You Can Learn Chinese

John and Jared break down what it’s going to take if you want to get conversational in Chinese both in terms of the number of words and which ones are the most necessary. Plus, where to find the vocab to explain the Black Lives Matter movement to your Chinese-speaking friends. Guest interview is with Finlay Davidson, who went from being the below-average student in his classes to a Chinese languag...

Guest interview is with John Gordon, a longtime resident of Beijing who went from English education to starring in a Children’s TV show in China. His journey shows the value of a long homestay experience in helping with pronunciation and the unbelievable doors that learning Chinese can open for you. John and Jared then discuss his story and explore the value of homestays, navigating Chinese censor...

What does a great tutor do differently? How often should they correct you? What should you do if you can’t afford a private tutor? John and I will give you tips and advice on how to identify a tutor who can help you take your Chinese to the next level. Guest interview is with Lucy Jak-Lax, an aspiring musician who fell in love with China, explored the diverse ethnic music of the country, and has e...

What is in a name? In this episode, John and Jared discuss names in Chinese and how to pick out a good one so you don’t end up with a name like the Chinese girl whose English name is Radiohead. Guest interview is with Millie Potter from the UK who forged her own path within a study abroad program, found a home-stay family when school was out and opened up unimagined opportunities. Thanks for liste...

This episode kicks off interviewing Jason Schuurman, an American who has spent a third of his life immersed in Chinese culture and having a blast while doing it. He’s now using technology to bring Chinese learning to the masses.  John and Jared unpack Jason’s tips for pronouncing Chinese confidently and share their own stories about having fun teaching themselves Chinese. Don’t miss John and Jared...

John and Jared discuss how you can develop mad Chinese writing skills, complete with very practical activities to build those skills, either with others or by yourself. Make sure you stay tuned for John’s writing game “Eat poop, you cat”. Guest interview is with Shannon Kennedy, an extraordinary polyglot whose love of Chinese redefined her friendships in ways she could have never imagined. Her sto...

John and Jared have an insightful discussion about the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the globe with an on-the-ground perspective in China and the US. John talks about the two month lockdown in Shanghai he experienced and what the end of the pandemic may look like. Jared shares the story of the virus infecting his own son, including a neighbor who, at the time of this recording, is hospitalized in the...

John and Jared talk discuss everything you wanted to know about extensive reading but were afraid to ask. After this, you’ll be able to identify why many of the traditional methods of learning a language are not as effective and how extensive reading solves all of those. If you want to accelerate your path to Chinese fluency, this episode is for you. Guest interview is with Mariano Millet from Arg...

In this episode, John and Jared talk about the difference between learning Chinese as a second language vs. learning as a foreign language. At first glance, they seem to be the same thing, but as you pick it apart you begin to see how the difference insidiously impacts learning all over the world. Stop us if you’ve heard this story before: a Chinese learner dabbles for 20 years, learning here and...

Jared talks with Grant Brown, an expert on HSK and AP Chinese test prep. Grant tells us the key reasons people fail, and the secrets to passing. This is advice you won’t hear anywhere else from a teacher who has seen both sides. We learn the power of reading and how it will fool your Chinese-learning classmates into assuming you did a year abroad in China. Plus, Grant covers the importance of buil...

Do you find it hard to remember characters? We all do. In this episode, John and Jared discuss a method that has delivered results time and time again. Plus, imagine reading a Charles Dickens novel in Chinese…but with only 450 characters! Guest interview is with Chris Max. He is a famous You Tuber that you may not have heard of because all of his videos are in Chinese and made for Chinese audience...

What can you realistically learn from a textbook? John and Jared discuss this question to help anyone understand how far a textbook can take you towards fluency. Plus, be ready for a surprise guest appearance from John’s mother-in-law! Guest interview is with Jeff Lindsay, a warm and funny man whose love for Chinese has translated into love for the people. His stories will shine a ray of light int...

In this special episode, John and Jared go over the top 10 YCLC podcasts of the year, highlighting their favorite episodes and why. If you’re new to the podcast, this is a must listen to find out what you might have missed! Plus, there’s a special two truths and a lie, featuring LeBron James, an electric collision with a policeman and a little romance. Guest interview is with Jordan Schneider, hos...

圣诞节快乐! This is our special Christmas episode! John and Jared discuss Christmas is like in China, Christmas words in Chinese, and they even have a “name that tune” for some Chinese Christmas carols, all to bring you some Christmas cheer… in Chinese!. Don’t miss John’s delicious Chinese coffee rave –a special delight for anybody living in China. Guest interview is with Mervyn Cooke. He is the k...

Tones are definitely one of the challenging aspects of Chinese. In this episode, John and Jared discuss the 4 types of mistakes learners make with tones and offer tips on fixing them quickly. Guest interview is with China-based CELTA trainer Mathew Armstrong. Sometimes we try to demonstrate how “good” our Chinese is, however Mathew offers a humbler perspective on how much there is left to learn de...

John and Jared discuss the all too common situation of pinyin over Chinese characters, something Jared sometimes refer to as the “crippling crutch”. They go into depth on why this is so common, why it is so detrimental, and what to do instead. Guest interview is with Kwadwo [QUĀY.jo] Sampani Kessi, the founder of Elementary Chinese, a popular YouTube and Instagram channel for learning Chinese. He...

John and Jared discuss some of the latest research about how we learn to read in Chinese. This episode is packed with insights that will change the way you think about learning Chinese! You'll also get two raves that will take your Chinese learning up a notch.  Guest interview is with Revuen Lerner, an accomplished Python developer and trainer who began learning Chinese when his work started sendi...

In this episode, John and I talk about the connection between culture and language. Just how important is a grasp of the culture to learn Chinese? In addition to a rant and a rave, we’ve got a new segment about our adventures in China. Gest interview is with Imron Alston. In addition to being an accomplished Chinese learner, he has developed software to assist Chinese learners and is an admin on t...

For this special episode, we are joined by Diane Neubauer as a special guest co-host. Diane is a Chinese teacher who first learned Chinese in college, has spent over a decade in the classroom teaching, and is now pursuing a PhD. Jared, John, and Diane discuss some of the latest trends in learning Chinese, what it’s like to be a Chinese teacher, and touch on some of the aspects between language and...

Why are you studying Chinese? It seems that everyone has a different reason, but your reason is critical to your success in learning Chinese. Jared and John discuss the importance of having a reason to learn Chinese and cultivating existing and new motivations. If you don’t have a reason to learn, you wont get far with the language. Guest interview is with Theresa Munford from the UK. She began le...

How did we get two systems of Chinese characters? John and Jared discuss why we have simplified and traditional characters, how it all came about, and dissect what sometimes can be a controversial subject among the Chinese language community. You’ll learn how to decide which one is best for you to learn. Guest interview is with Phil Crimmins, founder of Mandarin Blueprint. He was pursuing a career...

There comes a point in every learners language development when there is a gap between their current level and the next level up. It’s a more pronounced gap for intermediate to advanced levels and John and Jared discuss strategies on how to make this leap and keep moving forward. Guest interview is with Rakesh Amaram who started learning Chinese when he began dating a Chinese girl from University....

A learner on Reddit expressed his frustration that he can speak, read, and write Chinese but can’t understand spoken Chinese. John and Jared discuss this learners situations, talk about reasons why some learners find themselves in a situation like this, and give practical advice on how to develop your listening skills. Guest interview is with Liz Hanlon who started learning Chinese in high school...

Have you ever tried to learn grammar? In this episode, John and Jared discuss the best ways to learn grammar and things you should avoid. You’ll find out that much of the traditional methods of learning grammar are just plain out wrong. Special interview with Steven Kaufmann “The Linguist”, a famous polyglot and speaks nearly two dozen languages including Chinese. Steve shares his story of learnin...

How is your pronunciation? In this podcast, John and Jared discuss Chinese pronunciation, common pitfalls, and tips on how to sound even better when you’re speaking Chinese. Learn how to pronounce like a pro! Guest interview is with Shang Zhu Zhang, who at age 7 moved to Canada, learned French and English, and forgot how to speak Mandarin. She will share her journey of how she reconnected with her...