You Can Learn Chinese
Learn HOW to learn Chinese with hosts Jared Turner and John Pasden. You will learn tips, strategies, and insights so you can supercharge your language learning. You will also be inspired by guest interviews with MORE.
Episodes
Learn HOW to learn Chinese with hosts Jared Turner and John Pasden. You will learn tips, strategies, and insights so you can supercharge your language learning. You will also be inspired by guest interviews with people from all over the world who have learned Chinese.
Both Jared and John both learned Chinese, lived in China for many years, and have worked with learners all over the world and understand the unique challenges that Chinese learners face. They stay at the forefront of language learning research and methods and bring that to listeners everywhere.
What happens when your reason for learning Chinese changes?
In this interview, Jared talks with Anastasia Tulupova about her journey from a goal-driven teenager in Ukraine, determined to master the “hardest language in the world” and become a translator, to a Chinese teacher who now helps others learn more effectively. Along the way, she realized that the path she started on wasn’t the one she actually wanted.
After years of structured study and passing HSK exams, everything changed when she arrived in China and discovered she couldn’t actually communicate. That moment pushed her to rethink not just how she was learning, but why.
We discuss the trap of perfectionism, the gap between knowing and using the language, and how consistent, real-world practice, often messy and repetitive, became the key to her breakthrough. Her story is a strong reminder that progress doesn’t come from getting everything right, but from showing up, speaking up, and sticking with it.
If your Chinese learning journey has ever felt frustrating, unclear, or like your goals are shifting, this episode will help you refocus on what actually works, and what really matters.
Links from the episode:
Xiya Chinese Teacher | Anastasia on Instagram
