#1: YangYang – Based in the U.S. but of Chinese descent, YangYang consistently delivers high-quality Chinese learning videos. With professional presentations, effective teaching methods ,and concise explanations, Yangyang does a great job of teaching Mandarin. She covers topics such as grammar, Pinyin, and important Chinese basics. Finding really high quality Chinese learning videos online is always tough, but Yangyang is right up there in providing the best of these kinds of videos. You can also find more of her video lessons on YoyoChinese.com.

#2: ChineseClass101 – Do you want to learn Chinese in three minutes? ChineseClass101 supplies various Chinese learning videos, and one of them is about how to learn Chinese in three minutes. There are several basic simple sentences that the teacher, Ma Yanru, explains in detail. They also have special vocabulary learning videos. It’s a very simple way to learn; different pictures are shown, along with their pronunciation, making it a good resource for kids to learn new words. Their travel videos are very useful as well, and they give you a tour of some places, and even include survival skills.

#3: ChineseFor.us – ChineseFor.us is hosted and run by Lili, who lives in the US and focuses on teaching through video. Her courses include pronunciation, characters, and a how-to-say series. Now she is making a course based on HSK. Her teaching style is repeating the target content several times to make sure you are engaged and will remember her lessons.

#4: DigMandarin – DigMandarin does not mainly focus on making videos on Youtube, but you can always find newly released Chinese courses or introductions about Chinese learning on their YouTube page. What`s more, since DigMandarin is a comprehensive platform, the videos are made by various Chinese teachers in systematic ways. Thus, you can always find the type of course which can fit your taste and learning abilities. You can find more high quality Mandarin Chinese learning video courses on their site.

#5: ShuoshuoChinese – With over years of experience as a Chinese teacher, Shuo shares her expertise and unique perspective on her YouTube channel, Shuoshuo Chinese. Her lessons aim to provide a complete understanding of Chinese language and culture by building a rich and authentic vocabulary. In addition to teaching new words that aren’t included in most textbooks, she also helps students unlearn words and phrases that Chinese people don’t actually use. Shuo is a very personable teacher, her videos feel just like a one-on-one session with a tutor. You can get to know her better through interviews and vlogs, which are also excellent listening practice. If you’re looking for content that is authentic and engaging, you’ve come to the right channel.

#6: GoEast Language Center – Looking to go beyond the words and expressions taught in textbooks? Well, these videos are worth watching. One of their playlists is called Beyond Class. They have over a hundred short videos that focus on teaching you mandarin words that you won’t learn in a class but are frequently used by Chinese people in their daily lives. Each video illustrates one word with a mini drama, which is entertaining and fun. It only takes 1 or 2 minutes to learn a new word in your spare time. Why not?

#7: MandarinBean  – You may already be familiar with Mandarin Bean’s graded reading content from their website. You may also know that the content on their website also features full audio, which allows you to listen along as you read. Well, in early 2022, Mandarin Bean launched their official YouTube channel, where you can discover high-quality graded audio content. Organized by the HSK level, their channel offers content for all learners, from absolute beginners to advanced students. Each video lasts about 5-10 minutes and briefly explains a topic of interest using level-appropriate vocabulary and sentence structures at regular speed and slower speed. It is an excellent supplement to any learner’s regimen, allowing you to practice listening comprehension and get familiar with hearing new vocabulary words in context. Besides, they also provide the corresponding reading comprehension exercises in each episode. And, if you don’t have YouTube premium, you can also go to their website and download these lessons to listen to while you’re on the go. Overall, this channel is just another way to discover Mandarin Bean’s top-notch graded reading and listening content.

#8: Chinese Zero to Hero – Although also focusing on HSK content learning just like other channels, this YouTube page still stands out. This channel shows two Chinese men explaining grammar points according to the HSK requirements. The grammar points coverage is wider than many of the other Chinese teaching YouTubers. You can find some explanations on their page which are less mentioned by others.

#9: ChinesePod – ChinesePod has been one of the most popular and reputable Chinese learning channels on YouTube for about 10 years now. They offer many different series hosted by a variety of teachers, including Question Time with Rebecca and Daily Characters with Carly. From newbie lessons to their survival series, this YouTube channel is always trying to make new and unique content. All of their videos are fairly short– anywhere from 15 seconds to 10 minutes–which is perfect for getting in some studying during your free time.

#10: Everyday Chinese – With nearly 350k subscribers, Everyday Chinese is one of the most popular Chinese learning channels on YouTube, and with good reason. Their lessons go beyond teaching basic vocabulary and grammar. They introduce interesting cultural points, explain complex grammar concepts, and teach useful, authentic vocabulary. Most of their content is directed at different HSK levels. There are also videos that focus on sharpening specific skills, such as writing and pronunciation. In many of the areas you want to work on, Everyday Chinese has content to help you improve your language skills in the process.

# Honorable Mention : Meditation for Chinese Learners – Immersion is one of the best methods for learning a new language, and Meditation for Chinese Learners is a new channel (started in 2021) dedicated to creating immersive and relaxing experiences. Their channel offers short meditations, narrated in Chinese, for a variety of proficiency levels. Crafted by a team of very professional Chinese teachers, each video includes relevant vocabulary and sentence structures. You can even view the full script and a list of vocabulary words in the video’s description. The teachers speak softly and clearly, which not only creates a calming atmosphere but also makes the content easy to follow. Each lesson is also enhanced by gentle music and ambient sounds. It’s easy to just sit back, unwind, and let your listening practice be a calming experience.

The post Top Ten YouTube Channels for Learning Mandarin Chinese appeared first on .

Touch Chinese

TouchChinese is a leading Chinese school that offers live one-on-one online classes. All classes are handled by professional teachers.

As you set out to learn Mandarin, it is essential that you get a native Chinese teacher who can converse with you and give feedback. You’ll need one who can pinpoint your weak points and help speed up your learning process.

Course Structure:

TouchChinese doesn’t follow a one-size-fits-all approach. All lessons are customizable according to the student’s needs. When you sign up for a lesson, you’ll be evaluated based on your level of proficiency and learning goals.

Online Chinese classes are conducted via video conferencing platforms that are easy and convenient to use. Teachers use online materials and present them via screen sharing so that both teacher and student can watch and discuss the topic. This technique also helps students learn to write Chinese characters.

