Is Chinese Really The Hardest Language in The World ?
Chinese is often called the hardest language in the world with its complex writing and tonal…
So How Long Does It Take?
You might be wondering, “how long does it take to master Mandarin?” Factor in your…
You Cannot Be Tone-Deaf In China
Chinese poetry is a blur of semanticism, tone variation and complexities. This month, our resident…
A Journey to the East
With the part that the Chinese writing system plays in Japanese and Korean, one may…
Attainment, Home and Away
It came and went as quickly as the build up from the western new year—that’s…
新年快乐! Or, Happy New Year!
From semantics to celebrations to misinterpretations, language is more than just memorizing words and phrases—as we discover in this…
Catching the Mouse
What is the best method for learning Mandarin? Well, there isn’t one. But there are a number of options…
Guess What? Cantonese Rules, Too
It’s easy to forget that not far behind the most widely spoken Chinese language is the lovable Cantonese, of…
Beware of Long Vacations
Mostly, this column has been about how grueling yet immensely fulfilling it is to study Mandarin. Not this time….
Here Comes The Much Dreaded HSK…
Most of us know about the HSK, but how many of us have actually taken it or are aiming…