Articles in the ‘Advanced’ category Page 2
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The 10 best free Chinese listening resources for beginner, intermediate and advanced learners
Listening is the most important skill of all, because it accelerates learning and is crucial for social integration. What are the best free Chinese listening resources out there for beginner, intermediate and advanced learners?
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Remembering is a skill you can learn: Mnemonics for Chinese learners
Remembering is not a fixed, innate ability; it’s a skill you can learn. In fact, there are many proven and easy ways to improve your memory!
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A practical guide to your ideal Mandarin self: Build motivation that lasts
Motivation is not a personality trait that you either have or lack. It is a system you can design. Give yourself a clear future self in Mandarin, set up your study routine so it feels good in the moment, and let small, steady actions narrow the gap.
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Chinese speaking challenge, March 2026
It’s time for a speaking challenge! It starts on March 10th, so enrol, set your goal and improve your speaking ability 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 speaking ability in Chinese.
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Spaced repetition software: What it is and how to use it to learn Chinese
Spaced repetition means that you review words you want to learn in certain intervals to maximise learning efficiency. Since this involves keeping track of much data, a computer program is needed to handle it properly. Spaced repetition software is very powerful and can be used for many things, but learning vocabulary and characters are perhaps the most important applications.
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New book: Hacking Chinese: the Dragon Collection
I have published a book! It’s called Hacking Chinese: the Dragon Collection and contains articles I wrote in 2024, the Year of the Dragon. The articles cover a wide variety of topics, but tones, listening comprehension and motivation are the most prominent.
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Chinese subtitles and transcripts: Reading before, while or after listening
Subtitles and transcripts can help you understand spoken Chinese, but do they also help you become a better listener? Should you read along, read first, or save the text for after you’ve listened?
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Chinese listening, fast and slow: Three ways of slowing down Mandarin speech
Spoken Mandarin can feel like an onslaught of similar sounds, half-recognised tones and unknown words. To add insult to injury, it’s often too fast! Should you slow it down? If so, how?
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Chinese writing challenge, July 2026
It’s time for a Chinese writing challenge! It starts on July 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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Reading is a lot like spaced repetition, only better
You can build vocabulary in Chinese with flashcard apps spaced repetition, but reading is more effective and more enjoyable. It helps you recognise words, understand how they work in context and build your sense of how the language works.
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