Will I Ever Learn Chinese podcast

#Jeanette Sakel #Podcasting Education #Chinese #Mandarin #Learn #Language Acquisition #Linguistics #Polyglot #Memory #Autobiography #普通话，中文，学习，语言

46:06

What if you could actually predict whether a business will succeed or fail? After analyzing over 150 companies, today’s guest uncovered the single practice that separates thriving businesses from those that stall out. In this episode of the No Limit Leadership Podcast , Sean Patton sits down with Eli Portnoy — serial entrepreneur, 8-figure founder, CEO of BackEngine.ai , and Harvard Business School instructor. Eli has built and sold multiple companies, and now he’s sharing his hard-earned lessons on leadership, iteration, and feedback. You’ll hear how fatherhood shaped his leadership style, why feedback loops are the ultimate predictor of business success, and how speed always beats perfection when scaling a company. Whether you’re leading a startup or a growing team, this episode will help you rethink how to build environments where people thrive and growth accelerates. ⏱ Episode Topics & Timestamps 00:00 — The #1 predictor of business success 01:20 — Eli’s journey: 8-figure exits & Harvard teaching 02:00 — Leadership lessons from fatherhood 05:14 — Evolving leadership style from rookie manager to adaptive leader 08:48 — Tools & tactics for uncovering employee strengths 13:08 — Building internal feedback loops that drive growth 19:31 — Research findings: 150 SaaS companies & external feedback 22:36 — Tactical playbook: CEO calls, feedback owners, and weekly insights 29:16 — Frameworks for speed, iteration, and innovation 35:40 — Inside BackEngine.ai: AI-powered customer feedback 41:14 — The future of AI in leadership over the next 5 years 43:37 — Eli’s weekly leadership practice for clarity & accountability 🔗 Connect with Eli Portnoy Website: BackEngine.ai LinkedIn: Eli Portnoy 📩 Subscribe to Sean’s Leadership Newsletter: www.nolimitleaders.com/growth No Limit Leadership is the go-to podcast for growth-minded executives, middle managers, and team leaders who want more than surface-level leadership advice. Hosted by executive coach and former Special Forces commander Sean Patton, this show dives deep into modern leadership, self-leadership, and the real-world strategies that build high-performing teams. Whether you're focused on leadership development, building a coaching culture, improving leadership communication, or strengthening team accountability, each episode equips you with actionable insights to unlock leadership potential across your organization. From designing onboarding systems that retain talent to asking better questions that drive clarity and impact, No Limit Leadership helps you lead yourself first so you can lead others better. If you're ready to create a culture of ownership, resilience, and results, this leadership podcast is for you.…

Will I ever learn Chinese

Series home•Feed

Is it even possibly to learn Chinese? Linguistics professor Jeanette Sakel tried it out, telling us about her successes and failures along the way.

30 episodes

Will I ever learn Chinese

updated about a year ago

Series home•Feed

Is it even possibly to learn Chinese? Linguistics professor Jeanette Sakel tried it out, telling us about her successes and failures along the way.

30 episodes

#Jeanette Sakel #Podcasting Education #Chinese #Mandarin #Learn #Language Acquisition #Linguistics #Polyglot #Memory #Autobiography #普通话，中文，学习，语言

All episodes

Will I ever learn Chinese

1
How a linguist would learn a new language 16:28

45 weeks ago16:28

16:28

Send us a text In this final episode of ‘Will I ever learn Chinese’ I discuss how I would approach learning a new language in future, outlining the techniques, materials and approaches for different languages of the world. Then, I reflect back on my own learning of Chinese and what I would do differently. How would I advise other people to learn Chinese, based on my experience? How does a linguist learn languages? Thank you all for listening to my podcast, giving me feedback and telling me about your language learning experiences! We have such a wonderful community of learners and I very much enjoy being a part of it. May your language learning be fun! 💜 Support the show…

