Hacking Chinese

A better way of learning Mandarin

Articles in the ‘Immersion and integration’ category Page 15

  1. Playing computer games in Chinese: Diablo 3 and Starcraft 2

    If you like computer games, why don’t you start playing them in Chinese? It’s not a substitute for other types of studying, but it’s an excellent way of increasing your exposure to Chinese while having fun at the same time.

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  2. Chinese listening strategies: Background listening

    Background listening is not a substitute for more active forms of listening practice, but it’s still very useful. Think of it as a way of filling your days with learning opportunities without requiring much extra time.

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  3. Defining Language Hacking: Lessons Learned From Hacking Chinese

    This is just a short notice to let you know that Defining Language Hacking: Lessons Learned From Hacking Chinese, an article written by me, has been published over at The Mezzofanti Guild. As the title implies, it deals mainly with language hacking, but I also talk a little bit about my own background and my approach […]

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  4. Triggering quantum leaps in Chinese listening ability

    Listening ability is mostly a matter of practise, but the level of difficulty of the input also matters. My theory is that most people listen to Chinese that is too easy for them and would benefit from challenging themselves more, even if they spend the same amount of time practising listening ability.

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  5. Achieving the impossible by being inspired

    Teaching and inspiring are two closely related things. If you can see all superiors as sources of inspiration and knowledge, you will advance faster than if you view them as rivals or opponents. Similarly, realise that you have your own strong sides that inspire other people. Don’t hesitate to teach others if they want to be taught. Inspiration is cyclic in its nature and should flow freely in all directions.

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  6. Don’t be a tourist if you want to learn Chinese

    Immersion abroad can boost language learning, and travelling where the language is spoken can help too. Yet how much you benefit depends on your attitude. To truly learn, stop being a tourist!

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  7. How to find more time to practise Chinese listening

    Listening is probably the most important skill when learning Chinese, and the more you practise, the better. In order to listen as much as you should, you need to stop thinking about listening as a study activity and start thinking about it as a part of life!

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  8. Growing up in Chinese as a foreign adult

    Learning Chinese is in many ways like becoming a child again. That has it’s advantages, but it can also be incredibly frustrating at times. As usual, being aware of the problem is the first step towards solving it. Unfortunately, the only way to handle this particular problem is to adopt a healthy attitude towards it.

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  9. The virtues of learning Chinese through language exchange

    A language exchange is simply a relationship between two people who want to learn each other’s language. It is useful because it allows you to focus fully on language without having to worry that your ordinary friends think it’s taxing to be with you because you always ask so many questions.

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