Chinese language learners are lucky to have so many useful resources available.

Here are a few to consider.

Your favorite browser add-in for word definitions. A pop-up box makes reading Chinese text so much easier.

Outlier Linguistics Chinese Character Masterclass. This course explains the deep structure of Chinese characters, going beyond radicals. It will help you see patterns among the characters, meanings, and sounds.

Pleco, including the Outlier Essentials add-on.

ArchChinese. This is a subscription service that provides definitions, stroke order, related characters, worksheets, and many learning exercises.

Outlier Linguistics Mandarin Pronunciation & Accent Masterclass. This course will put you on the right track to improve your pronunciation.

Hacking Chinese Pronunciation Course. This course will put you on the right track to improve your pronunciation.

Speechling. Pronunciation coaching with native speakers, along with many exercises.

italki. One-on-one tutoring.

Ekaterina Rakhilina, “Towards language universals through lexical semantics: introduction to lexical and semantic typology”. This Coursera course shows the limitations of typical vocabulary lists.

Yuan Yao, “Translation in Practice”. This Coursera course discusses the process of translation, with examples from Chinese and English.

James C. Loach and Jinzhao Wang, “Optimizing the Learning Order of Chinese Characters Using a Novel Topological Sort Algorithm”. PLoS ONE 11(10): e0163623 (2016).

This is an example of research on how to use deep structure to determine the optimal sequence of learning Chinese characters. Ninchanese uses this research in their Chinese Character Universe module.

DuChinese. Curated reading material for all proficiency levels, for vocabulary, grammar, and reading and listening comprehension.

The Chairman’s Bao. Curated reading material for all proficiency levels, for vocabulary, grammar, and reading and listening comprehension.

Mandarin HQ - Real Spoken Chinese Course. Listening comprehension at normal speed; many topics, various accents.

We are relying on your spatial memory to make our software useful. Here are some articles that will give you an idea of the relevant scientific literature and will give us ideas for future improvements.

Neil Burgess, Eleanor A. Maguire, and John O’Keefe, “The Human Hippocampus and Spatial and Episodic Memory”, Neuron, Vol. 25, Issue 4 (August 15, 2002).

J. McAfoose and B.T. Baune, “Exploring visual-spatial working memory: a critical review of concepts and models”, Neuropsychology Review, March 2009.

Lea A. Hald, Jacqueline de Nooijer, Tamara van Gog, and Harold Bekkering, “Optimizing Word Learning via Links to Perceptual and Motoric Experience”, Educational Psychology Review, September 2016.

Yu-Ju Lan and Scott Grant (Editors), Contextual Language Learning: Real Language Learning on the Continuum from Virtuality to Reality, Springer, 2021.

Takeshi Sato, Yuda Lai, and Tyler Burden, “The role of individual factors in L2 vocabulary learning with cognitive-linguistics-based static and dynamic visual aids”, ReCALL, May 2022.

Manita Srisitanont Luangkrajang, “Use of Mind-Mapping in Language Learning: A Cognitive Approach”, Theory and Practice in Language Studies, August 2022.

Chen Kai, “A Study of Chinese Character Acquisition in the Digital Age”, Philobiblon, Vol. 28, Issue 1 (2023).

Oleksandra G. Keehl (2023). Evidence-based Gamification and Mnemonics for Logographic Writing Systems [Doctoral dissertation, University of California – Santa Cruz]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global. Also, Oleksandra G. Keehl, Dominic Kao, and Edward F. Melcer, “Zen Hanzi: A Game for Raising Hanzi Component Awareness”, FDG ’22: Proceedings of the 17th International Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games, Athens, Greece, September 5–8, 2022. New research on app design for learning Chinese, with a focus on character components.