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In this episode I explain how I initially learnt and revised vocabulary, and how I prepared for the next stage of my learning journey: speaking for real. Well, I had a number of attempts at trying to speak for real and not really succeeding at first. Eventually, I decided to speak Chinese to my ever-so-patient cat and tried out AI programmes. But then, finally, I got to speak Chinese to actual speakers of the language, while on a work trip to the US.

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In this episode I explore how I honed my different Chinese language skills: understanding, speaking, reading and writing. I look at all those wonderful tools, most of which are free, that are available to the intermediate learner. In my own learning, Chinese podcasts for learners, as well as Chinese television dramas started to play in increasingly important role. This was time well spent and I was taking in the language in a fun and engaging way to kept me motivated, coming back for more.

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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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