chinese podcasts

Popup Chinese provides world-class podcasts and tools for learning mandarin. Our approach is somewhat different from traditional "textbook-centric" learning methods, as well as other online resources. It has made us not only the most highly rated Chinese teaching series on iTunes, but also the only program recommended by the heads of all four major Chinese immersion programs in Beijing, as well as by the most intensive language teaching program in the United States: the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California.

So if you are learning Chinese, we strongly encourage you to create a free account for instant access to our entire archive of Chinese podcasts, along with everything else you need to learn mandarin online: mobile apps, HSK tests, study tools and much more.

Why exactly is Popup Chinese special? Unfortunately, the vast majority of Chinese teaching materials in common use demonstrate little understanding of what is challenging or even interesting to non-native speakers, and are developed by those with limited fluency. Popup Chinese is different, being designed from scratch by native English speakers with native-level fluency in Chinese and strong interests in art, literature and popular culture. We've suffered through the same dry textbooks and ineffective classes you have, and built Popup Chinese to solve the problems we had learning Chinese. As our testimonials page attests, the results can help radically accellerate your time-to-fluency. So you should try us out: accounts are free.

In addition to being more enjoyable, Popup Chinese is also more efficient than traditional learning systems. As you work through our podcasts, an optional testing system measures your knowledge and builds a customized course for you that highlights areas where you're weak. This keeps you from having to listen to everything just to figure out what you don't know. And meanwhile, our spaced-repetition flashcards and other study tools also cut the amount of time flashcard-users need to learn new words, while our mobile tools make learning on the go an actual pleasure. You don't need to use these tools, but they are fully integrated for people who enjoy them.

But enough of an introduction. To get started create your own free account. Once that is done, you can explore our archive of free Chinese podcasts through this website, or download the audio files to your computer and listen wherever you can take an mp3 player. If you value convenience, a reasonably-priced premium subscription automates this download process while providing full access to supplementary audio transcripts, dialogue-only recordings and other premium learning materials.

You'll notice the lack of advertisements and other "sales pitches" you may be used to from other websites. This is intentional: we are working hard to create an environment whereeveryone feels welcome and unharassed. That said, there are many advantages to becoming a premium subscriber, and all subscriptions are backed by a no-questions-asked refund guarantee. So once you've explored our site and know what we have to offer, please consider supporting our efforts.

How do I listen to the Popup Chinese podcasts?

If you are getting started, just visit any lesson page and listen to the show through our online flash audio player. If you have setup your personal feed and downloaded our shows that way, we recommend installing them on a smartphone or portable music player, and then listening on-the-go. Most of our subscribers use iPods or iPhones, but our lessons will play on any device that can play mp3 files.

Questions? Comments? This site is a constant work in progress. If you run into any problems or have feedback, please drop us a line at service@popupchinese.com. We try to get back to everyone who writes within about twenty-four hours. Please just be aware that we are operating on Beijing-time, so may be unavailable during the day if you live in North America or Europe.