Articles tagged with ‘Motivation’
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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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The three roads to mastering Chinese
You might assume there are many roads to mastery in Chinese, but in truth, there are only three.
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Four key principles to improve your Mandarin listening comprehension
Listening is the cornerstone of language learning, yet many students struggle to improve their Mandarin listening comprehension. Fortunately, making progress isn’t as difficult as you might think; just follow four key principles!
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Student Q&A, November 2024: Pros and cons of digital tools for Chinese reading, and the struggle to find comprehensible and interesting texts
Is reading digitally in Chinese better than on paper? What are the best digital tools for reading? And what should you do if you can’t find texts that are both interesting and at the right level?
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Three things I wish I had known as an advanced student of Chinese: The time machine, part 3
Improving after you reach an advanced level of Chinese requires new ways of learning and new sources of motivation. If I could go back in time to give a less proficient version of myself advice, here is what I would say.
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Three things I wish I had known as an intermediate student of Chinese: The time machine, part 2
Traversing the intermediate Chinese learning plateau requires a shift in focus. Here are three pieces of advice for intermediate students of Mandarin.
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Habit hacking for language learners
Habits are routines that become smooth and effortless with repetition. They are essential for managing daily life efficiently, and by developing the right habits for learning Chinese, you can learn more with less effort!
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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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How I learnt Chinese, part 7: Teaching, writing, learning
What’s it like to study Chinese when you’ve already reached the goals you had when you started out? How can you keep on learning when you’re no longer studying the language? And is there such a thing as being done with Chinese?
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Learning Chinese is more like walking a thousand miles than running 100-metre dash
Learning Chinese is more like walking a thousand miles than running 100-metre dash. Make sure that your strategy works in the long term!
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