Hacking Chinese

A better way of learning Mandarin

Articles tagged with ‘Productivity’

  1. How to study Chinese when you don’t feel like it

    The more you study the better, but what if you don’t feel like studying at the moment? Instead of giving up, gear down and find ways of learning Chinese that suit your current state of mind.

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  2. Should you focus on learning Chinese words or phrases?

    When learning Chinese, should you focus mainly on learning words or phrases? This question is not easy to answer and depends on a number of factors. This article breaks it down and discusses the pros and cons of each.

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  3. Launching Hacking Chinese Challenges

    Welcome to a new section of the website: Hacking Chinese Challenges! I will run monthly challenges in different areas of language learning where we strive to reach our goals and/or beat each other. I will also share related resources and advice. The first challenge starts on Friday, but you can join right now!

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  4. Study more Chinese: Time boxing vs. micro goals

    Study more Chinese: Time boxing vs. micro goals

    Time boxing and micro goals are both excellent strategies for getting things done, but which one is most suitable for learning Chinese? In this article, I discuss the pros and cons with the two methods and how that relates to learning Chinese. The short answer is that I use both a lot, but in different situations.

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  5. Preparing for rainy days and dealing with slumps

    Preparing for rainy days and dealing with slumps

    We all experience slumps in our learning, but there are many things we can do to reduce the negative effects of these slumps. The solution is three-fold: Preparing for the slump before it hits you, finding learning activities that don’t feel like work and paying attention to what you feel capable of at the moment. You will still experience slumps, but hopefully they will be less severe!

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  6. Your slumps affect your language learning more than your flows

    There are people who go on binges and study like maniacs for short periods of time, but then run out of steam and have slump lasting considerably longer. The problem with this kind of studying is that it really affects your average output. The best is to have a steady, regular performance that gives you the mileage you need without burning yourself out completely. This article examines this problem in greater detail and gives some suggestions for how to improve your slumps.

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