Comments on: You might be too lazy to learn Chinese, but you’re not too old

By: 8 myths about learning Chinese that are holding you back | Hacking Chinese

8 myths about learning Chinese that are holding you back | Hacking Chinese — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 05:31:38 +0000

[…] No, you’re not too old, but you may be too busy. […]

By: The three factors that determine how much Chinese you learn | Hacking Chinese | Hacking Chinese

Sat, 25 May 2024 11:30:42 +0000

[…] learner because you can’t deliberately influence it, other than by waiting and growing older. And no, you’re not too old to learn Chinese! Similarly, working memory capacity has been linked to many areas of language learning and […]

By: The Hacking Chinese guide to Mandarin tones | Hacking Chinese | Hacking Chinese

Mon, 22 Jan 2024 09:10:22 +0000

[…] I’m [age], am I too old to learn tones? No, you’re not too old. I’ve taught many students in their 60s and 70s and they were able to learn tones. So will you. Learning tones becomes harder the older you get, so the best time to start is in the womb, but the next best time to do it is now. There is no sharp cut-off point where learning new speech sounds becomes impossible, but delaying certainly won’t make it easier. So, no, you might be too busy or too lazy to put in the effort to learn Mandarin, but you’re n… […]

By: You won't learn Chinese simply by living abroad | Hacking Chinese

You won't learn Chinese simply by living abroad | Hacking Chinese — Mon, 16 Oct 2023 05:46:15 +0000

[…] how to learn Chinese, and these can have a very negative impact on your prospects. For example, if you think that you’re too old to learn Chinese, you might not even get started, or if you identify yourself as a visual learner and limit your input because of this, you will […]

By: Olle Linge

Olle Linge — Sun, 20 Nov 2022 20:57:23 +0000

In reply to Learner.

Ah, but I’m not saying that it’s easy to learn Chinese, just that “I’m too old for learning languages” isn’t a good reason to not learn. That would be true for other languages as well, of course. I think people who say that mean “too old” as in “my brain isn’t up to the task”, not “too old” as in “I’m busy with other things”. Naturally, it’s up to each individual to decide what to spend their time on. I think you’re reading a little bit too much into the title itself.

By: Learner

Learner — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 14:49:11 +0000

The title of this article is pretty patronizing.
Simply put, many people may choose not to learn Chinese.
It takes around 2000 hours to get to a reasonable level of Chinese. That’s a lot more than other languages. So do the math, and work out where to best put your resources in life. Sure, some people are lazy, but for others, they have other things to do. What grinds me the most is people who learn some Chinese, then start getting all proud about it. Can you play violin? No? Wow, so lazy. Can you break dance? What a lazy person you are! See what I mean?

By: 50 beginner questions about learning Chinese - Hacking Chinese

50 beginner questions about learning Chinese - Hacking Chinese — Tue, 23 Aug 2022 18:13:57 +0000

[…] I too old to learn Chinese? No, but you might be too busy or too lazy. While some things become harder with age, this is not something you can influence, so it’s more […]

By: Miguel Cifuentes

Miguel Cifuentes — Thu, 19 Aug 2021 12:12:10 +0000

just to say I am learning chinesse for fun since two months and motivated by low cost online courses.
my short experience listening classic readings, that I almost not understand, reminds me clearly my mother speaking to me tenderly, when I did not understand nor spanish nor the entire world I was in.

By: Do I need to learn Chinese, to help my child? – Lah Lah Banana

Do I need to learn Chinese, to help my child? – Lah Lah Banana — Tue, 13 Oct 2020 22:30:12 +0000

[…] As an adult, trying to learn characters will be tough. You’re better off focussing on speaking and if you dare, basic pinyin and navigating your way around basic apps. (Note – for kids, character learning and writing is a must, and it will complement their speaking! Their brains are geared differently, and they’ll soak up 1000 basic characters no time and certainly outpace you in all respects!). There’s a really interesting piece about what it takes to learn Chinese as an adult at “Hacking Chinese“. […]

By: L Yeh

L Yeh — Sun, 15 Dec 2019 02:40:23 +0000

I don’t think it’s easier to learn languages as a child if the adult and child were learning using the same techniques. It’s harder learning as an adult because we sit in a classroom and have to learn how to read, listen, write, and speak all at the same time.

When I was 18, I spent a year in Taiwan with family. I can speak everyday Mandarin but had no idea how to speak or understand Taiwanese, which is what my family tended to communicate in. During this time, I was learning how to read/write Chinese and Japanese.

After 6 months, I one day just started understanding Taiwanese. I couldn’t speak it yet, but people would speak to me in Taiwanese and I would respond in Mandarin. I didn’t even realize what I was doing until one of my classmates pointed it out. I highly doubt I’m unique.

Thousands of years ago, people learned languages by simply listening to and watching others interact. That’s the most natural thing in the world. Forcing people to sit down and demanding that they read, write, speak, and listen to a new language right out of the gate? We’re not naturally equipped to learn languages that way.