Hacking Chinese

A better way of learning Mandarin

Articles in the ‘Learning outside class’ category Page 3

  1. Student Q&A, October 2023: Expanding vocabulary quickly, learning by watching videos and nailing dictation tests

    How do you build a broad vocabulary in Chinese quickly? How do you best use video-sharing platforms to boost your learning? And how should you study to nail all your 听写 or dictation?

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  2. Listen more than once: How the replay button can help you learn more Chinese

    Listening more than once is a simple yet overlooked trick for improving your listening ability in Chinese. By replaying audio, you give your brain more time to process the language, and as a result, you will understand and learn more.

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  3. The cheapest and most convenient way to improve your spoken Chinese

    The cheapest and most convenient way to improve your speaking ability in Chinese is… to talk to yourself! Beyond being both easy and free, it’s more helpful than you might think.

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  4. Improving your Chinese pronunciation by mimicking native speakers

    The best way to improve your Chinese pronunciation is to mimic native speakers. But why, and how exactly should you go about it?

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  5. Student Q&A, September 2023: Listening more than once, assessing pronunciation and the merits of flashcards

    Is it good to listen to the same passage more than once? How do you assess progress with pronunciation? And are flashcards really all that good for learning Chinese?

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  6. Should you throw away your Chinese textbook?

    Many students rely on textbooks to learn Chinese, but is this a good idea? Some people say that to unleash your full potential, you should throw your textbook away.

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  7. Hacking Chinese Podcast three-year anniversary Q&A

    This is a Q&A to mark the third anniversary of the Hacking Chinese Podcast! Should you drop everything you’re doing to learn Chinese for one year? How should you approach reading at an intermediate level? And how do you choose the best resources for learning?

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  8. Insights from the new HSK 7-9: Interview with Sara Jaaksola

    Are you curious about the new HSK? Do you want to know what it’s really like to take and pass the advanced level? And how should you prepare to ace your own exams?

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  9. How narrow reading and listening can help you bridge the gap to real Chinese

    Varying your diet of Chinese reading and listening practice is often considered good, indeed necessary, for your learning, but this could be wrong. In some cases, variation makes things too difficult, and then narrow reading and listening is a better option!

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  10. Seeing through the illusion of advanced Chinese learning

    Courses and textbooks encourage narrow but advanced proficiency in Chinese, but if you want to be able to communicate well, you need to see through the illusion.

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