TouchChinese has highly qualified teachers, each with a bachelor’s degree at the minimum. They are bilingual and speak English fluently. Before they can take on students, they undergo extensive training to maintain high quality teaching.

The schedule of classes is flexible, allowing you to take lessons depending on your availability. You may also cancel or reschedule with a 12-hour notice without getting charged.

Courses Content:

TouchChinese offers a wide range of structured-approach and needs-based Chinese lessons. For example:

• General Chinese
• Spoken Chinese
• Chinese for Kids/Teens
• Chinese Test Preparation/HSK
• Business Chinese
• Daily Chinese

You could also customize or choose a different Chinese lesson other than those listed above.

Price:

The cost of each lesson depends on the number of topics and length of class. Typically, you’ll spend somewhere between $13 and $18 per lesson. (view pricing detail)

Get one trial class for FREE (click to schedule)

Yoyo Chinese

Yoyo Chinese was started in 2007, more than 10 years ago. It`s easy to find free video episodes of Yoyo Chinese on YouTube that cover pinyin, grammar, and conversational lessons. Yoyo Chinese was founded by Yoyo Cheng, the main host of the video Chinese courses. She is probably the most well-known and productive Chinese online course teacher. Her courses are mainly designed from zero to upper-intermediate level learners.

Course Structure:

The free episodes contain individual knowledge points while the paid packages are organized in a systematic level by level progression.

The levels contain a Beginner Conversational Course, an Intermediate Conversational Course, and an Upper Intermediate Conversational Course. You can learn from the beginning and onward.

You can also focus on specific parts to study, such as the Grammar Serial Course, Chinese Characters Course, or even Chinese Learning Tips Course.

There are various useful tools that you can download, such as PDF files like worksheets, e-books, and lecture notes. The Pinyin Chart of Yoyo Chinese even contains videos for each featured letter.

Yoyo has clearly put a lot of time into how to teach Chinese. The videos break down the topics very clearly. Since Yoyo was working as a TV show host in English, her language background and hosting style are outstanding. Her English expressions and accents are better than many other Chinese native teachers.

Course Content:

• Conversational Courses:

The Conversational Courses are packaged from beginner level to upper intermediate level. In each level, hundreds of videos are included as well as quizzes and practice parts. It`s recommended to take this course so that you can lay a good foundation, especially on grammar.

• Chinese Character Course:

Unlike other online character course, this course is more systematic and includes more than 300 essential characters which equals to HSK level 2 requirement. Furthermore, you can use interactive flashcards to type and review the characters. Each character has its own images & animations, memorable explanations, with story and cultural notes, which can help you memorize the characters in a better way.

All of these courses are comprised of video lessons, audio reviews, flashcards, and quizzes.

Price:

There are two payment options for gaining access to Yoyo Chinese:

Subscription: starting 11.99USD/month

One-time Payment: 299USD for lifetime access.

Save 10% on a sale to Yoyo Chinese with the promo code “DIGMANDARIN10”.

ChineseClass101

Class 101 serial courses include not only Mandarin Chinese, but also Cantonese, English, Korean, and other languages. The ChineseClass101 course targets your language levels. Choosing your own level is one of the registration steps. Once you enter your home page, you can start your course and track your learning steps.

Course Structure:

The level you choose after registering determines your corresponding content. You can also add a pathway through the library to enrich your learning content. Besides the pathways, you will also have the latest lessons on the page so that you can learn something new.

Unlike other video course websites, there are many audio lessons, but the video lessons are also plentiful.

In each lesson, there are simplified and traditional Chinese characters to read. Pinyin, lesson notes, and translations are also presented. You can also take lesson notes online if you need them.

Course Content:

The free courses are mainly from elementary to intermediate level. Each level includes different categories, such as listening comprehension, reading comprehension, and everyday dialogue. There are also vocabulary and culture courses for you to pick from.

There are several paid course packages. If you subscribe to the premium courses, you can get different paid services, such as personal word banks, bonus vocabulary, convenient downloads, and even professional assessments.

Price:

ChineseClass101 is paid for by the month. The 1 USD dollar special offer is only for new members. It`s more like a trial month for you to see if this course fits your needs. You can also just skip the trial step to enter your home page to try the free courses or upgrade to premium membership. The monthly prices are all below 30USD.

ChineseFor.us

ChineseFor.us is a relatively young website which was founded by Lili and Chuck who are now based in the US. The main host is Lili herself, though sometimes Chuck appears as a cartoon figure. You can also find many free lessons on YouTube.

Course Structure:

The lessons of ChineseFor.us are not very long. The knowledge points are divided into small units. The advantage with these kinds of lessons is they are easy to digest and just take you a few minutes.

The main content of this site now focuses on the beginner level. There is the elementary introduction course, beginning & HSK 1 level course, pinyin drills course, and the common words learning course.

The teaching style of Lili is clear: relaxed and simple. It`s recommended to use your spare time to watch her videos.

Course Content:

For beginners, the Chinese Characters Writing course from Chinese For.us is a really good start. With this course, you can learn how to write from zero to thousands of characters. With this comprehensive guide, you will find writing in Chinese can be quite easy and understandable. The course’s clear instructions will show you the inner logic behind character construction, and will teach you the HOW’s and WHY’s behind the Chinese writing system.

Price:

The payment of ChineseFor.us is also by the month. Unlike ChineseClass101, there are 3 time-periods to choose: 1 month, 6 months, and 1 year. The prices range from 19~110USD.

Save 15% on a subscription to Chinesefor.us with the promo code “DigMandarin”.

DigMandarin

DigMandarin distinguishes itself as a premier online resource for Chinese language learning. It provides an extensive selection of online courses and materials, designed to meet the needs of learners at every level.

The curriculum of its online courses is thoughtfully crafted to progressively enhance language skills in a structured and effective manner. Covering key components of the language such as pronunciation, grammar, Chinese characters, and vocabulary, the courses offer a thorough and well-rounded approach to learning.

Course Structure:

Distinct from other online course platforms, DigMandarin offers a unique array of courses from various teachers and websites, all conveniently accessible in one location. It provides more than just video content; it’s a comprehensive network for Chinese language learning. Take, for instance, the HSK series courses: these include not only tutorials based on the HSK Standard Course but also detailed HSK mock paper analysis for each level, complete with free downloadable papers.

