You’re reading Chinese, and there it is, pinyin over every character. It feels helpful, even comforting. But is it actually holding you back? In this episode, Jared and John explore how pinyin can become a crutch that cripples your Chinese progress and keeps you from truly mastering characters.

They revisit Jared’s blog post from years ago, Pinyin Over Characters: The Crippling Crutch, and unpack how this issue is still alive and well, especially with the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT and DeepSeek.

You’ll hear how pinyin over characters affects your eye movement, slows your reading speed, and hinders character recognition. Jared and John also break down the psychology behind why pinyin is so hard to ignore and offer practical strategies to reduce your reliance on it. From browser extensions to smarter AI prompts, they share ways to keep pinyin available only when you need it, not when it interferes.

If you’ve ever found yourself relying too heavily on pinyin, or wondering why your reading fluency isn’t improving, this episode will give you the clarity and tools you need to move forward.

What you’ll learn:

• Why native Chinese speakers learn characters before pinyin

• How pinyin affects your focus, memory, and reading speed

• The difference between helpful support and harmful overuse

• How to use AI tools more intentionally in your learning

• What extensive reading looks like without pinyin distractions

• The importance of finding level-appropriate reading materials

Links from the episode:

• Pinyin over Characters: The Crippling Crutch

• Mandarin Companion Graded Readers

• Learn Chinese Characters by Reading | Amazon

• Do you have a story to share? Reach out to us

In this episode, Jared sits down with Chimsy—marketer, meme connoisseur, and host of the China University Podcast—to dive deep into his unconventional journey from Costa Rica to China. What started as a challenge to prove a dismissive restaurant owner wrong turned into a life-changing adventure of language, culture, and self-discovery.

Chimsy shares how he went from working graveyard shifts in call centers to earning a Chinese government scholarship, despite setbacks like failing the HSK 3 and losing his passport on day one in China. Through humor and raw honesty, he reveals the challenges of adjusting to life in Chinese university dorms, building real friendships, and grinding through language barriers.

Be prepared for his raw, unvarnished, and honest take on learning Chinese and living in China, how memes can be more than just entertainment, and why making one good Chinese friend can change everything.

Links from the episode:

• China University Podcast Memes | Instagram

• China University Podcast | Spotify

• Do you have a story to share? Reach out to us

AI tutors are everywhere—but are they actually good for learning Chinese? In this episode, Jared and John take a deep dive into the fast-evolving world of AI-powered language learning tools. They explore how these AI tutors work and why tools that work well in English often fall short in Chinese.

You'll learn:

- The surprising limitations of AI when it comes to staying within beginner-friendly vocabulary

- How AI tutors compare to human teachers in giving corrections (including recasting!)

- Why voice recognition can be a dealbreaker—especially for Chinese tones

- What makes a good AI language partner... and where most still fall short

- Whether AI tutors reduce anxiety or just reduce motivation

You’ll get practical tips for using AI tools effectively depending on your Chinese level and what features to look for if you’re exploring AI conversation practice or personalized lessons.

Curious or skeptical about AI tutors? This episode will help you evaluate whether they’re worth your time, and how to get the most out of them.

Links from the episode:

• Recasting in Language Learning | SinoSplice

• Do you have a story to share? Reach out to us