The most common mistake people make when it comes to memory is to treat it as being something fixed; either you’re born with a brilliant memory or...
Year: 2026
16 reasons to learn to write Chinese characters by hand
Does handwriting still have a place in modern Chinese learning? Let’s explore 16 popular arguments in favour of writing characters by hand, each...
Real communication: What it is, why you want it and how to get it
A language is a structured system used for communication. This sounds obvious, but focusing on communication when learning Chinese is surprisingly...
Reading manga in Chinese for more than just pleasure
Before I started learning Chinese, I wasn’t too keen on reading manga (Japanese for “comics”, 漫画/漫畫 in Chinese). However, while living in Taiwan, I...
Reading is a lot like spaced repetition, only better
Learning vocabulary is one of the most time-consuming parts of mastering a language. There’s no way to get around the fact that there are thousands...
Reading aloud in Chinese is really hard
Image credit: Public Record Office Victoria Reading unfamiliar text aloud in any language is a complicated process and is generally much harder...
Why travelling isn’t the best method to learn Chinese
Me at 北京南站 in 2017. I’ve heard many people say that travelling is the best way to learn a language. This might be true in some situations, but...
Why you should preview before every Chinese lesson
Previewing before Chinese lessons is a simple yet frequently overlooked method to enhance learning. By previewing, you maximise the benefits of...
Preparing for rainy days and dealing with slumps
Image credit: flickr.com/photos/adrian_s/ We all experience slumps or periods when we don’t study much for some reason. This can be because the fun...
pre-launch-plea-for-help
A pre-launch plea for help | Hacking Chinese