Additionally, DigMandarin provides extensive resources for the HSK tests, including introductions to the tests, tips and suggestions, information on registration and test dates, vocabulary lists, as well as reading and listening practice materials. This specialized subject matter is continually expanding and regularly updated.

Furthermore, DigMandarin caters to diverse learning preferences with its variety of teaching styles. Whether you favor a relaxed and easy-going approach or a more serious, academic style, there is a wide range of hosts and courses to suit your preferences.

To enhance the learning experience, DigMandarin provides a wealth of additional materials. Each course comes with its corresponding downloadable PDF notes. Some courses also offer online quizzes to assess your learning progress or a free e-book for added convenience in your studies.

Course Content:

DigMandarin’s curriculum includes a detailed Chinese Pronunciation Course, which is crucial for beginners to master the sounds of Mandarin.

For those interested in writing, the Chinese Characters Courses enable students to learn and write Chinese characters independently.

Vocabulary building is covered extensively in the Chinese Vocabulary Courses, aimed at quickly and effectively expanding the learner’s word bank.

The Chinese Grammar Courses provide an in-depth understanding of essential grammar points, making it easier for students to grasp complex language structures.

For practical communication skills, the Chinese Made Simple Courses progress learners from basic to intermediate levels, aligning well with HSK standards.

The Step by Step Chinese Courses, based on the New Practical Chinese Reader, offer a traditional textbook approach to learning.

Additionally, for those preparing for proficiency tests, the HSK Mock Test Courses provide valuable practice and insights.

DigMandarin’s content is updated on a regular basis. Therefore, you can always find something new and worth learning here.

Price:

There are various pricing plans, including individual course purchases and membership plans. The Essential Plan covers basic courses and ebooks, while the HSK Plan and NPCR Plan offer more comprehensive options suited to specific needs.

DigMandarin provides a 7-day money-back guarantee policy for unsatisfied learners, ensuring a risk-free trial for new users.

The post The Most Recommended Online Chinese Courses appeared first on .

Many people recommend foreign language learners to watch songs and movies as a less boring alternative to studying from textbooks. However, oftentimes translating the content can be quite tiresome and using subtitles results in people being lazy and reading subtitles without actually absorbing too much new knowledge.

What is FluentU?

FluentU is an innovative way to learn languages through experiencing trending media content in that language. It allows you to access the best foreign language content on the web such as movie trailers, movies, music videos, songs and inspiring talks.

How does FluentU work?

FluentU works by allowing you to pause the videos and songs and focus on specific words and sentences creating an experience that you don’t get from the regular subtitling of videos. It’s pretty much watching foreign language media content but with tools that enable you to slow it down and learn exactly what is happening in each song lyric, or frame of the video.

Assessment

Pros

• You can pause at ANY frame to hear the pronunciation, see the pinyin and characters of the word that peaks your curiosity.
• You can learn all the vocabulary before watching the video, but even this learning section has interactive videos from Chinese Media to go with each word/grammar point.
• All vocabulary and dialogue from the video and audio files are catalogued with pinyin, characters and pronunciations – great attention to detail.
• You can download the transcripts if you want to save it to your system.
• You can browse the video and audio libraries by different topics, different formats or by the difficulty of the content.
• Extensive library with over 2,300 video files and almost 500 audio files.
• You have the option to favorite media files as they browse and these are saved under the “My Content” tab to be much more easily found later on.
• Much more fun, interactive and appealing than learning from a textbook.
• Lots of content is accessible even without a VPN.
• Website design is done in a manner that makes it very simple to navigate.
• Also contains the more traditional methods of flashcard-based learning if one requires it.

Cons

• Lacks the structure of a classroom approach where new knowledge builds upon old knowledge.
• In this model, despite each video having a difficulty rating, the learning process is quite random and up to the individual’s mood/preference of videos.
• The Plus mode, which showcases the best attributes about this product costs $18 per month. Even you just want unlimited access to videos and songs, you must pay $8 per month. The free mode doesn’t seem worth it and that’s the biggest con for all you frugal readers out there.

Verdict

Overall, I’m a great supporter of this platform because it is much more appropriate for the modern learner. These days, we have all the equipment to make learning interactive rather than the rote methods of textbooks and standardized testing and FluentU capitalizes on this idea. They have also done a complete job by cataloguing all the vocab and dialogue on every video for you to be able to study it line by line. The only problem is that there is a substantial cost to get the best out of this product. If you paid the amounts they require, would you be disciplined enough to use the product without external pressure from teachers and learning programs to consistently use it?

Learn more at FluentU.

The post Reviewing FluentU: An interactive approach to learning Chinese appeared first on .

Watching Foreign Movies For Learning Language

Pros and Cons

There are good reasons for watching movies in Mandarin Chinese at any stage of learning.

1. Movies really can help you to get used to all those confusing sounds and tones, as well as commonly used idioms and exclamations.
2. While watching movies you will listen to the specific rhythm and flow of the Mandarin. Along the way you will learn more about Chinese traditions and certain cultural mannerisms.
3. If you enjoy watching cinema, then movies may help you to build a stronger motivation to learn the language and create a Chinese immersion environment (even if you live far from China!).
4. The benefits of watching movies in Mandarin seem to be so obvious that it is difficult to understand why do people don’t use this learning practice on a regular basis. The problem lies on the other side of the coin.

What are the typical complaints that language learners have about watching movies with the goal to improve their skills in Mandarin?

1. Difficulties with focusing on the language. Most movies are long and this time factor makes it hard to focus on the learning process.
2. No vocabulary and grammar explanations. Though intuitive understanding of grammar is the best way of learning, acquiring these skills with watching movies may become very time-consuming. You have to guess how phrases and sentences are built. Sometimes you will seem to know the meaning of a new word, but feel unsure how to use it in everyday life.
3. Inability to use dictionaries. Movies in Mandarin often have subtitles but if you can’t read characters they are almost useless. Besides that, you have to focus on the story line, and there is no time to find the translation.
4. No hands on interaction. You just have no time to repeat or write down the sentences. Movies move too fast for you to make use of the Chinese you may hear in the film.

So how many times do you need to watch a movie to memorize at least something? Or how do you make movie watching efficient in my Chinese learner?

How To Overcome Those Problems?

It looks like there is good news for Mandarin learners. TouchChinese seems to know about the problems listed above. “Learn practical Chinese from movies” course provides a smart approach to using movies for studying language. Here are some reasons you should consider using this as way to learn Chinese.

