John and Jared discuss the difference between how you think your Chinese sounds vs how it really sounds. Surprise surprise, there is a difference! John takes us through an academic paper to tell you which tones you should prioritize to make yourself understood more clearly.

Guest interview is with Linda Yi, creator of Panda Cub stories and a heritage speaker who spent years trying to fit in before fully embracing her cultural identity. Although they have an advantage in learning Chinese, heritage speakers have unique challenges when compared to the average Chinese learner, something you’ll hear in Linda’s story.

Thanks for listening to our podcast! Please write us a review on Apple Podcasts and we’ll give you a shout out on the podcast! We are also taking questions from our listeners. If you have a question, reach us at [email protected]. Follow us on Facebook and catch our latest Chinese learning memes on Instagram

Links referenced in this EpisodePanda Cub StoriesToward Better Tones in Natural SpeechThe Four Tones: Updated Tone DiagramLaowai Delusions of FluencyChinese Film ClassicsModern Chinese Cultural Studies YouTube channelMandarin Companion ShirtsMandarin Companion Memes - Instagram

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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, reflect, and possibly shed a tear as we take a trip down memory lane.

These stories show how learning Chinese can open doors in all aspects of your life, bringing unexpected and cherished connections…

...except the story about pooping in a bag.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Thanks for listening to our podcast! Please write us a review on Apple Podcasts and we’ll give you a shout out on the podcast! We are also taking questions from our listeners. If you have a question, reach us at [email protected]. Follow us on Facebook and catch our latest Chinese learning memes on Instagram

Links referenced in this EpisodeJekyll and Hyde: Mandarin Companion Graded Readers Level 2"Speak Chinese With Me" T-ShirtMandarin Companion ShirtsMandarin Companion Memes - Instagram

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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 sausage is made! If you’ve read any of the books, or do any sort of creative work, you may quite enjoy this segment.

Guest interview is with Peter Braden, a Chinese History PhD researcher with some serious Chinese chops. He’s performed Chinese poems in front of crowds of Taiwanese monks, loves a good Saturday morning Chinese karaoke session and he’s writing a dissertation about Chinese cows in the 20th century!

Thanks for listening to our podcast! Please write us a review on Apple Podcasts and we’ll give you a shout out on the podcast! We are also taking questions from our listeners. If you have a question, reach us at [email protected]. Follow us on Facebook and catch our latest Chinese learning memes on Instagram

Links referenced in this Episode“Elementary My Dear Watson”: How We Adapted a Classic to ChineseVisualizing China – Historical Photographs of ChinaChinglish T-Shirts in ChinaMamahuhu Chinglish T-shirt sketchMandarin Companion ShirtsMegan Ammirati on TwitterMandarin Companion Memes - Instagram

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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, and you're wondering….now what? John and Jared offer tips on how to bridge the gap to native level content.Guest interview is with Matt Sheehan, an intrepid American who landed in China to learn journalism and Chinese and then combined the two! You’re going to like his story, even the part about two workers who carried the toilet out of his apartment.Thanks for listening to our podcast! Please write us a review on Apple Podcasts and we’ll give you a shout out on the podcast! We are also taking questions from our listeners. If you have a question, reach us at [email protected]. Follow us on Facebook and catch our latest Chinese learning memes on InstagramLinks referenced in this EpisodeBoring Bangongshi by AllSet LearningSinosplice: Bite-sized WeChat Material for Advanced Learners: Luoji SiweiSinosplice: The Value of Reading Marvel Comics in ChineseSinosplice: Pleco’s Hidden Gem: the Clipboard ReaderAllSet Learning: Why It’s So Difficult to Find Intermediate Reading MaterialA Madman’s Diary 狂人日記 (Kuángrén Rìjì) by Lu Xun, 1918Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Chinese) 小屁孩日记非常小子马鸣加 Fēicháng Xiǎozi Mǎ MíngjiāWord Wall GamesMandarin Companion Memes - InstagramFunny Chinese Shirts

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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 distant time in the future and how reading will get you there.

Guest interview is with Olle Linge of Hacking Chinese and Chinese language enthusiast extraordinaire. He offers the Chinese learning tips that he wishes someone had told him back when he started Chinese.

