Pronunciation is one of the most overlooked areas of learning Chinese. Here's my attempt to fix that problem! In this week's episode, I share the first episode of my pronunciation course, which is open for registration until February 5th. If you listen to this after February 5th, you can still sign up to the waiting list to get notified when the course comes around next time. Enjoy! More information about the course: Hacking Chinese Pronunciation: Speaking with Confidence More information and inspiration about learning and teaching Chinese can be found over at Hacking Chinese (www.hackingchinese.com) Music: "Traxis 1 ~ F. Benjamin" by Traxis, 2020 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0)

Learning to pronounce Mandarin is not easy, but many students make it a lot harder than it needs to be. Original article: The most serious mistake students make when learning Mandarin pronunciation More information and inspiration about learning and teaching Chinese can be found over at Hacking Chinese (www.hackingchinese.com) Music: "Traxis 1 ~ F. Benjamin" by Traxis, 2020 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0)

I published 47 articles on Hacking Chinese in 2020. Here is a summary of the most popular ones, as well as my own favourites. Original article: Best of Hacking Chinese 2020 More information and inspiration about learning and teaching Chinese can be found over at Hacking Chinese (www.hackingchinese.com) Music: "Traxis 1 ~ F. Benjamin" by Traxis, 2020 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0)

Guidance can make learning Chinese easier, but if used incorrectly, it can actually make you learn less. Original article: Can too much guidance make you learn less Chinese? More information and inspiration about learning and teaching Chinese can be found over at Hacking Chinese (www.hackingchinese.com) Music: "Traxis 1 ~ F. Benjamin" by Traxis, 2020 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0)

A new year, a new beginning, the perfect time to commit to levelling up your Chinese and achieve greatness! Or is it? Original article: How to not fail with your New Year resolution to learn Chinese More information and inspiration about learning and teaching Chinese can be found over at Hacking Chinese (www.hackingchinese.com) Music: "Traxis 1 ~ F. Benjamin" by Traxis, 2020 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0)

Around this time of year most institutions take a break from teaching Chinese, but that doesn't mean that you should stop learning. Original article: 7 things Chinese students should during the winter vacation More information and inspiration about learning and teaching Chinese can be found over at Hacking Chinese (www.hackingchinese.com) Music: "Traxis 1 ~ F. Benjamin" by Traxis, 2020 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0)

Learning to pronounce Mandarin can be tricky, and if you misunderstand the link between spoken sounds and Pinyin spelling, it gets a lot worse. Original article: 9 answers to questions about Pinyin and pronunciation More information and inspiration about learning and teaching Chinese can be found over at Hacking Chinese (www.hackingchinese.com) Music: "Traxis 1 ~ F. Benjamin" by Traxis, 2020 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0)

Setting long-terms goals is easy, but sticking to them over months and years is much harder. Why is that, and are there any alternatives? Original article: The forking path: A human approach to learning Chinese More information and inspiration about learning and teaching Chinese can be found over at Hacking Chinese (www.hackingchinese.com) Music: "Traxis 1 ~ F. Benjamin" by Traxis, 2020 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0)

I think most of us evaluate our own language proficiency all the time, but is such intuitive self-assessment useful? And are there any good alternatives? Original article: How good is your Chinese? More information and inspiration about learning and teaching Chinese can be found over at Hacking Chinese (www.hackingchinese.com) Music: "Traxis 1 ~ F. Benjamin" by Traxis, 2020 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0)

We've all heard that reading is great for language learning, but what if I told you that most Chinese learners are actually going about it the wrong way? Original article: An introduction to extensive reading for Chinese learners More information and inspiration about learning and teaching Chinese can be found over at Hacking Chinese (www.hackingchinese.com) Music: "Traxis 1 ~ F. Benjamin" by Traxis, 2020 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0)

10 years. 472 articles. 650,000 words. It's hard to believe, but I've been writing articles on Hacking Chinese for more than a decade now! Original article: Celebrating ten years of Hacking Chinese More information and inspiration about learning and teaching Chinese can be found over at Hacking Chinese (www.hackingchinese.com) Music: "Traxis 1 ~ F. Benjamin" by Traxis, 2020 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0)

I prefer listening over reading in many cases, which is partly why I created the Hacking Chinese Podcast. But why should you listen to it? Will it improve your Chinese? Original article: Tune in to the Hacking Chinese Podcast! More information and inspiration about learning and teaching Chinese can be found over at Hacking Chinese (www.hackingchinese.com) Music: "Traxis 1 ~ F. Benjamin" by Traxis, 2020 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0)