Will I ever learn Chinese

1
Language learning methods and approaches 20:25

45 weeks ago20:25

20:25

Send us a text We’re coming to the end of the first series of ‘Will I ever learn Chinese’. In these last two episodes, I am looking at language learning techniques and summarise my process of learning Chinese. In this episode, I’m looking at different approaches to teaching and learning languages and how these have changed over time. I’m looking at learner profiles and the different reasons for language learning. To me language learning is not just my work, a hobby, my research, but ultimately an act of peace, facilitating mutual understanding and embracing other cultures and worldviews. Support the show…

Will I ever learn Chinese

1
Language learning and linguistic fieldwork: the excitement of the puzzle 19:26

45 weeks ago19:26

19:26

Send us a text I love puzzles, be it crossword puzzles, jigsaw puzzles or the puzzle that is learning or analysing another language. My PhD thesis, for example, is a grammatical description of the small Amazonian indigenous language Mosetén. I was working with speakers of the language to record and then analyse the language and its structures. During that process, I learnt to speak Mosetén as well. I realised that I was using many techniques I had learned during my fieldwork in the Amazon when learning Chinese. Should we, perhaps, approach language learning from the perspective of linguistic fieldwork? Should researchers working on languages make an effort to learn those languages? This episode is a celebration of the wonder that is figuring out how a languages works, solving a gigantic puzzle. Support the show…

Will I ever learn Chinese

1
Linguistic relativity: thinking differently in Chinese 14:02

45 weeks ago14:02

14:02

Send us a text I’m always amazed by how similar the languages of the world are when I’m learning a new language. Languages are able to express the same concepts, often in strikingly similar ways. The apparent differences in lexicon, grammar, sound and so on, that are so obvious, are often far less stark below the surface. Yet, those subtle differences between languages are not to be underestimated, because it is here that really interesting things happen, because they can make us think differently about the world and make us have different perceptions across languages. This, it seems happens right from the start of learning another language. Subtle differences between languages can also lead to a lot of misunderstandings, and I had my fair share of these learning Chinese. How, for example, is it possible to talk to someone for half an hour and totally misunderstand the main premise of the conversation? Listen in to find out! Support the show…

Will I ever learn Chinese

1
Speaking Chinese in China: the real deal! 17:32

46 weeks ago17:32

17:32

Send us a text In this episode I’m talking about traveling to China for the first time and using my newly acquired language in the real world. Wherever I travel, I like to be able to speak at least a little bit of the local language and communicate with locals and to make my own arrangements. Being able to speak more than rudimentary Chinese was key to many of my wonderful experiences. Also, I started to gain new insights into a country I had, admittedly, known very little about before starting to learn the language. It was a whole new world opening up to me, understanding the local geography, customs, dialects and participating in the language ‘for real’. Support the show…

Will I ever learn Chinese

1
Researching Chinese 22:01

46 weeks ago22:01

22:01

Send us a text Learning Chinese gave me a new understanding of language acquisition, and a new direction for my research. By going through the process myself, I experienced the mechanisms of language learning subjectively, with my own feelings and experiences. I found topics I wanted to study in more detail, objectively and using robust research methodologies. By pairing my own experiences with my research, I was able to look at learning from a different perspective and certain processes caught my eye. For example, listening to learners who were a little bit better than myself, but far from perfect, I was able to copy their strategies to make their speech sound more ‘fluent’, because their strategies were more restricted and stood out to me immediately. I started to study these strategies in detail, learning a lot of useful expressions as a byproduct of my research, so reinforcing my learning of Chinese. My language learning and research worlds had started to go hand in hand, supporting one another. Support the show…

