John and Jared discuss what it means to be “learner-centric” and how you can adapt your learning methods to fit your own goals. You’ll get insights into the new HSK and other standardized tests, ACTFL’s “Can-Do” statements, and Mandarin Companion standards. These are all things you can use right away!

The guest interview is with Robin MacPherson, a highly enthusiastic polyglot who speaks eight languages and documents his language learning on YouTube.

Links from the episode:

• Why I’m a Fan of Chinese Graded Readers (Micha’s blog post)
• 你好 Compilation YouTube Video (omitted from last week’s show notes)
• NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements
• Novice Can-Do Statements (PDF)
• Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Curly-Haired Company (Mandarin Companion Graded Reader)
• How To Develop Spoken Fluency Through Reading (four-part YouTube series)
• Robin MacPherson YouTube Channel
• Journaly (An online journal used to improve language learning)
• Subtitle Hero (An interactive subtitle service for Chinese-language shows)
• Shanghai Russians (The story behind the Russian diaspora in Shanghai)

Thanks for listening to the podcast! Please write John and Jared a review on Apple Podcasts and they’ll give you a shout-out! They are also taking questions from listeners. If you have a question, reach them at feedback@mandarincompanion.com. Follow them on Facebook and catch their latest Chinese-learning memes on Instagram.

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