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Top 6 Apps for Learning Mandarin Chinese

Last summer, while I was supposed to be studying French intensively, I accidentally started studying Mandarin instead. These things happen! The best thing about Mandarin compared to some other languages I’ve studied (specifically Persian and Korean) is that there are a huge number of resources available to help learners, including a lot of very well-designed apps. After months of obsessively checking the iTunes store for the best apps and trying them out, these are my favorite six (plus a few more worth mentioning). They appear in ascending order from my least favorite to my most favorite.

Worth mentioning: A couple of apps not included on this list but worth mentioning are Pleco and Skritter. 

Pleco is a highly-regarded Chinese dictionary. I have it on my phone and do use it, but I left it off the list because I prefer another (#6 on this list). Since I’m still very much a beginner, a thorough dictionary isn’t quite so important to me right now. However, it seems like every advanced student of Mandarin recommends this app, so I had to include it.

Skritter is another app that’s highly regarded among serious students. I believe it focuses on helping with character recognition and writing. It has a subscription service that is a bit expensive, which is why I’ve never tried it; however, everyone seems to rave about it. If you’re a serious student, you should definitely look into it.

Also, I recommend downloading some Chinese-language apps designed for preschoolers. I found several of them online in the iTunes store, and a lot of them include short stories with simple words, practice with basic characters, etc. Using these apps gives you some immersive listening practice, which is fun. They can be kind of hit and miss, so I recommend downloading all you can find and seeing what you can figure out and what you like. They won’t replace any of the apps below, but they still serve a purpose.

6. WCC Dictionary This is the dictionary I use instead of Pleco. I like it primarily because of its beautiful design (something Pleco doesn’t really have). This app is mainly a dictionary, but it offers a lot more than that. For example, it has a character scanner (so you can look up words you find in books by taking a picture of the character). It also has a “story library” with a few simple books to read (with Pinyin, the characters, an English translation, and the ability to listen to the story being read). Characters are color coded if you use that as a device to help you with tones. It has a flashcard program with pre-created word lists, extensive example sentences, a section on radicals with example words, and stroke order animations. It also offers a “character of the day” and daily “homework” to motivate you to use what you learn. The dictionary itself is free, but there’s a lot of content that you have to pay to unlock, although there’s also a way to buy the content using “coins” that you earn through using the app.

5. Mindsnacks Mandarin A lot of you are already familiar with the Mindsnacks app because it’s offered for a lot of different languages (and a few school subjects like geography). This app uses games to teach Mandarin, mostly focusing on vocabulary (not grammar or sentence construction). It’s a bit limited, but it can be a really fun way to learn. After a while, the games start to feel repetitive and can get boring, but the app also has you move through levels (which allow you to unlock new games) and uses other incentives to keep you playing. The audio is an actual human, too, which is a big benefit since many apps and programs rely on Google Translate robot voices. This is a paid app, which could be a drawback.

4. FluentU This app is the reason I started learning Mandarin in the first place. I tried using it for French, but I felt like my French was too advanced to gain much from it. Even though there were advanced-level videos with vocabulary I didn’t know, FluentU doesn’t do a good job of adapting to your level and guessing which words will give you trouble. That’s perfectly fine for a beginner, though, since every word will probably give you trouble, which is why I used it for Mandarin. I think the makers of FluentU are Chinese speakers, and they seem to have focused more on Mandarin in their app. They have a built-in course you can follow, using videos they made themselves for teaching the language. The videos are pretty good, and you will feel like you’re learning a lot. There are also a lot of other videos if you want to branch out, including some catchy songs and clips from commercials or TV shows. The built-in flashcard system is a good way to review, but there’s no way to adjust their algorithms, so you might end up reviewing the same words way too often. I stopped using the program when I had 400+ words to review every day, and I just couldn’t keep up and continue advancing. This app is also very limited in the free version, and the paid subscription is VERY pricey, in my opinion, especially considering that there are other apps out there that offer more features. All of the videos are on YouTube anyway, so you can still use them to learn as you advance (or if you have a friend who can help you). I recommend this app if you want to pay for one month and use it to study intensively and advance quickly. That’s what I did, and I think it helped me out a lot.

