323 - How to get the most out of your first semester of Chinese

Taking a Chinese course is a great way to get started, but following the syllabus alone can leave important gaps. Here’s how to avoid unnecessary detours and make your first semester count.#learnchinese #course #semesterLink to the article this podcast episode is based on: How to get the most out of your first semester of Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-key-to-unlocking-your-first-semester-of-chinese/How I learnt Chinese, part 2: Learning Mandarin in Sweden: https://www.hackingchinese.com/how-i-learnt-chinese-part-2-foreign-language-learning-in-sweden/How to get good grades when studying Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/studying-chinese-when-your-grades-matter/Why you should preview before every Chinese lesson: https://www.hackingchinese.com/preview-every-chinese-lesson/Spaced repetition software: What it is and how to use it to learn Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/an-introduction-to-spaced-repetition-software/How to nail dictation tests in Chinese: The ultimate guide to 听写/聽寫 (tīngxiě): https://www.hackingchinese.com/how-to-nail-dictation-tests-in-chinese-the-ultimate-guide-to-tingxie/Chinese character learning for all students: https://www.hackingchinese.com/chinese-character-learning-for-all-students/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/16 reasons to learn to write Chinese characters by hand: https://www.hackingchinese.com/reasons-to-learn-to-write-chinese-characters-by-hand/Analyse and balance your Chinese learning with Paul Nation’s four strands: https://www.hackingchinese.com/analyse-and-balance-your-chinese-learning-with-paul-nations-four-strands/Beginner Chinese listening practice: What to listen to and how: https://www.hackingchinese.com/beginner-chinese-listening-practice-what-to-listen-to-and-how/The best YouTube channels for learning Chinese in 2026: https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-best-youtube-channels-for-learning-chinese/The Fluent Listener: Navigating Spoken Mandarin Like a Fish in Water: https://www.hackingchinese.com/courses/the-fluent-listener-navigating-mandarin-like-a-fish-in-water/Chinese reading practice for beginners: 7 resources to improve your Mandarin: https://www.hackingchinese.com/best-chinese-reading-practice-for-beginners/Real communication: What it is, why you want it and how to get it: https://www.hackingchinese.com/real-communication-what-it-is-why-you-want-it-and-how-to-get-it/Classroom Mandarin: Essential expressions for learning Chinese in Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/classroom-mandarin-essential-expressions-for-learning-chinese-in-chinese/How to become fluent in Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/how-to-become-fluent-in-chinese/Unlocking Chinese: The Ultimate Guide for Beginners: https://www.hackingchinese.com/courses/unlocking-chinese-ultimate-guide-beginner/How to learn Chinese pronunciation as a beginner: https://www.hackingchinese.com/learning-pronunciation-as-a-beginner/Chinese tones explained: The four Mandarin tones: https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-hacking-chinese-guide-to-mandarin-tones/Improving your Chinese pronunciation by mimicking native speakers: https://www.hackingchinese.com/mimicking-native-speakers-way-learning-chinese/Hacking Chinese Pronunciation: Speaking with Confidence: https://www.hackingchinese.com/courses/mandarin-chinese-pronunciation-course/Take responsibility for your Chinese learning now: https://www.hackingchinese.com/take-responsibility-for-your-own-learning/More information and inspiration about learning and teaching Chinese can be found at https://www.hackingchinese.comMusic: "Traxis 1 ~ F. Benjamin" by Traxis, 2020 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0)

Long-term goals are easy to set, but much harder to stick to. The forking path offers a more flexible way to make steady progress with your Chinese, one small choice at a time.#learnchinese #goals #approachLink to the article this podcast episode is based on: The forking path: A human approach to learning Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-forking-path-a-human-approach-to-learning-chinese/The three factors that determine how much Chinese you learn: https://www.hackingchinese.com/three-factors-decide-much-chinese-learn/The three roads to mastering Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-three-roads-to-mastering-chinese/More information and inspiration about learning and teaching Chinese can be found at https://www.hackingchinese.comMusic: "Traxis 1 ~ F. Benjamin" by Traxis, 2020 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0)

