I'm Learning Mandarin How Jake Gill from Skritter learned Chinese
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Feb 5, 2025 In this engaging talk, Jake Gill, Co-founder of Skritter, shares his transformative journey in learning Chinese over 16 years. He discusses the challenges of mastering tones and pronunciation, especially during his time in Taiwan. Jake also highlights his transition from a blogger to the CEO of Skritter, reflecting on how the app empowers learners with personalized insights. He emphasizes the importance of consistency, setting achievable goals, and embracing mistakes as vital steps in language acquisition.
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Origin Story
- Jake Gill's Chinese learning journey began with a summer job and podcasts in 2005/2006.
- His teacher's compliment on his "ni hao" solidified his path, leading to studies and work in Taiwan and Beijing.
Prioritize Pronunciation
- Take pronunciation seriously from the start, especially tones.
- General compliments like "Your Chinese is good" are less meaningful than specific ones.
Mimic and Immerse
- Jake mimicked podcast speakers to learn tones, having no other resources.
- A month in Indonesia, using the language constantly, boosted his confidence.