You Can Learn Chinese

Are you doing the right things to learn Chinese? In this episode, John and Jared discuss the Four Strands of language learning developed by Paul Nation, a famous researcher in vocabulary acquisition, and how we can use these four keys to identify strengths and weaknesses in any language program. After listening to this show, you’ll not only be able to identify a good Chinese program, you’ll know w...

You may know a lot of Chinese, but are you proficient in it? Or maybe you’ve studied for a long time but are still unable to speak or hold a simple conversation. Jared and John discuss this as one of the most common issues among language learners and offer practical advice on how to balance the two with an emphasis on how to build Chinese language proficiency. You’ll also get a rant and a rave. Gu...

What makes a fluent reader in Chinese? To cut through the wide range of opinions on this subject, this episode delves into the research behind what makes a reader fluent and what you can do to achieve reading fluency in Chinese. Join John and Jared on this insightful discussion that dispel myths and help you know what to focus on. And of course, you’ll get a rant and a rave. Guest interview is wit...

Jared gives a review of the 2019 National Chinese Language Conference in San Diego, California, and John & Jared discuss the different stages of learning Chinese. As usual, you’ll get a rant and a rave, including a rant that goes into a unique tangent. Guest interview is with John D’Andrea who began learning Chinese back in the 70’s and teaches Chinese today. You’ll discover how much the metho...

Jared & John field a question from a listener asking a question pertaining to Chinese linguistics, a subject in which John just happens to have a masters degree. As usual, you’ll get a rant and a rave, and Jared pulls out the original Chinese emoji: 囧 (jiǒng). Guest interview is with Jacob Gill, the CEO of Skritter. Jake originally thought he could never learn a second language but has gone o...

Jared & John discuss everything you wanted to know about tones but were afraid to ask. They highlight why they are important, what makes them difficult, where learners usually go wrong, and how to polish your tones to sound better than you thought possible. You’ll get a rant about Chinese teachers using English names and mixing simplified and traditional characters together. Guest interview is...

Jared & John talk about the myth of adults learning Chinese like a child. If you think this is the best way for someone to learn, you may come away with not only a different perspective but also new ideas on how you can learn Chinese faster. John and Jared also discuss a listeners question, fake graded readers, and the mystique of the Chinese typewriter (yes, it’s a real thing). Our guest inte...

This episode is all about how to immerse yourself in the language without having to travel half way around the world. Jared and John share all sorts of tried and true tips from learners everywhere, including some you’ve probably never heard of! Get the scoop on reading, movies, music, and tricks to help you create that immersive environment. You’ll even get a sample of the “Crazy Rich Asians” soun...

In this episode, we talk about a number of common questions people have about reading and writing in Chinese. We challenge the conventional wisdom that kids books in Chinese are good things to read when you are learning Chinese (spoiler; they're not). You'll also learn why so many books in Chinese have pinyin over the top of the characters and how this can negatively impact our learning. We also a...

In this episode, John introduces the concept of language power struggles which is when you want to practice your Chinese with a Chinese person, but they will only talk to you in English. We also talk about the reverse when you are speaking English and the other person is speaking Chinese and you both understand each other, kind of like Han Solo and Chewbacca. We delve into the different accents in...

In this episode, Jared asks John how his Chinese became so good, Chinese that is so good that he once asked him the word for "puppet" and he knew it offhand. In the US, there are nearly 300 Chinese dual language immersion schools and they have been going on for decades. Caitlin Lee graduated from such a program over ten years ago and it will make you wish you learned Chinese like this! She shares...

In this episode, John and Jared talk about why Chinese is taught the way it is, can we learn Chinese the way a child does, and how do you keep up your Chinese? You'll also get a rant and a rave. A guest interview with Josh Campbell, a public relations executive in China to talk about his experience with learning Chinese in the 90's and how it has impacted his career, including his experience with...

Introduction to the podcast, getting to know Jared Turner and John Pasden, and an overview of what this podcast is all about. What This Podcast Is This is the very first Chinese podcast of it’s kind! Here is what it is all about. Discussing the best ways to learn Chinese Sharing leading research and best practices for learning Chinese Identifying trends in Chinese learning (good and bad) Discussin...