Comments on: The forking path: A human approach to learning Chinese https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-forking-path-a-human-approach-to-learning-chinese/ A better way of learning Mandarin Tue, 01 Oct 2024 11:09:47 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 By: Olle Linge https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-forking-path-a-human-approach-to-learning-chinese/#comment-123645 Tue, 01 Oct 2024 11:09:47 +0000 https://www.hackingchinese.com/?p=11530#comment-123645 In reply to Janette Raven.

Glad you found it helpful! And well done in September’s listening challenge! 🙂

]]> By: Janette Raven https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-forking-path-a-human-approach-to-learning-chinese/#comment-123583 Mon, 30 Sep 2024 02:03:42 +0000 https://www.hackingchinese.com/?p=11530#comment-123583 Ollie this is magnificent. It is so simple. So easy to apply. And as is said elsewhere, applicable to almost any area of life where change is desired. Not only learning.
As you said， change can be really difficult to implement. At some pint energy runs low, resolve breaks and the positive pattern dissolves in a welter of bad self-feeling.
Now I realize that this is a matter of perspective.
If I keep looking at the distant goal I only experience how far away I am from its realization…
However, if I continue to focus largely on the next tiny choice, then I inevitably experience many successes for the rare slip up.
And in the event of a slip up, I know as a matter of incontrovertible fact, that the remedy is as close as the next available choice, so it is no biggie.
I am currently learning Mandarin and voice.
Both require smart use of time and resources of energy.
Seeing the tiny choices that lie on my path is so easy.
For example, in the case of learning voice (singing) ,food choices are important as they have a direct impact on the vocal apparatus.
I either eat the ice cream or not. If I eat it, I will loose voice register after. If I do not, I may be able to hit a clear, beautiful high G or A. It is that simple.
Having just completed 100 hours of listening in the Hacking Chinese Listening Challenge- Thank You Ollie! I am so grateful… I have added something of my own to the forking path model.
As I write, I am simultaneously hearing, and sporadically listening to a single piece of advanced, native level material that was initially far beyond my reach.
As of right now, the pace is comfortable and normal. The content is gradually becoming comprehensible, even though I do not understand every word. I have even used newly learned words form the content in writing and speech.
Now this absolutely challenges the whole comprehensible input model of language learning.
I deliberately chose one piece of well produced speech far beyond my current level. (ie NOT comprehensible input), and stuck with it many times, making small forking path choices each time.
I can now comfortably write this in English and listen and think in Chinese (sporadically). I can study, revise poetry and do 复习， all while listening to the Chinese content. with the odd exploration of vocab from the Chinese content as a word leaps out at me…
This is surprisingly easy. Just like making a small forking path choice is easy compared to something big, like adopting a healthier diet, for example. Or being a competent native level speaker of Mandarin.
I am stunned Ollie. This is Pure Gold. 祝福您！

]]> By: Olle Linge https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-forking-path-a-human-approach-to-learning-chinese/#comment-102928 Sat, 22 Oct 2022 09:06:42 +0000 https://www.hackingchinese.com/?p=11530#comment-102928 In reply to Fabíola.

Thank you for the comment! I think this approach is useful for almost anything, actually, which is true for a surprising number of articles on Hacking Chinese. I have considered expanding to other languages or to life in general, but I think it’s safer to stay with Chinese for now. 🙂

]]> By: Fabíola https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-forking-path-a-human-approach-to-learning-chinese/#comment-102899 Fri, 21 Oct 2022 19:10:40 +0000 https://www.hackingchinese.com/?p=11530#comment-102899 This is so relatable to art studies! Thanks for the post 🙂

]]> By: Olle Linge https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-forking-path-a-human-approach-to-learning-chinese/#comment-73027 Thu, 18 Feb 2021 11:58:22 +0000 https://www.hackingchinese.com/?p=11530#comment-73027 In reply to Joel T.

Yeah, I kind of made the name up when I wrote the article. I don’t know what other people call it, or if “the forking path” is used to describe other things, it just felt right. 🙂 I have since been alerted to this YouTube video by CGP Grey where he talks about something very similar, but not specifically for language learning. It’s more about New Year Resolutions, but the metaphor is the same.

]]> By: Joel T https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-forking-path-a-human-approach-to-learning-chinese/#comment-73024 Thu, 18 Feb 2021 09:42:59 +0000 https://www.hackingchinese.com/?p=11530#comment-73024 In reply to Joel T.

Oh sorry you said at the end…

]]> By: Joel T https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-forking-path-a-human-approach-to-learning-chinese/#comment-73021 Thu, 18 Feb 2021 09:00:07 +0000 https://www.hackingchinese.com/?p=11530#comment-73021 This is a really cool analogy with applications far beyond language learning. I tried to Google “forking path method” and I couldn’t find it anywhere else. Can you tell me what inspired it?

]]> By: Dicky https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-forking-path-a-human-approach-to-learning-chinese/#comment-71022 Tue, 15 Dec 2020 08:41:23 +0000 https://www.hackingchinese.com/?p=11530#comment-71022 Very good idea.
I will use this to learn another langauge.

]]> By: Adam https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-forking-path-a-human-approach-to-learning-chinese/#comment-62138 Sun, 19 Apr 2020 08:43:39 +0000 https://www.hackingchinese.com/?p=11530#comment-62138 Wonderful article! Love the forking path. Absolutely agree in these small steps and goals. Making each small goal a success can be an exhilarating feeling, and success breeds success, you will be in a more positive mind frame, and you will give yourself extra motivation to continue.

]]> By: Maureen https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-forking-path-a-human-approach-to-learning-chinese/#comment-60550 Fri, 21 Feb 2020 21:55:28 +0000 https://www.hackingchinese.com/?p=11530#comment-60550 Hello Ollie, yes this is a good article, I nearly got lost in some of the other links within it! Whilst I like your equation, and your recommendation to implement tiny habits, or learn organically – counting whatever, I think the learning process as you state, is complex with many variables and therefore difficult to reduce to a simple equation! If,

1. I can find the most compelling contact for my purpose.
2. I can spend however much time I want.
3. Choose a learning method I like….yet proficiency is not guaranteed!
why not?
perhaps it’s because the method I choose is not a good fit for my cognitive strengths/weaknesses. I.e. do I learn best via auditory.visual.kinesthetic modalities?
Can I retain.recall and apply new learning? It’s of no use if I can’t!
Using apps to learn, I have found I can do well within the app….but when applying its contents….its out the window, and I’m back to square one!!

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