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Best VPN For China? Here’s What I Use!

April 15, 2019 By Kwadwo

First things first

What Is A VPN?

Whenever we surf the internet whether we’re in a public place, at home or at work, none of our data is encrypted. There is a risk that others can steal our data or track our digital movements. Anti-virus programmes only protect from things entering our computer or phone, not things going out — like our bank information, personal data, or private messages.

There is a very simple way to protect ourselves. Connect to a Virtual Private Network. Whenever you are connected to your VPN you are safely, securely, and anonymously surfing the web.

Another reason to use a VPN is to gain access to censored websites from your local internet connection. For example; I wanna live stream on Instagram but I’m in China? It gives you unrestricted access to filtered or blocked content.

What’s The Great Firewall Of China?

This is a term to describe the legislation that was created by the Chinese government to censor media in China.

To simplify, “The Great Firewall” is basically the blocking of popular global sites. Things that are blocked in China: Anything Google, Google Maps, Gmail, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Snapchat, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, the list goes on my friend.

Oh, and Pokemon Go. What has the world come to?

Okay, now we’ve got the basics out of the way.

You’ve probably seen my videos on YouTube or my live streams on Facebook. We all know that both of these platforms are blocked in China, right? Well, I need a reliable VPN with good connectivity.

“Kwadwo, that is exactly what I need. My Instagram fails to update, my Snapchat presence is non-existent, my connectivity drops off without notice and I get stranded on the streets of China because I can’t connect to Google Maps.”

I’ve got your back.

I use Astrill VPN and I love it.

Sure, there are cheaper VPN’s out there. You could save a couple of bucks here and there. But, I needed something that was stable, secure and reliable. And, Astrill VPN has never let me down.

I did have a few issues with them in the beginning. For some reason I couldn’t connect on my phone. But, they have fantastic support. I hopped onto their website and asked them a bunch of questions. Within no time they had a solution for me and the rest is history — I’ve never looked back and never sat staring at my screen praying for it to connect.

It works every time without fail.

There are often meetings where they clamp down on VPN’s. Suddenly an entire VPN service will lose their access. Customers suffer as they frantically try to get it back up and running. You don’t want to be in the midst of that, do you?

Learn Mandarin Chinese, Learn Conversational Chinese, Chinese for Beginners, Learning Chinese in China, Elementary Chinese, Elisa Montalvo, Chinese Tips, Chinese Phrases, Best VPN China, Astrill VPN

Great things about Astrill VPN

Super easy to use, connect with one click
A network of powerful servers
VPN servers in 115 cities across 64 countries
Unlimited bandwidth and speed
Connect unlimited devices
Apple and Android Apps
Amazing customer support

What server should I use?

A very common question. This baffled me too at first.

VPN’s will usually have a set of Countries or servers that you can choose from. Your internet will be rerouted from where ever you are, connect in that Country and then provide you with your unblocked connectivity.

I used their speed test to figure out which location would be the fastest for me. I chose that one, favorited it and always connect to that one.

A basic Astrill membership gives you five simultaneous connections. You can watch YouTube on your iPhone, scroll through Facebook on your iPad, search Google on your computer, and you still have two more devices available to connect at the same time!

I used that for a month and it was okay, but then I upgraded to the VIP service because I’m running a business and I don’t want my live streams to suck for you guys. I know how annoying that would be.

It allows you to add tons of VPN servers usage. Perfect for other YouTubers or Bloggers here in China who will be using a ton of data.

Do you have any questions? Pop them in the comment section below, I answer every single one.

A quick and important disclosure:
Some of the links above are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. I recommend them because they are helpful and useful.

Learn Mandarin Chinese, Learn Conversational Chinese, Chinese for Beginners, Learning Chinese in China

Making Out In Chinese — Book Review

April 8, 2019 By Kwadwo

BOOK REVIEW

Thinking of picking yourself up a phrase book? Need something that reflects real life language as spoken on the streets of China? Making Out In Chinese is advertised as a Language Survival Kit for contemporary Chinese.

Watch the video below to take a sneak peek inside the book.

