The Frustrated Learner and the Sound of Progress

You Can Learn Chinese

#133 The Frustrated Learner and the Sound of Progress

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#133 The Frustrated Learner and the Sound of Progress

Jared Turner

and

John Pasden

Apr 12, 2024

Hosts Jared and John discuss the frustrations of a learner who came to John for help, particularly with pinyin and differentiation of similar sounds in Chinese. They explore why learners often misapply English pronunciation rules to pinyin and how comprehensible input can ease the learning curve. This episode is not just a deep dive into the phonetic and perceptual aspects of learning Chinese; it's also a heartening reminder that while the journey to fluency can be fraught with frustration, tailored strategies and persistent effort can lead to meaningful progress.

Links from the episode:

Character Play in Chinese | Sinosplice
Mandarin Companion graded readers
Send us a message | Mandarin Companion feedback form

Discussion about this podcast

You Can Learn Chinese

<p>Learn HOW to learn Chinese with hosts Jared Turner and John Pasden. You will learn tips, strategies, and insights so you can supercharge your language learning. You will also be inspired by guest interviews with people from all over the world who have learned Chinese. </p><p>Both Jared and John both learned Chinese, lived in China for many years, and have worked with learners all over the world and understand the unique challenges that Chinese learners face. They stay at the forefront of language learning research and methods and bring that to listeners everywhere. </p>

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Appears in episode

John Pasden

Writes ARC (Advanced Readings in Chinese) Subscribe

Jared Turner