Strengthening relationships and building alliances is an essential part of every culture, and gift-giving plays a vital role in achieving this. Similarly, in Chinese culture, presenting gifts is a time-honored…
Ever since internet access became more common in China, new phrases and figures of speech have been coined to describe new phenomena in society. These new phrases have also spread…
Chinese language often gets a rap as one of the hardest languages for native English speakers to learn to speak. I am no Chinese expert and I have a healthy…
As I was watching Dig Mandarin’s wonderful video Ordering and Eating Hot Pot in China, I was reminded of my own experiences with this culinary delight in Beijing. I first…
What do Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, WWE champion John Cena, and British actress Vanessa Branch (most famous for her appearance in a series of Orbit gum commercials) all have in…
The Chinese language(Mandarin in particular) has the distinction of being the most commonly used language in the world, spoken by over a billion people. But, it is also considered one…
I. Introduction to Cooking A. General Information on the benefits of cooking immersion In most Chinese learning books and courses, there is usually a chapter about ordering food at a…
Some days it seems as though the majority of foreigners in China speak amazingly fluent Mandarin. Some days it feels like no one cares about it once they are able…
As a Mandarin teacher, I am always delighted to observe and learn from my students. One thing I have noticed in my interactions with my students is how hard most…