This is 160 pages of modern phrases to help you make new friends, share a meal, go out on the town, and flirt with the girl you saw in the bar.

Each phrase is written in Mandarin Chinese Characters, pinyin, and phonetic pronunciation. It also features a pronunciation guide, notes on language and culture, a brief introduction to tenses, and tone markers.

The thing is 60% of reviews on Amazon give this book one star! Can it really be that bad?

The Flip Test

The Flip Test is where I flip to a few random pages in the book and review the language. I was pleasantly surprised. The language is very colloquial. It speaks as a native speaker would. The phrases you find in this book wouldn’t be found in a textbook but that’s because people don’t really speak like that.

If you’re a super beginner you’re probably going to want to invest in a textbook first to get to grips with pronunciation and basics before using these phrases. However, this wouldn’t be a bad book to carry around in your bag. If you’re struggling with a phrase you can always show the book to your friend or new love interest.

What do you think? Do you have this book? Does your opinion differ to mine? Leave a comment below. The Elementary Chinese Community will benefit from your input.

A quick and important disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. I recommend them because they are helpful and useful.

The Great Firewall of China

Want to use the VPN I use for a stable connection in China? I use Astrill VPN when I live stream on Instagram. Their customer service, speed, and connectivity is top notch. Plus, when you download here they share some of the cost with me, so I can keep creating the videos you love.

Master This One Thing To Speak Better Mandarin Chinese

April 1, 2019 By Kwadwo

SUPERCHARGE YOUR MANDARIN

Do you want to get better at everyday Chinese? Do you find yourself struggling to expand your vocabulary? You don’t need Chinese classes. You need this one very simple and effective tip.

During my recent visit to Shanghai I discussed with Elisa Montalvo how she levelled up her Mandarin Chinese way back when she was first learning.

Elisa is a dance choreographer with Disney Shanghai and So You Think You Can Dance China. She’s been bouncing around China since 2012 and has a not so secret obsession with travel—especially to the Grasslands of Inner Mongolia.

LEARN THIS PHRASE

How do you say this?

How do you say this?
怎么说？
zěn me shuō?

Everyday Elisa would ask friends, colleagues, and strangers ‘how do you say this?’ and they would tell her. She’d ask again and again and slowly her vocabulary started to expand.

She openly admits to making a lot of mistakes and embarrassing herself. But she learnt how to say the things that were useful and important in her life. By asking people the simple question ‘how do you say this?’ she would actively understand how to use the word or phrase in context next time.

Elisa now teaches and choreographs dance in Chinese. In the beginning, she would mix Mandarin and English to learn new words. She would ask her students what something was called by pointing to a body part and saying ‘how do you say this?’ They would respond and she would continue to ask until she remembered the word or phrase off by heart.

Never be afraid to look silly. Never be afraid to ask questions. Be curious. Go outside and communicate in Mandarin Chinese. No one cares if your accent is off or you stumble on your words. They care that you are trying. The more uncomfortable situations you put yourself in the quicker you’ll learn. Immerse yourself with the language and be prepared to fail.

BONUS TIP

Be willing to put yourself out there and practise. At the beginning you will be nervous to speak Mandarin Chinese. Maybe you’re scared of looking like a fool? Most people are willing to help you once you make the effort. Look for opportunities to ask questions and expand your everyday vocabulary.

The Great Firewall of China

How To Start Learning Mandarin Chinese

March 25, 2019 By Kwadwo

LEARN THE BASICS

I’ve been in Mexico for the last seven weeks learning Spanish and it really gave me some perspective on beginners learning a new language. I’ve been struggling with remembering phrases and getting my tongue used to speaking in a new accent. I needed to encourage myself to keep practising the basics. So, here are my tops tips for starting to learn Mandarin Chinese as a complete beginner:

1. Surround yourself with the language

If you’re living in China then you’re one step closer to integrating yourself. Go to markets, cafes, parks and open your ears. Listen to accents and the speed at which people talk. Learn to copy pronunciation and the nuances that local Chinese people use to speak.

