In this episode of The Learner Journals, Tom speaks with Charlie, a Mandarin learner from Essex who originally wanted to study Japanese after falling in love with anime, but ended up discovering a passion for Mandarin Chinese at university.

Charlie shares what it is like to study Mandarin from scratch as part of a university degree, including the reality of learning characters, grammar, tones, pronunciation and Chinese culture in a classroom setting. She talks about using physical flashcards, Quizlet, Pleco, Blogger, Netflix language tools and Chinese dramas to build vocabulary and improve reading.

The conversation also explores the difference between learning alone and learning in a group, why introverted learners may struggle with speaking practice, how confidence affects progress, and why making friends with native speakers can make such a big difference.

Charlie also talks about applying for a scholarship to study in Taipei, her hopes of travelling around Taiwan, Japan and Korea, and her long-term goal of using Mandarin in a future career, possibly through translation or teaching.

A great episode for anyone learning Mandarin, thinking about studying Chinese at university, struggling with tones, or wondering how to build a real study routine that actually sticks.

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