Episodes
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Join the I'm Learning Mandarin gym here: imlearningmandarin.com/gym
As an ILM podcast listener, you can get 50% off your ILM Gym subscription when you use this discount code at checkout (offer ends April 9th): IMLEARNINGMANDARINPOD
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On today’s episode I interview my student Lewys entirely in Mandarin Chinese.
Lewys is a 31 year-old accountant from wales who lives in the UK with his Chinese wife and young daughter.
You may remember him from an interview I recorded with him last summer in which we discussed the difficulties he’d faced learning the language.
At that point, Lewys had been learning Mandarin for around two years in order to communicate with his Chinese mother-in-law and extended family.
He’d tried most of the apps and classes everyone tries. But nothing really worked. Here’s a clip of what he sounded like at that time.
He was close to giving up. But instead, last year he contacted me for help after coming across the I'm Learning Mandarin blog.
And in today's episode I document his progress over 6 months on my coaching programme, supporting him to transform his spoken Mandarin.
If you’re impressed with the results that Lewys was able to achieve on my coaching programme while holding a full-time job and having a young child, then listen on.
Because today I’m announcing the launch of the I’m Learning Mandarin gym, enabling you to transform your spoken Mandarin from mediocrity to excellence within months, with me as your Personal Trainer.
When you sign up to the gym, you’ll benefit from an in-depth, structured study plan, one-to-one coaching sessions with me, homework exercises, regular feedback on your performance via voice recordings, and continuous support, ensuring you’re virtually guaranteed to exceed your Mandarin speaking goals.
Interested in finding out more? Go to imlearningmandarin.com/gym for all details and information about the programme or click the link in the description.
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Links:
My blog: imlearningmandarin.com
Clare's page: https://ahc.leeds.ac.uk/languages/staff/1258/prof-clare-wright
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On today’s episode, I interview a long-time member of the I’m Learning Mandarin community who also happens to be a Professor of Linguistics at the University of Leeds.
Professor Clare Wright has pioneered research into second language pedagogy, with a particular focus on Mandarin.
She is particularly interested in discovering why some learners on Mandarin courses seem to do so well at reaching communicative levels quickly while others lag behind.
I first met Clare in 2018 when she interviewed me for her research into what motivates Mandarin learners to study the language.
We’ve kept in touch ever since, and in this interview, we discussed what Mandarin learners and educators can learn from her research to improve their outcomes and reach their goals.
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Asiaglot will take place on March 22-23 in Taipei. To get a third off tickets go to asiaglot.com and select the 'Early Bird Weekend Ticket' option. The use the following code at checkout:
IMLEARNINGMANDARIN800
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My blog: imlearningmandarin.com
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Mandarin involves a lot of hard work and sometimes we can start to question whether it's worth the struggle. But staying the course and persevering through the hard times has enabled me to have all sorts of life experiences that I would otherwise never have had. Today I'm going to talk about four of the coolest experieces I've had that made it all feel worthwhile.
These might not mean much to anyone else, but they felt cool to me:1. Studying at NTU2. Leading Mandarin Retreats3. Being mistaken for a native speaker4. Giving Keynote Speeches
Check out the episode to hear more. And don't forget to subscribe on your favourite podcast provider!
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Links:
imlearningmandarin.com
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In this episode, I reflect on the past year during which I've been coaching Mandarin learners from all around the world to nail their speaking goals.
I discuss four attitude shifts that I've identified help learners make swifter progress.
If you like this episode don't forget to subscribe.
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Links:
Skritter: https://skritter.com/
I'm Learning Mandarin: imlearningmandarin.com
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Today on the podcast, I’m speaking with Jake Gill from Skritter, one of the most well-known apps for learning to write Chinese characters.
Skritter has been around for years, helping learners improve their handwriting and character recognition through a unique combination of spaced repetition and stroke-by-stroke feedback.
For many students, particularly those focused on writing, it’s an essential part of their study routine.
In this conversation, Jake shares his own experiences with learning Chinese including what it was like living in Taiwan and being one of the only non-native speakers taking a course in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language.
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Links:
My Tones Mechanic newsletter: imlearningmandarin.com
Mandarin Companion: https://mandarincompanion.com/
Jared interviews me on his podcast: https://mandarincompanion.com/you-can-learn-chinese-podcast/63-the-truth-about-vocabulary/
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Today, I'm joined by a special guest on the podcast, Jared Turner from Mandarin Companion.
If you’re learning Chinese, you’ve probably heard of Mandarin Companion’s graded readers, which make it possible to read Mandarin from an elementary level.
