You Can Learn Chinese

Alexander Brose on Juilliard, the Royal Conservatory, and the Power of Language

in this episode, Jared sits down with Alexander Brose, President & CEO of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, Canada, to trace his remarkable journey learning Chinese and how it shaped his life and career in unexpected ways.From his early years living in South Korea with his family, to choosing Mandarin over Cantonese at an international school in Hong Kong, Alex shares how Chinese gradually became part of his identity. He continued studying the language through high school and later majored in Asian Studies at Cornell University. A pivotal summer in Harbin with the CET immersion program further deepened both his language skills and cultural connection to China.Alex’s path led him to build cross-cultural musical collaborations between China and the U.S., eventually becoming the founding Executive Director of the Tianjin Juilliard School. He reflects on how speaking Chinese created unique professional opportunities, opened doors to deep cultural understanding, and enabled him to be at the forefront of classical music education in China.Throughout the episode, Alex offers thoughtful reflections on the value of immersion, the challenges of maintaining language confidence, and the power of music as a bridge between cultures.Links from the episode:Alexander Brose | Royal Conservatory of Music (Canada)Mandarin Companion Graded ReadersCET Academic ProgramsFrom Mao to Mozart: Isaac Stern in China | IMDB 

The Lie We Were Told: You Must Handwrite Chinese Characters

Is handwriting Chinese characters slowing you down? In today’s digital world, does it still make sense to focus on writing by hand or should you just type? In this episode, Jared and John dive deep into this hot-button issue for Chinese learners: handwriting vs. typing.Pulling insights from a research paper by Chinese Breeze creator Chengzhi Chu (储诚志), they explore how character instruction is evolving and why prioritizing typing can make your learning faster, more efficient, and less frustrating, especially for adult learners.They’ll break down:Why typing Chinese is not “cheating”, it’s how Chinese is actually used todayHow handwriting can become a bottleneck to fluency and motivationWhat it really means to “know” a character in the modern eraThe myth of muscle memory and why stroke order perfection isn’t essentialWhy it’s okay to treat handwriting as a hobby, not a core skillYou’ll also hear how character writing has changed more in the past 20 years than the previous 2000, the "three eras" of Chinese writing, and how modern teachers are shifting to a “typing-first, handwriting-second” approach in classrooms around the world.If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by handwriting or wondered if you’re “doing it wrong” by typing, this episode will give you the clarity, and permission, you need to move forward confidently.Links from the episode:The Evolution of Hanzi Proficiency and the E-Writing Transformation of L2 Chinese Teaching in the Digital Age | Paper by Chengzhi Chu Mandarin Companion Graded ReadersLearn Chinese Characters by Reading (the book)Learn Chinese Characters by Reading (free resources for 200 characters)

Learning Chinese Through Life, Not Lessons: How Matthew McGuire Did It

What began as a teenage crush became a lifelong journey into Chinese for Matthew McGuire, an Australian creator and accent coach. In this episode, Jared sits down with Matthew to discuss how he learned Mandarin without textbooks, grammar drills, or writing practice. Instead, he immersed himself in love dramas, shadowed dialogue, and built a Chinese-speaking social circle. Matthew shares how his curiosity and enjoyment guided him from impressing a girl from Sichuan to achieving real proficiency and forming meaningful friendships. He also explains how Chinese opened doors for him both personally and professionally, and why he believes language learning should be fun, intentional, and grounded in real-life use. For anyone feeling stuck in their studies or unsure of how to move forward, Matthew’s story offers valuable perspective and inspiration.Links from the episode:Matthew McGuire on Instagram | @realozziemcguireChinese graded readers make an excellent gift! Head over to: https://www.mandarincompanion.comAllSet Learning has some amazing deals on lessons right now: https://www.allsetlearning.com

10 Things AI Will Never Do Better Than a Chinese Learner

With AI advancing at lightning speed, many are wondering: Do I still need to learn Chinese? Jared and John say yes, and in this episode, they break down 10 ways your Chinese skills remain AI-proof. These are the kinds of things no app, bot, or translation tool can truly replace.Along the way, you'll hear stories about phone conversations that left taxi drivers in disbelief, the joy of reading your first Chinese book, and how language learning leads to deeper relationships.Whether you're just starting or years into your Chinese journey, this episode is your reminder that learning Chinese is still very much worth it and more human than ever.Links from the episode:Mandarin Companion Graded ReadersAllSet Learning

A Czech Perspective on Learning Chinese: Renata Mirkova’s Story

In this episode, Jared sits down with Renata Mirkova, a Chinese language educator from the Czech Republic whose journey into Mandarin began not with a grand plan, but almost by accident. What started as a university entrance decision led her to master Chinese, live in China, and now teach both Czech and Chinese across cultural boundaries.Renata shares the unique challenges of learning Chinese in a non-English-speaking environment, including outdated textbooks from the 60s, Czech-Sinology programs steeped in history, and a lack of direct Chinese-to-Czech resources. But through her perseverance and multiple immersive experiences in China, Renata carved out her own path to fluency.From surviving the linguistic chaos of Sichuan dialects to interpreting for Czech officials on business trips in China, she offers candid reflections on what works for her, what didn’t, and how learning Chinese changed her life. She also gives insight into her current work creating Chinese learning materials specifically for Czech speakers and what it’s like teaching Czech to Chinese speakers in return.Links from the episode:Learn Chinese with Renata Mirkova | WebsiteMandarin Companion Graded Readers