3. ChineseSkill This is the first app that was designed to be a “Duolingo for Mandarin,” and it has a lot of great features. There’s the typical “tree” like in Duolingo, where you advance through different lessons one by one. It teaches character recognition, pronunciation, and grammar. The lessons can be really challenging for a beginner (sometimes too challenging, I thought), but it covers a lot of material. I’m not completely happy with the order in which lessons are taught (for example, there’s a lesson on shapes near the beginning that has you learn words like “triangle,” which seemed unimportant to me). The other drawback is there isn’t an easy way to review what you’ve learned (like on Duolingo when your gold-level lessons start to fade). It’s possible, but not super easy to access. Other interesting features include a tone game, a pinyin chart, a “survival kit” that’s like a travel phrasebook, and practice with stroke order. Also, this app is 100% free, which is amazing! I definitely recommend this app.

2. Social Language This app is really different from the others and is probably the most useful if you believe in speaking a language as soon as possible. I don’t think a lot of English speakers know about it because it seems to be marketed mostly to Chinese speakers. It’s a bit hard to explain, but I’ll try my best: basically, there’s a tree like you have for Duolingo, but the exercises are all to improve your speaking and pronunciation. You work through the lessons, and Chinese-speaking users rate and comment on your recordings. They can even leave voice messages to help you improve. You can do the same for them (in fact, you have to if you want to unlock higher levels). That alone makes the app worth downloading, but even better is that it includes a CHAT FEATURE that makes it very easy to interact with native speakers. You can see the profiles of hundreds of Chinese speakers who are online at any given time of day, and you can send a text or voice message to them and later add them to your friends’ list. What’s more,the ratio of Chinese to English speakers heavily favors English speakers. You will find hundreds of Chinese speakers eager to practice their English, and often you will be one of only a handful of English speakers on the app, meaning you have instant access to a chat partner any time of day or night. Have a question about your homework, something you read, or a phrase you don’t know how to pronounce? Instant, free tutoring is available 24/7 on this app, which is also FREE! I met some really nice people here without the pressure of a more formal language exchange. You can have a casual conversation any time you want, and it’s like text messaging so there’s less pressure if you’re shy about speaking Chinese. The only drawback is the same as with all language exchanges, which is that it’s sometimes difficult to balance the two languages. Also, I had problems with sending voice messages in chat, which can be frustrating. Overall, though, I’d say Social Language is a must-have.

1. HelloChinese This app didn’t exist last summer when I was looking for a Mandarin version of Duolingo, but I discovered it last week and fell in love with it. It actually has fewer features than ChineseSkill, but the pacing seems much better, and it focuses more heavily on pronunciation (though the speech recognition software isn’t perfect and you will sometimes need to skip a speaking question just to keep moving forward). It comes with some good grammar explanations and a really basic flashcard program for review. Honestly, I feel bad for rating it higher than ChineseSkill since ChineseSkill has been around longer and offers a lot more features, but I feel like HelloChinese just makes more sense and is easier to stick with than ChineseSkill. Like ChineseSkill, it’s also 100% free! I consider HelloChinese to be my “core” app for casual study, with the other apps acting as supplements. If you’re a more serious student, HelloChinese might not be your #1 pick, but it’s great for beginners who like the structure of an app like DuoLingo.

Ultimate Protection Magic Masterpost, Part 2

PROTECTION FOR OTHERS

Family/Loved Ones Protection Jar

Quick Protection Spell

Full Moon Protection Spell

“I Send You Safety” Spell

Knitting Spell (For Protection)

