10 stars if I could. Amazing podcast. Jared and John help clarify the vast, mysterious landscape new learners are confronted with when starting their Chinese learning journey. This is high quality content that helps you get right to the point. I have super useful takeaways each and every show. Jared and John have an obvious passion for language learning backed by a huge amount of experience and knowledge. Their mission seems to be to help listeners get a handle on all of the various components that go into learning Chinese, and then give you tips on how to put that together into a program that works for you. They give you background, proven studies, and context that help you find your direction and progress into this engaging language. They are engaging and a delight to listen to.

I started studying Chinese about four months ago, and this podcast has become the highlight of my commute. It has a lot specific to China and learning Mandarin, but it also has great advice from which learners of /any/ language could benefit. For now I am self-studying and it can be overwhelming how many programs and resources there are available now, and while this new abundance is wonderful, it’s easy to get buried in it. This podcast has helped me sort through everything to make a study plan and a path forward. Jared and John seem like really wonderful people genuinely interested In bridging cultures through language and sharing their love of Mandarin. Sure, they may be in it in part to sell their series of readers, but those seem like genuinely great accessible books that I look forward to reading once I’m just a bit more fluent. The podcast is making me realize why my studies of previous languages have succeeded or stalled.

The interviews of fellow learners have given me so much inspiration of the past few years. Every time i feel like throwing in the towel on learning mandarin I throw on this podcast. You guys have been a huge part in keeping my mandarin learning journey on track over the past several years! Thank you, 韋浩

Hi guys. Here I am in Beijing, (again), this time winding up a month here and just finished listening to episode 125 your interview with Dave Landis. He mentioned age and learning a language. I started learning Chinese when I was 68 and I’m still going strong at 76. So it’s all going to depend on the person. I stumbled on your podcast because I am limited to what I can reach here. I wasn’t sure going in how it would be because I’ve been listening to Chinese language podcasts, but it’s been absolutely refreshing and every podcast is a learning experience. Jia you!

Long time listener, first time reviewer! Love the show. I love that you follow different peoples adventures in learning Chinese. The interview part of the show reminds me of an old favorite podcast that has since retired called “Journey to Chinese Fluency”. Jared on the last show where you did a talk at a conference, you mentioned briefly the topic of comprehensible input implemented in classroom instructional methods, where they are making new innovations in Weaving in a story and repeating Vocabulary and different interactions with the students. I was hoping you could give us the full scoop on these new methods and interactions teachers are having today with students in the classroom.

I’m not a podcast person, but i LOVE this show. I appreciate all of their insight and all of their tips really help my learning process. I know you guys read these reviews, so please keep up the good work. I wish you had more shows! Love you like a sister.

I’m currently a college student here in northern Utah and I just changed my major to Chinese. I have no background in Chinese so it’s been daunting to pursue this dream of mine and sometimes feels hopeless. But after listening to all episodes of this podcast I feel more hope and motivated in studying Chinese. I always look forward to when new episodes come out and couldn’t recommend this podcast enough to people who are learning Chinese.

Love to hear these guys talking about the learning process. Definitely a podcast to tune in to if you’re serious about learning Chinese.

Wonderful podcast! Have listened to all 100-plus episodes .... and the weird thing is I don’t have any interest in learning Chinese. (Truly.) I spend my time with Russian, Hebrew and German, but somehow stumbled across You Can Learn Chinese two years ago, and to my delight found it vastly superior to other language acquisition podcasts. Naturally, I love the show’s Dad Joke humor as well as the camaraderie between the hosts. But the biggest revelation, however, is Jared's expert handling of the interviewees. His questions are short yet insightful ... and most important HE GIVES THE GUESTS TIME AND ROOM TO ANSWER FULLY, always keeping the focus squarely on them. (Other podcasts, take note!) Consequently, Jared is able to extract wonderful and inspiring stories from the interviewees. I figure, ''Heck, if these ordinary folks can somehow pick up Chinese, surely I can pick up Russian.'' The show’s emphasis on Comprehensible Input and extensive reading is right in line with my philosophy, and the advice they give in the first half of each show is surprisingly relevant to the learning/acquisition of other languages. The editing, music and sound quality are top notch. And the boys are also remarkably neutral politically, a refreshing change from other podcasts. FIVE STARS OUT OF FIVE!

