast

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://www.hackingchinese.com/hacking-chinese-reader-and-listener-survey/ Chinese New Ye...

You’d think that there are many roads to mastering Chinese, but in truth, there are only three. #learnchinese #mastery #fluency #work #social #hobby #motivation Link to article on Hacking Chinese: The three roads to mastering Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-three-roads-to-mastering-chinese/ How to become fluent in Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/how-to-become-fluent-in-chinese/...

Another year has come to an end. Which were the most popular articles on Hacking Chinese in 2024 The most popular podcast episodes? It's time to summarise the year that was and highlight the things you really shouldn’t miss! #learnchinese #bestof #summary #articles #podcast Link to article on Hacking Chinese: Best of Hacking Chinese 2024: https://www.hackingchinese.com/best-of-hacking-chinese-2024...

What do you do if your teacher says that your text reads like English written with Chinese words? How can you get good feedback on your Chinese writing from ChatGPT? And how can you learn to write in a professional or academic setting? #learnchinese #translation #chatgpt #ai #feedback #academia #professional Link to article on Hacking Chinese: Don’t use mnemonics for everything when learning Chine...

You say something in Mandarin, a native speaker corrects you, and you adjust. The next day, another native speaker tells you to revert to your original phrasing. What's going on? #learnchinese #nativespeaker #explicit #implicit #feedback Link to article on Hacking Chinese: What native speakers know about Chinese (and what they don’t): https://www.hackingchinese.com/what-native-speakers-know-and-wh...

Mnemonics are clever memory techniques you can use to learn and remember more, but this doesn't mean that you should always use them. If you do, you will end up spending more time on mnemonics than you do engaging with the Chinese language. #learnchinese #characters #mnemonics #memory Link to article on Hacking Chinese: Don’t use mnemonics for everything when learning Chinese: https://www.hackingc...

The more Chinese you learn, the less noticeable your progress becomes. Benchmarking can make your improvements more visible and help you stay motivated! #learnchinese #benchmarking #progress #proficiency Link to article on Hacking Chinese: Benchmarking progress in Chinese to stay motivated: https://www.hackingchinese.com/benchmarking-progress/ How to learn Chinese in the long term with intrinsic m...

You step into a bookshop, exploring the Chinese section, only to find a few textbooks and a 'Learn Chinese in Your Car.' But in the English section, shelves overflow with resources for Chinese speakers. And you wonder: could these books help you learn Chinese? #learnchinese #english #esl #resources #books Link to article on Hacking Chinese: Can English learning materials help you learn Chinese? ht...

How can you remember the difference between similar Chinese characters? Are flashcards better than reading for building vocabulary? And how do you learn polyphonic characters? #learnchinese #vocabulary #characters #reading #flashcards Link to article on Hacking Chinese: Student Q&A, December 2024: Learning similar Chinese characters, polyphonic characters, and flashcards vs. reading for buildi...

Thanks to the internet, learning Chinese is now more accessible than ever, and you can do it completely for free. Just because you can doesn't mean that you should, however. If you have money to invest, here's how to do so with the greatest impact. #learnchinese #resources #paid #premium #free Link to article on Hacking Chinese: Which Chinese learning resources are worth paying for? https://www.ha...

Want to understand Mandarin naturally, at any level? This course guides you in building an immersive listening environment and equips you with essential listening strategies. Strengthen your listening ability to unlock conversations, connect with others, and dive into Chinese society and culture,  making you feel 如鱼得水 (rúyúdéshuǐ), like a fish in water! The Fluent Listener is a new course from...

Listening is the cornerstone of language learning, yet many students struggle to improve their Mandarin listening comprehension. Fortunately, making progress isn’t as difficult as you might think; just follow these four key principles! #learnchinese #listening #comprehension #improve #motivation Link to article on Hacking Chinese: Four key principles to improve your Mandarin listening comprehensio...

Is reading digitally in Chinese better than on paper? What are the best digital tools for reading? And what should you do if you can’t find texts that are both interesting and at the right level? #learnchinese #reading #faq #digital #paper #tools #comprehensible #engaging Link to article on Hacking Chinese: Student Q&A, November 2024: Pros and cons of digital tools for Chinese reading, and the...