If you’re taking the leap to learn Mandarin Chinese in your home country then it might be harder to surround yourself with Chinese speakers. You won’t be able to hear Mandarin all day at school or in your office. What YouTube channels can you watch to get that listening fix?

Mandarin Corner is my absolute favorite. It’s the channel I use because there are tons of dialogues you can listen to in Mandarin. They also have a range of speeds available so you can listen whatever level you’re currently at.

When you’re watching or listening to anything in Mandarin Chinese always try to speak under your breath, or out loud if you’re in a comfortable place. Copy the phrases as you go. Even if you think you’re terrible, repeat along with the audio as it gets your tongue and brain used to speaking the language.

2. Audio practise with books

Pronunciation is the hardest thing to acquire and the thing that you need to practice the most. Pick yourself up a comprehensive book with audio that will allow you to listen to native speakers speaking fluently. This way you can rewind, go back, listen over and over again and practice until you’re blue in the face.

Get Talking Chinese is honestly a revelation. It’s absolutely perfect for beginners. Everything inside this book is pure, pretty gold. They only teach you the useful day-to-day language you need to know in China. Let’s call this a phrase book plus. I haven’t felt as excited about a book since Integrated Chinese and you guys know that is my all time favorite book.

3. Practise like crazy

In order to master the basics, you must practice every day. No questions asked. If you’re not practicing every day and you aren’t seeing results then this is why. You must prioritize your language learning. Create a habit. Turn your habit into huge success. Use your downtime as study time. Set aside ten minutes of your commute to listen to your audio book or revise your flashcards.

I am seriously obsessed with the book The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson. He talks about turning simple disciplines into massive success and happiness. I’ve honestly read this book a billion times and it keeps teaching me new things.

If you practice for ten minutes, that time is seemingly insignificant. Ten minutes every day for a week or a month builds up to a whole heap of study time. Finally, you’ll see the compounded results. You’ll start to notice you can understand more words and phrases, your pronunciation is getting better or your reaction time is quicker.

That’s it. Sounds simple, huh? These three tips are your key to success. Learn the basics. Surround yourself with the language. Listen to audio, and study like crazy. No one said it would be easy but if you create a solid habit then you’re on the road to success.

Comment below what you are doing to keep your language learning going? How do you persist? The Elementary Chinese community will benefit from your knowledge.

Affiliate link disclaimer: If you purchase any of these books through the links found on this page a teeny bit of the cost helps me pay my bills and continue to provide you with valuable content. Hope that’s cool.

The Great Firewall of China

Three tips to remember Chinese Characters

March 18, 2019 By Kwadwo

Struggling to remember Chinese Characters? You’re not alone. They are tricky little things with complex strokes and most look exactly the same?! How on earth do I remember thousands of them?

I’ll teach you my top three ways to memorize Chinese Characters. Want to know a secret? It’s pretty straight forward. Increase your exposure to Chinese Characters as quickly as possible.

The general rule of thumb is that you must be exposed to a character between 7 to 23 times to actually learn it and effectively recall it. This will take place over a few months if you’re not actively exposing yourself to characters. Supercharge your learning by grabbing a comprehensive book, flashcard apps and being diligent with studying.

1. Get a comprehensive book

If you don’t already have a Chinese Characters book I’d recommend purchasing Tuttle’s Learning Mandarin Chinese Characters. Check out my review of the book here or watch the video below. This is a great book for learning Chinese Characters. Out of all the books I’ve reviewed this one really shines.

2. Write, write, write

Grab yourself a dotted Moleskin or some fancy character paper and copy the characters. Write them in rows. Write them again and again. Fill the whole page. Write until your wrist aches. The more you write them the easier it will be to remember the strokes and imprint the character into your memory.

This is a very simple tip but it takes hard work and dedication. Most people fail because they don’t prioritise studying, if you apply yourself and set aside as little as 10 minutes a day I guarantee you’ll see results.

If you have a tutor, ask them to check your characters, they can review your characters and give you advice on stroke order, balance and consistency.

3. Use a flashcard app

I personally love the Skritter app. I used it for two years to brush up on my Chinese Characters. It’s so much more advanced than standard flashcard apps. It uses custom definitions and mnemonics, example sentences, character breakdowns, vocab information to improve your learning experience.