• No need to find suitable content. TouchChinese has already picked the popular movies for you. They also listed them in the order that is most suitable for learners. Simple words and sentences come first.
• Short videos. The video lessons last for several minutes so you don’t get exhausted or bored..
• No need to use dictionaries. The subtitles with pinyin and translation are provided.
• There are clear explanations on vocabulary and basic grammar patterns. Even tricky things (e.g., does 得 sounds “de” and “dei”?) become less complicated when there are so good video examples.
• Exercises with keys learning points. You can practice your recently acquired skills with exercises and get the right answers. You will able to apply it in your Chinese language and improve.
• It is just fun! The course creators were careful not only about grammar and vocabulary guidelines but also about the design. It’s extremely well outlined in all aspects for the Chinese learners in mind!

I believe TouchChinese has done great job with this creative movie course. The only thing I wish is …more videos, more movies and more vocabulary! The first 10 lessons seem to be for beginners. If someday TouchChinese decides to make a bunch of lessons for intermediate and advanced students I would like to watch those more in-depth episodes.

The post Learn Practical Chinese From Movies – Video Course Review appeared first on .

Here Are The Eleven Crucial Chinese Phrases:

Wèi shēng zhǐ (卫生纸) – Toilet paper

In rural China, there are not many toilet seats and you will be required to squat to use the restroom. It is a good idea to have toilet paper on hand because many restrooms may not have public toilet paper.

Cè suǒ zài nǎ ?(厕所在哪？) – Where is the restroom?

It is important to know how ask where the restroom because the signs may not be obvious or in your language.

Nǐ hěn niú (你很牛) – You are awesome.

This is a compliment that you can give to people when they do something great. It is good to know how to compliment people to build relationships in China.

Nǎ lǐ nǎ lǐ (哪里哪里) – No, no.

This is a way to be polite and humble that Chinese people will appreciate in your travels. Though it means “where, where” it is a good response to a compliment Chinese people give you.

Duō shǎo qián (多少钱) – How much money?

It is important to know how to ask for the price while traveling in China. People in China don’t give anything for free. Everything from bargaining or eating out requires money and you want to know how much you need to pay as a traveler.

Bú yào fàng wèi jīng (不要放味精) – Don’t want MSG

As a foreigner the food in China may not be healthy since MSG is used in many dishes in China. However, you can ask for no MSG in your meal if you do not want it in your meal.

Lǎo wài (老外) – Foreigner

As a foreigner, you may want to know how to say the word foreigner in Chinese so that you know people may be talking about you.

Bù yào jiā là jiāo (不要加辣椒) – Don’t want to add spice

Chinese spices may be more intense that you are used to back home, so you may want to ask for no spicy sauce till you try some.

Wǒ bù yào (我不要) – I don’t want

While traveling in China, “I don’t want” is a great way to get out of any salesmen trying to get you to buy their merchandise.

Tài guì le (太贵了) – Too expensive

Chinese people are known to bargain and you should join the fun. But since you will be a foreigner shopkeepers may believe that you have a lot of money and may over charge you on the price.

Jiào jǐng chá (叫警察) – Call the police

Since China can be dangerous, it is a useful phrase to get yourself some help from the police officers or help someone else with any problems.

With these phrases, the local Chinese people will be impressed by your knowledge and may even want to have a relationship with you. Relationships can be very useful especially traveling throughout China. Remember to practice these Chinese phrases and don’t worry if you don’t get right the first time, it takes practice. When traveling as a foreigner, Chinese people are very helpful when you trying to speak their language. Safe travels and enjoy your trip to China.

The post 11 Crucial Chinese Phrases You Must Know Before You Travel to China appeared first on .

Made in 2012, A Bite of China is a TV series that documents Chinese cuisine, including historical cooking methods and various dishes originating in China. After the first broadcast, which was on May 14th, 2012, the show became quite popular and China Central Television’s ratings rose. Throughout seven episodes, the show gave viewers an idea of the history behind an array of diverse foods that hailed from over 60 different places in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and mainland China. A Bite of China has been an excellent way for those who are not familiar with Chinese cuisine to gain a basic understanding of the various foods and the culture associated with them. The project involved several notable chefs, who served as consultants to ensure that the information was being presented accurately.

The Videos of A Bite of China (English Version)

• Gifts from Nature (自然的馈赠)

• The Story of Staple Foods (主食的故事)

• Inspiration for Change (转化的灵感)

• The Taste of Time (时间的味道)

• Secrets of the Kitchen (厨房的秘密)

• A Perfect Blend of Five Flavors (五味的调和)

• Our Farm (我们的田野)

PS: If you are based in China, please watch the all videos here

The post A Bite of China: A Must-see if You Love Chinese Food and Culture appeared first on .

Thumbs Up:

• All of the videos are short and focused on specific, practical needs of people living in China. Chris really focuses on conversations that actually occur when living in China.
• The course is very thorough ensuring that each topic sticks to its main point, and striving to cover everything you could possible need within the stated objective.
• While he guides the viewer through the videos, the actual speaking and demonstration is done by a native Chinese speaker, which helps the viewer with listening.
• The course asks questions in a way that allows viewers to put things together for themselves without directly giving us the answers.
• Timely pauses to allow the viewer to practice along with the video.
• Character translations of everything covered in the video. These are also duplicated below so that viewers can take notes later.
• The course practices reading, speaking and listening skills giving you all the characters you need to practice writing as well if you wish.
• Electronic flashcards available for extra practice after watching the videos.

Thumbs Down:

• The package is not free, so if you are on a budget, you will still be able to learn many of the same things from the huge amount of resources available online.
• Requires VPN inside of Mainland China, and therefore it can only be studied prior to arriving here.
• After the payment, there is a chance that only some of the lessons are relevant to your specific experiences in China. However, you are required to buy the complete package.

Review:

The best attributes of ‘Survive in Chinese’ are that it allows you to practice all your Chinese skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) as well as the fact that it focuses on very practical Chinese. For the vacationing foreigner, as well as the determined student, this course provides a natural and easy progression into Chinese. It is much more dynamic, detailed and multi-faceted than learning straight from a textbook.

Recommendation:

‘Survive in Chinese’ gets a strong recommendation from me simply because it wholly delivers on what its primary focus is – to give a linguistic foundation for people to survive here. The only minor concern is that it cannot be used in Mainland China without a VPN, and therefore if you cannot make that investment, it is best to complete this course before you arrive in China.

