Articles in the ‘Attitude and mentality’ category Page 6
-
Training your Chinese teacher, part 1: Introduction
Finding a good Chinese teacher is not easy, but there are many things you can do to get more out of the time you spend with a teacher, and in a sense, train him or her to better suit your needs and preferences.
Read → -
8 tips for learning Chinese as an introverted student
Introverts are not necessarily worse language learners than extroverts, but not taking or creating opportunities to speak Mandarin will slow you down. In this article, I share some methods I’ve used to compensate for this as an introvert learner.
Read → -
Learning to unicycle, learning anatomy and learning Chinese
Is learning Chinese more like learning to unicycle or like learning anatomy? It strongly depends on what we’re talking about more precisely. Some aspects of language learning are skills akin to unicycling, others are more about knowing and understanding.
Read → -
Is it necessary to learn the stroke order of Chinese characters?
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!
Read → -
Task-based Chinese learning and teaching
Task based language learning and teaching is built around working with tasks in the target language with a clear focus on meaning (communication). Focus on form should come after the task has been completed.
Read → -
Why you should preview before every Chinese lesson
Previewing before every lesson is extremely important, yet only a minority of students actually do it. By spending more time before the lesson, you learn more without necessarily spending more time, and you will feel better about it too.
Read → -
Three factors that decide how much Chinese you learn
Many things determine how much progress you make. This article is an overview of three factors you should always keep in mind when planning how to reach your goals. You need all three!
Read → -
How I learnt Chinese, part 6: Graduate program in Taiwan
I’ve spent two years in a master’s program for teaching Chinese as a second language, designed for native speakers and taught in Chinese. Here’s what I learnt from the experience!
Read → -
Learn Chinese faster by leaving your comfort zone
If you want to learn Chinese faster, you have to make sure you leave your comfort zone and challenge yourself as much and as often as you can. There are many things of doing this, including immersing yourself in language above your current level or putting yourself in situations that demand a higher level of performance. Leave your comfort zone!
Read → -
The real challenge with learning Chinese characters
The real challenge when learning Chinese characters is not to commit a large number of them to memory, it’s to relate them to each other, including how they are used, how they are different and how they are similar. Creating such an interconnected web is a lifelong project.
Read →