A wise man once said that it’s good fun for humans to buy a hammer and knock down the walls of your comfort zone.
Learning Mandarin can be a loooong-term endeavor. Looking back on at least 8 years of learning Mandarin, there are a lot of things I wish I could have worked out earlier.
I purchased a copy of Edmund Chua’s and Ranny Ran’s Graded Chinese Reader for HSK 6 called “The New Housekeeper”. I’d only recommend it to a specific group.
Can you learn to fly a Boeing 747 in six months? Some say you can! How about languages though?
You’re at intermediate level and want to improve your listening skills?
What helps you to memorize Chinese characters?
Is it just me? Or is studying Mandarin just not as popular as it was before?
Learning Chinese characters with apps that actually help? They are rare, but do exist.
Some love this song, some absolutely hate it. Mainly because the singer Zhao Lei sings about “leftover women”, the so-called “剩女” which is a big issue in China. My opinion: the song is innocent, Chinese society is guilty. Let’s have a closer look.
Learning to write Chinese characters: my personal list of disastrous advice and practices that are a complete waste of time and oxygen.
Five test candidates and the time they needed to prepare for HSK 6.
Looking for something to explain the rich meaning of the Chinese expression 差不多 I came across this videoclip by G.E.M.鄧紫棋 who raps about what she calls “差不多 girls”. The song 差不多姑娘 was published as part of the album City Zoo and is the only rap song on it.
Why the mā-má-mǎ-mà-way people typically think of the four tones is wrong.
一无所有” (yī wú suǒ yǒu) by 崔健 is considered China’s first rock song. Here’s a breakdown of the lyrics with pinyin and English translations.
These mostly older Mainland Chinese movies I’ve come to like and recommend to anyone interested in China.
I finally felt ready for reading a serious work of fiction in Chinese. Not an abridged version, not a children’s edition, but the real thing.
《花房姑娘》 (Huā Fáng Gū Niáng / Flower House Girl) is a great song by 崔健 (Cui Jian). Here’s a breakdown of the lyrics for people interested in the song and learners of Chinese.
Can you use the Chinese version of TikTok as a tool for learning Mandarin? You cannot. Here’s why.
The HSK exam will be reformed. What we know so far…
For one month I digitally teamed up with like-minded spirits for a Mandarin learning challenge. This is what I learned.
How painstakingly difficult is the HSK 6 exam? And what do native speakers say about it?
The HSK merry-go-round or why you shouldn’t be focused on HSK results only.
“人生第一次” or “The Firsts in Life” is a very popular documentary series in China. Here’s why I think it’s a good resource for learning Mandarin – even though it has one problem.
Many western China doc’s are deeply rooted in prejudice and choose the moral high ground. Hardly surprising: they don’t bring any new insights. There are exceptions though…
Tired of listening to endless corona-updates and Covid-discussions? Here’s some China-focused listening material for you sorted by topic.
How perfect are the much admired Mandarin skills of laowai YouTubers? Here’s somebody who knows the answer.
Steve Kaufmann is one of the world’s most experienced language learners and a well-known polyglot. What is his best advise on learning Mandarin?
What can you do if you want to learn Mandarin but don’t want to spend loads of money to attend Chinese courses or visit China for an extensive period? Learn Chinese low budget style. Here’s how!
It’s no secret that there’s a whole monkey jungle of apps for Chinese out there. Is this new vocabulary tool Daily Chinese any good? My answer: Yes, it is. Check out why!
Can you become fluent by studying the whole textbook series of Integrated Chinese from beginner to advanced level? And what about learning WITHOUT a textbook?