Questions are a fundamental function of language. John and Jared talk about how to use asking and responding to questions to maximize your learning gain. Guest interview is with Jonathan Rechtman, a simultaneous interpreter, entrepreneur, and consultant.  Links from the episode:Mandarin Companion Merch Black Friday sale | Website See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We all come into language learning with different expectations. John and Jared talk about common expectations many learners have versus the reality of the language. Guest interview is with Dan Stephenson, consultant, China watcher, and a guy with his fingers in many pies.   Links from the episode:Sherlock Holmes and a Scandal in Shanghai | Mandarin Companion Level 2 graded readerMandarin Companion | Brand new website See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

After nearly 4 years since the first episode, Jared and John celebrate their 100th podcast episode with two special interviews with two special guest interviewers. Even John gets to do the intro this time!  Links from the episode:Mandarin Companion | Chinese graded readersChinese learning memes on Instagram SinoSplice | John’s Blog AllSet Learning See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You’re learning Chinese, but are you getting better? Chances are you’re improving but it can be hard to notice the progress. John and Jared discuss 9 signs that your Chinese is getting better so you can start celebrating those wins! Interview is with Arthur Jones, documentary filmmaker and director of The Six, a new documentary about the six Chinese survivors of the Titanic.  Links from the episode:Small Personal Victories in Language Acquisition | SinospliceThe Six 《六人》Documentary | Website | Facebook | Twitter | Weibo How Jane Austen’s early Chinese translators were stumped by the oddities of 19th-century British cuisine | The ConversationThe Secret Garden | Mandarin Companion Level 1 See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

There are a lot of opinions about how to learn Chinese with some of it being just plain bad! John and Jared share some of the worst advice they’ve come across, why it’s bad, and what you can be doing instead to get your Chinese on track.  Interview is with Steve Kaufmann, legendary polyglot and speaker of 20 languages, including Chinese! Links from the episode:#84 How to progress from textbooks to conversation#70 Reading the News: Do’s and Dont's#87 The 6 Types of Chinese Learners#79 Why typing characters is better than handwriting#23 Pinyin Over Characters: the Crippling CrutchErhua | The Chinese Pronunciation WikiCountry of the Blind | Mandarin Companion Level 1 See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Many people study for the HSK exam but will focusing your language learning on your interests and needs be better and faster? Well, yes…maybe! In this episode John and Jared discuss how to bring better focus to your studies so you can beat the pants off the HSK. Guest interview is with Ben Whatley, avid Chinese learner and co-founder of Memrise. Links from the episode:Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (HSK) | Wikipedia general infoHSK-Mod | Live, one-one-one online courses by AllSet LearningNo links for too much sugar in your Chinese food… no one needs thatSimply Chinese | Comprehensible input YouTube channelMemrise | Co-founded by guest Ben Whatley  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Does a musical background make you better at Chinese? Believe it or not, there is research on this very subject that John and I are going to delve into. Guest interview is with Murray James Morrison, jazz musician, composer, and professor at NYU Shanghai.  Links from the episode:Research Paper | Identification of Mandarin tones by English-speaking musicians and nonmusiciansSherlock Holmes and a Scandal in Shanghai | New Level 2, 450 Words, Mandarin Companion Graded Reader Sinica Podcast hosted by Kaiser KuoThe China Project | Rebranded name for SupChina See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Anyone can learn a language, but in this episode, John and I are going to talk about five qualities of good language learners. Call them qualities, call them attitudes — these adjustments will help maximize your learning results. Guest interview is with Zachary Gidwitz, who despite having a Chinese teacher tell him to give up, later progressed to a level that opened up job opportunities with one of China’s largest ecommerce giants.  Links from the episode:YCLC #7 The Myth of Learning Chinese Like a ChildTolerance of Ambiguity and Use of Second Language StrategiesSherlock Holmes and a Scandal in Shanghai (Mandarin Companion’s next book!)The Six | Documentary about 6 Chinese survivors of the Titanic See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Ultra-Traditional, the “Buddy”, the Know-it-All, and the “Too Nice” are all teacher types that John and Jared are going to break down and you should consider avoiding. That being said, they have some redeeming qualities too! Interview is with Brad Johnson whose interest and friendships were the driving force in improving his Chinese skills to the level where he now hosts a podcast in Chinese.   Links from the episode:#87 The 6 Types of Chinese Learners#79 Why typing characters is better than handwritingEmma 《安末》 (Mandarin Companion Level 1 graded reader)Brad Johnson’s Podcasts | MianBao.fmXiaoyuzhou podcast appTop 100 Podcasts on Xiaoyuzhou See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Special episode with Fred Poole, a language acquisition expert from Michigan State University who shares his experience with game-based learning and how he uses it to help others learn languages. Fred explains the difference between gamification and game-based learning, emphasizes the importance of learning in context, and discusses his research into trilingual immersion and the games he has developed for language learning.