I'm Learning Mandarin

Mi Kai
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  • LANGUAGE LEARNING

I'm Learning Mandarin is a podcast that dives deep into the questions that matter to Chinese learners. Host, Mischa Wilmers, talks to the world's leading scholars and draws on his experience of self-studying the language to fluency. Visit the Im Learning Mandarin blog. Popular posts include: Your Ultimate Guide To Learning Chinese Tones: https://imlearningmandarin.com/2024/09/16/its-never-too-late-to-learn-chinese-tones-heres-how/ How Long Does It Take To Learn Mandarin: https://imlearningmandarin.com/2024/09/09/reality-check-can-you-actually-master-mandarin-in-six-months/

  1. 19 JUN

    How to use language exchange to level up your Mandarin

    Links: My Discord server: https://discord.gg/b9PAyKwT9p My blog: imlearningmandarin.com -- In this episode, I share my personal experiences and practical tips on how to use language exchange to supercharge your Mandarin speaking skills. I talk about: When I think it's best to start looking for a language exchange partner. Where I’ve had the most success finding partners. How I structure my sessions using a simple Green, Amber, Red system to match different stages of learning If you're looking to build real fluency through conversation, this one's for you. Don’t forget to check out the I'm Learning Mandarin Discord server — a growing community of nearly 400 learners supporting each other on the road to fluency! https://discord.gg/b9PAyKwT9p

    12 min

  2. 11 JUN

    Getting smart about Mandarin listening

    Links: My website: imlearningmandarin.com -- In this episode, I discuss one of the biggest challenges Mandarin learners face: improving listening skills. I explore why this aspect of language learning often feels so frustrating, including the psychological hurdles unique to Mandarin and the sheer amount of vocabulary needed for smooth comprehension. I share practical strategies to overcome these obstacles, focusing on the power of consistent exposure through both extensive listening (broad, varied content) and intensive listening (focused, repeated study of specific material).

    10 min

  3. 4 JUN

    Exposing Mandarin learning snake oil content

    Links: My website: imlearningmandarin.com -- On today's episode, I'm going to talk about a genre of Mandarin learning content which in recent times has exploded on the internet. And that is what I would broadly term as Mandarin learning snake oil. I break down how you can easily tell the difference between Mandarin learning advice given in good faith versus snake oil, basically designed to scam you.

    8 min

  4. 27 MAY

    Generate instant Mandarin podcasts on any topic with this mindblowing AI tool

    Links; Notebook LM: https://notebooklm.google.com/ My website: imlearningmandarin.com -- In this episode, I’m sharing a tool that’s completely blown my mind, it might be one of the most impressive things I’ve ever come across for language learning. It’s called Notebook LM, and it’s a website run by Google. Here’s what makes it so powerful: you can feed it any content: websites, text, even audio, and it will generate a podcast-style conversation between what sound like two real human voices. The result is super chatty, natural, and surprisingly hard to tell it’s AI-generated. I first discovered NotebookLM a few months ago and started using it to make casual English podcasts. At the time, I remember wishing it supported other languages, especially Mandarin, because it just seemed like it had so much potential for language learning. Well, that’s now changed, NotebookLM recently rolled out support for a bunch of new languages, including Mandarin. So today, I’m going to walk you through how this tool works and how you can use it to supercharge your Mandarin learning.

    14 min

  5. 21 MAY

    Interviewing Chris in Mandarin after 6 months coaching

    Links:Sign up for the I'm Learning Mandarin Newsletter to get updates as soon as new spaces become available at the I'm Learning Mandarin gym: https://imlearningmandarin.com/Find out more about the I'm Learning Mandarin gym: https://imlearningmandarin.com/gymChris Blogpost Month 1: https://imlearningmandarin.com/2024/1...Chris Blogpost Month 2: https://imlearningmandarin.com/2025/0... Chris's Blogpost Month 3: https://imlearningmandarin.com/2025/0...Chris's Blogpost Month 4 & 5: https://imlearningmandarin.com/2025/0...--A few months ago, I received an email from a Mandarin learner named Chris Foley.Chris had been studying the language for several years and could already hold conversations. After marrying his Chinese wife, he set an ambitious new goal: to sharpen his spoken delivery, especially his pronunciation and tones, in time for his Chinese wedding ceremony in 12 months. Soon after, he joined the I’m Learning Mandarin gym, with me as his coach, and committed to documenting his journey through monthly blogs and interviews at the 6-month and 12-month marks.In this video, I speak with Chris entirely in Mandarin to reflect on his progress at the 6-month milestone.

    20 min

  6. 8 MAY

    Is Taiwan a good place to study Mandarin?

    My blog: imlearningmandarin.com -- In this episode, I delve into the question: Is Taiwan a good place to study Mandarin? I draw on my experiences of living and studying in Taiwan and give it an overall rating out of 10 across three criteria: 1. Overall as a place to live. 2. Quality of teaching. 3. Immersive opportunities.

    12 min

  7. 30 APR

    The ultimate AI cheat code for nailing daily life interactions in Mandarin

    Links: My blog: imlearningmandarin.com --

    12 min

  8. 23 APR

    Five Mandarin phrases I've learned navigating daily life in Taiwan

    Links: My blog: https://imlearningmandarin.com/ Mandarin Retreats: https://imlearningmandarin.com/uk-mandarin-immersion-retreats/ -- New vocabulary learned: 1. 甜筒 Pinyin: tián tǒng English: Ice cream cone 甜 = sweet 筒 = tube/cone (refers to the cone shape) Together, this means an ice cream cone. 2. 中焙 / 中深焙 (used in the context of coffee roasting) 中焙 Pinyin: zhōng bèi English: Medium roast 中 = middle / medium 焙 = to roast (especially coffee or tea) This is a medium roast — a balanced roast level often used for drip coffee. 3. 原路折返 Pinyin: yuán lù zhé fǎn English: To return by the original route / retrace one’s steps 原路 = original path / the same road 折返 = to turn back / go back Often used in navigation, or metaphorically in life to mean going back the way you came. 4. 知难而退 Pinyin: zhī nán ér tuì English: To retreat in the face of difficulties / to back off when realizing something is too hard 知 = to know 难 = difficulty 而 = and / yet / but (classical-style connector) 退 = to retreat / withdraw Refers to making a wise decision to step back after recognizing a challenge is too tough to overcome. Sometimes used to describe prudence, sometimes cowardice, depending on context. 5. 隐眼 (shortened form of 隐形眼镜) Pinyin: yǐn yǎn English: Contact lenses 隐 = hidden 眼 = eye Short for 隐形眼镜 (yǐn xíng yǎn jìng) = invisible (contact) lenses Colloquial and very commonly used in Taiwan and among young people.

    10 min
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Trailer

About

I'm Learning Mandarin is a podcast that dives deep into the questions that matter to Chinese learners. Host, Mischa Wilmers, talks to the world's leading scholars and draws on his experience of self-studying the language to fluency. Visit the Im Learning Mandarin blog. Popular posts include: Your Ultimate Guide To Learning Chinese Tones: https://imlearningmandarin.com/2024/09/16/its-never-too-late-to-learn-chinese-tones-heres-how/ How Long Does It Take To Learn Mandarin: https://imlearningmandarin.com/2024/09/09/reality-check-can-you-actually-master-mandarin-in-six-months/

Information

  • Creator
    Mi Kai
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2025
  • Episodes
    97
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Mi Kai
  • Show Website
    I'm Learning Mandarin

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