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The most serious mistake students make when learning Mandarin pronunciation
Learning to hear and say the sounds of Mandarin can be tricky, but it’s made much more difficult by the way many students go about it. By focusing on reading over listening, they are making themselves a big disservice!
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Best of Hacking Chinese 2020
Happy New Year! Much happened on Hacking Chinese in 2020, and this article summarises the year that was by highlighting the best articles, both ranked by popular vote and by editor’s choice (my own humble opinion). It also discusses some upcoming projects and ideas for 2021!
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Chinese listening challenge, January 2021
It’s time for a listening challenge! It starts on January 10th, so enrol, set your goal and listen 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 suggestions for what to listen to.
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How to not fail with your New Year resolution to learn Chinese
A new year, a new beginning, the perfect time to commit to levelling up your Chinese and achieve greatness! Or is it?
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7 things Chinese students should do during the winter vacation
What should Chinese students do on the winter vacation? Apart from recharging batteries, there are a number of things you should consider if you want optimal long-term results!
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9 answers to questions about Pinyin and pronunciation
Pronunciation is best learnt by listening attentively and mimicking, but it’s also necessary to be able to learn Pinyin properly. This article answers nine questions about Pinyin and Chinese pronunciation.
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Are simplified characters really simpler to learn?
Are simplified characters easier to learn? They have fewer strokes, but quicker to write doesn’t necessarily mean easier to learn! The simplified vs. traditional characters debate has been going on for a long time, mostly based on emotion. In this guest article, Ash Henson from Outlier Linguistics strives to add reason to the mix and answer the question of whether simplified characters are actually simpler to learn.
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Chinese pronunciation challenge, December 2020
It’s time for a pronunciation challenge! It starts on December 10th, so enrol, set your goal and see how much you can improve your pronunciation before the end of the month. This article contains more information and inspiration about the challenge and pronunciation, including prizes on offer for active participants!
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An introduction to extensive reading for Chinese learners
Too many students of Chinese spend most of their time reading a small number of difficult texts, whereas they would actually be much better off reading a larger number of easier content. Are you focusing on extensive reading enough?
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Celebrating 10 years of Hacking Chinese with reflections and discounts
10 years of Hacking Chinese. 472 articles. 650,000 words. It’s hard to believe, but Hacking Chinese has been online for a decade! We celebrate the anniversary with reflections and discounts.
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