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There is a theory proposed by some that people should focus a lot more of their attention on listening skills than on speaking. The theory follows that people learn their native language by listening and not speaking for the first two years of their life, and therefore we should use the same approach when learning a new language. Our podcasts leave room for you to repeat after the speakers but there is still value to focusing just on listening and leaving the speaking till later. Use the approach that works best for your own personal learning style.

The vocabulary we teach in lessons is taken from experience of the highest used vocabulary in the Chinese language. You will find in almost any language that 20% of the vocabulary is used 80% of the time. This means that by focusing your study on that 20%, you can potentially be able to understand 80% of what is out there! Keep in mind, this can vary based on contexts. The vocabulary used in movies, will be different from that used on streets which would be different from that used in newspapers. So by determining which area you want to focus on, you can choose to focus on the high frequency words that will get you to that 80% comprehension level. This is a much more efficient method than studying lists of vocabulary that you may never encounter in day to day life.