Student Q&A, January 2024: Chinese music, too much Mandarin in the classroom, and listening in noisy environments

• My teacher insists on speaking Chinese but I don’t understand what she says, what should I do?
• Can listening to music help me improve my Chinese?
• How do I improve my listening comprehension in noisy environments?

This week’s podcast episode (number 178) is a reader and listener Q&A, where I answer three questions about listening comprehension in Chinese.

Tune in to the Hacking Chinese Podcast to listen to the related episode:

Available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, Overcast, Spotify, YouTube and many other platforms!

Links to things mentioned in the introduction

• Chinese listening challenge, January 2024
• The 10 best free Chinese listening resources for beginner, intermediate and advanced learners
• Beginner Chinese listening practice: What to listen to and how

Chinese listening challenge, January 2024

Links for question #1: The teacher insists on speaking Chinese

• Learn Chinese implicitly through exposure with a seasoning of explicit instruction
• Language is communication, not only an abstract subject to study
• Learning Chinese through comprehensible input

Learn Chinese implicitly through exposure with a seasoning of explicit instruction

Links for question #2: The usefulness of listening to Chinese music

• 7 ideas for smooth and effortless Chinese listening practice
• Why learning Chinese through music is underrated
• Is learning things by heart good for improving your Chinese?

Why learning Chinese through music is underrated

Links for question #3: Listening to Chinese in noisy environments

• Beyond tīng bu dǒng, part 1: A guide to Chinese listening comprehension
• Beyond tīng bu dǒng, part 3: Using what you already know to aid listening comprehension in Chinese
• Beyond tīng bu dǒng, part 5: Becoming a better listener as a student of Chinese

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