Amanda Hsiung-Blodgett on how to master Mandarin Chinese through play

Amanda Hsiung-Blodgett (a.k.a. “Miss Panda”) is an intercultural language consultant and trainer, the author of Let’s Learn Mandarin Chinese with Miss Panda! and First Mandarin Sounds: an Awesome Chinese Word Book, and the host of the Playful Chinese podcast. I love her approach to language learning, especially her emphasis on play and having fun. As she puts it eloquently:

“Playing is learning. Learning is playing.”

Topics Discussed

In the interview, we discuss:

How Amanda first got interested in foreign languages.
Her journey to learn English in Taiwan.
The critical role of interest and passion in mastering a language.
The limitations of classroom-based learning.
The role of an effective language teacher.
The differences between child and adult language acquisition.
The problem of focusing too much on the result, and not enough on the process.
The power of using music in language learning.
The most common mistakes Chinese language learners make.
How to learn Chinese characters using story-based mnemonics instead of rote memory.
The dangers of perfectionism and resource overwhelm in language learning.
The many ways in which Mandarin Chinese is easy.
The power of play in language learning, especially for children.
When to start speaking and how to start communicating with few words.
Finding a balance point between growth and trauma in learning.
The importance of using your “Chinese brain.”