Tag: Mandarin
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.
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 high-quality apps that actually help? They are rare, but do exist.
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.
Why the mā-má-mǎ-mà-way people typically think of the four tones is wrong.
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.
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.
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?
You’re learning Chinese and looking for a Chinese dictionary app to install on your phone, but don’t want to spend any money?
Chinese learning materials have improved a lot over the last 50 years, however more often than not…
Chinese learning blogs are like hidden provision camps in the desert. If they are not pointed out, you are likely to miss them.
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.
You’re about to register for a HSK exam or thinking about it? Here’s all the essential information about the Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi in one short FAQ article.
These are my best tips for the HSK exam, based on my experience writing the HSK4 and HSK5 exams in China and Europe.
More about cooking! In his new show Jamie Bilbow explores rural China to learn from the true kitchen heroes – Chinese grandmothers. How did the British moderator become so fluent in Mandarin?! Three reasons why you should watch the show.
How much of a struggle should reading really be? Check out these tips and start accelerating today.
Journey to the West is a key to understanding China. There is just no way around it. The TV-adaption from 1986 remains a must-see classic till this day.