Articles in the ‘Beginner’ category Page 2
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How to use YouTube and other video platforms to learn Chinese
YouTube and similar platforms offer a vast treasure trove of content that can help you learn Chinese, whether you’re watching videos in Chinese or exploring content about language and culture. But how can you get the most out of this resource at different stages of learning?
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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, September 2024
Enrol in this month’s Chinese listening challenge, starting September 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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Three things I wish I had known as a beginner student of Chinese: The time machine, part 1
I started learning Chinese more than 15 years ago. Here are three things I wish I had known as a beginner!
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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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