When we first start learning Chinese, each new character is hard to learn, but as we learn more, it gets easier. But a new problem soon appears: Mixing up similar characters we have already learnt. Original article: Dealing with Chinese characters you keep mixing up More information and inspiration about learning and teaching Chinese can be found over at Hacking Chinese (www.hackingchinese.com) Music: "Traxis 1 ~ F. Benjamin" by Traxis, 2020 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0)

The goal of spaced repetition software is to schedule reviews efficiently, delaying as long as possible, but not so long that you forget. But when it comes to language learning, this is often not enough. Original article: When spaced repetition fails, and what to do about it https://www.hackingchinese.com/when-spaced-repetition-fails-and-what-to-do-about-it/ Links to things mentioned in this episode (in chronological order): Anki, Pleco, Skritter, Leitner system (Wikipedia), Reading is a lot like spaced repetition, only better, Spaced repetition software and why you should use it, Which words you should learn and where to find them, Supermemo algoritm (Supermemo), Chinese listening strategies: Improving listening speed, Flashcard overflow: About card models and review directions, An introduction to extensive reading for Chinese learners, The most common Chinese words, characters and components for language learners and teachers, Free and easy audio flashcards for Chinese dictation practice with Anki, Is your flashcard deck too big for your own good? More information and inspiration about learning and teaching Chinese can be found over at Hacking Chinese Music: "Traxis 1 ~ F. Benjamin" by Traxis, 2020 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0)

Learning Mandarin pronunciation is not easy, so some people use English words to approximate Chinese pronunciation. This is a really bad idea. Original article: Why learning Chinese pronunciation by using English words is a really bad idea More information and inspiration about learning and teaching Chinese can be found over at Hacking Chinese Music: "Traxis 1 ~ F. Benjamin" by Traxis, 2020 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0)

When learning a foreign language, some things might appear weird or even stupid. But does a negative attitude towards Chinese make it harder to learn? And if it does, how can you adopt a more positive approach? Original article: Chinese is fascinating and exciting, not weird and stupid More information and inspiration about learning and teaching Chinese can be found over at Hacking Chinese Music: "Traxis 1 ~ F. Benjamin" by Traxis, 2020 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0)

Mnemonics are clever memory devices designed to make it easier to remember things, but considering that they take time both to create and retrieve, are they really that useful for learning Chinese? Link to article: Are mnemonics too slow for Chinese learners? https://www.hackingchinese.com/are-mnemonics-too-slow-for-chinese-learners/ #learnchinese #mnemonics #characters #memory #vocabulary 5 levels of understanding Chinese characters: Superficial forms to deep structure: https://www.hackingchinese.com/5-levels-of-understanding-chinese-characters-superficial-forms-to-deep-structure/ Remembering is a skill you can learn: https://www.hackingchinese.com/remembering-is-a-skill-you-can-learn/ Using memory aids and mnemonics to make Chinese easier: https://www.hackingchinese.com/memory-aids-and-mnemonics-to-enhance-learning/ You can’t learn Chinese characters by rote: https://www.hackingchinese.com/you-cant-learn-chinese-characters-by-rote/ How to create mnemonics for general or abstract character components: https://www.hackingchinese.com/how-to-create-mnemonics-for-general-or-abstract-character-components/ Don’t use mnemonics for everything: https://www.hackingchinese.com/dont-use-mnemonics-for-everything/ Hacking Chinese: A Practical Guide to Learning Mandarin: https://www.hackingchinese.com/courses/practical-guide-to-learning-mandarin/ Learning Chinese words: When quantity beats quality: https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-importance-of-knowing-many-words/ Listen to this and other episodes on your favourite podcasting platform, including Apple Podcasts, Breaker, Google Podcast, Overcast, Pocket Casts, RadioPublic, Spotify and YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.hackingchinese.com/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ More information and inspiration about learning and teaching Chinese can be found over at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.hackingchinese.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music: "Traxis 1 ~ F. Benjamin" by Traxis, 2020 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0)

