Recent articles about how to learn Mandarin
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Should you use an efficient method for learning Chinese even if you hate it?
Methods for learning Chinese can be good because they are efficient, because they to focus on the right content, or because they are enjoyable, allowing you to spend more time. But no method is good in all these ways at once, so what should you do if you just don’t like the most efficient method?
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Don’t try to improve everything at once when learning Chinese
To communicate in Chinese, many skills need to work in unison, but trying to improve all of them at once is a recipe for frustration. Instead, limit your focus to make progress and stay motivated!
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Chinese reading challenge, March 2023
It’s time for a Chinese reading challenge! It starts on March 10th, so enrol, set your goal and read as much as you can before the end of the month. This article contains more information about the challenge, as well as some advice about improving reading ability in Chinese.
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Learn Chinese by playing Mahjong (麻将, májiàng)
Playing games is a wonderful way of learning Chinese, and 麻將 (májiàng) works for all beginners and advanced students alike! Apart from the numbers 1-9, you only need a handful of extra words to play. The game is extremely popular and as such, it can open up many doors, both cultural and social.
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Hacking Chinese Pronunciation: Speaking with Confidence is now open!
Hacking Chinese Pronunciation: Speaking with Confidence is now open for enrollment again! Take this opportunity to boost your pronunciation and improve your ability to communicate in Mandarin. The courses closes again on midnight Tuesday, January 18th.
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Can ChatGPT pass the HSK?
ChatGPT has been all over the news for its remarkable ability to interact in a human-like manner, understand questions and respond in a meaningful way. It has even been used to pass university exams. But how good is it at Chinese? Can it pass the HSK?
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Chinese writing challenge, February 2023
It’s time for a Chinese writing challenge! It starts on February 10th, so enrol, set your goal and write as much as you can before the end of the month. This article contains more information about the challenge, some important things to keep in mind as well as some advice about improving writing ability in Chinese.
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Beginner Chinese listening practice: What to listen to and how
The best way to learn to understand spoken Mandarin is to listen as much as you can to engaging content you can make sense of without looking things up. In this article, I go through the best types of beginner Chinese listening practice!
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Using the HSK as a roadmap to learning Chinese
For some students, the HSK is not just a proficiency test, but also a roadmap to learning Chinese. Is treating it as such a good idea? And if you do, what should you keep in mind?
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Chinese New Year and New Semester Course Discount
To mark the Chinese New Year and the start of a new semester, I offer a time-limited discount for Unlocking Chinese: The Ultimate Guide for Beginners and Hacking Chinese: A Practical Guide to Learning Mandarin, valid until the end of the week!
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