You Can Learn Chinese

Language is words, so learn enough words and you’ll be fluent, right? As a sophisticated learner, you know it’s not that simple. In this episode, we discuss the subtleties of vocabulary learning, how it is (and isn’t) like Legos, what “high-frequency” means, and how to apply all of this to your studies. The guest interview is with Mischa Wilmers from England. For all of you who wanted to learn Chi...

John and Jared discuss what it means to be “learner-centric” and how you can adapt your learning methods to fit your own goals. You’ll get insights into the new HSK and other standardized tests, ACTFL’s “Can-Do” statements, and Mandarin Companion standards. These are all things you can use right away! The guest interview is with Robin MacPherson, a highly enthusiastic polyglot who speaks eight lan...

Recently, Mandarin Companion participated in the 2021 National Chinese Language Conference (NCLC), and the topics discussed provided quite a bit of insight into what is in store for the future of Chinese learning, since methods applied in schools trickles down to affect all learners. Spoiler alert: the future is bright! Guest interview with Jonathan Becker, a college student who was placed into hi...

Everyone loves Chinese food, but if only there were a way to tie your love for the cuisine into progress learning the language. Well, there is! ...sort of. Tune in to learn what to do and what not to do so that your stomach stays full as your Mandarin levels up. Guest interview with James Wong who, despite a severe hearing disability, worked hard to overcome the odds and made impressive progress t...

What if you are still struggling to get to the point where you can read the lowest level graded readers? What techniques can get you there? John and Jared will discuss steps you can take to bridge the gap to real reading and also begin to experience the snowball effect of reading in Chinese. Guest interview is with Abigail Washburn, a Grammy Award winning bluegrass musician, whose plans to attend...

Will Chinese one day unseat English to become the dominant language around the world? Jared and John discuss a paper by professor Jeffery Gil who predicts that one day it will. Guest interview is with Amani Core who provides a philosophical perspective on how Chinese shapes our view of humanity. Links from the episode:“Chinese to Rise as a Global Language” by Jeffery GilThese Violent Delights by C...

You probably know a bit about Chinese surnames, but in this episode you’ll learn how they relate to both Chinese culture and language acquisition plus how they can even help you forge new relationships in Chinese. Guest interview is with Chris Marquis (of the China Corner Office podcast), business professor from Cornell University specializing in China, who has been using Chinese all across China...

John and Jared unpack when you should start learning Chinese characters so you can find your own answer that might be later or earlier than you might think. Guest interview is with Adam DiFrisco who found the courage to make huge life changing decisions that brought him to China. Links from the episode: Chinese Grammar Wiki Book: Upper Intermediate Mandarin Companion grammar points on the Chinese...

John and Jared talk about flashcards and spaced repetition software, how they can help, their limits, and how to use them to build your Chinese skills. This guest interview is with Mandarin Blueprint cofounder Luke Neale, who felt the call of Chinese pulling him back to China, changing his life forever. Links from the episode: SRS flashcards: Pros and cons – Sinosplice Jekyll and Hyde – level 2 gr...

Review of a paper written by a professor who incorporated graded readers and theater into a Chinese class. Interview with Denis Suslov from Russia.

John and Jared discuss the difference between how you think your Chinese sounds vs how it really sounds. Surprise surprise, there is a difference! John takes us through an academic paper to tell you which tones you should prioritize to make yourself understood more clearly. Guest interview is with Linda Yi, creator of Panda Cub stories and a heritage speaker who spent years trying to fit in before...

In this special episode, John and Jared went back through all of the interviews of 2020 and pulled out the ten best stories. Get ready to laugh, reflect, and possibly shed a tear as we take a trip down memory lane. These stories show how learning Chinese can open doors in all aspects of your life, bringing unexpected and cherished connections… ...except the story about pooping in a bag. Merry Chri...

John and Jared give you a behind the scenes look at how they choose and adapt stories for Chinese learners like you. It’s a look into how the sausage is made! If you’ve read any of the books, or do any sort of creative work, you may quite enjoy this segment. Guest interview is with Peter Braden, a Chinese History PhD researcher with some serious Chinese chops. He’s performed Chinese poems in front...

