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Language Learning › Learn Japanese › Skills ›

Listening

Listening is one of the most challenging skills for Japanese learners, yet it is also the skill that benefits most from consistent daily exposure. Unlike grammar study, which can feel like a checklist, listening improvement is gradual and almost invisible until suddenly natural-speed Japanese becomes comprehensible. Key Challenges 1. Vowel Devoicing Japanese devoices the vowels /i/ and /u/ in certain environments — they become nearly inaudible: す (su) between voiceless...
japanese listening shadowing pitch-accent jlpt language-learning May 30, 2026
Language Learning › Learn Chinese (Mandarin) › Skills ›

Listening

Listening is widely considered the hardest skill for Mandarin learners. Unlike European languages where you can often piece together meaning from familiar word roots, Mandarin listening requires your brain to simultaneously decode unfamiliar sounds, tonal distinctions, and compressed connected speech — all at native speed. Why Listening Is Hard for Mandarin Learners Tones at native speed. In slow, isolated speech, a learner can distinguish 妈 (mā) from 马 (mǎ). At...
chinese mandarin listening comprehensible input shadowing chinesepod skills May 30, 2026
Language Learning › Learn Chinese (Mandarin) › Skills ›

Speaking

Speaking Mandarin well requires integrating four distinct systems simultaneously: tones, initials, finals, and rhythm. Unlike European languages where pronunciation errors are easily forgiven, Mandarin tonal errors can make speech unintelligible — the same syllable with the wrong tone is simply a different word. The Four Pillars of Chinese Pronunciation 1. Tones Mandarin has four tones plus a neutral (unstressed) tone: Tone Mark Shape Example 1st tone ā High, flat 妈...
chinese mandarin speaking pronunciation shadowing tones italki skills May 30, 2026
Language Learning › Learn Japanese › Skills ›

Speaking

Japanese speaking is one of the most rewarding and most challenging aspects of the language. This guide covers pronunciation, pitch accent, the politeness register system, and practical resources for finding speaking practice. Pronunciation Basics Japanese pronunciation is in many ways simpler than English for several reasons: 5 pure vowels with consistent sounds No consonant clusters (every consonant is followed by a vowel, except ん) Regular syllable structure (mostly CV —...
japanese speaking pronunciation pitch-accent shadowing language-learning May 30, 2026