Episodes
Should you learn Traditional or Simplified Chinese? It's one of the biggest questions every Chinese learner faces. In this episode, I explain the history behind both writing systems, share my personal experience growing up with both Traditional and Simplified Chinese, and compare their advantages, differences, and common misconceptions.
Episodes
Do you have memories that feel strangely unreal, even though you know they happened? In this episode, I share some personal stories where this has happened to me and explore a psychological phenomenon that many people experience but rarely talk about. We discuss why certain experiences become isolated "islands&
Episodes
Remember the moment when everyone around you laughed at a joke—and you had no idea why? It happens to me a lot when I am learning a new language! Understanding humor is often one of the final stages of language learning because jokes rely on much more than vocabulary.
Episodes
Why are humans so fascinated by mysteries? As a child, I loved reading about paranormal phenomena, lost civilizations, UFOs, ancient curses, and unexplained events. Although I'm a fairly skeptical person today, those stories sparked my imagination and made the world feel much larger and more mysterious. In this
Episodes
When people think of Shanghai today, they often picture skyscrapers, financial districts, and one of the world's most modern cities. But the Shanghai I remember from childhood was very different. In this episode, I share my experience moving to the city in 1992 and attending a local Chinese
Episodes
Why do East Asian students often perform so well in mathematics? Is it purely culture and education—or could language itself play a role? In this episode, we explore a fascinating idea: the structure of the Chinese language may offer certain advantages when it comes to learning numbers, memorizing information,
Episodes
Many language learners experience a frustrating stage where progress seems to slow down or even stop. You know more vocabulary than ever before, but native content still feels difficult, and it's no longer obvious what you should study next. In this episode, we explore the idea of the
Episodes
Welcome to the very first episode of Mandarin Lens. We explore the idea that learning a new language is more than just learning new words — it can also change the way we experience the world, or even our personality! Mandarin Lens Ep. 10:00/475.6009791× Listen Everywhere Follow Mandarin