What are you afraid of? John and Jared discuss the most common things that could be holding you back from learning Chinese. They offer tips on how to overcome them to achieve your dreams. Guest interview is with Megan Ammirati, a 2nd generation Chinese learner and Fulbright scholar. Her story illustrates that your potential will lie fallow in the field unless you apply yourself and find your own r...

Welcome to part 4 of 4 about learning how to read Chinese. This is the situation: you’ve read all the graded readers and learner content out there, and you're wondering….now what? John and Jared offer tips on how to bridge the gap to native level content. Guest interview is with Matt Sheehan, an intrepid American who landed in China to learn journalism and Chinese and then combined the two! You’re...

Welcome to part 3 of 4 about learning how to read Chinese. In this episode, John and Jared discuss the concept of fluency now as opposed to some distant time in the future and how reading will get you there. Guest interview is with Olle Linge of Hacking Chinese and Chinese language enthusiast extraordinaire. He offers the Chinese learning tips that he wishes someone had told him back when he start...

Welcome to part 2 of 4 about learning how to read Chinese. In this episode, John and Jared discuss how to get into reading at an early stage, even if you don’t have anything that is low enough for you to read! Guest interview is with Heather Turner, an entrepreneurial mother of five. She’s a qualified dental hygienist, professional baker, and most recently, a 5th grade Chinese teacher! Thanks for...

Welcome to part 1 of 4  about learning how to read Chinese. In this episode, John and Jared start at the beginning and talk about how to learn pinyin, characters, and vocabulary. Guest interview is with Scott Young, author of bestselling novel “Ultralearning”. Scott spent a year without English and managed to be conversational in four new languages, including HSK Level 4 Chinese! Thanks for listen...

John and Jared discuss a linguistic concept that you’ve probably never heard of but is pervasive throughout all languages. This will help you understand why for some things there is simply no direct translation and the answer for “why is it said this way?” is often “that’s just how it’s said”!Guest interview is with James Loach, a particle physicist turned artificial intelligence developer who fel...

John and Jared discuss using Chinese in the workplace and how you can use it no matter what your level. Guest interview is with Kaiser Kuo, a well know figure among China expats, and who, among many things, started the first Chinese heavy metal band in China and the growth of his Chinese skills is one thing that made it possible. Get ready for some awesome stories. Thanks for listening to our podc...

In this episode, you’re going to learn how to level up your Chinese listening skills. Jared and John will be sharing tips and tricks you can use no matter where you live.  Guest interview is with Eric Majerus, a home grown American boy learning Chinese for the sake of his family. Thanks for listening to our podcast! Please write us a review on Apple Podcasts and we’ll give you a shout out on the p...

So you think you’re funny? John and Jared discuss some of the cultural differences of Chinese humor and what it takes to get your Chinese friends rolling on the floor in laughter. Guest interview is with Laszlo Montgomery, host of the famous China History Podcast. It's the go-to podcast if you want to learn about the long and at times complex history of China and Chinese people around the world. T...

John & Jared discuss the role of translation in the language learning journey. When you encounter a text with many unfamiliar characters, should you open a translation app? Guest interview is with Jeremy Goldkorn, a 20 year veteran of China from South Africa and co-host of the Sinica Podcast. Jeremy’s first learned Chinese in the 90s while sleeping in a Beijing factory dormitory. Today he is the E...

John and Jared discuss how to set language learning goals, with concrete ideas on how to break them down into achievable chunks and avoiding the trap of “I want to be fluent enough to read a Chinese newspaper”. Guest interview is with Peter Olson, the creator of Dong-Chinese.com, a man who was born in China, moved to America, and now lives Kazakhstan (go look that up on the map!). He super-charged...

In this special episode, guest interview is with expert Chinese teacher trainer and innovator, Terry Waltz. She’s a renegade in the Chinese language of community, championing the cause of comprehensible input, which is the future of all language education. Like us, she’s published a host of graded readers in Chinese and shares a career full of wisdom with us in about 30 minutes. John and Jared bre...