How to Use Podcasts for Chinese Language Study

Podcasts are great. You can listen to them whenever you want, over and over again until you get what you need out of them. But many newcomers to Mandarin language learning wonder how to get the most out of podcasts like ChinesePod and Popup Chinese.
Here are a few tips and ideas:

- Use Chinese podcasts to practice listening. This is especially important if you don't have regular access to Chinese speakers and aren't hearing the language spoken on a regular basis. Try listening to a few podcasts while you are doing everyday activities or household chores to get used to how the language sounds.

- Try to figure it out yourself. Use the pause button frequently, stopping the podcast to try and guess what the hosts just said. You can listen to a whole dialogue and then try to parse it out or stop after each sentence to take things more slowly.

- Write down words and phrases for future use. Pick out one or two words or phrases to use throughout the day and try to find places to use them. Make up simple sentences using your new word or phrase to fix the information in your brain.

- Do the exercises. If you are a subscriber, take advantage of all of the materials the podcast provides. Don't skip over the exercises, but use them to deepen your understanding of the lesson.

- Listen to Chinese podcasts out of order. If you have some situation coming up where you might need to know Chinese, skip ahead to a podcast having to do with that situation. Heading to a Chinese restaurant? Pull up all of the lessons on food, ordering and paying the bill. Have a test at school on a chapter dealing with professions? Look up related podcasts and impress your teacher with a few extra words and a perfect score on the oral portion of your test.

- Don't be afraid to repeat lessons. You don't need to listen to a podcast only once. Listening a second or third time can help you recognize things in the dialogue that you might have had trouble with the first time around.