People like doing what they’re good at and studying Chinese is no exception. For instance, one might think that speaking and listening is not a big...
Category: Chinese
The Cthulhu bubble and studying Chinese
Image credit: Dominique Signoret What does learning Chinese have in common with the cosmic monster Cthulhu? Quite a lot, actually! In this...
The forking path: A human approach to learning Chinese
When learning Chinese, there are three factors you need to improve to get the most out of your learning: content, method and time. The first,...
The get-back-up-to-speed summer challenge
I’ve been on vacation and haven’t thought too much about studying, which means that I have failed miserably to keep my vocabulary review queues at a...
Should you enrol in a Chinese course or are you better off learning on your own?
“I studied Chinese for six years in school but still can’t say hardly anything in the language.” “If you learn on your own, you can become fluent...
Should you focus on learning Chinese words or phrases?
A language is a complex system for communication that can be broken down on many levels, but which level should you focus on and why? To make it...
Should you learn Chinese vocabulary from lists?
Frequency lists can be very useful, but only if you use them correctly! Lists are nice. They make the world seem more orderly and manageable....
Should you learn the names of the strokes in Chinese characters?
I recently published a guide for how not to teach Chinese characters to beginners, which was a rant based on a decade of observed worst practices in...
Should you learn to speak Chinese before you learn Chinese characters?
One of the most hotly debated topics in Chinese language pedagogy is the question of when to introduce Chinese characters. As a student, should...
Should you throw away your Chinese textbook?
Have you used a textbook to learn Chinese? Most students will say yes, because textbooks are popular not just in formal education, but also...