Will I ever learn Chinese

1
Language immersion and conforming in another language 26:28

46 weeks ago26:28

26:28

Send us a text In this episode I reflect on my immersive learning approach, surrounding myself by the language and using the language in a lot of different environments. Immersion made a big difference to my learning, it helped me ‘see’ myself as a part of the language community, partaking in everyday life in Chinese, without being in China. What types of immersion are there, and does immersion ultimately mean ‘conforming’, fitting into the society the language is spoken in? In this episode I’m going beyond the mere acquisition, looking at the cultural and other considerations related to language learning. Support the show…

Will I ever learn Chinese

1
Language attrition: the other side of the coin 17:28

47 weeks ago17:28

17:28

Send us a text When looking at language acquisition and learning, we rarely consider the other side of the coin: language attrition. This means a language is disappearing, the speaker can’t speak it as well as before. The speech becomes slow and less complex. Attrition happens, and when a language, even a first language, is spoken less, there are small sign of attrition right from the start. It’s frustrating, especially when one has put in a lot of effort learning a language, for it then to disappear. But: is attrition reversible? What was my experience, especially as I was so immersed in Chinese that I spent less time speaking Danish, Spanish and other languages I used to work in? Support the show…

Will I ever learn Chinese

1
How much Chinese did I learn in a year? 16:02

47 weeks ago16:02

16:02

Send us a text During the first few months of learning Chinese, I wanted to turn my learning into an experiment: how much Chinese would I be able to learn in a year? This motivated me greatly, but of course I did not stop after a year. But where was I, a year into studying Chinese in a highly immersed way? I was able to speak quite a lot, more than I initially thought I would, but there were also many aspects of the language that I had only just started exploring and I was making a lot of mistakes. Yet, these mistakes helped me learn more. I would rarely make the same mistake twice! So, a year in, did I think Chinese was difficult to learn? Support the show…

Will I ever learn Chinese

1
Artificial intelligence for language learners 13:21

47 weeks ago13:21

13:21

Send us a text A hot topic in second language learning and teaching circles, artificial intelligence proved to be a game-changer for my learning of Chinese. I suddenly had that ‘friend’ who would happily correct my writing. The results were not always perfect, but usually passable. Then, I realised that I could ask questions about expressions I had only half understood and AI would usually give me good suggestions. It would help me put together examples of grammatical structures I was learning, or help with slang and more formal language. Even the freely accessible AI developed quickly, helping me in ways I had never imagined would be possible. Support the show…

Will I ever learn Chinese

1
Accent and dialect 18:52

47 weeks ago18:52

18:52

Send us a text In this episode I’m looking at accent and dialect. Many learners have a distinct foreign accent. Is that inevitable, or are their ways to work on your accent (and if so, is it necessary)? I’m talking about various techniques, such as shadowing and working on individual sounds, as well as how sounds that initially seem familiar may be the ‘problem areas’ where an accent persists, just because the learner does not realise that the pronunciation is slightly different, while totally different sounds may, eventually, be easier to produce. As my pronunciation was getting better, I had to choose whether to copy my teachers’ northern accents, or include other dialectal features in my speech. Support the show…

Will I ever learn Chinese

1
Free-styling it 11:52

48 weeks ago11:52

11:52

Send us a text My spoken Chinese was getting more and more ‘fluent’, in that I could have uninterrupted conversations in real life, using my online conversation lessons with teachers to iron out any issues in my pronunciation and expression. All of a sudden, Chinese just ‘clicked’. I could watch a video and would suddenly understand everything that was said. My approach to learning changed, and I explored new materials. I now also enjoyed speaking Chinese more frequently with people I didn’t know, watching their reactions. Support the show…

Will I ever learn Chinese

1
Working with Chinese teachers 15:39

48 weeks ago15:39

15:39

Send us a text This episode is about me, finally, finding teachers to Chinese. At first I was learning in a vacuum at home, building confidence in understanding the language, but now that I had taken the plunge and had started to speak to others, I wanted to work on my conversation skills, because… well, they needed quite a lot of work. Working with online Chinese teachers really helped to boost my confidence, talk through topics I wanted to discuss in a safe environment, while learning a lot about some of the things my teachers were interested in. But how do you even find a suitable Chinese teacher? Support the show…

