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I'm Learning Mandarin
Insights from a lifelong Mandarin learner
Jul 10, 2024
In this engaging discussion, Stacy Bridges, a dedicated Mandarin learner from the US, shares his decades-long journey with the language, starting from a school crush in the '80s. He highlights the uphill battle with tones and speaking skills, offering practical strategies such as sentence mining and mimicking native speakers. Stacy emphasizes the importance of community support and active conversation to bolster fluency, revealing that self-awareness and methodical practice are key in navigating the intricate world of Mandarin.
28:44
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Quick takeaways
- The guest's long Mandarin journey illustrates the importance of persistence, as intermittent study can lead to feelings of demoralization.
- He emphasizes the necessity of active communication practice and tailored materials to master pronunciation and achieve fluency in speaking Mandarin.
Deep dives
The Long Journey of Learning Mandarin
The guest began his Mandarin learning journey in the 1980s, motivated by a crush on a classmate. Despite limited resources at that time, like basic vocabulary lists and outdated textbooks, he developed a passion for the language. His learning has been characterized by intermittent bursts of intense study followed by periods of inactivity, often leading to feelings of demoralization. This ongoing journey reflects the typical challenges many face when learning a complex language like Mandarin, highlighting the importance of persistence and self-discovery in language acquisition.
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Discover
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Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode