Articles in the ‘Recommended resources’ category

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

   

   Listening is the most important skill of all, because it accelerates learning and is crucial for social integration. What are the best free Chinese listening resources out there for beginner, intermediate and advanced learners?

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2. Spaced repetition software: What it is and how to use it to learn Chinese

   

   Spaced repetition means that you review words you want to learn in certain intervals to maximise learning efficiency. Since this involves keeping track of much data, a computer program is needed to handle it properly. Spaced repetition software is very powerful and can be used for many things, but learning vocabulary and characters are perhaps the most important applications.

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3. New book: Hacking Chinese: the Dragon Collection

   

   I have published a book! It’s called Hacking Chinese: the Dragon Collection and contains articles I wrote in 2024, the Year of the Dragon. The articles cover a wide variety of topics, but tones, listening comprehension and motivation are the most prominent.

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4. 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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5. Best of Hacking Chinese 2025

   

   2025 has come tan end. Which were the most popular articles on Hacking Chinese last year The most popular podcast episodes? It’s time to summarise the year that was and highlight the things you really shouldn’t miss!

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6. 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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7. Black Friday discounts on Hacking Chinese courses: Learn more for less

   

   Let my courses guide you towards your Chinese-learning goals, now with $31 off until Tuesday, December 3! Already enrolled or not interested for yourself? Give the gift of language to someone else, or simply help spread the word!

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8. 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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9. Using AI chatbots for low-stress Mandarin speaking practice

   

   You don’t need to be fluent to speak Mandarin with AI. These beginner-friendly chatbot activities offer low-pressure practice that builds confidence, comprehension, and conversation skills.

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10. 7 characteristics of a great Chinese tutor or private teacher

    

    A great tutor can transform your Chinese learning, but how do you know if a tutor is good? Let’s explore the key qualities that make a tutor truly effective.

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