17: I Use Chinese to Get to the Friendship

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RushMandarin

Gene Rush

20 episodes

6 days ago

Gene here. Chinese adoptee who couldn't speak Mandarin when I first returned to China. Twelve months later: conversational fluency achieved. Now documenting the ongoing push toward full fluency and literacy - while facing the challenge of returning to America in two months and losing the language. Raw interviews with other Mandarin learners at every stage. Chronological documentation of what actually happens when people try to break through intermediate plateaus and maintain progress. No teaching, just authentic stories. New episodes document real conversations as they happen. @rush.mandarin

Language Learning

Education

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Language Learning

Education

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17: I Use Chinese to Get to the Friendship

RushMandarin

1 hour 24 minutes 43 seconds

2 months ago

17: I Use Chinese to Get to the Friendship

Tom has been on a 13 year Mandarin journey. He built his own app, has given business presentations in Chinese, but surprisingly, isn't trying to chase fluency. He actually isn't trying to get anywhere at all. After 1000 days of daily character practice (even with a broken ankle), he discovered the secret: use Chinese to get to friendships, don't use friends to get to Chinese. I ask Tom about what it means to remove the destination from language learning, and how the joy of human connection, not perfect study methods, kept him going for 13 years.

Find Tom's app at charactermatrix.com (iOS/Android) and his YouTube channel @squattingtaiwan.