Technology has the potential to make language learning considerably easier. While we’re not able to download kung fu skills or Chinese proficiency...
Year: 2026
Why not going to China now could actually be good for your Chinese
One of the most common myths about language learning is related to the importance of where you are studying, geographically speaking. Do you have...
Why manually adding and editing flashcards is good for you
One of my earliest contributions to the Chinese language learning community was to share my flashcard decks, first with my fellow classmates and...
Why learning Chinese through music is underrated
Image credit: sxc.hu/profile/ba1969 I think music is widely overlooked as a way of learning languages. I often hear people say that music is good...
Why learning Chinese pronunciation by using English words is a really bad idea
Learning is often a matter of taking something new and connecting it to something you already know; a process of using the familiar to make sense of...
Beyond tīng bu dǒng, part 6: Why is listening in Chinese so hard?
Many people assume that the hardest part of learning Chinese must be the characters or the tones, but it turns out that most learners struggle more...
Why flashcards are great for learning Chinese
The humble flashcard: A key component in a successful strategy, or a distraction from what truly matters? Few things have sparked as much debate as...
Why flashcards are terrible for learning Chinese
Flashcards are often viewed as a silver bullet, promising swift mastery of characters, words and more, but relying on flashcards too much has...
Why good feedback matters and how to get it
Feedback is an integral part of learning a foreign language and there is no doubt that we need it to improve. While it’s certainly possible to learn...
Whom should you trust for advice about learning Chinese?
Estimated reading time: 9 minutes | Audio version available on Patreon I have written roughly six hundred articles about learning and teaching...