Translating everything in your head makes speaking and listening to Chinese slow and difficult. Here’s why it happens, and how to stop doing it and start thinking in Chinese instead.#learnchinese #speaking #translation #listeningLink to the article this podcast episode is based on: How to stop translating in your head and start thinking in Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/how-to-stop-translating-in-your-head-and-start-thinking-in-chinese/How to improve fluency in Chinese by playing word games: https://www.hackingchinese.com/playing-word-games-to-practise-fluency/The cheapest and most convenient way to improve your spoken Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-cheapest-and-most-convenient-way-to-improve-your-spoken-chinese/Role-playing to learn more Chinese and avoid frustration: https://www.hackingchinese.com/role-playing-to-learn-more-chinese-and-avoid-frustration/Learning Chinese through comprehensible input: https://www.hackingchinese.com/learning-chinese-comprehensible-input/How much Chinese should you listen to every day? https://www.hackingchinese.com/how-much-chinese-should-you-listen-to-every-day/Beyond tīng bu dǒng, part 4: Learning to process spoken Mandarin quickly and effortlessly: https://www.hackingchinese.com/beyond-ting-bu-dong-part-4-learning-to-process-spoken-mandarin-quickly-and-effortlessly/The beginner’s guide to Chinese translation: https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-beginners-guide-to-chinese-translation/Real communication: What it is, why you want it and how to get it: https://www.hackingchinese.com/real-communication-what-it-is-why-you-want-it-and-how-to-get-it/Why flashcards are great for learning Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/why-flashcards-are-great-for-learning-chinese/Analyse and balance your Chinese learning with Paul Nation’s four strands: https://www.hackingchinese.com/analyse-and-balance-your-chinese-learning-with-paul-nations-four-strands/How to become fluent in Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/how-to-become-fluent-in-chinese/More information and inspiration about learning and teaching Chinese can be found at https://www.hackingchinese.comMusic: "Traxis 1 ~ F. Benjamin" by Traxis, 2020 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0)

The best way to learn to understand spoken Mandarin is to listen as much as you can to engaging content that you can make sense of. But what should you listen to and how?#learnchinese #beginner #listening #comprehensibleinputLink to the article this podcast episode is based on: Beginner Chinese listening practice: What to listen to and how: https://www.hackingchinese.com/beginner-chinese-listening-practice-what-to-listen-to-and-how/Learning Chinese is more like walking a thousand miles than running 100-metre dash: https://www.hackingchinese.com/learning-chinese-is-more-like-walking-a-thousand-miles-than-running-100-metre-dash/Learning Chinese through comprehensible input: https://www.hackingchinese.com/learning-chinese-comprehensible-input/Is speaking more important than listening when learning Chinese? https://www.hackingchinese.com/is-speaking-more-important-than-listening-when-learning-chinese/7 characteristics of a great Chinese tutor or private teacher: https://www.hackingchinese.com/characteristics-of-a-great-chinese-tutor-or-private-teacher/Four key principles to improve your Mandarin listening comprehension: https://www.hackingchinese.com/four-key-principles-to-improve-your-mandarin-listening-comprehension/Analyse and balance your Chinese learning with Paul Nation's four strands: https://www.hackingchinese.com/analyse-and-balance-your-chinese-learning-with-paul-nations-four-strands/Listen more than once: How the replay button can help you learn more Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/listen-more-than-once-how-the-replay-button-can-help-you-learn-more-chinese/8 great ways to scaffold your Chinese listening and reading: https://www.hackingchinese.com/8-great-ways-scaffold-chinese-learning/Chinese listening, fast and slow: Three ways of slowing down Mandarin speech: https://www.hackingchinese.com/chinese-listening-fast-and-slow-three-ways-of-slowing-down-mandarin-speech/Chinese subtitles and transcripts: Reading before, while or after listening: https://www.hackingchinese.com/chinese-subtitles-and-transcripts-reading-before-while-or-after-listening/Listen more and learn more by building a personal Chinese audio library: https://www.hackingchinese.com/listen-more-and-learn-more-by-building-a-personal-chinese-audio-library/30 minutes of podcast, 3 minutes of Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/30-minutes-of-podcast-3-minutes-of-chinese/The Input Pyramid: Chinese Listening for Any Situation: https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-input-pyramid-chinese-listening-for-any-situation/How much Chinese should you listen to every day? https://www.hackingchinese.com/how-much-chinese-should-you-listen-to-every-day/The best YouTube channels for learning Chinese in 2026: https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-best-youtube-channels-for-learning-chinese/The best free Chinese listening practice for all levels: https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-10-best-free-chinese-listening-resources-for-beginner-intermediate-and-advanced-learners/Training your Chinese teacher, part 3: Listening ability: https://www.hackingchinese.com/training-your-chinese-teacher-part-3-listening-ability/The best podcasts for learning Chinese in 2026: https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-best-podcasts-for-learning-chinese/Why you should use more than one Chinese textbook: https://www.hackingchinese.com/why-you-should-use-more-than-one-chinese-textbook/More information and inspiration about learning and teaching Chinese can be found at https://www.hackingchinese.comMusic: "Traxis 1 ~ F. Benjamin" by Traxis, 2020 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0)

