As frequent readers will have noticed, I usually write articles about how to learn rather than what to learn, not because I don’t think what is not...
Category: Chinese
Learning to pronounce Mandarin with Pinyin, Zhuyin and IPA: Part 1
When we start learning the sounds of a foreign language, we’re faced with several different problems at once. The most important task is to learn to...
Learning to pronounce Mandarin with Pinyin, Zhuyin and IPA: Part 2
In a recent article, I discussed learning pronunciation in general and some important things related to writing down pronunciation in particular. In...
Learning to pronounce Mandarin with Pinyin, Zhuyin and IPA: Part 3
In two previous articles, I have dealt with the role of transcription systems when learning pronunciation (read the first article here). Should you...
Learning to read aloud in Chinese
Reading aloud in Chinese is really hard, much harder than reading aloud in most other languages. Ever since exploring this topic in a recent...
Learning to understand regionally accented Mandarin
Many people who don’t study the language think of Chinese as being a language much like English, with some variety but still mutually intelligible...
Learning to unicycle, learning anatomy and learning Chinese
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes | Audio version available on Patreon Unicycling just outside my home town in Sweden. Image credit: Niklas...
Learning to write Chinese characters through communication
In almost every modern textbook I’ve seen on teaching methodology, and not a few research papers, the importance of communication is emphasised....
Learning tones in Mandarin is not optional
A syllable in Mandarin consists of three parts: initial, final and tone. All syllables have a final; that’s the vowel(s) and in some cases a nasal...
Let’s play 迷霧中 (Into the Haze)
A few week’s ago, I posted an article about 迷霧中 (Into the Haze), a new text adventure game for Chinese learners. Imagine an interactive graded...