Articles in the ‘Advanced’ category Page 3
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YouGlish: A free service to hear and see Chinese words in context
Context matters. How words are pronounced and used depends on context, but traditional learning materials lack the diversity to prepare you for real-world Chinese. Fortunately, YouGlish is a great tool for studying language in context.
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Student Q&A, September 2024: Slowly spoken Chinese, passing listening exams and understanding numbers
Should you slow down the Mandarin you listen to? How can you prepare for difficult listening exams? And how can you understand Chinese numbers in context?
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Chinese listening challenge, February 2025
Enrol in this month’s Chinese listening challenge, starting February 10th! Listen more and learn more through daily practice and friendly competition. This article contains more information about the challenge, as well as tips for what to listen to and how to get the most out of it.
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The 10 best free Chinese listening resources for beginner, intermediate and advanced learners
Listening is the most important skill of all, because it accelerates all other learning and is crucial for social integration. What are the best free Chinese listening resources out there for beginner, intermediate and advanced learners?
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Student Q&A, August 2024: Avoiding mental translation, untranslatable words and why practising translation is good
How can you stop translating in your head? What are some Chinese words that can’t be translated? And why is translation a worthwhile learning activity?
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Chinese translation challenge, August 2024
It’s time for a translation challenge! It starts on August 10th, so enrol, set your goal and improve your Chinese by translating to/from Chinese as much as you can before the end of the month. This article contains more information about the challenge, some important things to keep in mind as well as some advice about using translation as a method for learning Chinese.
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Insights from my recent trip to China: The importance of top-down listening
Understanding Chinese involves more than just knowing words and phrases; it’s about using context to interpret meaning. My recent trip to China highlighted the crucial role of top-down listening in navigating dialects, speech patterns, and unexpected questions.
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Chinese character variants and font differences for language learners
Small details sometimes matter when writing Chinese characters, but sometimes they don’t. Figuring out which details to pay attention to is made even harder by character variants and font differences!
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Why you should preview before every Chinese lesson
Previewing before Chinese lessons is a simple yet frequently overlooked method to enhance learning. By previewing, you maximise the benefits of each lesson, allowing you to focus on areas where you truly need a teacher’s guidance.
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How I used a notebook to learn more Chinese, and why you should too
The humble notebook is a powerful tool for learners of Chinese. Whether an exquisite leather-bound journal or a digital text file, a notebook offers more than a space to record information about vocabulary or grammar.
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