On this page you will find information about Hacking Chinese and me:
- Learn more about Hacking Chinese
- Support Hacking Chinese
- Hire me as a tutor, coach or consultant
- Learn more about me
- Bibliography (separate page)
- Privacy policy and terms and conditions
- Contact me
Learn more about Hacking Chinese
I’ve studied three foreign languages: English, French, and Mandarin Chinese. My native language is Swedish. Throughout my language learning journey, I’ve been taught a great deal about grammar, vocabulary, and culture, but rarely the most important lesson: how to learn a language effectively.
Most teachers and textbooks focus on the language content, presenting material for students to memorise, but they don’t teach how to learn it. More importantly, successful language learning requires a long-term strategy, yet most courses and teachers only provide short-term solutions.
On Hacking Chinese, I try to answer questions like:
- How do you improve listening, speaking, reading and writing in Chinese?
- How do we learn characters and words efficiently?
- How do we organise and plan our studying to make sure we reach our goals?
- What attitude and mentality should we adopt to learn as much as possible?
- How can we become fluent within a reasonable time frame?
This website is dedicated to uncovering the mysteries of language learning in general, with a particular focus on learning Chinese. If you don’t take responsibility and think critically about your learning process, it can take a long time to achieve a decent level. However, by understanding how to learn and study efficiently, fluency becomes much more attainable.
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Hacking Chinese? “Hacking”? “Chinese”?
“Hacking” in the context of language learning means understanding how the process works and leveraging that knowledge to your advantage. It’s about continuously searching for better, more effective ways to learn. Like computer hacking, language hacking involves resourcefulness, experimentation, and optimization, though, of course, it’s entirely legal and beneficial. It’s a safe and effective approach for everyone, even if it may challenge more traditional teachers.
To an outsider, “Chinese” might seem like a straightforward term, but it’s not. However, what I mean here is simple: all aspects of Chinese as it is spoken, written, used, studied, or otherwise exists today. When it comes to spoken Chinese, I focus primarily on Mandarin. Still, if you’re interested in learning another dialect, rest assured that nearly all the articles here are still relevant. In fact, most of the advice I offer can be applied to learning any language!
I wrote more about the website’s title, including the name in Chinese, here: What’s in a name? Hacking Chinese, 揭密中文
Please support Hacking Chinese!
If you like what I’m doing, please support me. I provide all the 300+ articles on Hacking Chinese for free, as well as Hacking Chinese Resources and Challenges. Supporters also get rewarded with extra content and other bonuses. You can check the details on my Patreon page:
Hire me
My strength lies in being a non-native speaker of Chinese who has reached an advanced level. This not only allows me to teach the language effectively but also gives me extensive knowledge of methods, resources, and tools that can help you achieve your learning goals. I believe I offer a rare combination of analytical skills, academic knowledge, and practical experience as both a learner and a teacher. This is particularly valuable in various contexts, such as designing courses, textbooks, learning tools, and software. For more information about my educational background, feel free to visit my LinkedIn profile.
In essence, if you hire me, you’re hiring the mind behind Hacking Chinese. I will do my best to assist you, but the specific approach and outcome will depend on your needs. Here are some examples of services I’ve provided in the past. If you’re interested in hiring me, please use the contact form below:
- Language coaching: Learning a language is a significant challenge, and it’s natural to feel lost at times. What’s the next step? What should I focus on? How can I prepare for going to China or maintain my Chinese after leaving? How can I make the most of my time and money while learning Chinese? For personalised solutions, visit my Patreon page or contact me directly.
- Lecturing and teaching: I’ve held lectures on study techniques for learning Chinese, emphasising skills that often aren’t taught in the classroom, such as effective vocabulary acquisition and online resources for independent learning. Feedback from students suggests this kind of guidance is sorely needed.
- Consulting and analysis: With experience using numerous textbooks, learning software, and websites, and having studied three foreign languages to an advanced level, I am adept at analyzing and dissecting learning tools. If you’re developing a product related to Chinese and need my input, I’ll provide insightful feedback to help you succeed.
If any of these services interest you, feel free to contact me at “editor@hackingchinese.com“. You can of course also send me a message on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn!
About myself
Hi! My name is Olle Linge (Chinese name: 凌雲龍). In short, I’m a Swedish guy who takes an interest in too many things. Studying how to learn and teach languages is what has occupied most of my time since graduating from high school, and I have a degree in teaching both Chinese and English. I’ve also spent two years in a master’s programme for teaching Chinese as a second language, taught in Chinese for native speakers.
My Chinese studies so far include three years of studying in Sweden and four years in Taiwan. I’m currently working with Chinese language education in various forms, including teaching, professional development, consulting and content production. Please see my LinkedIn profile for details. You can also check out this article and podcast episode where I talk more about what I currently work with: How I learnt Chinese, part 7: Teaching, writing, learning
Apart from languages, I like writing (articles, fiction, games), sports (gymnastics, unicycling, diving, volleyball) and games (role-playing, board games, Rubik’s cube). I occasionally write about these things on my personal website: ollelinge.se.
Contact
If you want to hire me, ask me questions or just say hello, please send an e-mail to “editor@hackingchinese.com”. You can of course also send me a message on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn!