<p>After 300 days of secretly studying Chinese, one guy surprises his partner with phrases like “the cheesecake is grieving” and “the purple elephant eats passion for breakfast.” It’s a bit humorous, but it also highlights a bigger issue: extreme learning methods that <em>feel</em> productive but fall flat in practice.</p><p>In this episode, Jared and John dive into seven common extremes they’ve seen (and lived) in the world of learning Chinese. From bingeing flashcards or grammar rules to over-relying on Duolingo or doing nothing but watch TV in Mandarin, these extremes can slow your progress, or worse, burn you out completely.</p><p>Drawing on personal experience, stories from past podcast guests, and insights from language learning experts like Paul Nation, the hosts break down what works, what backfires, and how to build a more balanced and effective approach to learning Chinese.</p><p>If you’re stuck, overwhelmed, or questioning your methods, this episode will help you get back on track.</p><p><strong>Links from the episode:</strong></p><ul><li><p><a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/7gb6vWKJLXWoLbM4lpa5Pn"><u>“Burnout, Breakthrough, and Fluency: Chaniece’s Story”</u></a> | YCLC Podcast</p></li><li><p><a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6G1JsgG3m1XyvwNj0rTZSd"><u>“Vocab Apps and Learner Engagement” – Jonathan Covey Interview</u></a> | YCLC Podcast</p></li><li><p><a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/3psiyeu1leTzH8kICrMtC9"><u>“Steven Kaufmann “The Linguist” Interview”</u></a> | YCLC Podcast</p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.hackchinese.com/"><u>Hack Chinese</u></a> | Modern flashcards</p></li><li><p><a href="https://mandarincompanion.com/products/"><u>Mandarin Companion Graded Readers</u></a></p></li></ul>