You Can Learn Chinese

If you’re into music, this episode is for you! John and Jared talk about how Chinese songs can help you learn Chinese. Interview is with Bohan Phoenix, a Chinese American hip-hop artist straddling two cultures. If you’ve not yet heard of him, then don’t miss this one!  Links from the episode:我的朋友在哪里 | Chinese kids songStinky Tofu Song (臭豆腐之歌) | Chinese BuddyThe Moon Represents My Heart | 月亮代表我的心好想好想 | Zhao Wei 赵薇Christmas Music in Chinese | SinospliceNetease Music | Chinese music appJekyll and Hyde | Mandarin Companion Level 2 Bohan Phoenix | All links See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Do native speakers know the tones? How well do you need to know tones to listen or speak? Jared and John delve into these and other questions with answers that might surprise you! You’ll come away with a longer-term strategy for learning tones, even if you’re as tone-deaf as John once was.  Interview is with Daniel Nalesnik, who, due to a fluke scheduling error, took a Chinese class, fell in love with the language, quit his job, and ended up in China studying full time.  Links from the episode:Chinese Pronunciation Wiki by AllSet Learning Hack Chinese flashcard platform See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sometimes we forget how easy it can be to practice Chinese. In this episode, Jared and John talk about everyday games, like Uno and charades, you can use to practice Chinese. Suitable for all ages and learning levels, these are guaranteed to inject some fun into your Chinese learning!  Interview is with Martina Fuchs who started her career as an Arabic-speaking spy for the Swiss government and later became a TV journalist for CCTV, China’s huge state broadcaster.  Links from the episode:Liars Dice – Classic Chinese game of diceCard Games for Language Learning – SinoSpliceMartina Fuchs on InstagramInterview with translator William WhiteEmma 《安末》 – Mandarin Companion Level 1 graded reader See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jared and John talk about why typing characters leads to better learning outcomes than handwriting. They dispel conventional wisdom backed by science from an academic research study by Dr. Phyllis Zhang (张霓). You may have an opinion on the matter, but now it’s time to find out what the actual research tells us. Our interview is with Eileen Wu, a heritage learner who decided to get serious about learning Chinese and did a head-first career dive into China.  Links from the episode:"Typing to Replace Handwriting: Effectiveness of the Typing-Primary Approach for L2 Chinese Beginners" by Phyllis Zhang#05 Writing Characters: Is It Worth Your Time?#64 Tips and tricks for typing Chinese#66 Guest: Matt Coss (8 Tips for Using Your Dictionary)#68 Why Is Chinese So Damn Hard#08 Guest: Dr. David Moser (Tones, Music, and Confidence)In Search of Hua Ma (Mandarin Companion Breakthrough Level book)Dr. Tim Xie (谢天蔚), California State University, Long BeachThe 5 Best Apps for Reading Chinese See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

John and Jared have pulled the best stories out of all of the guest interviews of 2021. Get ready to laugh, reflect, and be inspired as we look back on the year.  Links from the episode:#70 Reading the News: Do’s and Don'ts#60 How Chinese Food Can Help Your Chinese#59 Bridging to Breakthrough and Abigail Washburn#55 Flashcards, spaced repetition software, and building proficiency#56 When Should You Start Learning Characters?#69 The rivalry: Beijing vs. Shanghai#74 Improving your listening skills (Part 2 of 2)#73 Improving your listening skills (Part 1 of 2)#65 Going all the way: Graduate studies in Chinese#68 Why is Chinese so damn hard?#72 The Truth about Chinese subtitles See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, John and Jared talk about something close to their hearts: reading in Chinese. They discuss the different types of reading, different techniques for advanced learners, and specifically how you can harness the power of extensive reading to accelerate your Chinese.  Guest interview is with Sebastian Mueller from Germany, who moved to China and, in addition to his day job, is a growing personality on Chinese social media.  Links from the episode:Science of Reading: Simple View (Wikipedia)Winter Cheer Chinese Courses (AllSet Learning)Andrew Methven’s Slow Chinese 每周漫闻Radio.Garden - live radio stations worldwideSebastian Mueller on 小红书Sebastian Mueller on LinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, John and Jared respond to a listener question about Cantonese, which leads to a discussion around China’s numerous dialects/languages, which are in fact “topolects.” Guest interview is with Daniel Pang, who grew up speaking Cantonese at home, became a doctor, then quit his job to learn Chinese. Links from the episode:Varieties of Chinese (Wikipedia)"A language is a dialect with an army and navy" (Wikipedia)Just Friends? / 我们是朋友吗？ (Mandarin Companion graded reader)Wu Chinese WikipediaDaniel Pang YouTube channel See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode John and Jared share the proper way to compare similar words, characters, sounds, and grammar points.

John and Jared talk about three types of research-backed strategies and tips you can employ to improve your listening skills, specifically in the areas where you struggle.  Guest interview is with Gabrielle Barnett from Jamaica, whose quest to learn Chinese has opened doors and taken her around the world, far beyond anything she could have imagined.  Links from the episode:Intelligibility of normal speech I: Global and fine-grained acoustic-phonetic talker characteristics (research paper, PDF format)Chinese Pronunciation Wiki: Pinyin Chart, Pinyin “Gotchas”When a Window is a Door (Sinosplice) Thanks for listening to the podcast! Please write John and Jared a review on Apple Podcasts and they’ll give you a shout-out! They are also taking questions from listeners. If you have a question, reach them at feedback@mandarincompanion.com. Follow them on Facebook and catch their latest Chinese-learning memes on Instagram. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Listening is one of the biggest challenges for Chinese learners. In this two part series, John and Jared talk about the most complicating factors to understanding spoken Chinese. You’ll become aware of these and be able to pinpoint where you may be struggling. Guest interview is with Marc Dupont, a lobbyist from Canada whose personal quest has kept him learning Chinese for over 20 years.   Links from the episode:Chris Max interview episode: #28 A Method to Remember Thousands of CharactersRobin MacPherson interview episode: #62 Make your language learning learner-centricRobin MacPherson: Learning One Foreign Language Completely Changed My LifeThe Prince and the Pauper - Mandarin Companion level 1 graded readerMandarin Companion Memes Thanks for listening to the podcast! Please write John and Jared a review on Apple Podcastsand they’ll give you a shout-out! They are also taking questions from listeners. If you have a question, reach them at feedback@mandarincompanion.com. Follow them on Facebook and catch their latest Chinese-learning memes on Instagram.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.