Many people believe that learning a new script is challenging, but mastering systems like Zhuyin (Bopomofo) or Japanese kana is surprisingly easy. With the right approach and resources, you can do it in just a few hours! #learnchinese #zhuyin #bopomofo #taiwan Link to article: How to learn Zhuyin (Bopomofo) in two hours: https://www.hackingchinese.com/how-to-learn-zhuyin-bopomofo-in-two-hours/ Skr...

Counting is one of the first things we learn in a foreign language, yet mastering it takes time. While basic numbers may seem simple, using them effectively in communication requires much more than just memorising words. #hackingchinese #numbers #counting #fractions #finance #communication Link to article: Do you really know how to count in Chinese? https://www.hackingchinese.com/do-you-really-kno...

Improving your Chinese after you reach an advanced level requires new ways of learning and new sources of motivation. If I could go back in time to give a less proficient version of myself advice, here is what I would say. #hackingchinese #advanced #timemachine #learningstrategy Link to article: Three things I wish I had known as an advanced student of Chinese: Time machine, part 3: https://www.ha...

Don’t try to learn pronunciation by reading. Instead, the best way to improve is to listen to and mimic native speakers. Focusing too much on how sounds are written down can actually make it harder to hear them! #learnchinese #pronunciation #pinyin #labels  Link to article: Don’t learn Mandarin pronunciation by reading, listen and mimic instead: https://www.hackingchinese.com/dont-learn-mandarin-p...

How is the Pinyin final -i pronounced after sh? How is the initial z- pronounced compared to z in English? And is Pinyin a good transcription system for learning pronunciation? #learnchinese #pronunciation #q&a #pinyin #initials #finals Link to article: Student Q&A, October 2024: Pronouncing the final -i after sh-, the initial z- and if Pinyin is a good transcription system:  https://www.h...

YouTube and similar platforms offer a vast treasure trove of content that can help you learn Chinese, whether you're watching videos in Chinese or exploring content about language and culture. But how can you get the most out of this resource at different stages of learning? #learnchinese #youtube #video #input Link to article: How to use YouTube and other video platforms to learn Chinese: htt...

Traversing the intermediate Chinese learning plateau requires a shift in focus. Here are three pieces of advice for intermediate learners of Mandarin. #learnchinese #intermediate #timemachine #learningstrategies Link to article: Three things I wish I had known as an intermediate student of Chinese: The time machine, part 2: https://www.hackingchinese.com/three-things-i-wish-i-had-known-as-an-inter...

How words are pronounced and used depends on context, but traditional learning materials lack the diversity to prepare you for real-world Chinese. Fortunately, YouGlish is a great tool for studying language in context. #learnchinese #pronunciation #context #youtube #usage Link to article: YouGlish: A free service to hear and see Chinese words in context: https://www.hackingchinese.com/youglish-a-f...

Should you slow down the Mandarin you listen to? How can you prepare for difficult listening exams? And how can you understand Chinese numbers in context? #learnchinese #rateofspeech #slowaudio #exams #listening #numbers Link to article: Student Q&A, September 2024: Slowly spoken Chinese, passing listening exams and understanding numbers: https://www.hackingchinese.com/student-qa-september-202...

There are over 500 articles and more than 1 million words on Hacking Chinese. How are you supposed to absorb all that information and inspiration as a student? Let’s discuss how to get the most out of my website and podcast!  Back-to-school course discount, 2024: https://www.hackingchinese.com/back-to-school-hacking-chinese-course-discount/ Tags: #learnchinese #course #howto #guidance #discount #b...

I started learning Chinese more than 15 years ago. Here are three things I wish I had known back then, as a beginner! #learnchinese #beginner #timemachine #learningstrategies Link to article: Three things I wish I had known as a beginner student of Chinese: The time machine, part 1: https://www.hackingchinese.com/three-things-i-wish-i-had-known-as-a-beginner-student-of-chinese-the-time-machine-par...

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-fre...