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 building meaningful friendships through Chinese, discovering the joy of reading and writing characters, and how Chinese has deepened his global perspective, both personally and professionally.
Carl’s story is a reminder that Chinese is learnable, and it doesn’t have to be boring.
Links from the episode:
Do you have a story to share? Reach out to us
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Betrayal: Weekly
Betrayal Weekly is back for a brand new season. Every Thursday, Betrayal Weekly shares first-hand accounts of broken trust, shocking deceptions, and the trail of destruction they leave behind. Hosted by Andrea Gunning, this weekly ongoing series digs into real-life stories of betrayal and the aftermath. From stories of double lives to dark discoveries, these are cautionary tales and accounts of resilience against all odds. From the producers of the critically acclaimed Betrayal series, Betrayal Weekly drops new episodes every Thursday. Please join our Substack for additional exclusive content, curated book recommendations and community discussions. Sign up FREE by clicking this link Beyond Betrayal Substack. Join our community dedicated to truth, resilience and healing. Your voice matters! Be a part of our Betrayal journey on Substack. And make sure to check out Seasons 1-4 of Betrayal, along with Betrayal Weekly Season 1.