When you learn a another language such as Chinese, it’s clear that knowing many words is important. If you don’t agree, I don’t think you you’ve had...
Year: 2026
Which Chinese language course should you take?
I often get questions about which Chinese language course you should choose. The answer has to be “it depends”. Since this answer is also very...
When spaced repetition fails, and what to do about it
Spaced repetition software is one of the most powerful tools available for language learners. While you obviously don’t have to use spaced...
When perfectionism becomes an obstacle to progress
For some people, completing a certain task is not enough, it has to be done perfectly. Intuitively, I count myself to this group of perfectionists,...
What’s your next step to master Chinese?
Productivity is a slippery beast and catching it is not easy. When we have a tight schedule with clearly defined things we have to do, it’s...
What’s the difference between Chinese pronunciation and Pinyin? Does it matter?
I’ve talked, read and written about Mandarin Chinese pronunciation and Pinyin a lot, both in casual and academic settings, both in English and...
What’s in a name? Hacking Chinese, 揭密中文
This is the current logo, and this version was crated by Hugh Grigg. It should be read from right to left, top to bottom. This autumn, Hacking...
What to read to improve your Chinese and why
When you first start learning Chinese, choosing reading material is not at the top of your list of problems for a simple reason: there simply aren’t...
What research can and cannot tell us about learning Chinese
Even if most students don’t come into contact with research into language learning directly, some still do so indirectly through newspapers, online...
What native speakers know about Chinese (and what they don’t)
You say something in Mandarin, a native speaker corrects you, and you adjust. The next day, another native speaker tells you to revert to your...