Everyone learning Japanese and Chinese should watch more cartoons and TV dramas! Normally I would never suggest that to anybody, since the first thing that comes to mind are pea-brain couch potatoes watching soaps, but we’re trying to learn some difficult languages here! Also, I’m talking about some quality programs. Some good Chinese & Japanese anime, movies, and dramas. You can ...

If you’re trying to learn Chinese then I can’t stress enough how you should be using ChinesePod. Whenever someone first asks me how to learn Chinese I tell them to start there. I started learning Chinese with their podcast lessons in June of 2006 and I still use them on a daily basis. In my opinion, it’s the BEST resource you will find for learning Chinese. ChinesePod is part o...

I’m glad you’ve decided to follow my advice and start using a spaced repetition system (SRS). Remember that this is a very simple concept that everyone can be successful with. Just put in the small amount of time to set up your SRS and dedicate some time to using it every day. If you still haven’t read Part 1, then please do that before continuing. First thing you need to do is download some...

It’s simple. The best tool to quickly and efficiently learn a language is to use an SRS system, or “spaced repetition system”. You might be thinking something like “why didn’t my middle school French teacher ever talk about SRS back then?” It’s not a traditional method for language learning. That’s why you never heard about it back then. An SRS is so simple though that you’ll pro...

I came across this really interesting video today about language in Chinese rap music. It shows how different rappers around China are using Mandarin (the common language), Cantonese, and other local dialects in their songs to appeal to different audiences. The differences between two Chinese dialects can be like the difference between English and German. This is making rappers choose whether they...

If you’re serious about learning to speak your new language then get ready to throw out all your old English music and replace it with that of your language of study. All free, all the time! Who would have thought it would be so easy? You don’t even have to spend a penny! I’ve never spent my money on iTunes or other similar services for music, and I honestly don’t feel bad ...

One of the best things you can do for yourself when learning a new language is to always have a dictionary ready. Don’t let yourself get stopped in the middle of reading something to go find your paper dictionary or to flip through your bookmarks to find your online one. At least when you’re at home or at the office, keep your dictionary ready at all times. I recommend consistently kee...

Whether you’re already learning Chinese (Mandarin) or you’ve just recently decided to take the plunge, let me offer 25 good reasons why you should learn Chinese. I hope this will help motivate you to start learning or to continue learning. Sometimes we can forget why we even started learning such a difficult language in the first place, and so maybe this list will remind you and gi...

How many times have you heard someone say,  “I’d really like to learn a new language someday”, but never make the effort to actually learn it? It might be their dream to learn a new language, but if they never discipline themselves to take the journey they will definitely fail. The biggest obstacle to learning any language, or anything else for that matter, is forcing yourself t...