ChatGPT can offer valuable feedback on Mandarin word choice and grammar, but can it help you improve your pronunciation?#learnchinese #pronunciation #chatgptLink to the article this podcast episode is based on: No, ChatGPT can't analyse your Mandarin pronunciation: https://www.hackingchinese.com/no-chatgpt-cant-analyse-your-mandarin-pronunciation/Full ChatGPT transcript: https://chatgpt.com/share/6aa3adc2-6938-83eb-9dfd-adb8477854acLearning to hear the sounds and tones in Mandarin: https://www.hackingchinese.com/how-to-learn-to-hear-the-sounds-tones-in-mandarin/Using speech recognition to improve Chinese pronunciation, part 1: https://www.hackingchinese.com/using-speech-recognition-to-improve-chinese-pronunciation-part-1/Beyond tīng bu dǒng, part 3: Using what you already know to aid listening comprehension in Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/beyond-ting-bu-dong-part-3-using-what-you-already-know-to-aid-listening-comprehension-in-chinese/The importance of tones is inversely proportional to the predictability of what you say: https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-importance-of-tones-is-inversely-proportional-to-the-predictability-of-what-you-say/Get to know your Chinese voice to level up your speaking ability: https://www.hackingchinese.com/know-your-Chinese-voice/Improving your Chinese pronunciation by mimicking native speakers: https://www.hackingchinese.com/mimicking-native-speakers-way-learning-chinese/A smart method to discover problems with Mandarin sounds and tones: https://www.hackingchinese.com/a-smart-method-to-discover-problems-with-tones/How to get honest feedback to boost your Chinese speaking and writing: https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-art-of-being-corrected/Hacking Chinese Pronunciation: Speaking with Confidence: https://www.hackingchinese.com/courses/mandarin-chinese-pronunciation-course/More information and inspiration about learning and teaching Chinese can be found at https://www.hackingchinese.comMusic: "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. Let’s discuss nine questions about learning Chinese pronunciation.#learnchinese #pinyin #pronunciation #questionsLink to the article this podcast episode is based on: 9 answers to questions about Pinyin and pronunciation: https://www.hackingchinese.com/9-answers-to-questions-about-pinyin-and-pronunciation/Chinese Language Stack Exchange: https://chinese.stackexchange.com/5 websites to help answer your questions about Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/5-websites-to-help-answer-your-questions-about-chinese/101 questions and answers about how to learn Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/101-questions-and-answers-about-how-to-learn-chinese/Hacking Chinese Pronunciation: Speaking with Confidence: https://www.hackingchinese.com/courses/mandarin-chinese-pronunciation-course/Pinyin chart (AllSet Learning): https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/pronunciation/pinyin_chartA guide to Pinyin traps and pitfalls: Learning Mandarin pronunciation: https://www.hackingchinese.com/a-guide-to-pinyin-traps-and-pitfalls/Obligatory and optional tone change rules in Mandarin: https://www.hackingchinese.com/optional-obligatory-tone-change-rules-mandarin/International Phonetic Alphabet: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Phonetic_AlphabetLearning the third tone in Mandarin Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/learning-the-third-tone/Focus on initials and finals, not Pinyin spelling: https://www.hackingchinese.com/focus-on-initials-and-finals-not-pinyin-spelling/Why learning Chinese pronunciation by using English words is a really bad idea: https://www.hackingchinese.com/why-learning-chinese-pronunciation-by-using-english-words-is-a-really-bad-idea/Yuen Ren Chao: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuen_Ren_ChaoGwoyeu Romatzyh: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwoyeu_RomatzyhLearning to pronounce Mandarin with Pinyin, Zhuyin and IPA: Part 1: https://www.hackingchinese.com/learning-to-pronounce-mandarin-with-pinyin-zhuyin-and-ipa-part-1/More information and inspiration about learning and teaching Chinese can be found at https://www.hackingchinese.comMusic: "Traxis 1 ~ F. Benjamin" by Traxis, 2020 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0)

