You Can Learn Chinese
Episodes
Learning Chinese slang
18 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Slang words in Chinese are always evolving, but is it worth it to learn? As always, it depends. Guest interview is with language enthusiast, author, a...
When native speakers lead you astray
04 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Learning from native speakers is essential. In this episode, Jared and John will make you aware of ways they can also lead you astray. Guest interview...
#84 How to progress from textbooks to conversation
21 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Do you ever feel like you’re trying to get conversational in Chinese but seem to be stuck in textbooks and classes? In this episode, John and Jared ...
#83 Using WeChat to Learn Chinese
07 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
WeChat is the most popular instant messaging platform in China. In this episode, John and I are going to tell you tips and tricks on how to use Wechat...
#82 Music, learning Chinese, and Bohan Phoenix
21 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
If you’re into music, this episode is for you! John and Jared talk about how Chinese songs can help you learn Chinese. Interview is with Bohan Phoe...
#81 Tones: Answers to questions you didn't know to ask
07 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Do native speakers know the tones? How well do you need to know tones to listen or speak? Jared and John delve into these and other questions with ans...
#80 Games for learning Chinese
24 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sometimes we forget how easy it can be to practice Chinese. In this episode, Jared and John talk about everyday games, like Uno and charades, you can ...
#79 Why typing characters is better than handwriting
10 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Jared and John talk about why typing characters leads to better learning outcomes than handwriting. They dispel conventional wisdom backed by science ...
#78 Top 10 Stories of 2021
24 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
John and Jared have pulled the best stories out of all of the guest interviews of 2021. Get ready to laugh, reflect, and be inspired as we look back o...
#77 Reading Techniques to Master Chinese
13 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, John and Jared talk about something close to their hearts: reading in Chinese. They discuss the different types of reading, different...
#76 Cantonese and the uniqueness of Chinese dialects
29 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, John and Jared respond to a listener question about Cantonese, which leads to a discussion around China’s numerous dialects/languag...
#75 How to learn similar words the right way
15 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode John and Jared share the proper way to compare similar words, characters, sounds, and grammar points.
#74 Improving your listening skills (Part 2 of 2)
01 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
John and Jared talk about three types of research-backed strategies and tips you can employ to improve your listening skills, specifically in the area...
#73 Improving your listening skills (Part 1 of 2)
18 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Listening is one of the biggest challenges for Chinese learners. In this two part series, John and Jared talk about the most complicating factors to u...
#72 The Truth about Chinese subtitles
04 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
John and Jared use research to address issues related to watching movies in Chinese, with and without Chinese subtitles. Find out what the academics s...
#71 Colorful or clean? Swearing in Chinese
20 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How do Chinese people feel about a foreigner with a potty mouth in Chinese? Are curse words worth learning? John and Jared talk about swearing in Chin...
#70 Reading the News: Do’s and Dont's
06 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Reading a Chinese newspaper is a common goal for many learners, but is it the right goal for you? John and Jared talk about what you need to know abou...
#69 The rivalry: Beijing vs. Shanghai
23 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
John and Jared answer a listener’s question about the rivalry between China’s two most famous cities: Shanghai and Beijing. They discuss culture, ...
#68 Why is Chinese so damn hard?
09 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
John and Jared are going to revisit and unpack this classic question posed by Dr. David Moser three decades ago and identify what is hard about Chines...
#67 Pop-up dictionaries: Helpful or not?
26 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Electronic pop-up dictionaries are all the rage! But are they really helping you improve your Chinese? John and Jared take a research-based look at th...
#66 8 Tips for Using Your Dictionary
12 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A dictionary is frequently one of the first things you buy when learning a language. In this episode, John and Jared will give you tips and tricks and...
#65 Going all the way: Graduate studies in Chinese
28 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What does it take to pursue a graduate-level degree in Chinese in China? With our resident expert, John Pasden, we’ll pull back the curtain to show ...
#64 Tips and tricks for typing Chinese
15 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
You’ve got the basics down. Sounds like you’re ready to type Chinese! John and Jared talk about how Chinese input methods work and, for the more a...
#63 The truth about vocabulary
02 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Language is words, so learn enough words and you’ll be fluent, right? As a sophisticated learner, you know it’s not that simple. In this episode, ...
#62 Make your language learning learner-centric
17 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
John and Jared discuss what it means to be “learner-centric” and how you can adapt your learning methods to fit your own goals. You’ll get insig...
#61 National Chinese Language Conference 2021 Report: Hope for all Chinese learners
03 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Recently, Mandarin Companion participated in the 2021 National Chinese Language Conference (NCLC), and the topics discussed provided quite a bit of in...
#60 How Chinese food can help your Chinese
19 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone loves Chinese food, but if only there were a way to tie your love for the cuisine into progress learning the language. Well, there is! ...sor...
#59 Bridging to Breakthrough and Abigail Washburn
05 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What if you are still struggling to get to the point where you can read the lowest level graded readers? What techniques can get you there? John and J...
#58 Will Chinese become the next global language?
22 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Will Chinese one day unseat English to become the dominant language around the world? Jared and John discuss a paper by professor Jeffery Gil who pred...