I used them a lot in my own learning journey, and as I've written on my blog, they were a game-changer for me when it came to reading.
What makes this conversation extra special is that a few years ago, Jared actually had me on his podcast, the You Can Learn Chinese podcast, where we talked about my experiences learning Mandarin in lockdown.
Now, it's my turn to turn the tables and interview him!
We had a wide-ranging chat, covering how he got into learning Chinese, and why he decided to start the legendary Mandarin Companion graded reader series.
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Links:
My Tones Mechanic newsletter: https://imlearningmandarin.com/
Ninchanese: https://ninchanese.com/
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On today's episode, I’m joined by Sarah Aberman, co-founder of Ninchanese, an app that makes learning Mandarin fun and accessible through gamified lessons and interactive tools.
We talk about her personal journey learning Mandarin and the inspiration behind creating Ninchanese.
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Links:
Tones Mechanic Newsletter: imlearningmandarin.com
Dong Chinese: https://www.dong-chinese.com/
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On today's episode of I'm Learning Mandarin, I speak to Peter Olson, the founder of Dong Chinese.
Dong Chinese is an all-in-one Chinese learning app that enables learners to learn sentences in context using spaced repetition.
In the episode, we discuss Peter's own background. Peter was actually born in China before leaving at an early age without learning much of the language, before later moving back and rediscovering Mandarin in adulthood.
We also delve into how the challenges he faced early on as a learner shaped the approaches he developed when creating his app.
This includes some really helpful features, such as the handwriting practice tool that helps solidify memory and the comprehensible media selections that match learners to online Chinese content appropriate to their level.
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Links:
Tones Mechanic newsletter: imlearningmandarin.com
Outlier Linguistics: https://www.outlier-linguistics.com/
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Ash Henson is the co-founder of Outlier Linguistics, a company dedicated to creating tools and courses that make learning Chinese and other languages more effective and engaging.
Outlier specialise in facilitating the language learning process by breaking down the complexities of the language, including Chinese characters.
And Ash is particularly well placed to do this. He holds a PhD in Chinese Palaeography and Phonology from National Taiwan Normal University, with a specialisation in the study of ancient writing systems.
Initially, he began his career as an electrical engineer and since then he has consistently sought to apply this engineering mindset to the study of languages.
In this interview, I chat with Ash about his novel approaches to learning characters and Mandarin tones.
I began by exploring his unusual background working as an engineer for NASA and how this influenced his learning approach.
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Links:
Karen's website: Happy Mandarin
My website: imlearningmandarin.com
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Today's guest is Karen Cheuk, an inspiring educator behind Happy Mandarin, an organization that helps children learn Chinese in a fun and engaging environment.
Karen was born and raised in Hong Kong and went on to study at Cambridge University on a scholarship. After graduating and having a daughter, she was inspired to create Happy Mandarin.
She noticed that existing Chinese classes did not strike the right balance between fun and learning and often only catered to Chinese-speaking families, so she created Happy Mandarin to fill this gap.
Karen is also a mother and juggles her work activities with raising a trilingual daughter.
We had a wide-ranging chat about the importance of creating an immersive environment for children to learn a second or third language, encouraging parents to learn alongside their children and how to integrate the language into their daily lives.
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Links:
Glossika: https://ai.glossika.com/
The I'm Learning Mandarin blog: imlearningmandarin.com
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In this episode, I talk with Michael Campbell, a true language enthusiast and the founder of language learning app, Glossika.
Michael has dedicated a significant portion of his life to understanding and mastering languages, having lived in Taiwan for most of his life and become proficient in many Chinese languages and dialects along the way.
In this wide ranging interview we discuss how growing up surrounded by polyglots in the intelligence community inspired him to take up languages as well as the driving force behind the creation of Glossika.
Glossika takes a unique approach to language acquisition, focusing on building “muscle memory” through repeated exposure to sound patterns.
This method, coupled with a clever blend of increasing and decreasing spaced repetition intervals, helps learners internalize the natural flow and structure of their target language.
I began by asking Michael how and why he started learning Mandarin.
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Links:
Mandarin Blueprint: https://www.mandarinblueprint.com/
My blog: imlearningmandarin.com
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On today’s episode, I interview Phil Crimmins. Phil is one of the two minds behind Mandarin Blueprint, a Mandarin learning course with over 4000 videos taking learners step-by-step all the way to Mandarin proficiency.