There are over 500 articles and more than 1 million words on Hacking Chinese. How are you supposed to absorb all that information and inspiration as a student? Let’s discuss how to get the most out of Hacking Chinese and the courses I've created to provide more structured guidance.Back-to-school course discount, 2026: https://www.hackingchinese.com/back-to-school-hacking-chinese-course-discount/Get $31 off any course with the code “kaixue”, or $128 off when buying any three courses with the code “buy3”. Both discounts are available through September 9!Tags: #learnchinese #course #howto #guidance #discount #backtoschoolLink to Hacking Chinese Pronunciation: Speaking with Confidence (for all learners): https://www.hackingchinese.com/courses/mandarin-chinese-pronunciation-course/Link to Unlocking Chinese: The Ultimate Guide for Beginners (get off to a good start or make sure you haven’t missed anything): https://www.hackingchinese.com/courses/unlocking-chinese-ultimate-guide-beginner/Link to The Fluent Listener: Navigating Spoken Mandarin Like a Fish in Water (for all learners): https://www.hackingchinese.com/courses/the-fluent-listener-navigating-mandarin-like-a-fish-in-water/Link to Hacking Chinese: A Practical Guide to Learning Mandarin (for all learners): https://www.hackingchinese.com/courses/practical-guide-to-learning-mandarin/Listen to this and other episodes on your favourite podcasting platform, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube: https://www.hackingchinese.com/podcastMore information and inspiration about learning and teaching Chinese can be found at https://www.hackingchinese.comMusic: "Traxis 1 ~ F. Benjamin" by Traxis, 2020 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0)

Dictation tests, or 听写/聽寫 (tīngxiě), are common in Chinese courses, but many students struggle with them. Here is a guide for how to nail any dictation test!#learnchinese #dictation #tingxie #test #chinesecharacters #hanziLink to the article this podcast episode is based on: How to nail dictation tests in Chinese: A guide to 听写/聽寫 (tīngxǐe): https://www.hackingchinese.com/how-to-nail-dictation-tests-in-chinese-the-ultimate-guide-to-tingxie/Learning to hear the sounds and tones in Mandarin: https://www.hackingchinese.com/how-to-learn-to-hear-the-sounds-tones-in-mandarin/Beyond tīng bu dǒng, part 1: A guide to Chinese listening comprehension: https://www.hackingchinese.com/beyond-ting-bu-dong-part-1-a-guide-to-chinese-listening-comprehension/The building blocks of Chinese, part 5: Making sense of Chinese words: https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-building-blocks-of-chinese-part-5-making-sense-of-chinese-words/Chinese character learning for all students: https://www.hackingchinese.com/chinese-character-learning-for-all-students/When perfectionism becomes an obstacle to progress: https://www.hackingchinese.com/when-perfectionism-becomes-an-obstacle-to-progress/How to learn Chinese characters as a beginner: https://www.hackingchinese.com/how-to-learn-chinese-characters-as-a-beginner/Chinese characters, ideograms and words: A beginner’s guide: https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-building-blocks-of-chinese-part-1-chinese-characters-and-words-in-a-nutshell/Kickstart your learning with the Skritter Character Course: https://www.hackingchinese.com/kickstart-your-learning-with-the-skritter-character-course/Review: The Outlier Dictionary of Chinese Characters: https://www.hackingchinese.com/review-the-outlier-linguistics-dictionary-of-chinese-characters-with-discount-code/Zi.Tools: A powerful free resource for exploring Chinese characters: https://www.hackingchinese.com/zi-tools-a-powerful-free-resource-for-exploring-chinese-characters/All the resources you need to learn and teach Chinese stroke order: https://www.hackingchinese.com/everything-you-need-to-learn-chinese-stroke-order/Why flashcards are great for learning Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/why-flashcards-are-great-for-learning-chinese/Cramming vs. spaced repetition: When to use which method to learn Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/cramming-vs-spaced-repetition-when-to-use-which-method-to-learn-chinese/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/Remembering is a skill you can learn: Mnemonics for Chinese learners: https://www.hackingchinese.com/remembering-is-a-skill-you-can-learn/How to make Chinese easier by using mnemonics and memory techniques: https://www.hackingchinese.com/memory-aids-and-mnemonics-to-enhance-learning/Spaced repetition software and why you should use it: https://www.hackingchinese.com/an-introduction-to-spaced-repetition-software/Why spaced repetition software is uniquely well suited to learning Chinese characters: https://www.hackingchinese.com/why-spaced-repetition-software-is-uniquely-well-suited-to-learning-chinese-characters/The real challenge with learning Chinese characters: https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-real-challenge-when-learning-characters/You can’t learn Chinese characters by rote: https://www.hackingchinese.com/you-cant-learn-chinese-characters-by-rote/A minimum-effort approach to writing Chinese characters by hand: https://www.hackingchinese.com/a-minimum-effort-approach-to-writing-chinese-characters-by-hand/More information and inspiration about learning and teaching Chinese can be found at https://www.hackingchinese.comMusic: "Traxis 1 ~ F. Benjamin" by Traxis, 2020 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0)