The post ‘Survive in Chinese’ Review appeared first on .

Introduction

CJ: Do you mind introducing yourself to our readers so that we can know you better?

Carmen: My name is Carmen, and I do a YouTube Channel called Off the Great Wall. Right now, I’m in New York, Manhattan. Actually, I didn’t really want to be a host, but before doing this, I was a producer of indie programs. I was asked to do some sort of program that talks about the social happenings of China and things like that, and so I had the idea of doing this. I tried to find a host and I found Dan. So, Dan is the guy, but we didn’t find any females. So, I said,: “Okay, fine, I’ll do it.” Gradually, I got used to it and, actually, I’m not that bad, so I continued doing it.

In the beginning of the show, we were actually looking at what’s viral in China. And then we would basically talk about it. Dan is more like an Asian that is more Americanized than I am, so he would ask me things in a more Western way. He wouldn’t understand the Chinese—that sort of thinking. And then we realized that we should probably target people like Dan, who don’t know much about Chinese culture, and educate them in a way that they would accept, because we were talking from a point of view that people wouldn’t really understand. So, I think that’s how it kind of evolved. And, obviously, it has to be entertaining, as well, because young people nowadays, their attention span is so short. If it’s not entertaining, if it’s like a lecture, nobody is going to watch.

CJ: I found that there are various types of your videos. Which one is more popular?

Carmen: Well, we have a skit every single week. So, the skit is basically like a comedic looking at some of the cultural things that overseas Chinese and overseas Americans go through. We do educational videos, which we call RMV, because we couldn’t come up with a name, so we call them Random Miscellaneous Videos. Whatever random educational stuff that we can think of, we put it in. So, that one is usually me or Dan speaking in front of the camera, telling the audience about something. I think the most popular one is definitely the Chinese Family Tree. That one basically launched us from when we only had a few. And now we have the idea—because I experience it myself—of: “Oh, my aunts are called different, you know, from my dad’s side and from my mom’s side.” That’s really interesting because, in Western cultures, that never happens. It’s just aunt. And some Westerners just call them by their first name. Let’s draw this out and let’s just put it up, and that was very accepted. It went very viral, and I think that is the most popular video that we have, and a lot of people were introduced to us through that video.

Merging the East and the West

CJ: You often comment on some social and cultural issues. What is your perspective? Do you make those videos with your Westerner view or Chinese view?

Carmen: I don’t think of it really as a Westerner view or Chinese view. I think of it as my view, basically. For some of them, I can’t make up stuff because these are the facts. And if I wanted to put a view on it, I would say, at the end, “I think this. What do you guys think?” But the facts are the facts. It’s not something I make up. Our goal is really to show the cultural essence of China. They sometimes feel some of the things that we talk about are negative, but it’s not because we want to put a negative image on China. I just feel like, if these things do exist, then we should bring them out into the open and raise awareness and discuss it. Or else, how do you improve if you only talk about the good stuff and not the bad stuff? So, that’s just something we want to present to people. I feel like I’m in a unique position that I can experience both because I can actually understand Chinese and read Chinese. I can go online and see what people think. And I can also see and understand what the Westerners think. So, I don’t really put it in a Western view or Chinese view. I just think I do it through my view and I just connect the two together.

CJ: So, it’s not just for satisfying the curiosity of Westerners.

Carmen: No. Actually, that’s not even something that we think about when we brainstorm. We just think about what we think is entertaining and interesting, because a lot of the things that we do, I actually didn’t know myself until I went in to do the research and I thought: “Wow, this is definitely something I want to share with the audience.” There’s just so much to learn about China. It’s basically unlimited resources and materials to talk about, and China has a really deep history and culture. 5000 years of civilization. And I feel like we really, really need to treasure this because, a lot of the things we see today are a lot of good reflections of Chinese culture. I, myself, am actually interested in that. It’s not something we just pulled out.

Advantages and Challenges of Off the Great Wall

CJ: What are the biggest challenges you faced as hosts about China?

Carmen: Well, since besides being the host, I’m also the producer of the show, I think the biggest challenge is being able to constantly produce high quality videos so frequently and really learning the tools of the trade. Even though I don’t think we’re that popular because, compared to other YouTube Channels, we’re only in the tens of thousands—right now we’re only at 47 thousand—our goal is much, much higher than that. We want to reach a lot more people. So, we’ve only been around for a little bit over a year and YouTube has been around since 2006. So, there’s still a lot to learn. There’re still a lot of people we want to reach. I think, coming out with new stuff all the time, that’s interesting. That’s pretty difficult. And to understand the YouTube space is also a big challenge, because there’s just so much to learn there.

CJ: What is the best part of the job?

Carmen: The best part is really when we get the reactions and comments, because I remember when we had a couple thousand subscribers. And there was a lady who adopted some Chinese girls that messaged us. And, basically, they didn’t have a lot of Chinese people around. And the girls, because they’re a Western family, don’t like being Chinese. They always question: “Oh, why is my skin this color? Why are my eyes so small?” And so, they don’t want to be Chinese. And she said that, after seeing our videos, the little girls decided, “Oh, maybe it’s not so bad being a Chinese person. It’s pretty cool to be Chinese.” So, after seeing that message, we thought we’re really making a difference. Young people are feeling more connected to their roots and they don’t feel ashamed to be Chinese, because they’re watching our videos. And actually, that was the comment that really pushed us forward. And obviously, besides that, we also like the fact that Westerners are being educated about Chinese culture and they are so interested in our culture, as well. So, that’s something cool, as well.

How to learn Mandarin Chinese?

CJ: Are you also learning Mandarin now?

Carmen: I’m a Cantonese person. That’s the first language I learned. So, my Mandarin probably has some Cantonese accent in it but, actually, I’m surprised how many people are surprised that I know both languages. I’m not really formally learning it. I’m not taking classes or anything, but I’m always learning online, watching shows or videos, and reading, so I’m always self-learning, and I like to find out the stories behind words and the characters. And, actually, I didn’t speak it very well before because I was mainly surrounded by Westerners and Cantonese people. So, now that I have started doing this, I’ve made a lot more Mandarin-speaking friends. My Mandarin improved a lot more when I started to talk to them.

CJ: Now a lot of Chinese learners are following you. Do you think your videos could help Chinese learning?