I have been listening to this podcast for a while now, and I really enjoy the two hosts! When I started learning Chinese, I focused a lot on flashcards and memorizing characters, but now I follow their method of comprehensible input and do much more reading at my level. This is not only much more enjoyable but makes it way easier to pick up and remember the characters, too. They are very upbeat and clearly have fun with each other, which I appreciate. My issue with the show is that *all the guests* are white men. It drives me crazy! Bring some diversity, please!

I’m a non-native, L2 Mandarin learner in the United States and I’ll be starting a new career as a high school Chinese teacher in just a few months. I’m SO glad I discovered this podcast! I love the focus on comprehensible input and extended reading and all the interviews with innovative teachers in this arena. If it weren’t for this podcast I’d be totally in the dark and not sure how to be an effective teacher. Thank you for giving me hope! Maybe this podcast should be called “You can learn AND teach Chinese!”

I didn’t think a podcast talking about language learning would be as helpful as listening to the actual language but it has been truly inspiring. This podcast is filled with helpful information; I hesitate to call them tips as well. I’ve only listened to about 7 or 8 episodes but they’ve all been highly motivating. The studies they review or conduct themselves are so informative. And the interviews are so fascinating. Since listening, I’ve started meeting with a friend who is a native speaker and she has been very encouraging to practice conversation with. I also totally get the point about reading characters in context through reading a Mandarin Companion book. Only in chapter 2 and I already have noticed an increase in my confidence to read. Thanks you two!

I’m a senior in high school learning Chinese, and this podcast has been the ace up my sleeve. My teacher was practically blown away by my pronunciation of tones, all thanks to the pronunciation tips from this podcast! Really, the credit should go to the hosts of the pod. They’ve also helped me level up my Chinese with their awesome graded readers, and with which I’m still at breakthrough level. I can’t wait to move to level up though! I’m super psyched every time I see a new episode has been released. I love Mr. Jared’s intros and the jokes he adds in every episode, and they have yet to fail to make me laugh! I have a couple of questions for y’all, mostly about listening. With pronunciation, my tones are pretty good, and with single syllables, I can hear the tones decently too. However, when I’m listening to recordings or things like that, I hardly register tones at all. I rely entirely on the other parts of pronunciation and then try to guess from context. What can I do to try to improve my listening as far as tones are concerned? And, if applicable, when did y’all transition to naturally hearing tones? Thanks so much for an awesome podcast, and I can’t wait to hear more episodes!

Between work, grad school, and raising a toddler, I like many others are playing the “I don’t have time to learn (any new) Chinese.” card. But with the my collection of mandarin companion books I can maintain my current level and listening to this podcast keeps me engaged with learning the language. Every episode contains great information on how to approach learning, how to stay engaged with learning, and a motivating episode with someone who has made significant strides in the journey of learning Chinese. You can add another life long learner to Team Extensive Reading. Thank you J n’ J!

Still love this podcast. Not only has it helped me study Mandarin better, it has also helped me teach my students English better. Loved the most recent episode about dialects. I am in 河南 right now and sometimes if older people want to talk to me they only speak 河南话. So hard. My students ask me if I can speak Henan Hua and if I answer using the one or two words I do know, they laugh uproariously. Funny story, right before I came here, I met a Chinese person in the US and I told her I was moving here and wanted to learn Mandarin and she told me do not learn the Henan accent or I would sound like a thug. I don’t know if she meant Henan Hua or just an accent but it’s pretty funny. I don’t know if I sound like a thug or not: since Covid traveling anywhere in or out of China can be difficult so I haven’t asked anyone not from Henan. Have you guys heard of any other associations with other particular accent? The way we might consider a British accent to be more “refined” for some reason?

This podcast is unlike any other I’ve found. It doesn’t teach Chinese, it highlights experiences and resources and ideas that help you succeed, however you are learning. Learning Chinese can feel like training for an ultra marathon; challenging at so many levels, often done largely on your own. There are points of real struggle that most people experience - whether it’s the first wide eyed look at characters, or the quicksand at the intermediate level. “You Can Learn Chinese” can help. Each episode has regular segments, including my favorite part, an interview with someone that brings a new perspective on this endeavor. Hearing how other people have overcome the challenges I’m still facing is priceless. I often find something new to try, but also I find so much motivation in hearing about the experiences people have had. The hosts are fantastic - they also produce one of the most helpful Chinese learning resources out there - Mandarin Companion Graded Readers. Jared is great, and John Pasden is, well, John Pasden… (Sinosplice, The Grammar Wiki, years at ChinesePod, etc. He also runs AllSet Learning, an amazing resource for 1 on 1 tutoring and the Grammar Wiki in level - curated book form.) Few people know more about the many ways to learn Chinese; these guys are fun, motivating and they know their stuff.