Will I ever learn Chinese

1
Finding Chinese speakers 17:10

48 weeks ago17:10

17:10

Send us a text In this episode I’m finally taking the plunge, looking for more speakers of Chinese to talk to. I’m considering tandem language exchange programmes and finding Chinese friends, eventually finding a group dedicated to learners and speakers of Chinese in my town. Joining the group was fun, especially just relaxing and chatting away in my improving Chinese. Not yet great, but good enough to get started. I also started talking to more Chinese people around me, though I realised quickly that there has to be something in it for the other person to want to speak Chinese with me. What to do? Support the show…

Will I ever learn Chinese

1
What does 'fluent' mean? 13:56

49 weeks ago13:56

13:56

Send us a text Would I ever be able to speak Chinese fluently, and what would that mean? I had reached a stage where I was starting to speak more coherently, but on some days it felt like I was not able to speak at all. Crucially, my speaking lagged well behind my understanding and I would often have to stop to search for words when speaking. What level was I at now? Could I use descriptors for language proficiency to identify my current level of Chinese? Support the show…

Will I ever learn Chinese

1
Revision time and starting to speak 'for real' 25:15

49 weeks ago25:15

25:15

Send us a text In this episode I explain how I initially learnt and revised vocabulary, and how I prepared for the next stage of my learning journey: speaking for real. Well, I had a number of attempts at trying to speak for real and not really succeeding at first. Eventually, I decided to speak Chinese to my ever-so-patient cat and tried out AI programmes. But then, finally, I got to speak Chinese to actual speakers of the language, while on a work trip to the US. Support the show…

Will I ever learn Chinese

1
Intermediate Chinese: all those wonderful tools! 38:12

49 weeks ago38:12

38:12

Send us a text In this episode I explore how I honed my different Chinese language skills: understanding, speaking, reading and writing. I look at all those wonderful tools, most of which are free, that are available to the intermediate learner. In my own learning, Chinese podcasts for learners, as well as Chinese television dramas started to play in increasingly important role. This was time well spent and I was taking in the language in a fun and engaging way to kept me motivated, coming back for more. Support the show…

Will I ever learn Chinese

1
HSK: to test or not? 23:12

49 weeks ago23:12

23:12

Send us a text In this episode I'm looking at language tests and certificates. Would that be a goal for me, and which test should I aim for? Would preparing for a test really motivate me? I try to find ways to make my language learning at the intermediate stage fun and greatly motivating. Looking at implicit and explicit learning, I investigate the role of memory in language learning. How does one develop 'native-speaker intuition'? Is it okay to make mistakes while learning or should one always strive for perfection? Support the show…

Will I ever learn Chinese

1
How do you write a text message in Chinese? 21:26

50 weeks ago21:26

21:26

Send us a text How do you even write Chinese text messages when you don't have a keyboard with 5000 or more characters? In this episode I look at ways in which Chinese is used today, and at some of the changes to the written language within the last 100 years. Is the traditional Chinese writing system really more beautiful than the simplified system? What if you have to look up an uncommon character in a Chinese dictionary? How complex do Chinese characters get and how do you distinguish between those that look almost identical but mean totally different things? Finally, how many characters would I have to learn to be able to read a book without using a dictionary? Support the show…

Will I ever learn Chinese

1
The Chinese writing system 14:29

50 weeks ago14:29

14:29

Send us a text In this episode I'm looking at the history of the Chinese writing system and why it is so successful that it is still used today. In my own learning, once I knew enough characters and had built up a basic understanding of how the system worked, I was suddenly able to decipher the words (and characters) I came across for the first time. Support the show…

