You Can Learn Chinese

In this episode, Jared sits down with Renata Mirkova, a Chinese language educator from the Czech Republic whose journey into Mandarin began not with a grand plan, but almost by accident. What started as a university entrance decision led her to master Chinese, live in China, and now teach both Czech and Chinese across cultural boundaries.

Renata shares the unique challenges of learning Chinese in a non-English-speaking environment, ...

After 300 days of secretly studying Chinese, one guy surprises his partner with phrases like “the cheesecake is grieving” and “the purple elephant eats passion for breakfast.” It’s a bit humorous, but it also highlights a bigger issue: extreme learning methods that feel productive but fall flat in practice.

In this episode, Jared and John dive into seven common extremes they’ve seen (and lived) in the world of learning Chinese. From...

Can you become fluent in Chinese without teachers, classes, or even Chinese speakers around you? For Serbian software engineer Marko Javoanovic, the answer is “yes” by focusing on “fluency now”.

In this episode, Marko shares how he started learning Japanese out of a love for anime but quickly pivoted to Chinese when he realized there were far more Chinese people than Japanese in his hometown of Novi Sad, Serbia. What began as a curi...

Ever wonder how the place you study Chinese can shape your accent, comprehension, and even identity as a learner?

In this episode, Jared and John dive into the importance of where you learn Mandarin in China and how different regions can affect your speaking and listening skills. From Beijing’s “pirate R’s” to the relaxed tones of Taipei and the “happy medium” of Shanghai, they explore the linguistic quirks of China’s top Mandarin l...

What happens when you move abroad at age 10 and suddenly find yourself in daily Chinese class? For Freddy Buechel, it was the start of an adventure that took him from Singapore to Taiwan, back to the U.S., and eventually to Shanghai for a full-on study abroad immersion.

In this episode, Freddy shares his winding journey of learning Chinese across multiple countries, his turning point moment ordering bubble tea as a kid, and why flue...

Jared and John are back with a full episode dedicated to answering listener questions covering everything from language learning strategies to cultural quirks. 

They explore the challenges of using sarcasm in Mandarin, how to prepare for a trip to China if you're not yet fluent, and whether watching Chinese TV shows actually helps improve listening skills.

And yes, they also get into one of the most common learner frustrations: y...

In this replay of a fan-favorite episode, John and Jared discuss the concept of fluency now as opposed to some distant time in the future and how reading will get you there.Guest interview is with Olle Linge of Hacking Chinese and Chinese language enthusiast extraordinaire. He offers the Chinese learning tips that he wishes someone had told him back when he started Chinese.Thanks for listening to our podcast! Please write us a revi...

What happens when a Swedish physics student decides to go all-in on Chinese? Meet Karl Vilhelmsson, a particle physics student at Stanford’s SLAC lab and a self-described language adventurer. 

From a middle school classroom in Stockholm to immersive conversations with a Taiwanese friend and a solo Chinese language-only trip to Suzhou, Carl shares how curiosity and fun fueled his Chinese learning journey. 

Carl talks with Jared about ...

Chinese learners today are surrounded by video, TikToks from tutors, YouTube explainers, online courses, sitcoms, and AI-powered tools promising to boost your progress. But with so much content, it's easy to feel overwhelmed or stuck in passive learning.

In this episode, we dive into how to actually learn Chinese through video. Jared and John discuss the strengths and limitations of different approaches, from short-form content ...

Chaniece Chen didn’t just study Chinese, she built her own major, battled burnout in an intensive language program, and came back for more. In this episode, Jared talks with Chaniece about her 12-year journey in China, from struggling with tones to thriving in Shanghai as a translator, community organizer, and content creator.

Chaniece opens up about the highs and lows of immersion: how her college program led to burnout, how thinki...

You’re reading Chinese, and there it is, pinyin over every character. It feels helpful, even comforting. But is it actually holding you back? In this episode, Jared and John explore how pinyin can become a crutch that cripples your Chinese progress and keeps you from truly mastering characters.

They revisit Jared’s blog post from years ago, Pinyin Over Characters: The Crippling Crutch, and unpack how this issue is still alive and we...

In this episode, Jared sits down with Chimsy—marketer, meme connoisseur, and host of the China University Podcast—to dive deep into his unconventional journey from Costa Rica to China. What started as a challenge to prove a dismissive restaurant owner wrong turned into a life-changing adventure of language, culture, and self-discovery.

Chimsy shares how he went from working graveyard shifts in call centers to earning a Chinese gover...

AI tutors are everywhere—but are they actually good for learning Chinese? In this episode, Jared and John take a deep dive into the fast-evolving world of AI-powered language learning tools. They explore how these AI tutors work and why tools that work well in English often fall short in Chinese.

You'll learn:

 - The surprising limitations of AI when it comes to staying within beginner-friendly vocabulary

 - How AI tutors compare ...

Meet Paul Mike Ashton, the American content creator who turned a quirky catchphrase into a nationwide sensation with his viral "City 不 City" meme. Growing up in a small town in Pennsylvania, Paul's curiosity for Asian cultures led him to study Chinese, setting him on a path that would take him from the Amish countryside to the neon lights of Shanghai.

From his first Chinese class in high school to study abroad stints i...

Is translation a necessary tool or a crutch that slows down your Chinese fluency? In this episode, Jared Turner and John Pasden dive deep into the role of translation in language learning. They explore the history of the grammar-translation method, the rise of communicative language teaching, and how translation can both help and hinder your progress. 

Drawing on their own experiences learning Chinese, they share practical insights ...

In this replay of a fan-favorite episode, Jared chats with Grant Brown, an expert in HSK and AP Chinese test prep. Grant shares why so many students fail, and more importantly, what you need to do to pass. Drawing on his experience as both a teacher and test prep specialist, he offers practical and often overlooked advice you won’t hear anywhere else.

You’ll learn why reading is your secret weapon and how it can make your classmates...

Surprise! When it comes to Chinese, learners sometimes know things native speakers don’t. In this episode, John and Jared explore intriguing aspects of the Chinese language that learners often understand better than native speakers. From tone change rules, verb conjugations (or the lack thereof), and those tricky three 的, 得, and 地, they break down details that most Chinese speakers never had to consciously learn. They also highligh...

No matter how long you've been learning Chinese, you’ll still have an accent. But why is that? In this episode, Jared and John talk about your accent in Chinese and how to reduce it. They discuss the differences in how accents are perceived in China versus the West, tackle some of the toughest pronunciation challenges like pinyin pitfalls, tone swaps, and the elusive Mandarin "R" sound, and share insights on what it r...

What happens when an American comedian immerses himself in Chinese comedy? Jesse Appell’s journey is nothing short of extraordinary. In this episode, Jesse shares how his curiosity about language led him to study in China, become a Fulbright scholar, and apprentice under a master of Xiangsheng (traditional Chinese cross-talk comedy). He takes us through the highs and challenges of performing comedy in Chinese, founding a bilingual ...