Hacking Chinese

A better way of learning Mandarin

Articles in the ‘Distinctively Chinese’ category

  1. Three things I wish I had known as an intermediate student of Chinese: The time machine, part 2

    Traversing the intermediate Chinese learning plateau requires a shift in focus. Here are three pieces of advice for intermediate students of Mandarin.

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  2. Three things I wish I had known as a beginner student of Chinese: The time machine, part 1

    I started learning Chinese more than 15 years ago. Here are three things I wish I had known as a beginner!

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  3. Insights from my recent trip to China: The importance of top-down listening

    Understanding Chinese involves more than just knowing words and phrases; it’s about using context to interpret meaning. My recent trip to China highlighted the crucial role of top-down listening in navigating dialects, speech patterns, and unexpected questions.

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  4. Chinese character variants and font differences for language learners

    Small details sometimes matter when writing Chinese characters, but sometimes they don’t. Figuring out which details to pay attention to is made even harder by character variants and font differences!

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  5. Should you learn the pronunciation of radicals?

    Pronunciation of radicals

    Learning the building blocks of Chinese characters is a great idea, but what should learn about each character component? And more specifically, should you learn the pronunciation of radicals?

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  6. Student Q&A, June 2024: How much time on flashcards, Remembering the Hanzi, and resources for learning characters

    How much time should you spend on flashcards? Is Remembering the Hanzi good for learning Chinese characters? And what resources should you use if you want to understand the writing system better?

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  7. Chinese character learning for all students

    Learning to write Chinese characters by hand takes a lot of time. In today’s digital era, is it necessary to learn handwriting? Let’s explore the advantages and disadvantages for second-language learners and discuss what an effective curriculum that caters to all students might look like!

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  8. Learning to hear the sounds and tones in Mandarin

    As infants, we perceive the world without categories. Learning our first language forms sound categories, aiding understanding but losing other sound distinctions. As adults learning a second language, we need to regain this ability. But how?

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  9. 24 great resources for improving your Mandarin pronunciation

    Using the right resources is important when learning anything, but it’s essential when learning Mandarin pronunciation. In this article, I share my favourite resources, most of which are completely free!

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  10. Beyond tīng bu dǒng, part 6: Why is listening in Chinese so hard?

    Many people assume that the hardest part of learning Chinese must be the characters or the tones, but it turns out that most learners struggle more with listening comprehension. Why is that, and what can you do about it?

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