Using Chinese TV to Passively Study

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大家好！

As someone who is interested in both the Chinese language and Chinese culture, watching TV has been really important in my learning (and one of the most fun parts :). I'll start by explaining a little bit about why this is a useful technique, and how you can do it yourself.

Why this helps you!

Watching TV in Chinese both improves your listening abilities and helps to get you used to real life sentence structures you wouldn't find in a text book. Certain phrases can only truly be grasped by seeing them in context. These shows also shed light on Chinese popular culture, which can make you feel more connected to your learning. When I went to China, recognising all the actors on posters made me feel linked to the country and inspired me to keep working hard. Finally, watching TV is an enjoyable way to keep learning even when you are too tired to properly study.

My tips on getting started

After that positive review I am sure you are itching to get started yourself! In that case, I have a few tips on how to get the most out of your learning:

  • Watch game shows, variety shows or competitions before tackling historical dramas - These TV shows will use relevant vocabulary and be much easier to understand. There is no point trying to swim through complicated, old Chinese in confusion.
  • Don't use this technique in isolation: Unless you continue to expand your vocabulary by studying, you won't notice any improvements. Be patient, you will experience improvements in your understanding overtime, not all at once.
  • Use both English and Chinese subs - luckily most Chinese TV already has Chinese subtitles, which can really help you to try and follow the dialogue if your listening is not quite yet there. English can give you your understanding, so a mix of both should help push your brain, while still being able to find the show interesting.
  • Use my sheet at the end of this page to help get the most value out of your watching...

My TV Recommendations

  • 奔跑吧兄弟 (Keep Running) - This TV show is very popular, and widely available with english subtitles on Youtube. It is a variety show with a funny cast, who carry out challenges every episode (the Chinese version of the Korean TV show Running Man). Other celebrity guests also often join in. The language used really gives you an idea of everyday speaking, and if you can get past the occasional product promotion, it should really help to improve your listening abilities.
  • 偶像练习生 (Idol Producer) - This TV show aims to create a Korean style boy band of 9 members from a starting number of 99 (the Chinese version of the Korean TV show Produce 101). All of the participants are really funny and have their own charms, and it is great to see them grow through the show. It is presented by 张艺兴， (Zhang Yixing), a member of the K-Pop group EXO, and many other asian music industry players feature. The language is a little harder to access than 奔跑吧兄弟，but you will definitely be inspired to work hard (越努力，越幸运) and it is definitely worth a watch. This is also easily available with english subtitles on Youtube.

And finally...

I have attached a worksheet and an example I filled out to help you actively use information from the TV shows to improve your Chinese. Just watching will help passively, but active learning will accelerate your learning faster.


Best of luck and thank you to all who read this!

(Photo by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash)

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