Will I ever learn Chinese

1
Making sense of the chaos 21:32

50 weeks ago21:32

21:32

Send us a text Chinese has many homophones: words that sound the same. And when you are only just entering the intermediate stage and are still not very confident when it comes to the different 'tones', there are even more such homophones. What can the learner do to make sense of the chaos? And, what even is a word in Chinese? Support the show…

Will I ever learn Chinese

1
Chinese, my escape from reality 16:23

51 weeks ago16:23

16:23

Send us a text In this episode I describe how learning Chinese became my treasured escape from reality. I wanted to tell everyone about my new language and also start speaking Chinese with real people, but I was still not very proficient, despite my efforts. Also, I was reluctant to use the language in a professional setting, reflecting on my experience as an exchange student in Denmark when I was learning Danish and Greenlandic (Kalaallisut). Would I be judged speaking a very basic 'baby language' in a professional setting? Support the show…

Will I ever learn Chinese

1
Learning to write Chinese characters 14:45

51 weeks ago14:45

14:45

Send us a text When I realised that learning to read and write Chinese characters would help me in my learning, I started to add a writing app to my repertoire of learning methods. Suddenly the characters started to make sense and I saw a pattern behind the apparent randomness. Aside from writing, I also started to hone my listening and speaking skills, starting to get the hang of the language. Support the show…

Will I ever learn Chinese

1
Making learning Chinese fun 29:12

51 weeks ago29:12

29:12

Send us a text Do people really have different learning preferences, and how do you go about finding yours? In this episode I reflect on my language learning back at school, which, mildly put, was a disaster. Not only did my English teacher state that I had no 'talent' for languages, but languages were also my least favourite subject, which was reflected in my marks. How come I became a linguist later, learning many languages outside of the school setting? What motivated me? I look at different learning methods and learning styles, and the current hot-topic in language-learning circles, namely Krashen's comprehensible input hypothesis. What do linguists have to say about it, and what is my experience, as a learner (and a linguist)? Support the show…

Will I ever learn Chinese

1
Reflecting on my learning and fine-tuning my learning approach 21:31

51 weeks ago21:31

21:31

Send us a text I look at how Chinese is different from the other languages I speak, and how I was dealing with this difficulty. Also, after the first few weeks of learning Chinese, I noticed that I was missing something and that I was getting quite confused at times. Would I be able to keep up my motivation for learning? What would it take? Support the show…

Will I ever learn Chinese

1
Do we really need to learn explicit grammar rules? 37:43

52 weeks ago37:43

37:43

Send us a text Children learn their first language without looking up any grammar rules, so why can't adults do the same? In this episode look at how the grammars of the world's languages differ. Having previously worked on "grammar" and even written a grammatical description of an Amazonian language, Mosetén, I decided to study Chinese without learning any explicit grammar rules at first. Why? Is that even possible? Support the show…

Will I ever learn Chinese

1
Finding the right method to learn Chinese 26:08

52 weeks ago26:08

26:08

Send us a text Once I had decided to learn Chinese, I needed to find the right method to do so. In this episode I describe my thought-process and why started with an app that was entirely in Chinese, without any translation. Support the show

Will I ever learn Chinese

1
What is Chinese and is it difficult to learn? 10:49

1 year ago10:49

10:49

Send us a text In this episode I look at what the term 'Chinese' refers to. Mandarin? Cantonese? Why are there so many different terms for Chinese in Chinese itself? I try to investigate whether Chinese is difficult to learn. Well, apparently it is, because everyone keeps telling me so! But is it really? Is my learning doomed right from the start? Support the show…

Will I ever learn Chinese

1
Do age and talent affect language learning? 22:16

1 year ago22:16

22:16

Send us a text Would a 49-year-old even be able to learn a new language? Spoiler alter: yes! But why are people different in their language-learning success? What affects language learning? In this episode I compare how children learn their first language and second language acquisition and I look at the different factors behind language-learning success. Support the show…

Will I ever learn Chinese

1
Introduction: why I started learning Chinese 15:22

1 year ago15:22