Carmen: Well, the thing is, I’m not a teacher that can teach you the pronunciation and the characters, or whatever. I don’t want to teach them just the language. I want to teach them the culture and how it’s used in real life, because a lot of these teaching Chinese channels are just teaching the words and not really how it’s applied in real life. And I think, in our videos, you can see how it’s applied in real life because we act it out in real life situations. I think, in that way, they will benefit. Because I don’t have the best Mandarin accent, it’s not the best to learn Chinese from me, but to understand how it’s used in the cultural context, in that way they’ll learn a lot.

CJ: Do you have any tips for the learners if they’re learning from your production?

Carmen: Chinese is not something you learn overnight. You just need to enjoy it. And the thing is that you shouldn’t learn it just from textbooks or lectures. You should also learn it from day-to-day life, like TV shows, websites, and videos, and interacting with friends. That would definitely help a lot. And to me, that’s more useful because if I look at the characters, I can see the story behind it and I will remember it better. But if I just see the English words, I don’t know what it means. The meaning behind the word is very important to me.

CJ: What do you want to say to our DigMandarin readers?

Carmen: A lot of people are afraid to learn Chinese, because they’re scared of how hard it is, because they see the characters. Or even if they see the family tree, they say, “Oh, wow, I don’t want to do it anymore.” But you know, learning itself is a lifelong journey. Even Chinese people don’t know all the characters. So, this is something that everyone is learning throughout their entire lives, and there’s always new things coming up. Everyone is learning. So, it’s not something you can learn overnight, and there’re always interesting stories and tales behind every single character. So, enjoy what you’re doing and don’t see it as this huge wall of difficulty. Just actually love it and enjoy it. Then you will find learning is easy, because you won’t think it’s difficult. You’ll just think it’s fun.

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Summary: YoYo Chinese is an online Mandarin learning platform. They market themselves as a convenient and comprehensive way learning and understanding Mandarin. They offer 6 units, all being broken down into smaller units with video lessons, practices, downloadable audio and text files, flashcards, and quizzes. YoYo Chinese is thorough language learning site whose only downfall is the lack of in depth grammar instruction.

Pros:

• Comprehensive: the lessons are well thought out and include a generally well rounded education from beginner to intermediate mandarin.
• Resources: includes plentiful resources to aid in studying.
• Value: the price point is a bit steep, but includes a lot of benefits.

Cons:

• Repetitive: lessons, quizzes, and practices can get a bit repetitive.
• Grammar: lacks in depth grammar knowledge in lessons

In Depth Review

Throughout my language learning process, I’ve tried all different kinds of platforms for learning; self-study through books, websites, apps, and of course, classes offered through my university. That being said, aside from university courses, YoYo Chinese may be one of the best Mandarin learning resources out there. It seems that YoYo Chinese has done a good job of adapting the website for the average, busy, adult just trying to pick up a second language. Their ‘study on your time’ approach really adapts to adult life, making studying and learning that much easier.

Lessons and Courses:

YoYo Chinese offers 6 different courses:

• Beginner Converstaional,
• Chinese Character,
• Intermediate Conversational,
• Chinese Character II,
• Upper Intermediate Conversational,
• Chinese Character Reader.

As you can see, the course curriculum is designed with two main curriculums; conversational skills and character learning. The two systems are separate, but compliment each other nicely. According to the official recommendation, the learners should develop a foundation in spoken Chinese before starting to learn Chinese characters. Thus, Level 1 of the Beginner Conversational Course should be the first lesson. It‘s better to learn the Characters Course alongside the corresponding Conversational Course.

The most unique aspect of the Conversational Course is the “on the street” clips in each level. The real, natural conversations are mixed into the lesson flow. The style ranges from basic Q&A to interviews, and even to an unscripted conversation with Chinese people. The difficulty is increased gradually with each lesson, which brings you into a real practical Chinese language environment. The supplement materials are not only for fun, but also for getting out of the textbook.

Each Course is broken down into 6 different levels, which is then further broken down into roughly 13 different units.

Every unit is broken down further into small video sections, roughly 3-6 per unit. For the beginning lessons, the videos are typically short, 2-4 minuets roughly. For the longer units the videos can get up to 10 minuets long.

The videos introduce and explain the concepts in a way that native English speakers understand. After the video, there will be a button that says ‘Start Quiz’ or ‘Begin Practice’. Most units will have you practice the concepts that were introduced and some will then quiz you on those same concepts. Also included with each unit is lecture notes, or a downloadable PDF file that goes over the vocabulary and sentences that were introduced.

The lessons themselves are pretty informational and digestible. The speaker, Yang Yang, does a good job of explaining the concepts, especially in the beginning lessons of tones and pinyin. In the earlier lessons, the videos are typically her explaining the concepts and then reviewing the previous lesson a bit. In the later lessons, she begins the video with a clip of native Mandarin speakers, and the rest of the video is a break-down and explanation of that clip. The lessons focus on every day, informal Mandarin, which in my opinion, is great. With university courses, and other platforms, there’s a focus on academic and formal Mandarin, but when put in a real life situation, only about 2/3 of what you learn is applicable. The only downside I see to the lessons is there’s no formal walkthrough on grammar included in the lessons. This is found on a separate page. In my opinion, grammar should be taught within the lessons so you see when/how it is applicable.

Resources and Blog:

YoYo Chinese also has a really nice feature in terms of their resources. The resources page has three different options: The PinYin Chart, the Reference Videos, and The Download Center. The PinYin Chart is a comprehensive chart of all the different sounds found in Mandarin. It’s broken down by letter and ending. Each sound can also be clicked on. When clicking on it, you can listen to the sound spoken with all four of the different tones. It is a great resource to use for listening and practicing with speaking.

The second part of the resource center is the Reference Videos. This page offers 3 videos that explain Mandarin grammar. There are 12 different lessons, each containing a few videos. They range from Chinese Word Order to The ba (3) 把 Structure. It creates a good foundation to continue learning, but only touches on grammar. This section also offers tips and handouts to practice more specific things.

Lastly, the resource page offers the Download Center, which is just a comprehensive list of all the lecture notes. It includes the downloadable PDF files, audio lessons, flashcards and tips.

YoYo Chinese also offers a blog where they frequently upload articles about Chinese culture.