Phil's journey with Mandarin is fascinating. He graduated from Sichuan University in China with a bachelor's degree in the Chinese language. But he left unsatisfied with the traditional methods of learning Chinese he'd been exposed to.
So together with his business partner Luke, they created Mandarin Blueprint.
Before exploring how the blueprint works and the thinking that went behind it, I was keen to find out more about Phil’s personal experiences of learning Mandarin.
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Links:
Amanda's website: https://www.misspandachinese.com/about/
Let's Learn Chinese with Miss Panda album: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7glqGNHQOnHMV7pNKbMTSU
My website: imlearningmandarin.com
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Welcome to the podcast! Today's guest is Amanda, better known as "Miss Panda," a renowned expert in Mandarin language instruction.
Amanda boasts over 30 years of experience teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) and Mandarin Chinese.
She's also a published author, consultant, and the creative force behind the popular "Let's Learn Mandarin Chinese with Miss Panda!" album, which has helped introduce Mandarin Chinese to a global audience.
Throughout her career, Amanda has made significant contributions to the field of language acquisition, presenting her insights at conferences worldwide.
Her dedication extends beyond the classroom; she actively assists various educational institutions in developing their Chinese language and culture programs.
In this episode, we'll explore Amanda's inspiring journey as a Mandarin teacher, her innovative teaching methods, and the impact she's had on countless language learners.
I began by asking her how that journey all began.
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Links:
Jorrit's Kaohongshu blog: https://kaohongshu.blog/about/
My free eBook: https://www.peakmandarin.com/free-ebook
My blog: imlearningmandarin.com
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In this episode, I have the pleasure of chatting with Jorrit, a Dutch blogger and the creator of the Kaohongshu website, about his Mandarin learning journey.
Jorrit opens up about learning the language, living in China, and the challenges of maintaining his abilities after returning to a non-Chinese-speaking environment.
We also explore the story behind his Kaohongshu blog and his mission to inspire and help others in their language-learning journeys.
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Links:
Bryce's website: https://www.brycehedstrom.com
My free Mandarin Learning eBook: https://www.peakmandarin.com/free-ebook
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On today’s episode, I interview Bryce Hedstrom – an award-winning teacher trainer in northern Colorado.
Bryce has a varied and fascinating history in language learning and teaching, graduating in Spanish before teaching the language in public schools and at the college level for 30 years.
He’s worked with clients in the business world, including Fortune 500 corporations and has received multiple awards for his work implementing methods for language instruction that centre around comprehensible input and storytelling.
Moreover, as we’ll soon discover, he’s taken an interest in learning Mandarin, applying similar methods to those that were so effective in his teaching career.
With so much to cover in this interview, it was hard to know where to start. So I began by asking Bryce how his fascination with languages all began.
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Links:
Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/b9PAyKwT9p
Our Peak Mandarin Masterpack for learning Chinese: https://www.peakmandarin.com/masterclass
Will's Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@willhartmandarin/videos
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In this episode, I share our special live q&a session with Will Hart, co-founder of Peak Mandarin.
Will should need no introduction to readers of this blog. Two years ago he burst on the Mandarin learning scene when videos of him speaking flawless Chinese after learning for less than two years went viral on YouTube.
In the q&a, Will took live questions from the audience in our Discord Server on all things Mandarin learning.
Questions ranged from Will’s thoughts on Comprehensible Input to how he went about learning characters.
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Links:
Peak Mandarin Discord Server: https://discord.gg/b9PAyKwT9p
Your ultimate guide to Mastering Chinese tones
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In this episode, we’re diving into one of the most challenging parts of learning Mandarin: mastering tricky tone pairs.
I’ll walk you through four of the most commonly mispronounced tone combinations and explain how to get them right.
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In this episode, we bring you the recording of our October 20th session where we tackled questions on how to fix your tones.
If you're looking to improve your tones but aren't sure how, this discussion is packed with insights from me, as well as server moderator, Jered.
Tune in to hear valuable tips, expert advice, and answers to your questions from the live audience. Perfect for anyone looking to level up their tones!
Interested in joining more live sessions like this? Join our Discord server on this link: https://discord.gg/b9PAyKwT9p
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Links:
Peak Mandarin Discord Server: https://discord.gg/b9PAyKwT9p
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In this episode, I dive into one of the most common questions Mandarin learners face:
Do you really need to memorise the tones for every new word?
Drawing from my personal journey of learning Mandarin and my experiences coaching other learners on my Pronunciation Academy, I discuss the challenges many learners encounter with tone memorisation.
I’ll share tips on memorising tones and learning to produce them accurately.
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