Hacking Chinese

A better way of learning Mandarin

Articles tagged with ‘Learning strategies’

  1. Are there any shortcuts for learning Chinese?

    Some say that there are no shortcuts for learning Chinese, others say that there are many. So which one is it, are there any shortcuts for learning Chinese or not?

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  2. The nine principles of learning (and the mistakes from failing to follow them)

    In 2014, Scott Young spent 100 days learning Chinese, after which he was able to speak freely on a wide range of topics, as well as pass HSK 4. Since then, he’s continued exploring effective learning and has now published a book called Ultralearning. He hasn’t abandoned Chinese, though, and in this article, he discusses nine important principles for effective learning and how they relate to studying Chinese.

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  3. What research can and cannot tell us about learning Chinese

    Most students don’t read scientific studies very often, but they might still encounter them in the mainstream press or when discussed online. Reading scientific papers isn’t easy, though, and if not careful, you might draw the wrong conclusions. This article is about how to read studies about learning Chinese.

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  4. Learning how to learn Chinese through self-experimentation

    Rigorous scientific research typically requires large sample sizes, otherwise it isn’t possible to draw any conclusions about the population at large, which is the goal of most studies. However, experimenting with yourself as the only participant might not be relevant for other learners, but it’s highly relevant for you. This article is about how to use self-experimentation to learn Chinese.

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