The best way to learn any language is to immerse yourself in the culture, speaking and listening to the language 24/7. That's the idea behind Chinese 24/7 - a textbook and guide for those living in Mainland China.

The book offers practical advice for learning Mandarin Chinese in China, and as such, may not be the best choice for stateside learners. As a supplementary text, however, it has lots of practical language tips that can round out the library of anyone studying Mandarin Chinese.

Read my full review...

It makes sense that the natural way to learn Mandarin Chinese (or any other language) is by conversing with a native speaker. Simple conversations that provide the foundation for pronunciation, listening, and grammar skills.

This approach may bypass some of the finer points of grammar, but can be effective for gaining a working knowledge of the target language.

At least that's the idea behind Mandarin Chinese - Learning Through Conversation. Does it work? Read my review and find out.

Names are very important in Chinese culture, and great care is taken when choosing a name for a newborn which will reflect the baby's place in the world.

With such weight placed on names, it is not surprising that rules and etiquette surround their use. Using the proper name etiquette will go a long way towards establishing good relationships with your Chinese friends and acquaintances.

Chinese names may be unfamiliar to the Western ear, so this list of 20 of the most common surnames will introduce you to some of the sounds of Chinese surnames.

Taiwan's annual speech contest is coming up. This is an ideal opportunity to put your language skills to use, gain some recognition for your hard work, and perhaps pick up a prize of NT$30,000 (approx. US$1,000).

The contest is sponsored by Radio Taiwan International, and is open to all non-Taiwanese nationals. The theme of this year's contest is Chinese Wit & Humor.

The contest is open to both individual participants as well as group participants. The preliminary rounds are scheduled for May 19, 2012 in Taipei, Taiwan, where 25 participants will be selected to advance to the finals. Total prize money is NT$82,000.

See the Radio Taiwan International website for more details.

If you want some ideas for Mandarin humor, check out my collection of Mandarin jokes.