My Top Five Podcasts For Learning Mandarin at an Intermediate to Advanced Level

In previous posts, I’ve discussed how listening to podcasts has played a crucial role in my Mandarin learning. There are two reasons why I value podcasts so highly as a tool for learning to speak Chinese.

The first is that they typically contain informal, natural language and expose us to how native speakers express themselves in real life – as opposed to in staged dramas, speeches, or news broadcasts. This makes them an excellent goldmine for sentence mining.

Second, they are convenient and perfect for extensive or passive input while on the go. You can easily listen to podcasts while performing other tasks like driving, commuting, or doing chores and it is well worth getting into the habit of doing so.

These days, I mostly listen to podcasts intended for native speakers. I particularly enjoy podcasts on psychology, politics, and language learning. In the future, I plan to write a list of my favourite podcasts that I currently listen to.

In this post, however, I’m going to list the best five podcasts that helped me bridge the gap from intermediate to advanced listening. Each podcast listed below is produced with learners in mind but contains conversational Mandarin, spoken at a natural pace. They are listed in no particular order.

1. I’m Learning Mandarin Podcast

A slightly biased choice, the I’m Learning Mandarin podcast is produced by me and includes short episodes in Mandarin produced by learners for learners. Each short episode involves a learner speaking in Chinese on a topic of their choice. Recent episodes include one learner from the US talking about how speaking Chinese early helped him become fluent in the language. Another learner from France discusses his two-year journey towards fluency.

One of the advantages of listening to other learners speak Mandarin is that non-native speakers – even those who are fluent – tend to use a more restricted vocabulary, largely sticking to the most common words. This makes it easier to understand for intermediate learners than most podcasts created by native speakers. As long as the pronunciation is good – which I make sure it is before posting these episodes – it’s an excellent source of input for learners looking to bridge the gap towards native content.

2. Chinese with Da Peng

This a popular podcast created for intermediate learners and Hosted by Da Peng, a native Chinese speaker and teacher. Episodes cover a range of topics and introduce a new expression in each episode. It’s structured to balance listening comprehension with cultural insights, helping learners understand the context in which phrases tend to be used.

The podcast often includes dialogues, stories, and practical examples that reflect real-life situations, providing listeners with practical language skills that can be directly applied in everyday conversations. The host’s clear speech, and ability to break down complex concepts into digestible episodes, make it a great choice for lower to mid-intermediate learners.

3. Talk to Me In Chinese

Talk to Me in Chinese is a good podcast choice for lower to mid-intermediate students. The podcast is produced by native Mandarin speaker and teacher, Candice who speaks clearly and at a natural pace. Most of the episodes involve monologues where the host discusses a particular topic for about 20 minutes. Some episodes also include interviews with guests, who are usually friends with the host.

Candice has an excellent knack for using simple, common vocabulary while retaining the natural flow of a native speaker chatting with friends. Recent episodes have included discussions on Chinese opera, Mother’s Day, and traditional Chinese medicine. If I have one criticism it’s that episodes are not produced as regularly as I’d like, averaging around one a month. But for new listeners, there’s a backlog of over 60 previous episodes to enjoy.

4. Talk Taiwanese Mandarin with Abby

Similar to Talk to Me in Chinese, this podcast involves monologues in which the host, Abby discusses general topics in Mandarin. The main difference is that Abby’s podcast is deliberately aimed at students who want to learn Taiwanese Mandarin, rather than Mainland Mandarin.

The podcast is suitable for mid-intermediate students and is particularly useful for learners who live (or are planning to live) in Taiwan. Episodes include lots of useful information about Taiwanese society and culture, including what it’s like to live in different Taiwanese cities and common slang words used by young people. There is a backlog of over 100 episodes and new episodes are produced fairly regularly, coming once a fortnight.

5. Da Shu Mandarin Podcast

Da Shu Mandarin is hosted by three Chinese teachers who joined forces to create a conversational podcast for intermediate Mandarin learners. Some episodes feature interviews with learners who have reached varying degrees of fluency. While others involve conversations about Chinese culture between the three teachers.

My personal preference is for the episodes where the hosts discuss topics about Chinese culture with each other and share their stories and experiences. The interviews with guests are interesting too, but can become a little monotonous with similar questions and answers covered each time. One of the main attractions of this podcast is that the hosts speak with a mixture of mainland and Taiwanese accents, exposing listeners to a variety of speaking styles.

How about you?

That’s it for my list of five podcasts for intermediate Mandarin learners. Are there any podcasts you listen to that I didn’t include on the list and should have? Let me know in the comments!

Mischa Wilmers