Tag: language learning

Learning Chinese: 80’s & 90’s vs now

Learning Chinese, the language of over a billion people, has always been an intriguing endeavor for language enthusiasts. But for learners the landscape has changed a lot over the past 40 years. Let’s look back and reflect the differences of learning Chinese 40 years ago compared to the present-day situation. How much easier has learning Chinese become?

Discussing ChatGPT’s learning tips for Chinese learners – from complete beginners to advanced

Since ChatGPT knows everything, I asked the AI-tool for his best learning advice for Chinese learners. Not just random learning advice, but broken down into learning tips for beginners, intermediate and advanced learners. The results can be taken seriously. Find out which learning advice ChatGPT has in store for your current language goals.

Knowing your learning style to master Chinese

You’re starting to learn Chinese? While smart learners think about their learning plan, very few ever consider their preferred learning style. Why not discover yours in the next 5 minutes?

10 extremely helpful YouTube channels for learning Mandarin

You want to improve your Mandarin skills? For some of the greatest online resources for Chinese you don’t have to look far: they can be found on YouTube. But where to start? This is my updated top 10 of YouTube channels for learning Chinese.

Why do so few non-native learners manage to truly master Chinese tones?

From all the people learning Chinese and reaching a relatively high level of proficiency only a few ever seem to truly master the Chinese tones. By that I mean they speak fully fluent and sound so “native” that it would fool native Chinese speakers. Why is that? Are Chinese tones just too damn hard or is it laziness on our part?

My 2025 overview of resources for Mandarin Chinese

Learning Mandarin and looking for a comprehensive overview of must-have resources? This is part one.

5 things to remove from your life to learn mandarin more effectively

5 simple things to remove from our lives to focus on Mandarin

As if learning Mandarin isn’t difficult enough, many distractions creep into our lives and keep us from advancing towards our goals. Here are five things to downscale in order to become a more effective learner.

What are the pros and cons of learning Chinese?

Are you considering to learn Chinese? What speaks in favor, what speaks against learning one of the most difficult languages in the world? This is what the Mandarin learning community has to say about it.

10 Chinese audiobooks for advanced Mandarin learners

Where do you find Chinese audiobooks that are interesting, high quality and not hidden behind a paywall?

5 things we tell ourselves that keep us from studying Chinese

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.

11 things I wish I knew before starting to learn Mandarin

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.

“How to learn any language in six months”

Can you learn to fly a Boeing 747 in six months? Some say you can! How about languages though?

Slow listening: boost your vocabulary with Mandarin Corner

You’re at intermediate level and want to improve your listening skills?

Chineasy vs Uncle Hanzi: two radical approaches to Chinese characters

What helps you to memorize Chinese characters?

Learning Chinese becoming less popular?

Is it just me? Or is studying Mandarin just not as popular as it was before?

5 apps that help you to understand and write Chinese characters

Learning Chinese characters with high-quality apps that actually help? They are rare, but do exist.

Learning to write Chinese characters: 7 bad practices you should avoid

Learning to write Chinese characters: my personal list of disastrous advice and practices that are a complete waste of time and oxygen.

How long does it take to get HSK 6?

Five test candidates and the time they needed to prepare for HSK 6.

Getting fluent in Mandarin: Underestimating the four tones

Why the mā-má-mǎ-mà-way people typically think of the four tones is wrong.

Understanding China and Mandarin with 7 Chinese film classics

These mostly older Mainland Chinese movies I’ve come to like and recommend to anyone interested in China.

CHINESE ANALYSIS: popular China vloggers put to the test

How perfect are the much admired Mandarin skills of laowai YouTubers? Here’s somebody who knows the answer.

Lingosteve’s wisdom on learning Mandarin

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?

Learning Mandarin the low-budget way

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!

Vocabulary trainer app: Daily Chinese

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 learn Chinese from a textbook?

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?

Learning Chinese? 12 BLOGS you should know about

Chinese learning blogs are like hidden provision camps in the desert. If they are not pointed out, you are likely to miss them.

花儿乐队 – 果汁分你一半 (2006)

The catchy pop song 果汁分你一半” by the Chinese band 花儿乐队 (Huā’ér Yuèduì) is the kind of tune that gets stuck in your head. In this post, I’ll break down the lyrics for you, provide English translations and pinyin and dive into key vocabulary.

Corona virus: 口罩都卖完了!

In this post, I surf on the wave of fear and add to the panic with virus-related key vocabulary and firsthand footage from Corona-survivors.

王菲 – 紅豆 (1998)

王菲’s 红豆 (Hóng Dòu, meaning Red Beans), released in 1998, is one of her most iconic and beloved songs. It’s a melancholic yet tender ballad. Here are the Chinese lyrics with English translations, pinyin and more.

任賢齊 – 心太軟 (1996)

“心太软” (xīn tài ruǎn) is a well-known love song by Ren Xianqi (任賢齊), released in 1996. Here are the Chinese lyrics, English translations, pinyin and more.