Learning Chinese is such a long-term effort that motivation is essential. This podcast provides interesting research, a sense of curiosity and community, and great interviews with people learning and using Chinese in their professional and family lives. When I start losing focus on my daily self studies I know it’s time to binge-listen to a few more episodes.

This is a must listen if you are learning Chinese. It keeps me motivated and answers all the questions I have but am too afraid to ask (I.e. can I skip handwriting characters?). Hop in anywhere, every episode is great!

Love this podcast. I listen to this whenever I’m feeling burned out from work and study and need motivation. I lived in China for 4 years and hoping to move back soon. I loved the graded readers when I was beginning, but do you guys have plans for making grades readers for more upper intermediate or advanced learners? Or any recommendations for other reading resources? Would love any input. -飞熊猫（Jim）

Wow! What a great resource. Incredible information from the host to help understand learning Mandarin. The podcast includes informative and intriguing interviews from people of all backgrounds with different stories. I have been binging the episodes on breaks in work, currently up to episode 34. Love every episode so far :). Thank you for the great resource

I got tears in my eyes when I heard you recommend to your listeners that they learn Chinese surnames. What decency and humanity there is in speaking each other's names! For me, humanity is the signature feature of your podcast. Even the rants in the "rants & raves" section are about making things better. Thank you, Jared and John ("the man, the myth, the legend"!), for your kind, comprehensive responsiveness to my and other listeners' questions. Thank you for helping people learn how to say each other's names, how to speak each other's languages, and how to understand each other better in these complex times.

Listened to this all in 1 month all 56 episodes that are currently out. Excited for future podcasts

Great podcast! Many people may find the idea of of listening to a podcast on learning Chinese as just as enjoyable as a getting a root canal but John and Jame’s podcast is more like devouring an ice cream sundae, you just can’t get enough of it. I’ve been learning Chinese for the last 6 months now and I feel like I finally honed my study methods to be as efficient as possible, however, I find still listening to how different people became fluent Chinese, and how to over the intermediate barrier is very inspiring and motivating. Also, I cannot stop raving about the Mandarin Companion series. I literally plowed through LVL 2 in a week including the newly released Jekyll and Hyde. I feel like going from Mandarin Companion to other graded reader series is like going from driving a Ferrari to switching to a Honda Civic. Both get you were your going, but one of them is far more fun. I tried the Pleco graded readers as I find that their level system isn’t as consistent as yours and I’m using the pop up dictionary too much So please make more lvl 2 and also lvl 3. 加油！

I’ve been listening from the beginning and haven’t missed an episode. Chinese learners are often either immersed (in China) or constantly maintaining a meticulously constructed immersion bubble (tons of tips for that in these shows). We often need some fresh air and English. The title rightly portrays what this show is - pure motivation. They inspire with reality rather than ridiculous guarantees. These guys never fly off into the Uber- or Anti- academic ditches. They continually reorient us learners according to our goals applying expertise both from experience and linguistic education to help us along our paths. 加油!

This podcast is the perfect compliment to your weekly study routine. John and Jared are amazing hosts, the interviews are awesome, and there is just so many great things to explore and extract from the show notes every week. A must listen for anyone looking to learn Chinese. Keep it up guys, and thanks for all your hard work! -Jake

English-speaking Chinese learners have *so many* books, apps, videos and other tools to help us along our journey. As an adult learning Chinese on my own, I feel really fortunate to have so many resources to help me as I study. But John and Jared offer something totally unique with the You Can Learn Chinese podcast: constant inspiration! After literally every episode, I feel more motivated to study and more connected to other people tackling this fun but difficult language. The Rants and Raves often turn me on to new learning resources and sometimes just make me laugh (John!). But what I love most are the interviews, each of which reveal just how many different paths there are to learning this amazing language, imparting lots of great advice along the way. I bet he’ll be modest and chalk it up to great editing or something, but Jared is a fantastic interviewer, really bringing out the best in his guests — even his wife, in the most recent episode! If you’re going to spend any time at all reflecting on the best way *you* can learn Chinese, start here.

