#53 Reality vs. How You Think Your Chinese Sounds

John and Jared discuss the difference between how you think your Chinese sounds vs how it really sounds. Surprise surprise, there is a difference! John takes us through an academic paper to tell you which tones you should prioritize to make yourself understood more clearly. Guest interview is with Linda Yi, creator of Panda Cub stories and a heritage speaker who spent years trying to fit in before fully embracing her cultural identity. Although they have an advantage in learning Chinese, heritage speakers have unique challenges when compared to the average Chinese learner, something you’ll hear in Linda’s story. Thanks for listening to our podcast! Please write us a review on Apple Podcasts and we’ll give you a shout out on the podcast! We are also taking questions from our listeners. If you have a question, reach us at feedback@mandarincompanion.com. Follow us on Facebook and catch our latest Chinese learning memes on Instagram Links referenced in this EpisodePanda Cub StoriesToward Better Tones in Natural SpeechThe Four Tones: Updated Tone DiagramLaowai Delusions of FluencyChinese Film ClassicsModern Chinese Cultural Studies YouTube channelMandarin Companion ShirtsMandarin Companion Memes - Instagram See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.