Don’t Blame Native Speakers for Not Understanding You
I recently came across a video parodying a phenomenon allegedly encountered by many Japanese learners. The sketch (see below) involves a group of five friends about to order food at…
Tag: speak chinese
Learning Chinese While Dreaming
A little over a year ago I had an experience which led me to become interested in the role of dreams in language learning. It was during lockdown and I…
Three Ways Native Speakers React to Chinese Learners
Two years ago I hosted a party for the language exchange group I run. My guests included a mixture of Chinese and English friends who were all keen to practice…
Cracking the Intermediate Plateau (Podcast)
*The I’m Learning Mandarin Podcast is now available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify . If you enjoyed this content please subscribe on your favourite podcast provider and leave a review.…
Can You Speak A Foreign Language With 400 Words?
Two years ago I had an experience which completely altered my perspective on language learning. I travelled to Taiwan for a three week trip and quickly realised I had vastly…
How I’m Trying to Master Chinese Pronunciation
A few months ago it began to dawn on me that although my Chinese comprehension had improved a lot over the previous year, my accent had stagnated. I had always…
Letting Go of Mandarin Learning Delusions
Around a year ago I fell into a common trap for Mandarin learners. I started to prematurely believe that I was on the verge of becoming “fluent” in the language.…
Launching the I’m Learning Mandarin Podcast
I’m excited to announce the official launch of the I’m Learning Mandarin podcast. Each episode I will discuss a new topic regarding how best to learn Chinese, drawing on stories…