They always teach you the correct stroke order when learning new characters. It has audio to match the character and prompts for pronunciation and tone markers.

Plus you can learn on the go. The app can be downloaded to your phone or tablet. This means you can get a quick study session in on the bus, whilst waiting for a friend, or grabbing a coffee. It couldn’t be more convenient to learn Chinese Characters.

Fancy a 7-day free trial? Click here. Who doesn’t love free things?

Is learning Chinese Characters difficult?

I’m bombarded with messages asking me ‘how difficult is it to learn Chinese Characters?’. The honest answer is, learning Chinese Characters is hard. But, if you’re learning Chinese in China you have an added advantage because I can provide you with the tools you need to communicate effectively in Mandarin Chinese.

Character Scavenger Hunt

This is a premium WeChat group. We are a group of like-minded people who are studying Chinese Characters all over China. Each week I choose one character and ask the group members to actively search for this character in everyday signs.

You soon start to learn the character in tons of different contexts and this reinforces the character in your head. Members post photos into the group with their translation and I offer comments, translations and culture references.

Want to be a part of the Elementary Chinese community? Click here.

The Great Firewall of China

The only two phrases you need when travelling in China

March 11, 2019 By Kwadwo

Kudos to you. You’re learning Chinese. A challenging yet surprisingly rewarding language to learn, especially if you’re in China.

In this post, I’ll teach you the two most important and useful Chinese phrases. How to ask where the bathroom is and how to get what you want.

If you’re an expat living in China and would like to join a community of like-minded language learners, add me on WeChat. I offer two premium WeChat groups for learning Everyday Chinese and Chinese Characters.

1. Where is the bathroom?

洗手间在哪儿？
xǐ shǒu jiān zài nǎr?
Where is the bathroom?

If this sentence is too much of a tongue twister you can simply say:

洗手间？
xǐ shǒu jiān?
Bathroom?

They will understand you. Be confident with your words. Listen to my tones in the video below. Listen over and over again. Repeat out loud. Practice makes perfect.

Or if this fails, just do the international pee pee dance and everyone will understand you! 😂

2. Get what you need

我要
Wǒ yào
I want

我不要
Wǒ bù yào
I don’t want

Pair this with pointing to the object you want/don’t want. There is nothing better than using your body language and actions to communicate your needs.

Learn Mandarin Chinese, Learn Conversational Chinese, Chinese for Beginners, Learning Chinese in China, Elementary Chinese

Survival Chinese

These two phrases are the basis for working your way around China with confidence. Point to the Baozi you want when grabbing breakfast on the way to work and speak with ease when asking where the bathroom is.

Sick of saying tīng bù dǒng? Without useful phrases life in China is hard. How great would it be to grow your vocabulary, improve your tones, and apply what you’ve learnt to everyday situations? I’ve crafted an online course that ticks all these boxes. You’ll learn everyday Chinese, fast.

Are you a beginner learning Chinese?
Talk Mandarin might just be the book for you.

Is learning Chinese hard?

I get a ton of emails asking me ‘how hard is it to learn Mandarin Chinese?’. The honest answer is, learning Mandarin Chinese is hard. But, if you’re learning Chinese in China you have an added advantage because I can provide you with the tools you need to communicate effectively in Mandarin Chinese.

Top three ways to learn Chinese

1. FREE guide to learning everyday Chinese!

The first thing you should check out is my eight effective ways to learn Chinese free guide. It breaks down the top ways to learn Chinese fast!

2. The best books to learn Mandarin Chinese

There are so many books which claim to help you master the Chinese language. And, most of them are a waste of money. I’ve used my 10 years experience of living in China and learning Chinese to compile a comprehensive guide of the best books to learn Chinese.

3. Weekly live streams

The most effective way to learn Chinese in China is to experience the language for yourself. I guide you through everyday situations in my live Youtube videos, helping you learn Mandarin Chinese quickly and effectively. What aspects of learning Chinese are you struggling with?

Comment below and I’ll make a video to help you overcome language barriers in China.