Articles in the ‘Learning outside class’ category

1. 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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2. 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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3. 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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4. 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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5. 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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6. 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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7. 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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8. Chinese vocabulary challenge, December 2022

   

   It’s time for a vocabulary challenge! It starts on December 10th, so enrol, set your goal and learn as many characters and words as you can before the end of the month. This challenge is sponsored by Skritter, so there are also prizes on the line! This article contains more information about the challenge, some important things to keep in mind as well as some advice about learning Chinese characters and words.

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9. How to study Chinese when you don’t feel like it

   

   The more you study the better, but what if you don’t feel like studying at the moment? Instead of giving up, gear down and find ways of learning Chinese that suit your current state of mind.

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10. Kickstart your learning with the Skritter Character Course

    

    What’s the best way to learn Chinese characters as a beginner? The Skritter character course is my best attempt at answering that question.

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