When disliking learning languages can be a really good thing
You can dislike studying languages and still love what speaking them makes possible. Benny explains why communication is his real goal.
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Benny’s 1 month level of Mandarin: Lantern festival interviews!
Watch Benny interview people at Taipei’s Lantern Festival one month into his Mandarin mission, with captions in English and Traditional Chinese.
Progress report: Thoughts on one month of learning Mandarin & some FAQs
Read Benny’s one-month Mandarin progress report from Taipei, including changes to his approach to tones, conversation practice and Chinese characters.
How many words do you need to speak a language fluently?
Find out why fluency has no universal word-count threshold, how context shapes useful vocabulary and what language exams actually assess.
6 short videos to help you configure your very own reality distortion field
Six short videos explore persistence, bold goals and the habits behind Benny's own version of a reality distortion field.
How I Stretched My Comfort Zone While Learning Mandarin
Benny’s early Mandarin diary shows how real interaction exposed useful gaps. The lesson is progressive challenge, not punishment or isolation.
Benny’s first video attempt in Mandarin: 2 weeks after starting
Watch Benny’s first Mandarin video, recorded two weeks after he started, and see how a prepared apartment tour helped him practise speaking.
My First Week Speaking, Reading and Writing Chinese
Benny’s archived first week learning Mandarin in Taipei: early conversations, tones, characters, pinyin input, practical problems and honest limits.
Mandarin in 3 Months: My 2012 Mission and Outcome
In 2012, I began a three-month Mandarin mission in Taipei. See my original speaking and reading plan, what changed, and the level I reached.
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