Image credit: sxc.hu/profile/forwardcom The first step when solving any problem should be analysing the problem we face. If we want to find an...
Category: Chinese
Improve your conversations by listening to the listener
The most obvious way to practise listening and pick up some vocabulary is to listen closely to someone speaking Chinese. This is very obvious and is...
Chinese listening ability, a matter of practice?
Many people have asked me how to improve listening ability, not only when learning Chinese, but when learning any language. The problem is that...
How long do you have to study Chinese to make it useful?
For some, the allure of Chinese lies in language and culture, but for many, practical utility is more important. So, how long do you have to study...
Looking up how to use words in Chinese the right way
Looking up words is a fundamental part of learning a language. Even if you rely heavily on extensive reading and listening, you will still need to...
Lost in transcription: Saylaw, Ice Island and Aristotle
“That guy looks exactly like Saylaw!” “Like who?” “Saylaw, the football player, you know?” “Who? “He’s one of the most famous players of all...
7 ideas for smooth and effortless Chinese listening practice
As a learner, which part of Chinese is most important? The answer depends on your goals for learning the language, but if I were to give a general...
Making mistakes in Chinese is necessary to adjust your mental models
Everybody knows that making mistakes is part of learning and that you have to live with it. Some of you might even have heard that mistakes are...
Mapping the terra incognita of Chinese vocabulary
How do you fill gaps in your Chinese vocabulary? How do you know which words you don’t know so that you can learn them? The terra incognita of...
Measuring your language learning is a double-edged sword
Image credit: sxc.hu/profile/zeathiel It seems to me that most people like to feel that they gradually improve and become better at what they’re...