I’ve been learning Chinese off and on for about four years. During that time, I’ve picked up on a number of tips that have helped my in my studies. I believe this digital age is an exciting time to be learning a language. First, the ubiquity of the web makes the whole world available for use as study material. There is a wealth of written text (blogs, news, essays) and audio material (podcasts and streaming radio) in the target language. Second, software can make study methods more efficient. Flashcard programs and spaced repetition software (SRS) really speed up the acquisition of words, which are the real foundation of language learning. Audio tools can improve the building of listening, and even speaking, skills, by allowing the listener to split files into smaller segments, slow down the speech to a comprehensible level, or repeat sections until they are understood.

This site is a collection of the notes, tips, and tools that I’ve picked up, that may be useful for other learners. I also have written various software tools, web-based or downloads, which may be useful to others. I hope you will find this resource useful!