Hacking Chinese

A better way of learning Mandarin

Articles in the ‘Science and research’ category

  1. How to learn Chinese in the long term with intrinsic motivation

    While strong motivation doesn’t necessarily accelerate your learning or improve your memory, without it you won’t spend enough time learning Chinese. So how can you stay motivated for months, years and even decades?

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  2. Outlier Chinese Character Masterclass review: Understand more, learn faster, remember longer

    Mastering Chinese characters, whether you find them enchantingly beautiful or overwhelmingly complex, is essential for literacy in Chinese. Outlier Linguistics will help you understand how the Chinese writing system works, making it easier to learn!

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  3. Beyond tīng bu dǒng, part 5: Becoming a better listener as a student of Chinese

    Many things influence listening comprehension in Chinese, some are related to the language, and some to the situation, but some are also related to you as a listener. How can you become a better listener in Mandarin?

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  4. 6 benefits of learning Chinese through sports

    The general benefits of physical activity are well-known, but the more specific benefits for learning languages are often overlooked, so let’s have a look at 6 benefits of learning Chinese through sports!

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  5. Beyond tīng bu dǒng, part 4: Learning to process spoken Mandarin quickly and effortlessly

    Our ability to consciously process spoken Mandarin is limited; the only way forward is to listen so much that processing becomes automated.

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  6. Beyond tīng bu dǒng, part 3: Using what you already know to aid listening comprehension in Chinese

    Listening comprehension is not only about extracting information from the spoken Mandarin you hear, it’s also about applying what you already know and expect.

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  7. Beyond tīng bu dǒng, part 2: From sound to meaning in Mandarin

    Listening comprehension in Mandarin is complex, and the more I learn about it, the more amazing it seems that we’re able to understand anything at all.

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  8. Beyond tīng bu dǒng, part 1: A guide to Chinese listening comprehension

    Listening comprehension is essential when learning Chinese, but if we want to improve, we need to move beyond tīng bu dǒng and identify what the problem really is.

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  9. How to become fluent in Chinese

    Being fluent in Chinese is more about being good at applying what you know, rather than knowing everything. Many students focus too much on learning new things, and neglect mastering what they’ve already learnt.

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  10. Analyse and balance your Chinese learning with Paul Nation’s four strands

    When learning Chinese, it’s hard to make sure you’re doing the right things. Paul Nation’s four strands allow you analyse and balance your learning!

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