Flashcards can teach you to write Chinese characters, but they can be boring and hide problems. Communicative handwriting is more engaging and prepares you for real-world tasks.#learnchinese #characters #hanzi #handwriting #communicationLink to the article this podcast episode is based on: Communicative handwriting: Writing Chinese with a real purpose: https://www.hackingchinese.com/learning-to-write-chinese-characters-through-communication/How to best use flashcards to learn Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/how-to-best-use-flashcards-to-learn-chinese/Spaced repetition software: What it is and how to use it to learn Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/an-introduction-to-spaced-repetition-software/Real communication: What it is, why you want it and how to get it: https://www.hackingchinese.com/real-communication-what-it-is-why-you-want-it-and-how-to-get-it/16 reasons to learn to write Chinese characters by hand: https://www.hackingchinese.com/reasons-to-learn-to-write-chinese-characters-by-hand/Do you have to learn to write Chinese characters by hand? https://www.hackingchinese.com/is-it-necessary-to-learn-to-write-chinese-characters-by-hand/How I learnt Chinese, part 6: Graduate program in Taiwan: https://www.hackingchinese.com/i-learnt-chinese-part-6-graduate-program-taiwan/More information and inspiration about learning and teaching Chinese can be found at https://www.hackingchinese.comMusic: "Traxis 1 ~ F. Benjamin" by Traxis, 2020 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0)

Mountains, trees and rocks are easy to use in mnemonics. But what do you do with character components whose meanings are general, abstract or overlapping?#learnchinese #mnemonics #characters #components #vocabularyLink to the article this podcast episode is based on: How to create mnemonics for general, abstract or overlapping character components: https://www.hackingchinese.com/how-to-create-mnemonics-for-general-or-abstract-character-components/Remembering is a skill you can learn: Mnemonics for Chinese learners: https://www.hackingchinese.com/remembering-is-a-skill-you-can-learn/Chinese characters, ideograms and words: A beginner's guide: https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-building-blocks-of-chinese-part-1-chinese-characters-and-words-in-a-nutshell/The building blocks of Chinese, part 4: Learning and remembering compound characters: https://www.hackingchinese.com/the-building-blocks-of-chinese-part-4-learning-and-remembering-compound-characters/How to make Chinese easier by using mnemonics and memory techniques: https://www.hackingchinese.com/memory-aids-and-mnemonics-to-enhance-learning/Panning: Keeping similar Chinese characters and words separate: https://www.hackingchinese.com/panning-keeping-similar-chinese-characters-and-words-separate/Dealing with Chinese characters you keep mixing up: https://www.hackingchinese.com/dealing-with-chinese-characters-you-keep-mixing-up/Chinese characters and words that refuse to stick: Killing leeches: https://www.hackingchinese.com/killing-leeches/Learning Classical Chinese is for everyone (no, seriously!): https://www.hackingchinese.com/learning-classical-chinese-is-for-everyone-no-seriously/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/Review: The Outlier Dictionary of Chinese Characters: https://www.hackingchinese.com/review-the-outlier-linguistics-dictionary-of-chinese-characters-with-discount-code/Zi.Tools: A powerful free resource for exploring Chinese characters: https://www.hackingchinese.com/zi-tools-a-powerful-free-resource-for-exploring-chinese-characters/Don’t use mnemonics for everything when learning Chinese: https://www.hackingchinese.com/dont-use-mnemonics-for-everything/How to use mnemonics to learn Mandarin tones and pronunciation: https://www.hackingchinese.com/extending-mnemonics-inspiration-and-insights/Are mnemonics too slow for Chinese learners? https://www.hackingchinese.com/are-mnemonics-too-slow-for-chinese-learners/Cultivate your Chinese flashcard garden... or burn it down and start afresh: https://www.hackingchinese.com/cultivate-your-chinese-flashcard-garden-or-burn-it-down-and-start-afresh/More information and inspiration about learning and teaching Chinese can be found at https://www.hackingchinese.comMusic: "Traxis 1 ~ F. Benjamin" by Traxis, 2020 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0)