Mandarin Monkey Podcast

Mandarin Monkey
  • 4.7 (126)
  • LANGUAGE LEARNING
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Chinese and English Language podcast. A mixed couple (Tom & Ula) living in Taiwan, teach Chinese through the use of Chinglish (Chinese and English) on a variety of topics. Learn Chinese, study methods, Entertainment, news, life, business, hints and tricks to learning Mandarin. Hear a native speaking naturally and at natural pace but with the English translation so you can follow the context of the conversation. Enjoy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. Immersion Is Not Enough: Real Chinese Learner Problems

    2D AGO

    Immersion Is Not Enough: Real Chinese Learner Problems

    Wrong day, wrong week, right podcast. Today’s mailbag episode starts with that weird moment when your brain swears Friday arrived, but the calendar says otherwise, then drifts into lottery fantasies, nannies who only speak Mandarin, and baldness fear. Standard Mandarin Monkey energy. Then listener stories: • Daniel in Manchester used Mandarin to survive lockdown loneliness and asks how to practice speaking when nerves block every sentence. • John in Southern California listened to the whole podcast three times and still wants more. Respect. • Debbie in Lagos started Mandarin because C-drama subtitles missed the point and now fights double audio and dodgy subs. • Olivia fell in from the short clips, forgets new words in days, and wants to keep going without burnout. • Vivi did “immersion” in Kaohsiung, made international friends, defaulted to English, and now only understands Mandarin with heavy context. We talk about: • Why tutors hear every mistake already and still support learners • How mirroring and shadowing native speakers trains tones and rhythm • Why motivation fades and discipline keeps progress alive • How to use scripts, news, and audio to train listening without subtitles • Single-channel brains, overwhelm, and why context helps more than people admit Bilingual as always. Ula speaks Mandarin, Tom speaks English, you follow along. Send your story or question to: chat@mandarinmonkey.com or DM on Instagram / Facebook. Your email might show up in the next mailbag. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    52 min
  2. Can You Read Lips in Chinese? We Tried.

    4D AGO

    Can You Read Lips in Chinese? We Tried.

    We put on noise-canceling headphones, blasted brown noise, and tried to read each other’s lips in Chinese. Spoiler: “Are you the king of Mandarin Monkey?” turned into “Are you licking a mandarin monkey?”We also talk about Tom’s 3D-printed bust mini-movie, the “shi” tongue twister that broke him, and why bringing back the silly side of Mandarin Monkey might be the best idea yet. Send your stories for Friday Mailbag: chat@mandarinmonkey.com Lessons and more at mandarinmonkey.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    34 min
  3. Simplified vs Traditional, Sleep, and Starting Over in China | Mailbag #429

    NOV 7

    Simplified vs Traditional, Sleep, and Starting Over in China | Mailbag #429

    Mailbag time. Phoebe’s moving to China in a week, Jasmine’s torn between Simplified and Traditional, Mark nails his first all-Mandarin order, Anna shares tonal research, and Katie reminds us to slow down. We talk avoiding the foreigner bubble, finding a “language parent,” sleep habits, and why progress feels slow, until it doesn’t. Send your story: chat@mandarinmonkey.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 1m
  4. Mandarin Listening Practice (Taiwanese Accent): Camping, Power & Travel | Bilingual Chinese–English Ep. 428

    NOV 5

    Mandarin Listening Practice (Taiwanese Accent): Camping, Power & Travel | Bilingual Chinese–English Ep. 428

    Practice Mandarin listening with a native Taiwanese Mandarin speaker and English support. We cover cold-weather camping at 3°C, off-grid power, food, health, and planning a sensible motorbike tour through Europe. Great for beginners to intermediate, HSK prep, and heritage Chinese/Taiwanese learners keeping both languages fresh. You’ll learn: camping and travel vocab, opinion phrases, modal verbs for suggestions, health/food terms, and natural Taiwanese rhythm. Resources • Free transcripts/clips on our YouTube (search “Mandarin Monkey listening practice”) • Book a lesson with a Taiwanese teacher (all levels) • Mailbag: send a short story (Mandarin or English) to chat@mandarinmonkey.com  for feedback Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    41 min
  5. Bus Stop Mandarin, Sky Lantern Wishes, and Ordering in Kunming | Mandarin Listening Podcast

    OCT 24

    Bus Stop Mandarin, Sky Lantern Wishes, and Ordering in Kunming | Mandarin Listening Podcast

