Blog-archive

Cracking the Code: The Six Writings of Chinese Characters

One of the most fascinating legends about the origin of Chinese characters revolves around Cāng Jié, the official historian of the Yellow Emperor. The Yellow Emperor wasn’t satisfied with the ancient method of using knots on ropes to record information, so he challenged Cāng Jié to come up with a brand new writing system. For […]

Unveiling the Tapestry of Taiwanese Culture: Exploring its Richness and Challenges

Originally, I thought that searching for “Taiwanese Culture” on Google Scholar would yield a plethora of textbooks and philosophical articles, just like “Chinese Culture.” However, upon taking action, I discovered that there is still a lack of systematic introductions to Taiwanese culture. Perhaps we shouldn’t try to understand Taiwanese culture from a systematic or holistic […]

From Beginner to Fluent: Using ChatGPT to Improve Your Chinese Language Skills

ChatGPT is a language model developed by OpenAI that can be used to improve your Chinese language skills. Here are five ways to use ChatGPT to advance from beginner to fluent: Overall, ChatGPT is a versatile tool that can help you improve your Chinese language skills. Whether you need assistance with writing, debugging, essay writing, […]

Taiwan receipt lottery numbers for March and April, 2022

You should keep track of your receipts in Taiwan. The Taiwan Receipt Lottery, formally known as the “Uniform Invoice Lottery” (In Chinese 統一發票 Tǒngyī Fāpiào), gives all customers the chance to win up to 10 million NTD. You can read this post or this video to learn how to win the prizes. This table tells […]

What are Can do Statements? An Overview for Mandarin Learners

The CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) and ALG (Automatic Language Growth) are two widely recognized frameworks for language learning and assessment. In the context of Mandarin Chinese learning, the Can-do statements in CEFR and ALG can be particularly helpful for setting clear language goals and tracking progress. Can-do statements are brief descriptions […]

Situations of Communicative Language Activities

To carry out communicative tasks, users have to engage in communicative language activities and operate communication strategies. Many communicative activities, such as conversation and correspondence, are interactive, that is to say, the participants alternate as producers and receivers, often with several turns. In other cases, as when speech is recorded or broadcast or written texts […]

Breaking the Stereotype: How Learning Mandarin Can Be Fun and Exciting

Learning Mandarin, like learning calculus or organic chemistry, can be challenging and intimidating. Often, others will say that it’s too difficult, which can make it easy to hate the learning process. However, a formal classroom setting isn’t the only way to learn Mandarin. Unfortunately, if your language class is filled with endless grammar or vocabulary […]

Chinese Paper Cutting Templates for Lunar Year of the Tiger 2022

Lunar New Year festivities can often last for up to 15 days, with different tasks and activities taking place over that period. Paper cutting is one of the oldest folk art forms in China. Making the cuttings together with the family is a popular way of celebrating the Lunar New Year and welcoming the spring. […]

Discover the 12 Chinese Zodiac Signs and Their Chinese Names

The concept of the new year is celebrated differently in various parts of the world. While January 1st is regarded as the start of the new year in many places, it is not the same for those following the lunar calendar, which is based on the cycles of the moon. The Chinese New Year, for […]

Maximizing Your Stay in Taiwan: Understanding the Employment Gold Card

If you’re planning to visit Taiwan, you’ll need to obtain a visa beforehand, and the Taiwan Employment Gold Card may be the best option for you. The card was introduced in 2018 as part of the “Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professional Talent,” a government initiative aimed at attracting highly skilled foreign […]