# About this repo
- 🥠 This repo is a work in progress catalog for my Mandarin learning notes.
- 🥮 Currently learning on my own, but I'll probably get a tutor once I hit intermediate level.
- 🧧 I’ll document the resources I’m using (like apps, books, and other media)
- 🥡 It will contain reviews of what works and what doesn’t along the way.
- 🥢 English isn’t my native language either, but I’m using English materials to practice both.
- 🐼 I’m skipping Hanzi handwriting for now, at least until I’m fluent enough to bother with it. - 🐌 None
- 🐟 HSK 1
- 🦉 HSK 2
- 🦚 HSK 3
- 🐅 HSK 4
- 🐉 HSK 5
- ☯️ HSK 6
I tried learning Mandarin for a month before - these are the resources I liked, so I'm sticking with them.
| Resource | Type | Free/Paid | Am I paying? | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Immersi - Learn Chinese | Android app / iPhone app | Free (Limited) | Not at the beginning (I'm still not paying) | Great tool for learning Mandarin through subtitled videos, including YouTube ones. You can watch videos by choosing a word or swapping the screen the same way you do on social media like Instagram Stories. |
| Du Chinese | Android app / iPhone app | Free (Limited) | Not at the beginning (I'm still not paying) | Learn Mandarin by reading stories. It's graded by levels. One of the best apps for learning Mandarin out there. |
| Pleco | Android app / iPhone app | Free (in-app purchases) | - | No introduction needed. One of the most used apps for this purpose. A Mandarin dictionary and spaced repetition app. |
| Little Fox Chinese | Website | Free | - | Great and simple but rich material for learning Mandarin through simple story animations. |
The objective is to learn both speaking and writing (by typing), so (different from the last time), I'll focus on learning the tones and I won't move on to the next couple of words until I learn the ones I am currently practicing in speaking and writing.
It's important to note that I'm learning two other languages besides Mandarin (with English being one of them), and they are needed, so I can't prioritize Mandarin above them. Thus, I have no rush with this "project". I'll learn at my own pace, if not I might go crazy.
I'll use AI to get some questions answered, but I'll try not to rely on it too much since I don't want to sound like I'm scripted by DeepSeek or something lol.
I also don't know yet if I'll use a textbook. I'll update here about it later. I like understanding grammar, so maybe I'll do that. Studying from textbooks takes too much time. I prefer to listen to or read stories, conversations, etc.
Oh, and about why I’m creating this repository, I’ve always liked the learn in public method, even before I knew the term existed. I once ran an online Japanese study group where we’d post our study updates. And no, I don't actually speak Japanese if you ask me, but I'll try to get back to it someday. Sharing is a good way to hold yourself accountable while (hopefully) helping others in the process. Also, I'm too lazy/busy to create a blog (though I do want to create one in the future), and a repository is a great way to organize things in the meantime.
- Studying every day, even for a little bit
- Study a Little Fox episode
- Study a Du Chinese text
- Study the words from both apps on Immersi
- Try to create my own sentences in different contexts (writing and speaking)
- Use Pleco for spaced repetition
- Only move on after "memorizing" at least 90% of the words I'm studying
🌺 hope this helps others too 🌺
🀢🀣🀦🀤