Articles published in May 2024
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Chinese character learning for all students
Learning to write Chinese characters by hand takes a lot of time. In today’s digital era, is it necessary to learn handwriting? Let’s explore the advantages and disadvantages for second-language learners and discuss what an effective curriculum that caters to all students might look like!
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Learning to hear the sounds and tones in Mandarin
As infants, we perceive the world without categories. Learning our first language forms sound categories, aiding understanding but losing other sound distinctions. As adults learning a second language, we need to regain this ability. But how?
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24 great resources for improving your Mandarin pronunciation
Using the right resources is important when learning anything, but it’s essential when learning Mandarin pronunciation. In this article, I share my favourite resources, most of which are completely free!
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Student Q&A, May 2024: Understanding strangers, listening with transcripts, and which podcasts to avoid
Why is your teacher is so much easier to understand than anybody else? Should you read transcripts or subtitles before, during or after listening? And why do I refuse to recommend certain podcasts?
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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 with listening comprehension. Why is that, and what can you do about it?
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