Ayano’s Theory of Happiness Spell

Ritual To Protect Loved Ones

“This Person Is Under My Protection” Sigil

“This Person Is Safe & Happy” Sigil

“My Significant Other Is Happy & Safe From Harm” Sigil

“My Child Is Safe From All Harm” Sigil

PROTECTION FOR PETS

Pet Protection Spell Jar

Pet Protection Spell Bottle

Pet Protection Spell

Pet Protection Spell

Protective Chant For Dogs

Protective Chant For Cats

Cat Protection Bag

Cat Blessing/Protection Spell

Animal Blessing Spells

Animal Protection Spell

Animal Candle Protection Spell

“Watch Over Me” Pet Protection Guardian

“Always Come Back To Me” Spell

“My Dogs Will Be Safe and Happy” Sigil

Pet Protection Powder

MISCELLANEOUS PROTECTION SPELLS

Protection Against Nightmares

Protection During Sleep

Nightmare Warding Stuffed Animal Spell

Ghost Nebula Protection In Sleep Spell

Protection While Travelling

Jar Spell for Safe Travels

Protection For Travellers Spell

Roadtrip Protection Charm

Empath/Emotional Protection

Calcified Heart Spell

Empath Protection Jar

Other

New Job Protection Pouch

Corvid Safety Spell

Emoji Spell for Protection Against Extreme Weather

Cleansing & Protection from Mind-Altering Spells

POWDERS, SALTS, OILS & WATERS

Dragon’s Bite Powder

Sweeping Powder for Protection & Energy

Dark As Night Protection Powder

Anti-Curse Powder

Archer’s Protection Powder

Protection Powder Recipes

Fire Salts

Black Salt

Empath Protection Oil

Demonwitch’s Hellcat Oil

Flying Devil Oil

Moon-Infused Protection Water

Storm Witch’s Ward Water

War Water

INFORMATION

Circles, Shields & Wards

Casting a Circle for Beginners

Methods of Casting Circles

Personal Shielding

Basic Protection

Keeping Yourself Protected

The Basics of Wards & Warding

A Crash Course In Warding

Top Ward Mistakes I

Top Ward Mistakes II

Threshold Magic 101

Charms

Charms, Amulets & Talismans

The Rowan Cross

Grass Charm

Hag Stones

Moon Snails

Protection Wreaths

Protection Chimes

Elemental Protection Charms

Folklore Charms for Home Protection

Tech Magic

Turning Your Wifi Into Wards

How to Anti-Taglock Pictures of Yourself

Simple Email Protection Spell

Technomagic Ward

Cyber/Tech Protection Ideas

Servitors

A Basic Guide to Servitors

An Introduction to Servitors

How to Create a Protective Servitor

Meditations

Spell and Meditation for Calming, Serenity and Peace Within Self

“Warrior of Light” Guided Meditation (YouTube)

Correspondences

Protection Correspondences

Protection Correspondences

Quick Protection Magic Reference Guide

[part 1]

Here’s a bird in their hunter gear 

Paladin Suit Tutorial  

Keep reading

Mermaid

🐚Sing 

🐚Messy hair

🐚Flowy Clothes

🐚Lay out in the Sun, were sunscreen of course

🐚Lots of Jewelry

🐚Shells everywhere

🐚Clear Quartz and Rose Quartz

🐚Drink Lots of Water

🐚Wear little makeup

🐚Swim

🐚Listen to The Ocean. (If you don’t live near the Ocean, there are vids on YouTube)

🐚Watch the Water, observe how it moves. 

🐚Smile, it looks beautiful on you

🐚Wear body glitter

🐚Paint your nails

🐚Collect things

🐚Read old books

🐚Take a bath

🐚Meditate near water

🐚Live for yourself, and no one else

Studying physics is essentially being taught a simple structure, and then told ”actually, scratch that, the truth is actually far more complicated” over and over again until we reach the point where we still don’t know the truth, only that we do not have it.

Has this been done yet

me & girls who are made of the sea

Types of water and their uses (+ how to cleanse water for spellwork!)

TYPES OF WATER AND THEIR CONNOTATIONS

Sea water 

- cleansing, purification and banishment

River water 

- movement, change and new opportunities

Lake water 

- peace, contentment, self-reflection

Rain water 

- creativity, inspiration, energy, cleansing, protection

Melted snow water

- transformation, new beginnings

Moon water (water that has been charged under moonlight) 

- universal magickal properties, can be used in most spells for cleansing, purification, balance, and energy

Cleansed water (tap/filtered water that has been cleansed) 

- again has universal magickal properties but not as strong as moon water. Mostly used for cleansing and purification. 

HOW TO CLEANSE TAP WATER FOR SPELLWORK

1. Run tap water into an empty bottle and immediately pour it out

2. Fill the bottle again but this time seal the bottle.

3. Draw out a cleansing sigil. I use this one HERE

4. Tape it to the outside of the bottle.

5. Arrange four white tea lights and a long candle into a pentagram with the long candle at the apex.

6. Place the bottle of water at the centre of the pentagram

7. Light the long candle and use it to light the tea lights in a clockwise rotation.

8. Place a clear quartz on the bottle

9. Place your hand over the clear quartz and allow your positive energies to flow through it. Imagine the quartz like a magnifying glass and your energy the sun.

10. Finish your spell with your preferred method. I  blow out all the candles and say “so it is”