Recent articles about how to learn Mandarin
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Improve your Chinese conversations by listening to the listener
The obvious way to learn Mandarin is to listen to a person speaking the language. The less obvious way is to listen to the person who isn’t speaking in a conversation. What can you learn by listening to the listener?
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Chinese reading challenge, April 2026
It’s time for a Chinese reading challenge! It starts on April 10th, so enrol, set your goal and read as much as you can before the end of the month. This article contains more information about the challenge, as well as some advice about improving reading ability in Chinese.
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Which Chinese language course should you take?
The answer to the question of which Chinese language course you should choose is that it depends. But what does it depend on, and how do you make the right decision about which course to take?
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The 10 best free Chinese listening resources for beginner, intermediate and advanced learners
Listening is the most important skill of all, because it accelerates learning and is crucial for social integration. What are the best free Chinese listening resources out there for beginner, intermediate and advanced learners?
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Remembering is a skill you can learn: Mnemonics for Chinese learners
Remembering is not a fixed, innate ability; it’s a skill you can learn. In fact, there are many proven and easy ways to improve your memory!
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A practical guide to your ideal Mandarin self: Build motivation that lasts
Motivation is not a personality trait that you either have or lack. It is a system you can design. Give yourself a clear future self in Mandarin, set up your study routine so it feels good in the moment, and let small, steady actions narrow the gap.
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Chinese speaking challenge, March 2026
It’s time for a speaking challenge! It starts on March 10th, so enrol, set your goal and improve your speaking ability as much as you can before the end of the month. This article contains more information about the challenge, some important things to keep in mind as well as some advice about improving speaking ability in Chinese.
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Spaced repetition software: What it is and how to use it to learn Chinese
Spaced repetition means that you review words you want to learn in certain intervals to maximise learning efficiency. Since this involves keeping track of much data, a computer program is needed to handle it properly. Spaced repetition software is very powerful and can be used for many things, but learning vocabulary and characters are perhaps the most important applications.
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Chinese New Year and New Semester Course Discount
To mark the Chinese New Year and the start of a new semester, I offer a time-limited discount for three of my video courses, valid until the end of the week!
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Hacking Chinese reader and listener survey, 2026
What do you think about Hacking Chinese? Help me help others by filling out this reader and listener survey!
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