Feedback is important for learning, because it can show you how to not use the language and highlight things you hadn't noticed before. But getting honest feedback on your Chinese is harder than you might think. Link to article: How to get honest feedback to boost your Chinese speaking and writing: https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-art-of-being-corrected/ #learnchinese #feedback #correction #speaking #writing How to learn from your mistakes and errors when learning Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/about-the-importance-of-separating-various-kinds-of-mistakes/ Making mistakes in Chinese is necessary to adjust your mental models: https://www.hackingchinese.com/making-mistakes-and-correcting-models/ Tone errors in Mandarin that actually can cause misunderstandings: https://www.hackingchinese.com/tone-errors-in-mandarin-that-actually-can-cause-confusion/ Learning the third tone in Mandarin Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/learning-the-third-tone-mandarin-chinese/ Two reasons why pronunciation matters more than you think: https://www.hackingchinese.com/two-reasons-why-pronunciation-matters-more-than-you-think/ Making progress in Chinese in spite of praise: https://www.hackingchinese.com/advancing-in-spite-of-praise/Don’t try to improve everything at once when learning Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/dont-try-to-improve-everything-at-once-limit-your-focus/  Listen to this and other episodes on your favourite podcasting platform, including Apple Podcasts, Breaker, Google Podcast, Overcast, Pocket Casts, RadioPublic, Spotify and YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.hackingchinese.com/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ More information and inspiration about learning and teaching Chinese can be found over at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.hackingchinese.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music: "Traxis 1 ~ F. Benjamin" by Traxis, 2020 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0)

How is it possible to spend 80 hours a week learning Chinese? And what can you learn from that, even if you find it hard to find any time to study whatsoever, with work and family taking up most of your time? Link to article: Diversify how you study Chinese to learn more: https://www.hackingchinese.com/diversified-learning-is-smart-learning/ #learnchinese #immersion #busylife Learning Chinese in the shower with me: https://www.hackingchinese.com/learning-chinese-in-the-shower-with-me/ Learning Chinese through comprehensible input: https://www.hackingchinese.com/learning-chinese-comprehensible-input/ Three factors that decide how much Chinese you learn: https://www.hackingchinese.com/three-factors-decide-much-chinese-learn/ Time quality: Studying the right thing at the right time: https://www.hackingchinese.com/time-quality-and-studying-chinese/ The time barrel: How to find more time to study Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-time-barrel-you-have-more-time-than-you-think/ The forking path: A human approach to learning Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-forking-path-a-human-approach-to-learning-chinese/ The 10 best free Chinese listening resources for beginner, intermediate and advanced learners: https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-10-best-free-chinese-listening-resources-for-beginner-intermediate-and-advanced-learners/ Free and easy audio flashcards for Chinese dictation practice with Anki: https://www.hackingchinese.com/free-and-easy-audio-flashcards-for-chinese-dictation-practice-with-anki/ Using memory aids and mnemonics to make Chinese easier: https://www.hackingchinese.com/memory-aids-and-mnemonics-to-enhance-learning/ Immersion at home or: Why you don’t have to go abroad to learn Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/immersion-at-home-or-why-you-dont-have-to-go-abroad/ The new paperless revolution in Chinese reading: https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-new-paperless-revolution-in-chinese-reading/  Listen to this and other episodes on your favourite podcasting platform, including Apple Podcasts, Breaker, Google Podcast, Overcast, Pocket Casts, RadioPublic, Spotify and YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.hackingchinese.com/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ More information and inspiration about learning and teaching Chinese can be found over at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.hackingchinese.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music: "Traxis 1 ~ F. Benjamin" by Traxis, 2020 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0)

Everybody knows that having a large vocabulary is important, but how important is it for Chinese learners? And how should you go about learning more characters and words? Link to article: Learning Chinese words: When quantity beats quality: https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-importance-of-knowing-many-words/ #learnchinese #words #quantity #vocabulary All about vocabulary on Hacking Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/archive-2/vocabulary/ An introduction to comprehension-based Chinese teaching and learning: https://www.hackingchinese.com/introduction-comprehension-based-chinese-teaching-learning/ 8 great ways to scaffold your Chinese learning: https://www.hackingchinese.com/8-great-ways-scaffold-chinese-learning/ The illusion of advanced learning and what to do about it: https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-illusion-of-advanced-learning-and-what-to-do-about-it/ When spaced repetition fails, and what to do about it: https://www.hackingchinese.com/when-spaced-repetition-fails-and-what-to-do-about-it/An introduction to extensive reading for Chinese learners: https://www.hackingchinese.com/introduction-extensive-reading-Chinese-learners/ Listen to this and other episodes on your favourite podcasting platform, including Apple Podcasts, Breaker, Google Podcast, Overcast, Pocket Casts, RadioPublic, Spotify and YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.hackingchinese.com/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ More information and inspiration about learning and teaching Chinese can be found over at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.hackingchinese.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music: "Traxis 1 ~ F. Benjamin" by Traxis, 2020 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0)

