Hacking Chinese

A better way of learning Mandarin

Articles in the ‘Immersion and integration’ category Page 9

  1. Learning (or not learning) Chinese slang

    Learning slang in Chinese can be fun, but it’s worth remembering that in most situations, it’s actually much less useful than more standard ways of expression. Slang is used in a limited context and changes quickly.

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  2. Comprehension-based listening vs deep end immersion

    What works best for improving listening ability, graded content targeted at your specific level or deep-end immersion? The answer is that both approaches are necessary, but which you use depends a lot on practical considerations, as well as how much time and energy you have to invest.

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  3. Spaced repetition is not limited to flashcards

    Spaced repetition is important for learning anything, but especially vocabulary in a foreign language like Chinese. However, there’s much more to spaced repetition than vocabulary flashcard apps! Even if you dislike such apps, make sure you incorporate spaced repetition in some other way.

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  4. Learn Chinese implicitly through exposure with a seasoning of explicit instruction

    Should you learn Chinese implicitly through exposure and usage, or explicitly through description and instruction? The answer is that adults need both, but that explicit learning is often used too much.

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  5. How I learnt Chinese, part 6: Graduate program in Taiwan

    We can still make progress, of course, and if we enjoy it, we can also achieve a lot. But it's not easy.

    I’ve spent two years in a master’s program for teaching Chinese as a second language, designed for native speakers and taught in Chinese. Here’s what I learnt from the experience!

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  6. Accessing Chinese culture through cartoons

    Accessing Chinese culture can be very hard if you go through the original stories or written versions. If you go through cartoons online, however, it not only becomes easier, it’s also more fun!

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  7. The best Twitter feeds for learning Chinese in 2016

    Learning Chinese through Twitter is great because it gives you bite-sized chunks. This post presents the best Twitter feeds for learning Chinese in 2016.

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  8. How going shopping can help you learn Chinese

    How going shopping can help you learn Chinese

    Shopping can be a great way of learning a language. By having similar conversations many times in different shops, you can gradually improve your speaking ability.

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  9. How technology can stop you from learning Chinese

    How technology can stop you from learning Chinese

    Technology has changed the way we learn Chinese, but not only to the better. This article highlights areas where digital learning is actually bad for you.

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  10. How technology can help you learn Chinese

    How technology can help you learn Chinese

    Technology has changed the way we learn Chinese, mostly to the better. This article is about some of the most important implications of this, focusing mainly on the positive effects of technology.

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