You Can Learn Chines‪e‬ Jared Turner, John Pasden

John and Jared unpack when you should start learning Chinese characters so you can find your own answer that might be later or earlier than you might think. Guest interview is with Adam DiFrisco who found the courage to make huge life changing decisions that brought him to China.

Links from the episode:Chinese Grammar Wiki Book: Upper IntermediateMandarin Companion grammar points on the Chinese Grammar WikiCharacter-based Sign LanguageLearning Chinese via Twitch - Wired Speak Chinese With Me T-Shirt 


Thanks for listening to the podcast! Please write John and Jared a review on Apple Podcasts and they’ll give you a shout-out! They are also taking questions from listeners. If you have a question, reach them at feedback@mandarincompanion.com. Follow them on Facebook and catch their latest Chinese-learning memes on Instagram.

John and Jared talk about flashcards and spaced repetition software, how they can help, their limits, and how to use them to build your Chinese skills. This guest interview is with Mandarin Blueprint cofounder Luke Neale, who felt the call of Chinese pulling him back to China, changing his life forever.

Links from the episode:

SRS flashcards: Pros and cons – Sinosplice

Jekyll and Hyde – level 2 graded reader

uNoGS.com – Netflix movie finder for other languages

Mandarin Companion T-shirts

Thanks for listening to the podcast! Please write John and Jared a review on Apple Podcasts and they’ll give you a shout-out! They are also taking questions from listeners. If you have a question, reach them at feedback@mandarincompanion.com. Follow them on Facebook and catch their latest Chinese-learning memes on Instagram.

Review of a paper written by a professor who incorporated graded readers and theater into a Chinese class. Interview with Denis Suslov from Russia.

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 feedback@mandarincompanion.com. 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

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 feedback@mandarincompanion.com. 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

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 feedback@mandarincompanion.com. 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