Articles in the ‘Learning outside class’ category

1. 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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2. 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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3. Chinese reading practice for beginners: 7 resources to improve your Mandarin

   

   The best way to learn to read Chinese is to read texts you can understand without constantly using a dictionary. As a beginner, those texts aren’t always easy to find, but let’s look at the best reading resources I know for beginners.

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4. 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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5. Chinese writing challenge, January 2026

   

   It’s time for a Chinese writing challenge! It starts on January 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. 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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7. Chinese reading challenge, December 2025

   

   It’s time for a Chinese reading challenge! It starts on December 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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8. A minimum-effort approach to writing Chinese characters by hand

   

   Chinese characters are beautiful and fascinating, but learning to write them by hand is time-consuming. If you want to learn to write Chinese characters by hand with the least possible time investment, what’s the best approach?

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9. Cultivate your Chinese flashcard garden… or burn it down and start afresh

   

   Flashcards are powerful, but what if your deck feels more like an overgrown thicket than a carefully cultivated garden? Do you clear away the weeds and bring it back under control, or burn it all down and start afresh?

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10. The Fluent Listener: Navigating Spoken Mandarin Like a Fish in Water is open until November 17

    

    Develop essential Mandarin listening skills with my new course, The Fluent Listener. Enrol by November 17 for lifetime access to video lessons, curated resources, tailored guidance, and a supportive learning community.

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