#57 What’s in a Chinese surname?
08 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
You probably know a bit about Chinese surnames, but in this episode you’ll learn how they relate to both Chinese culture and language acquisition pl...
#56 When should you start learning characters?
22 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
John and Jared unpack when you should start learning Chinese characters so you can find your own answer that might be later or earlier than you might ...
#55 Flashcards, spaced repetition software, and building proficiency
08 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
John and Jared talk about flashcards and spaced repetition software, how they can help, their limits, and how to use them to build your Chinese skills...
#54 Putting the Drama into Chinese Class
25 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Review of a paper written by a professor who incorporated graded readers and theater into a Chinese class. Interview with Denis Suslov from Russia.
#53 Reality vs. How You Think Your Chinese Sounds
11 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
John and Jared discuss the difference between how you think your Chinese sounds vs how it really sounds. Surprise surprise, there is a difference! Joh...
#52 Top 10 Stories of 2020
28 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this special episode, John and Jared went back through all of the interviews of 2020 and pulled out the ten best stories. Get ready to laugh, refl...
#51 Behind-the-Scenes Making a Mandarin Companion Graded Reader
14 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
John and Jared give you a behind the scenes look at how they choose and adapt stories for Chinese learners like you. It’s a look into how the sausag...
#50 What’s Holding You Back From Learning Chinese
30 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What are you afraid of? John and Jared discuss the most common things that could be holding you back from learning Chinese. They offer tips on how to ...
#49 How to Learn to Read Chinese: Bridging the Gap to Native Materials (Part 4 of 4)
16 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to part 4 of 4 about learning how to read Chinese. This is the situation: you’ve read all the graded readers and learner content out there, ...
#48 How to Learn to Read Chinese: Developing Fluency Now (Part 3 of 4)
02 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to part 3 of 4 about learning how to read Chinese. In this episode, John and Jared discuss the concept of fluency now as opposed to some dista...
#47 How to Learn to Read Chinese: Baby Steps to Real Reading (Part 2 of 4)
19 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to part 2 of 4 about learning how to read Chinese. In this episode, John and Jared discuss how to get into reading at an early stage, even if ...
#46 How to Learn to Read Chinese: Pinyin, Characters, Vocabulary (Part 1 of 4)
05 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to part 1 of 4 about learning how to read Chinese. In this episode, John and Jared start at the beginning and talk about how to learn pinyin...
#45 The Perils of Taking Chinese Literally
21 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
John and Jared discuss a linguistic concept that you’ve probably never heard of but is pervasive throughout all languages. This will help you unders...
#44 Using Chinese at Work with Kaiser Kuo
07 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
John and Jared discuss using Chinese in the workplace and how you can use it no matter what your level. Guest interview is with Kaiser Kuo, a well k...
#43 How to Level Up Your Listening Skills
24 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, you’re going to learn how to level up your Chinese listening skills. Jared and John will be sharing tips and tricks you can use no ...
#42 How to Get a Laugh in Chinese
10 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
So you think you’re funny? John and Jared discuss some of the cultural differences of Chinese humor and what it takes to get your Chinese friends ro...
#41 How to Use Translation to Learn Chinese
27 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
John & Jared discuss the role of translation in the language learning journey. When you encounter a text with many unfamiliar characters, should you o...
#40 How to Set Goals for Learning Chinese
13 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
John and Jared discuss how to set language learning goals, with concrete ideas on how to break them down into achievable chunks and avoiding the trap ...
#39 The Future of Learning Chinese
29 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this special episode, guest interview is with expert Chinese teacher trainer and innovator, Terry Waltz. She’s a renegade in the Chinese language...
#38 How Much Mandarin Do You Need To Speak?
15 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
John and Jared break down what it’s going to take if you want to get conversational in Chinese both in terms of the number of words and which ones a...
#37 Chinese Homestay Censorship Vampires
01 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Guest interview is with John Gordon, a longtime resident of Beijing who went from English education to starring in a Children’s TV show in China. Hi...
#36 How To Find The Perfect Tutor
18 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What does a great tutor do differently? How often should they correct you? What should you do if you can’t afford a private tutor? John and I will g...
#35 Don't Be the Girl with the Name Radiohead
04 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What is in a name? In this episode, John and Jared discuss names in Chinese and how to pick out a good one so you don’t end up with a name like the ...
#34 Pronouncing Chinese Confidently
20 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This episode kicks off interviewing Jason Schuurman, an American who has spent a third of his life immersed in Chinese culture and having a blast whil...
#33 Writing Chinese: How to Build Your Skills
06 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
John and Jared discuss how you can develop mad Chinese writing skills, complete with very practical activities to build those skills, either with othe...
#32 COVID-19: A Tale of Two Cities
23 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
John and Jared have an insightful discussion about the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the globe with an on-the-ground perspective in China and the US. Joh...
#31 Extensive Reading and the Path to Fluency
09 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
John and Jared talk discuss everything you wanted to know about extensive reading but were afraid to ask. After this, you’ll be able to identify why...
#30 Second Language or Foreign Language: What Type of Learner Are You?
24 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, John and Jared talk about the difference between learning Chinese as a second language vs. learning as a foreign language. At first g...