Well worth the time! I’m a high school Chinese teacher and agree with your thoughts & ideas 99.9%! Will assign this as a listening task for our asynchronous day next week. Looking forward to the rest from the series!

Hello John & Jared, I’ve been listening to your podcast everyday. That’s how I start my day. I want to thank you for the work you put into creating this entertaining, informative and insightful show. I sometimes get discouraged learning Chinese. But it’s nice to know that I’m not the only one facing the struggles. There’s no short cut to learning Chinese, but there’s smart methods we can implement. I plan on learning Chinese for the rest of my life. I will not give up and will continue to keep fighting on. 加油！

Hello, John and Jared. I was planning to go to China this summer for one month of immersion learning until the coronavirus ruined everything. Out comes plan B. I signed up for lessons on iTalki and am making friends in China using HelloTalk. I found that HelloTalk is a good way to communicate and get instant feedback. Topics you’ve mentioned such as comprehensible input have been invaluable to me as I’m discussing various topics with my online friends. Some of my friends want to improve their English reading skills, so I put what I’ve learned from Mandarin Companion to good use and got recommendations from Jared to provide English extensive reading materials. One friend is reading “Charlotte’s Web” to me, I provide corrections. I’m reading a Chinese Breeze graded reader, an my friend corrects my pronunciation. Don’t worry guys, the next graded reader will be one of yours! Thanks for sharing your thoughts on language acquisition. They are not only taking my Mandarin up a notch, but they are helping people learn English too. Keep up the great work!

I’ve been listening to the podcast since episode one. I’m a white guy from LA who’s been studying Mandarin for about 5 years now. I love the show so much, there really isn’t another one like it. The interviews are always fun, and informative. The advice given is insightful. Hearing from people who’ve been through the grind and achieved fluency is so valuable. When I was in China back in July 2019 on a Sunday, I remember getting a notification that podcast dropped. I was so thrilled cause it normally comes out on Mondays--it was like a gift. So I listened to it while I was at Shanghai Disneyland by myself. Also, when I was back in China in December 2019, Jared or John recommended people go try the China-exclusive Toffee Starbucks drink—I ordered one the same day and drank several more after that haha. Keep it up guys! Also, Jared’s intro-sequence Dad jokes make me laugh every time <3

I’m about 6 months in to my Mandarin journey, and I finally decided it’s tike to start reading. MC Graded Reader Series is awesome. I’ve blown through 22 episodes in the last two weeks, it’ll be a bittersweet day to catch-up.

Recently discovered the Mandarin Companion books and audiobooks that this podcast’s hosts created. If you haven’t found them, drop everything and find them now! I was delighted when I heard they had a podcast too. I’m currently living in the middle of nowhere working everyday after work to keep alive the Mandarin from my study abroad time. This podcast makes me feel like I’m not alone in this journey even out here! Just one complaint - I’ve already read every 300- and 450-character Mandarin Companion book. When are the new ones coming out?!!

I spent a couple years really devoted to learning Chinese and when my formal classes ended, I wasn't making as much time to practice and learn. Every episode of You Can Learn Chinese makes me want to hit the books and practice my conversational Chinese again! When you feel discouraged that it's just too hard to really learn Chinese, this podcast will remind you that just like anything else, Chinese is something you CAN learn! Also, the Mandarin Companion breakout series has done wonders for building my confidence as I actually know what's going on. Thanks John & Jared.

I’m living in Taiwan and studying Chinese on my own. My co-workers express the desire to study the language, but usually bail out quickly. In lieu of personal companions on this journey, this podcast by the guys behind Mandarin Companion really does pick up my spirits. It provides a lot of useful tips each episode, and the interviews with more proficient learners of the language gives one a sense of the many possible paths forward for us in the middle of the struggle. one request. maybe a specific short lesson on using an interesting chinese idiom or slang- one little bit each episode.

Thanks for the awesome content guys!

I’ve been listening to the podcast since the first episode and it’s been an indispensable resource as I’ve been trying to teach myself Chinese. I started learning a few months before this podcast launched and the advice Jared, John, and their various guests give has helped me so much to discover effective tools and focus my efforts on enjoyable and helpful methods, not to mention that hearing so many success stories gives me a lot of motivation and hope that it’s possible! Thanks guys!

