Speak Up Chinese

Why does China use the Lunar Calendar?

Have you ever wondered about the difference of the Gregorian calendar and the Lunar calendar when learning Chinese online? In China, we use two calendars, the Gregorian one that we are all used to and a Lunar calendar, which at times can lead to some confusion. How does it work? The dates on the Lunar calendar change every year making it hard to keep up with. Contrary to it’s name, the Lunar…

Tomb sweeping day story

We are going to talk about the story of a coming traditional holiday in today’s “learning Chinese outside classroom”. Tomb Sweeping Day or 清明 (qīng míng) in Chinese, is a day to visit the grave of your ancestors to pay respect. It’s usually celebrated either the 4th or the 5th of April. The day can also be celebrated by flying kites to keep away illnesses and enjoy the springtime.  According to a…

Study habits of Chinese kids

As you might have heard before, Chinese children tend to perform way well in academic evaluation than many other countries in the world. This is because Chinese kids work extremely hard at studying. If you have kids learning Chinese as a second language, you might wonder how do Children in China learn? Research shows that in China students can spend up to 77 hours a week studying! That’s because…

Things you need to know about China’s geography

When talking about China and Chinese Culture, what will come to your mind first? Its long history, tasty food, or the big cities like Beijing or Shanghai? But, you might have missed the fact that, geographical speaking, China is also one of the largest countries in the world. How large is it? What are some fun facts about its geographic features? This article will introduce some to you! A…

The Chinese snacks you must give it a try

As you might have noticed, if there’s one thing I love, it’s Chinese food. Even now when I go home on holiday from China my stomach craves the mouthwatering Chinese food I’ve left behind. So I decided to pick three snacks to introduce to who learn Chinese or have children learning Chinese online. It was hard to just pick three, but here are my favorites that can be found easily everywhere.…

If you’ve ever been to a school campus in China (primary, secondary, even uni’s), there’s one thing that’s uniform… there will always be a statue of Confucius. Perhaps if I tell you his most famous nickname you might understand why, ‘the great, revered teacher’. Learning Confucius and his thoughts can help you to learn Chinese language.   Confucius (孔子, kǒng zǐ ) was a government official,…

5 useful phrases for traveling in China

China is a beautiful country. I believe many of you taking Mandarin Chinese learning classes want to visit China. You could spend years traveling in its borders and you still wouldn’t unlock 10% of its wonders. But sometimes traveling can be hard without knowing any Chinese. So here are some helpful phrases to get you started! When in China you have the perfect chance to practice using your…

You must feel surprised or confused about the title. But that is what I am going to talk about today. It is part of the modern Chinese culture. Nearly every square or free patch of pavement across China now has early morning and late night occupants, the dancing grannies. For me, I have a love-hate relationship with them and here’s why. I love waking up in the morning and going to the park with…

The beginning of the semester at Chinese elementary schools

While helping your children to learn Chinese, are you curious about the children education in China? What does the beginning of the semester at Chinese elementary schools look like? Elementary school is very important for Chinese students. It lasts a long 6 years, and it marks the start of their compulsory education journey, even though most students have already been attending a pre-school. The…

How do Chinese kids celebrate Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year (CNY) is the most important holiday in China, imagine Christmas, Easter, and New Year all rolled into one. Understanding the meaning of this festival is important to people who learn Mandarin Chinese. We have talked about this before. But do you know what does this holiday mean to children in China? They have a holiday that over lasts a month! New Years is a holiday steeped in…

Popular winter Chinese dishes

In today’s learn Chinese with Lingo Bus, we are back to my favorite topic, food! China has so many different cuisines and dishes that make it a wonderland of food that never stops giving! Here are some tasty winter dishes that are bound to warm you up. Hotpot I have to start with this one because hands down this are the most popular winter dish. Imagine a pot of broth (spicy, bone, tomato,…

5 Useful Phrases for Shopping in China

China is the perfect country if you are a shopaholic! But you have to learn to speak Mandarin before you shop there, at least some phrases for shopping! If it exists, you can find it in China, and you can get it cheap… if you are good at bargaining. Here are some basic phrases to help you buy everything you will ever need in China. The most important phrase, asking how much something costs!      …

How to Make Learning Chinese Language Happen

There’s nothing more amazing and exhausting than learning something new and challenging. How about learning Chinese language? A new language opens doors to a whole set of experiences and the ability to explore a new culture like never before, that’s not even counting the new career prospects it brings. So welcome to the gang of the worlds most-spoken language! Chinese Mandarin is spoken by 1.2…

Learning Chinese with Lingo Bus

First, a quiz about how many people are learning Chinese. What common ground does the daughter of the former US President’s daughter, Malia Obama, Facebook’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, and the current President Trump’s granddaughter, Arabella Kushner share? The answer is they all learn Chinese. They are just a few examples of celebrities taking Chinese classes. If you search the keyword “Chinese…

What‘’s it like being a mother in China?

In China, most of the childcare still falls predominantly on the women as motherhood is seen as a woman’s business, and it’s a tough one!   Education We all agree that education is the best tool you can give your child to help them succeed in the future, that is an understatement in China. Education is everything! It’s a widely held belief by all parents in China, education will ensure a better…

Chinese painting is one of the oldest styles of painting in the world, with its painting style remaining virtually unchanged for centuries. Unlike western styles of artistic painting that change through centuries and have their own master based on periods. Chinese painting is similar in style to calligraphy, even using the same techniques and materials, such as black liquid ink and thin…

Chinese Culture – Spring Festival Gala

Chinese New Years is steeped in tradition, some dating back thousands of years, some with more modern touches due to the introduction of technology. One thing is for sure, Spring Festival doesn’t feel real if you aren’t eating dumplings with your family playing the gala in the background!   The gala is over 4 hours long and is watched in the eve of Spring festival finishing a bit after midnight,…