Thanks for listening to our podcast! Please write us a review on Apple Podcasts and we’ll give you a shout out on the podcast! We are also taking questions from our listeners. If you have a question, reach us at [email protected]. Follow us on Facebook and catch our latest Chinese learning memes on Instagram

Links referenced in this EpisodeMandarin Companion Memes - InstagramFunny Chinese ShirtsHacking ChineseEscape – Chinese language text game#46 How to Learn to Read Chinese: Pinyin, Characters, Vocabulary#47 How to Learn to Read Chinese: Baby Steps to Real Reading

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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 you don’t have anything that is low enough for you to read!

Guest interview is with Heather Turner, an entrepreneurial mother of five. She’s a qualified dental hygienist, professional baker, and most recently, a 5th grade Chinese teacher!

Thanks for listening to our podcast! Please write us a review on Apple Podcasts and we’ll give you a shout out on the podcast! We are also taking questions from our listeners. If you have a question, reach us at [email protected]. Follow us on Facebook and catch our latest Chinese learning memes on Instagram

Links referenced in this EpisodeWhat If “Beginning Level” Chinese Books Are Too Hard? 10 Tips for Beginning ReadersRobin MacPherson YouTube Channel - How To Develop Spoken Fluency Through ReadingGlamping in ShanghaiSentence Mining Like a BossT-Shirts for Chinese LearnersChinese Grammar WikiMandarin Companion Memes - Instagram

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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, characters, and vocabulary.Guest interview is with Scott Young, author of bestselling novel “Ultralearning”. Scott spent a year without English and managed to be conversational in four new languages, including HSK Level 4 Chinese!Thanks for listening to our podcast! Please write us a review on Apple Podcasts and we’ll give you a shout out on the podcast! We are also taking questions from our listeners. If you have a question, reach us at [email protected]. Follow us on Facebook and catch our latest Chinese learning memes on InstagramLinks referenced in this EpisodeChinese Pronunciation WikiSinoSplice - Learn the Structural Patterns of Chinese CharactersHacking Chinese - 7 ways of learning to write Chinese charactersOutlier Linguistics - Getting Radical About RadicalsOde to Heisig and RTKYoYo Chinese Lesson 1 – Intro to ChineseSkritterHanziCraftLanguage Log – Chineasy? Not.Scott Young - UltralearningT-Shirts for Chinese LearnersMandarin Companion Memes - Instagram

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John and Jared discuss a linguistic concept that you’ve probably never heard of but is pervasive throughout all languages. This will help you understand why for some things there is simply no direct translation and the answer for “why is it said this way?” is often “that’s just how it’s said”!Guest interview is with James Loach, a particle physicist turned artificial intelligence developer who fell in love with the Chinese language. This interview underscores a fundamental truth: no matter how intelligent you may be or what method you use to learn, you still have to put in the work to learn Chinese.Thanks for listening to our podcast! Please write us a review on Apple Podcasts and we’ll give you a shout out on the podcast! We are also taking questions from our listeners. If you have a question, reach us at [email protected]. Follow us on Facebook and catch our latest Chinese learning memes on InstagramLinks referenced in this EpisodeIndependent Study Confirms the “Readability” of the Mandarin Companion SeriesJames Loach WebsiteChinese Dictionary for KindleT-Shirts for Chinese LearnersMandarin Companion Memes - Instagram

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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 know figure among China expats, and who, among many things, started the first Chinese heavy metal band in China and the growth of his Chinese skills is one thing that made it possible. Get ready for some awesome stories.

Thanks for listening to our podcast! Please write us a review on Apple Podcasts and we’ll give you a shout out on the podcast! We are also taking questions from our listeners. If you have a question, reach us at [email protected]. Follow us on Facebook and catch our latest Chinese learning memes on Instagram

Links referenced in this EpisodeT-Shirts for Chinese LearnersHow to Use Graded Readers to Build Student Fluency in Chinese - WebinarAllSet Learning Book ClubSlow Chinese PodcastMandarin Companion Memes - Instagram

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