138. “I spoke Chinese today!”

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The Mandarin Blueprint Podcast focuses primarily on The Mandarin Blueprint Method online curriculum. Creators Luke Neale & Phil Crimmins answer questions and comments, discuss topics related to China and Mandarin learning, and have special guests.

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22:35 Comments & Emails

Gavia Arctica by Community

Just had to tell this: I spoke Chinese today! Actually had a conversation, about 95% in Chinese, only used a few English words in two or three occasions. I live in a totally non-Chinese environment, so this is really my first time speaking for more than a sentence or two!

It was a HelloTalk friend who happened to be online, we have been writing off and on for a few months and now she called. It was easier because we know a few things about each other, what we work with and family and so on, so it was easier to pick things up from the context and she knows my level so she could adjust to what I could possibly understand.

Every now and then I did not really understand much of what she was saying at all, but somehow I still thought I got the idea, checked shortly in English a few times “did you mean….” and yes, I did get the meaning from context and maybe her tone of voice, even if I did not understand most of the words. It feels nice that the sound of Chinese feels so familiar by now that I can sort of “pretend to understand it” even if I really don´t – yet! 🙂 It does not matter if I sound terrible or don´t get it all, I´m communicating. In Chinese!!!!

I can´t even describe how awesome it feels and the most amazing thing about it is that even if it was incredibly hard and I don´t have words and don´t understand, it still felt…. somehow natural. As natural as getting up every morning starting reviews in Anki right away and finishing the day making movies and handwriting characters, listening to the weekly MB podcast. Speaking is just the logical next step at some point, naturally. For me it was today, I guess I´ll remember today forever!

Thank you Luke & Phil!

27:11

Lynn Ford on Make a Movie 不

I am such a dork, because, several characters we learned so far in level 14, I am over here bouncing up and down in my seat, clapping, cheering “yayyy!!” I am so glad I am learning these ones! LOL, I know them by sight, as many of these I have been staring at on my PM anki cards for a while now, but I am glad to finally be at the stage where we are doing the movie method with them. Seriously I am having so much fun! Not to mention being able to read and understand sentences, it gives me a really big boost in confidence that, 1) This method really does work, and 2) That the possibility of being fluent in this language is not only possible but highly likely at this point. Thanks for all that you and your team do!

29:37

Lynn Ford on Vocab Unlocked from 息: 休息 – 休息日

I am using multiple pictures for the word review cards in my anki deck. Is this an ok tactic? I have been struggling with remembering word reviews and so thought about the deferent elements of the characters and have been adding several pics to help. For example 休息 I added a picture of someone leaning on a tree resting and a pair of lungs shaped in a heart. IDK if getting pics that specific will not help me as much or is too easy in trying to figure out the word, but it seems it help me out a little bit more.

30:55

Eleanor McComb on Casting Call G- 2/55

I’m not super familiar with mind palace memory techniques, but would there be a problem with me casting my son Gabriel as my G- actor?

My concern is that I know him at so many ages and he will obviously continue to grow (he’s 10) on the other hand I know him much better than any actor I would cast and so he’s well and truly planted in my mind.

32:50

Oscar Haglund on Vocab Unlocked from 愿

This is unclear to me 愿你天天开心，事事如愿。

35:08

James Snow on It’s a Word! 干

Two questions.

First, how come the course has us making props for some characters, such as 半, and not for others, like 干 here?

Second, I used the scene of a lightsaber cutting off the top of a syringe and sand gushing out to represent 干. I’d like to use sand as the prop for 干, but how may I avoid getting confused when it’s time to learn the word for “sand” since I also will imagine sand in the scene? I guess the question is, how do you avoid confusing props and meanings in a scene?

38:34

Susan Walsh on BONUS: STRATEGY is Everything While Learning Chinese

This is my third language – I took French for three years in school (7th-9th grade). Because my first teacher happened to be fabulous, with a unique method of teaching the language, by the end of my first year I was fluent.

Unfortunately, when I started high school, my new French teacher used one method – rote learning. I was so bored by the end of the first month that I knew I wouldn’t continue. I dropped out at the end of the year.

What I did get from my experience is that I love language, and I love the challenge that comes with learning a new language. When I chose to learn Mandarin, I was excited, nervous, and terrified that I’d waste my time and not learn enough to communicate with native speakers.

What drew me to The Mandarin Blueprint was one simple thing – that I would be able to read, write, and speak Mandarin when I was done. After going through 5 levels now, I am beyond excited to learn more, and to know that I am building a solid foundation for the language from the beginning.

Pretty darn brilliant for “a couple of fellas who had enough of the nonsense teaching materials out there and decided to change it.” 😉

40:09

Thomas Brand on BONUS: Helper – Turning Adjectives into Adverbs with 地

Very helpful video. I sometimes catch myself gazing at clouds floating by outside the window during lectures, but I was so baffled at why I’d seen the character for dirt inexplicably appearing in several sentences that I sat with rapt attention in the hope of learning why it was there. It makes complete sense now. Thanks.

43:17

Anne Giles on 一样 in Context

“我的手机和他的不一样.”