Hacking Chinese

A better way of learning Mandarin

Articles in the ‘Immersion and integration’ category

  1. The 10 best free Chinese reading resources for beginner, intermediate and advanced learners

    Reading is the best way to expand vocabulary and learn new things in Chinese. What are the best free resources out there for beginner, intermediate and advanced learners? This article collects and introduces the ten best free reading resources in each category!

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  2. Don’t be a tourist if you want to learn Chinese

    Immersion abroad can boost language learning, and travelling where the language is spoken can help too. Yet how much you benefit depends on your attitude. To truly learn, stop being a tourist!

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  3. Student Q&A: March, 2025: Chinese slang, leaving expat bubbles, and competing with other learners

    Is learning Chinese slang worth your time? What do you do when someone with less study time speaks better than you? And how can you escape the expat bubble and start learning Mandarin?

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  4. Learning Chinese by playing board games

    Board games are more than just fun, they’re a powerful way to learn Chinese, boosting vocabulary, fluency, and communication skills!

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  5. Love and language: Challenges and opportunities in learning Chinese with a partner

    Some say that dating a native speaker is the ultimate shortcut to fluency. “You’ll learn effortlessly with a teacher always by your side!” But is learning Chinese with a partner really the silver bullet it’s often made out to be?

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  6. The Input Pyramid: Chinese Listening for Any Situation

    Most students of Chinese find listening comprehension a challenge. To truly become a fluent listener, use the Input Pyramid to rethink and upgrade your listening practice!

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  7. Welcome to The Fluent Listener, a new course from Hacking Chinese!

    Develop essential Mandarin listening skills with my new course, The Fluent Listener. Enrol by February 16 for lifetime access to video lessons, curated resources, tailored guidance, and a supportive learning community.

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  8. Student Q&A: February, 2025: Improving listening ability quickly, using transcripts, and understanding rapid Mandarin

    How do you improve listening ability as quickly as possible? Are there any strategies to deal with rapid speech? And how many times should you listen before using a transcript?

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  9. The three roads to mastering Chinese

    You might assume there are many roads to mastery in Chinese, but in truth, there are only three.

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  10. What native speakers know about Chinese (and what they don’t)

    You say something in Mandarin, a native speaker corrects you, and you adjust. The next day, another native speaker tells you to revert to your original phrasing. What’s going on? Let’s explore what native speakers know and what they don’t!

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