Store and Price Point:

There are two payment options for gaining access to Yoyo Chinese:

Subscription: 19.99USD/month or 89.94USD/6 months.

One-time Payment: 299USD for lifetime access.

Save 10% on a sale to Yoyo Chinese with the promo code “DIGMANDARIN10”.

Even though the price point seems steep, it is well worth it. For the price, the lessons, flashcards, all the resources, and the blog are all included. With such a comprehensive lesson plan for less than $150, it is a good deal and worth the money.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, YoYo Chinese is a great platform. With a comprehensive lesson break down, learners get a well-rounded instruction into their Chinese learning. For the price, a ton of information is included. With the option of video, audio, and PDF versions of lessons, there is an option for nearly every learner. If you have the money, I would recommend YoYo Chinese to begin, or continue, your Chinese learning journey.

A few years ago, DigMandarin also conducted an interview with Yangyang Cheng, the founder of Yoyo Chinese

Yangyang Cheng, celebrity Chinese teacher and former TV host, is the founder and host of Yoyo Chinese. Born and raised in Beijing and a resident of the U.S. for many years, Yangyang has one foot in both the East and the West and has become an educator with a rare multi-cultural perspective.

She got her start teaching Chinese on Youtube, creating more than 300 language learning videos with over 22 million views.

Join me in my chat with Yangyang below as she talks about her biggest challenges, newest projects and the most important thing to avoid when learning Chinese.

Yangyang`s Experience

DigMandarin: How did you start to teach Chinese?

Yangyang: I actually started my career as a financial auditor and then worked in Hollywood for a little while. But my greatest passion has always been language teaching so I started to teach English to Chinese speakers online. The videos I made became really popular because I used shows like “Friends” and “Sex and the City” to teach English the way real people talk. I then expanded my teaching to include tutoring English speakers in Chinese.

I found that many English speakers had trouble finding Chinese teachers they could relate to who could explain the material in a clear and concise way. I saw that their textbooks and learning materials were full of complicated jargon and confusing explanations, no wonder they were experiencing frustration!

I realized that while there are already lots of great English speakers to teach Chinese, there are not nearly enough great Chinese teachers in the west. So I set out to apply my language teaching passion to teaching Chinese to English speakers in a way that is fun and easy to understand.

I spent hours upon hours reading through every textbook and grammar guide for Chinese language, compiling every explanation for every concept in Chinese. My goal was to create a curriculum using the best explanations, tailored to fit the specific needs of native English speakers. In addition, I began teaching at two universities and expanding my tutoring so I could test out my new teaching system on individual students and in a classroom setting. After years of research, I combined my tried and true teaching methods with my experience as a TV host and created Yoyo Chinese – an online education company that uses short and fun videos to teach Chinese to English speakers.

DigMandarin: You had a lot of very famous students. Who is the most impressive?

Yangyang: Eliza Coupe really impressed me during the filming of her movie “Shanghai Calling.” When we began, she couldn’t speak a word of Chinese and I had two weeks to get her sounding like she had lived in Beijing for 6 or 7 years. She accepted the challenge and worked very hard to fill this tall order. I was able to give her lots of shortcuts to teach her how to speak Chinese, but mastering the tones and pronunciation was definitely the hardest part. In the end, I taught her to sing out the tones like a song. We played a game where we’d sing out just the tones and then add the sounds afterwards. This method proved effective and in the end I was blown away by Eliza Coupe’s hard work and success in learning Chinese.

About Yoyo Chinese

DigMandarin: Now which area are you focusing on?

Yangyang: I am really excited about the up and coming popularity of Google Hangouts on Air. We have conducted a few of these live Chinese lessons and our very first one had nearly 1,000 live viewers from around the world. Basically, I collect questions from people before the Hangout begins and then I teach a lesson and answer their questions live.

Recently, Google has released some new features that will allow us to conduct this entire Question & Answer process live on air, which we plan to do very soon. The goal with the Hangouts in addition to real, human interaction is to show people that they really can benefit from these lessons right away. I try to demonstrate sounds and use lots of pictures in my explanations to create the “aha” moment that every student finds so encouraging.

At first, I was a little nervous about venturing into this unknown territory of Google Hangouts. In my recorded video lessons, I get to do retakes and edit out all my mistakes. When I am teaching live, everyone will see my mistakes and I only get one chance to explain things clearly. But my students have been really encouraging and supportive of this new way of teaching and gradually I have gotten used to it and even enjoy these live events now.

It’s been a really rewarding experience to broadcast my Chinese lessons live and to see everyone’s reactions as it is happening – I am truly excited about the future of these Live Hangouts for Yoyo Chinese.

DigMandarin: What is the biggest challenge for you among so many types of video?

Yangyang: The two hardest series to create have been Chinese on the Street and Chinese Grammar. Chinese Grammar was created completely from scratch. I spent years studying every Chinese grammar book to find the best explanations and examples and from that I created a series of 70 lessons. This series has probably been the most challenging mentally and has taken the longest amount of time to complete.

When teaching in video format, there are lots of factors to consider besides just explaining everything well. I had to research and decide how to present the explanations on video, how to record it, how to light it. Everything needed to be put together to form one cohesive video series and it was a really time consuming, challenging process.

DigMandarin： Is Chinese on the street one of your new projects?

Yangyang： Yes, Chinese on the Street is one of our newest projects. We launched the series a few months ago and have had really great feedback from our students. The series helps them improve their listening comprehension and get used to hearing Chinese spoken the way real people talk.

Unlike in the real world, if our students don’t understand something, they can replay the video and take a look at the accompanying lecture notes until everything makes sense and they become accustomed to hearing everyday, spoken Chinese. This way of studying really helps prepare our students to enter the real world of spoken Chinese where there are no lecture notes or replays!

Our team in Shenyang, China conducts interviews with people on the street about various topics covered in our other courses. They ask people questions like “What’s your name?”, “Can you speak Chinese?” and “What do you like to eat?” They ask the same question to each person but often hear a different way of answering each time. Just like in English, some people will say “Yeah” and others will say “Yes”. This way, our students can get a sense for what a real conversation sounds like in Chinese without ever setting foot in China.

We started this series because so many English speakers say the biggest difficulty in their Chinese studies is the ability to understand native speakers. Even if they can speak and ask questions confidently, their confidence is all but lost when they can’t understand the answers to their questions.