    Today’s Listener Mailbag is stacked: Mandarin at the bus stop, writing a sky-lantern wish in Pingxi, ordering dinner in Kunming with zero English, the strange peace of visa lines with a podcast in your ears, and a market auntie gifting a spring onion for luck. Plus: dogs, Edinburgh place names, and whether American English secretly makes more sense. Perfect for immersive Mandarin listening practice - Ula in Mandarin, Tom in English - so you can follow along and pick up real phrases in context. Send your story for a future episode: chat@mandarinmonkey.com Book lessons / join the community: mandarinmonkey.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    53 min
  6. Hump Day, VR Boxing, and Gua Sha Pain (Ep. 426) | Mandarin Listening Podcast

    OCT 22

    Hump Day, VR Boxing, and Gua Sha Pain (Ep. 426) | Mandarin Listening Podcast

    Hump day chat with bilingual Mandarin + English listening practice baked in. We tackle a parenting standoff over toys at school, how “Thrill of the Fight” in VR turned into a 12-round sweat fest, whether gua sha helps or just hurts, Halloween safety (and trunk-or-treat), British politeness vs Taiwanese directness, and a surprisingly decent side hustle: cleaning garages for cash. Send us a story for Friday’s Listener Mailbag: chat@mandarinmonkey.com Lessons, hangouts, intensives: mandarinmonkey.com Topics: Mandarin listening practice, VR boxing, gua sha scraping, UK vs Taiwan culture, Halloween UK, trunk or treat, side hustles, bilingual conversation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    59 min
  7. Can You Learn Chinese in Your Sleep? | Mandarin Listening Podcast

    OCT 17

    Can You Learn Chinese in Your Sleep? | Mandarin Listening Podcast

    Ever tried to learn Mandarin while you sleep? One listener did — and his girlfriend woke up to him whispering “māma” all night. In this episode, we read your wildest Mandarin stories: 🧠 Sleep-learning experiments gone wrong 🐟 The “train station” that turned into a pet shop 💔 The couple arguing about the third tone 🙊 Why Chinese speakers don’t say “bless you” and much more from our Listener Mailbag. This is real Mandarin listening practice — with jokes, accents, and stories from actual learners. 📬 Send us your story: chat@mandarinmonkey.com 🎧 Listen anywhere: mandarinmonkey.com/podcast 🗣️ Book lessons: mandarinmonkey.com/lessons 🎥 Shorts & clips: @MandarinMonkey #LearnMandarin #MandarinPodcast #MandarinListening #ChineseTones #LanguageLearning #MandarinMonkey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    49 min
  8. Totoro, Steak & Escape Rooms｜Chinese–English Bilingual Podcast Listening Practice

    OCT 9

    Totoro, Steak & Escape Rooms｜Chinese–English Bilingual Podcast Listening Practice

    This one’s part London adventure, part Mandarin listening practice. Tom celebrated his birthday and 10-year anniversary with Ula — a surprise visit from Auntie Kara, a Studio Ghibli stage show (“My Neighbour Totoro”), London’s best steak at Steak & Company, and an escape-room fail that turned into a win… with only 18 seconds left on the clock. It’s a bilingual Chinese–English episode, so you’ll get real, natural Chinese with clear English context — perfect for learners who want genuine Mandarin conversation, not classroom scripts. 🎧 What’s inside: Life in the UK told in Mandarin + EnglishReal couple conversation for natural listening practiceStudio Ghibli, London travel, and the best wagyu steak we’ve ever hadWhy escape rooms are secretly relationship testsHow to use fun topics like these to learn real-life Chinese 📍 Chapters: 0:00 – Hump Day & intro chaos 2:45 – Birthday surprise & planning 6:40 – London trip + Totoro show 12:30 – Japanese restaurant adventure 17:40 – Theatre review 22:00 – Covent Garden wander + 5G rant 25:10 – Best steak in London: Steak & Company 30:20 – Underground games & escape-room fail 39:00 – Alice in Puzzleland redemption 43:50 – Westfield, mystery board game & wrap-up Want to learn Mandarin with us? Book a free trial lesson: https://mandarinmonkey.com Say hi: chat@mandarinmonkey.com #ChinesePodcast #MandarinListening #LearnChinese #BilingualPodcast #LondonTravel #StudioGhibli #EscapeRoom Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    46 min
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4.7
out of 5
126 Ratings

About

Chinese and English Language podcast. A mixed couple (Tom & Ula) living in Taiwan, teach Chinese through the use of Chinglish (Chinese and English) on a variety of topics. Learn Chinese, study methods, Entertainment, news, life, business, hints and tricks to learning Mandarin. Hear a native speaking naturally and at natural pace but with the English translation so you can follow the context of the conversation. Enjoy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Mandarin Monkey
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2025
  • Episodes
    483
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Mandarin Monkey
  • Show Website
    Mandarin Monkey Podcast

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