When you first start learning Chinese, everything is new. There is so much to learn, so many questions. What are the most common challenges beginners face and how can you overcome them? Original article: The key to unlocking your first semester of Chinese More information and inspiration about learning and teaching Chinese can be found over at Hacking Chinese Music: "Traxis 1 ~ F. Benjamin" by Traxis, 2020 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0)

Most people agree that immersing yourself in the language is the best way to learn, but what if I told you that delaying your trip might actually be good for your Chinese? Link to article: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Why not going to China now could actually be good for your Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/why-not-going-to-china-now-could-actually-be-good-for-your-chinese/ #learnchinese #china #immersion #beginner You won’t learn Chinese simply by living abroad: https://www.hackingchinese.com/you-wont-learn-chinese-simply-by-living-abroad/ Free and easy audio flashcards for Chinese dictation practice with Anki: https://www.hackingchinese.com/free-and-easy-audio-flashcards-for-chinese-dictation-practice-with-anki/ Will a Chinese-only rule improve your learning? https://www.hackingchinese.com/are-chinese-only-rules-good-for-learning/ An introduction to comprehension-based Chinese teaching and learning: https://www.hackingchinese.com/introduction-comprehension-based-chinese-teaching-learning/ Why is listening in Chinese so hard? https://www.hackingchinese.com/why-is-listening-in-chinese-so-hard/ How I learnt Chinese, part 3: My first year in Taiwan: https://www.hackingchinese.com/i-learnt-chinese-part-3-first-year-taiwan/ Unlocking Chinese: The ultimate course for beginners: https://www.hackingchinese.com/courses/unlocking-chinese-ultimate-guide-beginner/  Listen to this and other episodes on your favourite podcasting platform, including Apple Podcasts, Breaker, Google Podcast, Overcast, Pocket Casts, RadioPublic, Spotify and YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.hackingchinese.com/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ More information and inspiration about learning and teaching Chinese can be found over at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.hackingchinese.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music: "Traxis 1 ~ F. Benjamin" by Traxis, 2020 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0)

I started learning Chinese well over a decade ago, and I have encountered many great teachers. But I have also seen truly terrible teaching, especially when it comes to Chinese characters. Original article: How to not teach Chinese characters to beginners: A 12-step approach: https://www.hackingchinese.com/how-to-not-teach-chinese-characters-to-beginners-a-12-step-approach/ #learnchinese #hanzi #chinesecharacters #reading #delay How to learn Chinese characters as a beginner: https://www.hackingchinese.com/how-to-learn-chinese-characters-as-a-beginner/ Should you learn the names of the strokes in Chinese characters? https://www.hackingchinese.com/should-you-learn-the-names-of-the-strokes-in-chinese-characters/ Language is communication, not only an abstract subject to study: https://www.hackingchinese.com/language-is-communication-not-an-abstract-subject-to-study/ Why you should think of characters in terms of functional components: https://www.hackingchinese.com/why-you-should-think-of-characters-in-terms-of-functional-components/ Phonetic components, part 1: The key to 80% of all Chinese characters: https://www.hackingchinese.com/phonetic-components-part-1-the-key-to-80-of-all-chinese-characters/ 5 levels of understanding Chinese characters: Superficial forms to deep structure: https://www.hackingchinese.com/5-levels-of-understanding-chinese-characters-superficial-forms-to-deep-structure/ Spaced repetition software and why you should use it: https://www.hackingchinese.com/an-introduction-to-spaced-repetition-software/ Learn to read Chinese… with ease? https://www.hackingchinese.com/learn-to-read-chinese-with-ease/ Should you learn to speak Chinese before you learn Chinese characters? https://www.hackingchinese.com/should-you-learn-to-speak-chinese-before-you-learn-chinese-characters/ Learning simplified and traditional Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/simplified-and-traditional-chinese/ Listen to this and other episodes on your favourite podcasting platform, including Apple Podcasts, Breaker, Google Podcast, Overcast, Pocket Casts, RadioPublic, Spotify and YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.hackingchinese.com/podcast⁠⁠⁠ More information and inspiration about learning and teaching Chinese can be found over at ⁠⁠⁠https://www.hackingchinese.com⁠⁠⁠ Music: "Traxis 1 ~ F. Benjamin" by Traxis, 2020 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0)