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In this episode I'm looking at language tests and certificates. Would that be a goal for me, and which test should I aim for? Would preparing for a test really motivate me?
I try to find ways to make my language learning at the intermediate stage fun and greatly motivating. Looking at implicit and explicit learning, I investigate the role of memory in language learning. How does one develop 'native-speaker intuition'? Is it okay to make mistakes while learning or should one always strive for perfection?

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How do you even write Chinese text messages when you don't have a keyboard with 5000 or more characters? In this episode I look at ways in which Chinese is used today, and at some of the changes to the written language within the last 100 years. Is the traditional Chinese writing system really more beautiful than the simplified system? What if you have to look up an uncommon character in a Chinese dictionary? How complex do Chinese characters get and how do you distinguish between those that look almost identical but mean totally different things? Finally, how many characters would I have to learn to be able to read a book without using a dictionary?

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In this episode I'm looking at the history of the Chinese writing system and why it is so successful that it is still used today. In my own learning, once I knew enough characters and had built up a basic understanding of how the system worked, I was suddenly able to decipher the words (and characters) I came across for the first time.

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