You Can Learn Chinese Jared Turner
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- Education
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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.
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.
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From American Football to Chinese Films: The Journey of Matt William Knowles
Jared Turner interviews Matt William Knowles, a former college football player, who turned an unfortunate event into a remarkable life-changing adventure in China. After a career-ending injury left him uncertain about his future, Matt took a volunteer teaching position in one of China's most impoverished regions, Guizhou Province. Here, Matt found himself in a remote town far removed from the comforts and familiarity of his South Carolina home. Without any knowledge of Chinese, he faced the challenge of communicating with his students and the local community, sparking his dedication to mastering Chinese.
Matt's story is not just about language learning; it's a tale of personal resilience and transformation. He shares how immersing himself in the culture and the language reshaped his identity and life's direction, leading him from the classroom to unexpected fame on Chinese television and stages. This inspiring story shows that with enough determination, you can turn even the most daunting setbacks into new pathways of success and fulfillment.
Tune in to hear how Matt's unique experiences in China taught him not just a new language but opened doors to a world of new opportunities and self-discovery.
Links from the episode:
Matt William Knowles | Personal website
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The Frustrated Learner and the Sound of Progress
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
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Finding Your Voice in Chinese: Happi's Multilingual Melody
Driven by her love for Asian cultures, anime, and K-pop, Happi (from Happi Across Cultures) has learned Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. Starting with friendships with exchange students, she went on to double major in Chinese and Japanese including studying abroad in Tokyo and Shanghai where she deeply engaged with the local culture. An accomplished singer, her story takes a viral turn when she sings at a concert with the famous Chinese singer, Joker Xue ( 薛之谦 Xuē Zhīqiān), showcasing the incredible opportunities that arise from language learning. For an inspiring tale of cultural immersion, language mastery, and musical collaboration, tune into this episode and follow Happi's ongoing journey on social media.
Links from the episode:
Happi’s viral duet with Joker Xue | Instagram | Weibo
Happi @ Instagram | Weibo | Douyin
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Japanese and Chinese: Unraveling the Differences of Two Ancient Tongues
Dive into the fascinating world of East Asian languages with hosts Jared Turner and John Pasden. Whether you're navigating the tonal waves of Chinese or untangling the polite intricacies of Japanese, this episode offers a deep dive into the nuances, challenges, and delights of learning these two rich languages. They also discuss invaluable resources for learners and the global implications of the Chinese diaspora versus Japanese homogeneity.
If you've ever pondered the complexities of learning Japanese or Chinese or are simply fascinated by the cultures behind these languages, this episode is a must-listen.
Links from the episode:
Language Power Struggles | Sinosplice.com
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The Making of a YouTube Star: Ari Smith's Transformation into Xiao Ma
In this riveting episode, a clueless American white guy shocks a podcast host with flawless Chinese using one trick that teachers hate! Our special guest, Ari Smith, widely recognized as Xiao Ma on YouTube, shares the unexpected journey that led him from being a curious American to a Chinese-speaking internet sensation.
Our special guest is none other than Ari Smith, widely recognized as YouTuber Xiao Ma. In this light and engaging interview, we dig into how he got started with Chinese and how he turned, almost by happenstance, into a YouTube sensation.
Starting with a random free class in Chinese, his fascination with Chinese propelled him to immerse himself in its language and culture, leading to a year in China where he embraced full Mandarin immersion, laying the groundwork for his fluency.
Ari reveals how his genuine interactions in Chinese settings, from restaurants to nail salons, have captivated and motivated many. He also discusses his experiences into learning lesser-known languages, such as Native American dialects, underscoring the importance of preserving endangered languages and offering insights into the vast landscape of linguistic diversity.
Links from the episode:
Xiaomanyc 小马在纽约 | YouTube
YourTeacher.AI
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Bridging Continents and Cultures: How Akeel Alleyne Found His Calling and Career in the Heart of China
Some people may find they have a knack for learning Chinese, but deciding to make Chinese a part of your life is another decision entirely. Akeel Alleyne shares his story from learning Chinese in high school to making the move to live and work in China. He talks about how Chinese has enriched his life, helped find his calling, and enabled him to carve out his own career.
Links from the episode:
Card Games for Language Learning | Where John & Akeel met
Akeel Alleyne | Linktree
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Customer Reviews
The Motivation to keep going
I stumbled on to “You Can Learn Chinese” just over a year ago and found it to be the motivation I needed to keep on going with my studies. Not a word of Chinese is spoken (well very little) but still I come out at the end learning so much. Not only that but the links to resources in the Podcast have led me to Mandarin Companion, The Graded Reader Series, The Wiki Grammar and Chinese Pod where it was great to find John’s voice is still around after many years. If you are like me and studying mainly alone, ie not the Uni group study method then I highly recommend this podcast. When you are feeling a bit lost and don’t want to pick up that book or go to the online course and hour of John and Jarred will have you re-energized and on your way.
Oh and J&J as others have asked I will add my wish, look forward to the first Level 3 book when you can👍 and thoroughly enjoying Jekyll and Hyde with my tutor.
Great motivation and immediately useful tips
I’ve listened to this podcast since it began. It’s a great resource for absolute beginners through upper intermediate learners.
Every time I listen to an episode, it gives me the space to reflect on and improve my studies. Jared and John’s tips and advice are an invaluable resource, and they have helped me though more sticking points than I can count. Often times it is as simple as being reminded that there are lots of ways to learn and that I shouldn’t get stuck too far down a path that isn’t productive. Jared and John have been there and have a wealth of recommendations ready to share with everyone.
I’ve also really enjoyed hearing the stories from people who have achieved high proficiency, and it’s so motivating to hear how each one managed to break though their own barriers to reach the next level.
If you’re looking for a podcast to listen to when your brain needs a break but you still want to learn, this is the one!
Fantastic resource for Chinese language learners!
This an excellent podcast for learning tips, tricks and strategies for learning Chinese. The hosts, Jared and John, are very informative and engaging and have a variety of interesting guest interviews on the show that help keep me motivated to learn Chinese.
The podcast has also helped me understand the importance of extensive reading and comprehensible input. I now know my attempts at reading Harry Potter in Spanish years ago were so difficult as I was only reading at around 80-90% comprehension and I was definitely in the ‘pain zone’. Although my Chinese is only at an elementary level, I’ve now been able to comfortably read and enjoy several of the Mandarin Companion Breakthrough and Level 1 graded readers.