#29 How to Pass the HSK and AP Chinese Tests
10 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Jared talks with Grant Brown, an expert on HSK and AP Chinese test prep. Grant tells us the key reasons people fail, and the secrets to passing. This ...
#28 A Method to Remember Thousands of Characters
27 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Do you find it hard to remember characters? We all do. In this episode, John and Jared discuss a method that has delivered results time and time again...
#27 Can You Learn Chinese from a Textbook?
13 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What can you realistically learn from a textbook? John and Jared discuss this question to help anyone understand how far a textbook can take you towar...
#26 End of Year Special
29 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this special episode, John and Jared go over the top 10 YCLC podcasts of the year, highlighting their favorite episodes and why. If you’re new to...
#25 Christmas in China
16 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
圣诞节快乐! This is our special Christmas episode! John and Jared discuss Christmas is like in China, Christmas words in Chinese, and they even h...
#24 The 4 Types of Tone Mistakes
02 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Tones are definitely one of the challenging aspects of Chinese. In this episode, John and Jared discuss the 4 types of mistakes learners make with ton...
#23 Pinyin Over Characters: the Crippling Crutch
18 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
John and Jared discuss the all too common situation of pinyin over Chinese characters, something Jared sometimes refer to as the “crippling crutch”...
#22 Going from "Learning to Read" to "Reading to Learn"
04 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
John and Jared discuss some of the latest research about how we learn to read in Chinese. This episode is packed with insights that will change the wa...
#21 How Important is Chinese Culture When Learning Chinese?
21 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, John and I talk about the connection between culture and language. Just how important is a grasp of the culture to learn Chinese? In ...
#20 Confessions of a Chinese Language Teacher
07 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
For this special episode, we are joined by Diane Neubauer as a special guest co-host. Diane is a Chinese teacher who first learned Chinese in college,...
#19 How to Find Your Motivation
23 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Why are you studying Chinese? It seems that everyone has a different reason, but your reason is critical to your success in learning Chinese. Jared an...
#18 The Controversy Between Simplified and Traditional Characters Explained
09 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
How did we get two systems of Chinese characters? John and Jared discuss why we have simplified and traditional characters, how it all came about, and...
#17 Bridging the Gap to Higher Levels
26 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
There comes a point in every learners language development when there is a gap between their current level and the next level up. It’s a more pronou...
#16 How to Build Listening Skills
12 Aug 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A learner on Reddit expressed his frustration that he can speak, read, and write Chinese but can’t understand spoken Chinese. John and Jared discuss...
#15 Steven Kaufmann “The Linguist” Interview
29 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever tried to learn grammar? In this episode, John and Jared discuss the best ways to learn grammar and things you should avoid. You’ll fi...
#14 How to Pronounce Like a Pro
15 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
How is your pronunciation? In this podcast, John and Jared discuss Chinese pronunciation, common pitfalls, and tips on how to sound even better when y...
#13 The Four Keys to Learning Chinese You Need to Know
01 Jul 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Are you doing the right things to learn Chinese? In this episode, John and Jared discuss the Four Strands of language learning developed by Paul Natio...
#12 Knowledge vs Proficiency
16 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
You may know a lot of Chinese, but are you proficient in it? Or maybe you’ve studied for a long time but are still unable to speak or hold a simple ...
#11 How to Build Reading Fluency
03 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
What makes a fluent reader in Chinese? To cut through the wide range of opinions on this subject, this episode delves into the research behind what ma...
#10 The Stages of Learning Chinese
20 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Jared gives a review of the 2019 National Chinese Language Conference in San Diego, California, and John & Jared discuss the different stages of l...
#9 Skritter CEO Jacob Gill Interview
06 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Jared & John field a question from a listener asking a question pertaining to Chinese linguistics, a subject in which John just happens to have a ...
#8 Tones, Music, and Confidence
22 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Jared & John discuss everything you wanted to know about tones but were afraid to ask. They highlight why they are important, what makes them diff...
#7 The Myth of Learning Chinese Like a Child
08 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Jared & John talk about the myth of adults learning Chinese like a child. If you think this is the best way for someone to learn, you may come awa...
#6 Chinese Immersion: The Home Version
25 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is all about how to immerse yourself in the language without having to travel half way around the world. Jared and John share all sorts o...
#5 Writing Characters: Is It Worth Your Time?
11 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we talk about a number of common questions people have about reading and writing in Chinese. We challenge the conventional wisdom tha...
#4 Chinese Language Power Struggles
25 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, John introduces the concept of language power struggles which is when you want to practice your Chinese with a Chinese person, but th...
#3 Chinese Dual Immersion: It's Been Going On Longer Than You Think
07 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Jared asks John how his Chinese became so good, Chinese that is so good that he once asked him the word for "puppet" and he knew it o...
#2 Why Chinese is Taught the Way It Is
07 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, John and Jared talk about why Chinese is taught the way it is, can we learn Chinese the way a child does, and how do you keep up your...
#1 Introduction
04 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Introduction to the podcast, getting to know Jared Turner and John Pasden, and an overview of what this podcast is all about. What This Podcast Is T...