The Chinese language program at my school was shutting down due to budget cuts and I was at Chinese 2 and if I only took Chinese 3 I would not be able to take AP Chinese the next year. So I took both and I was struggling to learn 70 words a week and multiple passages. I was using pinyin as a crutch in AP because I did not have Chinese 3 in the beginning for a foundation. But this podcast helped me through writing the words without dying of boredom. Thanks for helping me get a 106% in AP Chinese!

Love this podcast. At first I was a little disappointed that it wasn’t a Chinese learning podcast, but after listening I really like that it ISN’T another Chinese learning podcast. It’s a learn to learn Chinese podcast. I find the interviews with the people that have become proficient in the language really inspire me. If they can do it then I can, too. Also, I would be remiss if I didn’t give a huge shout out to the Mandarin Companion grades readers. I bought 秘密花园when it first came out. I wait, somewhat impatiently, for each new book to come out. More Level 2 and 3 please! Because of these books my reading, as well as my speaking, and because of the audio versions of the books (thank you VERY much!), my listening has greatly improved. 感谢你们🙏。加油!

The podcast is great, really enjoying it, as well as the books. I stumbled across Mandarin Companion and am amazed at how fast my progress has been. I've been struggling to learn new vocabulary with one of the popular flashcard apps which has been slow and less than exciting. The beauty of Mandarin Companion books is that they make picking up new vocabulary very natural and easy, as new words are repeated in the books within the context of an entertaining story, which makes studying fun. Can't thank you enough. Please keep them coming. -Will from Washington D.C.

I love that this discusses how language is learned and tips for doing it. There's no silly vocab lists here. It's all helpful insight from the authors of the best graded readers out there, Mandarin Companion.

I really appreciate this podcast and that’s why I decided to write this review. I hope they get many supporters so they can continue forward in the future. It’s never dull, I enjoy listening to the different interviews, and I almost always learn something new about China and the culture. The advice is also consistent and helpful. Again, I can’t say enough how much I appreciate this podcast. I’ve listened to every episode—sometimes multiple times! Thanks so much.

I have been following Jared Turner and John Pasden through Mandarin Companion - since 2016. Those books raised my reading ability, along with other resources, to score a perfect reading score on HSK 3 while studying Chinese only part time, working full time in an English speaking environment in China. Needless to say, I could not be more excited to see these guys collaborating on another platform. This podcast strikes such a helpful balance between practical and technical, educational and experiential advice and inspiration to learn Chinese, no matter where you live in the world. The most valuable aspect of their perspectives is their combined 20+ years of experience as 2nd language Chinese Learners. Give it a listen, and be prepared to be inspired to new heights in your learning!

Instead of the usual read, write and repeat; Jared and Josh teach you the HOW! These guys also do the Mandarin Companion Books-which I personally highly recommend for upper beginner-intermediate and above. These podcasts are especially helpful for those of us trying to mostly self-study, and I’ve found I get excited waiting for the next one to see what new tips I can glean. HIGHLY Recommend for anyone starting or involved in learning, or even teaching, Mandarin; these guys have a lot to say!

So much more than just "talking about learning about" Chinese. Practical, learnable, and copyable advice for all levels of speakers. John and Jared really lay out some fascinating insights, and, their guest interviews are fun and equally as interesting. A must-have podcast, I've been a subscriber since episode #1!

I've been studying Chinese for well over a decade, and this podcast is still a valuable addition. It's now near the top of my list of must-hear podcasts.

Thank you, Jared and John. This podcast is a godsend for me, arriving in my first year of studying Chinese. I learn best with a heavy dose of theory, something that's been lacking from my language classes. I've been longing for a resource that'll help me build a framework for my growing vocabulary, and lo, here it is. To be clear: this podcast isn't going to teach you Chinese, but it IS going to teach you how to learn Chinese (or at least that's the idea, four episodes in). There's a thousand apps and books for cramming characters and phrases, but a distinct lack of ways to bring it all together. You Can Learn Chinese looks like a very promising (and entertaining) attempt to fill that gap.

Welcome back to podcasting, John! Great to meet you, Jared! Love the Mandarin Companion series, I own them all, and can’t wait for more. Great conversations on the podcast. More and more people are learning Chinese, it makes sense that we “hit pause” once in a while to evaluate how things are going, and see if things can possibly be improved. I like the format of having a conversation about “what’s on your mind” about leaning and teaching Chinese, followed by an interview with people with interesting experiences learning Chinese. Often those two things reinforce or relate to each other. Anyway, keep up the good work!