Apps and resources to use for learning Chinese during holidays

First things first, holidays are meant for relaxing and spending time with your loved ones. But in case you are taking a longer holiday or just worry that you will forget your Chinese, here are a few tips are resources for you to stay connected with your studies no matter if you head back home or to the beaches of Thailand.

Should I take my books with me?

Think how likely it is that you will actually open your books. If you enjoy doing exercises by the pool and have space in your suitcase, why not! But if that’s the case, feel free to leave your books at home and use other fun materials to review instead.

APP recommendations

Mobile phone APPs are a great way to review Chinese while on the go and there are many to choose from according to your level, your needs, and what you find fun.

For beginners

  • If you are taking our beginners course, you can use our Quizlet to review vocabulary and phrases. We also have Quizlet for HSK1 and HSK2.
  • Duolingo or Hello Chinese for fun practice with different skills in Chinese, can start from zero
  • ChinesePod Newbiew and Elementary podcasts (can also be found for free on the iPhone Podcast APP, just turn on your VPN to find them)
  • Amazing HSK for reviewing HSK1-4 characters if you have learned them before and want to review

For intermediate learners

  • ChinesePod Intermediate podcasts (can also be found for free on the iPhone Podcast APP, just turn on your VPN to find them)
  • Dot Languages APP for reading and related exercises, uses the new HSK levels so if you are level 3 on the current HSK, try to start with level 2

For advanced learners

  • ChinesePod Advanced podcasts (can also be found for free on the iPhone Podcast APP, just turn on your VPN to find them)
  • Super Test APP has all HSK levels from 1-6, but for the new 7-9 they have vocabulary practice
  • Dot Languages APP for reading and related exercises, uses the new HSK levels, articles, and news type texts for higher levels
  • Pleco Document Reader, a useful add-on to read Chinese websites or documents like ebooks

Other resources

Besides APP you can also find useful material online that can make your learning more fun during the holiday. No need to commit to one source, just pick what you feel like doing that day.

YouTube

  • ChineseClass101 has a thousand bite-sized videos of learning Chinese
  • Everyday Chinese also has a large collection of videos on a variety of topics
  • Asian Boss has a collection of street interviews from China, great for advanced learners, just block the English subtitles
  • Also, check out Expat Chinese founder Sara Jaaksola’s new channel for a more academic view on learning Chinese
  • On YouTube options are unlimited, so just try different keywords to find interesting Chinese content

Websites

  • Hacking Chinese is the blog to go for information about how to learn Chinese, great reading for the days you are feeling a lack of motivation
  • Written Chinese has a collection of different topics and vocabularies, just search with different keywords to find interesting materials
  • If you want to know more about Sara Jaaksola’s Ph.D. research on Chinese language learning motivation, check out her blog

Graded readers

If you can do a little book shopping in advance, graded readers are excellent holiday readers and you can find them for all different levels

  • SmartCat Graded Chinese Readers for HSK1, 2, and 3. Both pinyin and characters， include audio, one long story. Search on Taobao: 轻松猫中文分级读物
  • Friends Chinese Graded Readers for HSK1 to 6 levels. Characters only, includes audio, several short stories. Search on Taobao: 好朋友汉语分级读物
  • Chinese Breeze Graded Reader Series for HSK2 and up. Characters only, includes audio, one long story. Search on Taobao: 汉语风中文分级系列读物
  • On Amazon check out Mandarin Companion