One of the reasons listening comprehension is so difficult is because people speak much faster in real- life conversations than a teacher, like myself, does when teaching. They also tend to use regional accents or omit words. Small variations in speech can really trip up a non-native speaker.

With Chinese on the Street, our students can practice and get used to all these variations in a low stakes setting so that they will be fully prepared succeed in the real world.

DigMandarin: Well, what is your future plan for Chinese?

Yangyang: Learning Chinese online is still a relatively new concept and an emerging field. We aim to stay on at the forefront of this field and keep innovating new and improved ways for people to learn Chinese. We still have lots to explore and learn and we continue to try new and different ways to reach our students.

Competitive Advantage of Yoyo Chinese

DigMandarin: What advantages do you think you and your team have?

Yangyang: My years living in the U.S. have been instrumental in improving my English speaking ability and knowledge of Western culture. I think a teacher is one of the most critical factors for a student studying any subject. My ability to relate to native English speakers and see things from their perspective helps to bridge the gap between Chinese and English. This relationship really helps my students see that Chinese is actually a conquerable language after all.

DigMandarin: Why do you think your Chinese videos are better than other Chinese videos?

Yangyang: I think the main challenge all video content creators face is how to maintain a human element when there is a screen between my students and myself. I have tackled this issue by presenting my lessons as a real, authentic person. I keep a relaxed tone and try not to sound really polished and rehearsed. I really try to relate to my students by using demonstrations and explanations that are easy for them to understand and maybe even make them laugh. We pay close attention to details and try to make our explanations interesting and easy to remember.

DigMandarin: You said that you had an English speaker`s perspective; what do you think it is?

Yangyang: Well, understanding an English speakers’ perspective means knowing in advance what kind of things they will find confusing about Chinese.

For example, the word bǎ (把)doesn’t really exist in English the way it does in Chinese. So naturally, English speakers are confused by how to use this word. I am able to take what they already know about how English is spoken and use that to help them understand the use of the word bǎ. If something is being moved from point A to point B, then that should raise a red flag in your head to use bǎ. I show my students lots of examples and clearly tell them when they must use it and when they can’t use it.

Most importantly, I can anticipate the kinds of mistakes English speakers will make when trying to translate from English to Chinese. For example they might say wǒ shì hěn hǎo (I am very good), which is the literal translation from English to Chinese. But actually, the word “to be”, shì in this case is not necessary because in Chinese adjectives function as verbs, “good” is already “to be good”.

I know they will make this sort of mistake before they even make it and I can correct the mistake before it happens. This way, they learn the correct usage the first time around. I have spent so much time teaching English speakers, I know where they will have problems before they even know, and this kind of thing really makes my students feel that I understand their perspective.

How to Best Use Yoyo Chinese Videos

DigMandarin: I saw your videos. Why are so many videos limited to 5 minutes?

Yangyang: Well, in my experience the audience for online video has a much shorter attention span. We want to be sure to keep our students focused and engaged for the whole lesson so we keep them short and sweet.

Our scripts usually start out much longer than this and we work very hard to simplify concepts. If a student can understand a concept with two sentences, we don’t want to waste their time saying 4 sentences!

Our students give us great feedback on this format. They like that they can crunch a lesson or two and be productive even if they only have a short amount of time here and there throughout the day. We have found that this style is perfect for modern, busy people who don’t have time to sit down and watch a whole 60 minute long lesson in one go.

DigMandarin: What do you think is the best way to use your video to learn Chinese?

Yangyang: I think the best answer to this question comes from my students themselves. I talked at length with many of them to find out what situations help them learn and what circumstances make them feel frustrated and ready to give up.

Learning a language is a very human experience and human nature must be considered when putting together a study plan. The learning process is much more like a marathon than a sprint. A person accumulates vocabulary and grammar etc. over a long period of time and has to take breaks to let it all sink in.

Especially since Chinese is such a popular language to learn right now, lots of people jump right in with ambition to study two hours a day and become fluent in just a few months. But after keeping up this high intensity for some time, many people just give up. A lot of people say that they give up because it is exhausting to always be concerned about whether they are doing the right thing, learning the right way or following the correct path to fluency. This is especially common amongst people who try to cobble together their own collection of resources online. Learning a language is hard enough, so why take on the burden of learning how to learn a language as well?

This issue of how to learn a language is why I think students need a language-learning path to follow. With an established plan, they can track their progress and know what direction to follow. They know in advance what they can achieve in a certain amount of time.

I provide my students with a daily study guide that tells them exactly which videos to watch along with which supplemental materials such as lecture notes or guided audio review. This plan takes only half an hour a day, 5 days a week. If my students follow this study guide faithfully, they can achieve conversational fluency in only 6 months. All along the way, there is review and through use of Chinese on the Street the students can test their knowledge and make sure they are learning the material as thoroughly as they should. Removing the issue of how to learn allows students to focus solely on learning.

Learning Tips about Chinese

DigMandarin: Can you recommend some good self-study materials for Chinese learners?

Yangyang: For starters, textbooks are not ideal for learning Chinese. If a student is learning Chinese at school, the textbook is often based around exams and other arbitrary methods of tracking progress. While a textbook can be a helpful visual aid, it lacks the ability to teach listening. I actually think that learning to speak Chinese and learning to read/write Chinese are two separate endeavors. The character writing process can be so overwhelming and ultimately ware down a person’s interest in Chinese. In the beginning, I recommend students focus only on spoken Chinese.

For those who are interested in learning Chinese characters, I recommend two books, “New Approaches to Learning Chinese“ and “Rapid Literacy In Chinese”. Though these days, it really makes the most sense to focus on reading and typing rather than reading and hand writing.

DigMandarin: Then what do you think a Chinese learner should avoid most?

Yangyang: I think a Chinese learner should avoid trying to follow too many different programs at once. There are so many resources out there – blogs, flashcards, videos, language learning programs – that it can be tempting to try to absorb everything all at once. Eventually, this all-or-nothing process catches up with people and it shakes their enthusiasm and resolve to learn the language. It is much better to find one program or one tutor and stick to that, especially in the beginning.

Additionally, I can’t say it enough: practice, practice, practice. Even if you only know two words, get out there and say them to everyone who will listen. There is no better language-learning tool than using that language to truly communicate with others.

If you want to know more about Yangyang and her Yoyo Chinese, Please feel free to leave your comments here. Let`s looking forward to more great videos and programs.

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