Learning the 214 Chinese radicals is a valuable endeavor for anyone embarking on the journey of mastering the Chinese language. While these radicals alone won’t make you proficient, they serve as an essential building block in understanding Chinese characters and can significantly enhance your language-learning experience. Chinese radicals are components of characters that often provide […]
Author: Captain
List of Communication Topics Reference Guidelines for TBCL (Taiwan Benchmarks for the Chinese Languag) Application
During the development of the “Reference Guidelines for TBCL Application,” international language proficiency standards, such as the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines (ACTFL 2012) from the United States and the CEFR (Council of Europe 2001) from the European Union, were consulted. These guidelines embraced mainstream perspectives, emphasizing practical language usage and a learner-centered approach. This effort led […]
Combinations of Initials and Finals Table
Mark Swofford of Banqiao, Taiwan, has compiled a comprehensive “Combinations of Initials and Finals” table, which serves as a valuable resource for learners and enthusiasts of Mandarin Chinese phonetics. This table presents a systematic arrangement of Mandarin syllables, listing the combinations of initials (consonant-like sounds) and finals (vowel-like sounds) used in the language. Key Features: […]
Mastering Mandarin: Essential Countries in Chinese Vocabulary
This table provides a comparative list of countries and their names in both Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese, along with their respective Pinyin and English meanings. The data is a fusion of introductory content from two textbooks, “Integrated Chinese” and “Modern Chinese.“ The table includes several countries, such as Taiwan, China, South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, […]
Mastering Basic Chinese Expressions: Your Ultimate Guide to Confident Communication
This table provides a comparison of key introductory phrases and expressions in both Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese, along with their corresponding Pinyin (the romanization of Chinese characters) and English meanings. The phrases are extracted from two different language textbooks, “Integrated Chinese” and “Modern Chinese,” to offer learners a comprehensive resource for familiarizing themselves with […]
Mastering the Art of Greetings: Essential Phrases for Chinese Beginners
This table is a fusion of introductory phrases and expressions from two Chinese language textbooks, “Integrated Chinese” and “Modern Chinese.” It provides a comprehensive list of basic greetings and polite expressions commonly used in everyday communication. These phrases are essential for beginners learning Chinese and serve as a foundation for further language study. The first […]
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 […]