Essays
Grown-Up Heritage Writing Apps, No Pandas
Heritage adults deserve a serious Chinese writing tool, not pandas and balloons. Here is why adult-appropriate, from-memory practice fits relearning better.
Lawrence Arya··4 min
Essays
Too Late to Learn to Write Hanzi if You Speak Fluently?
Speak Chinese fluently but never learned to write the characters? It is not too late, and you have a huge head start. Here is why, and how to start.
Lawrence Arya··5 min
Playbooks
Handwriting That Looks Illiterate to Natives? Fixable
If your Chinese handwriting makes natives wince, it is almost never hopeless, it is three fixable faults: proportion, stroke order, and structure. Here is how to fix them.
Lawrence Arya··5 min
Playbooks
Fixing Adult Chinese Handwriting Your In-Laws Notice
Adult Chinese handwriting usually looks off for three fixable reasons: proportion, stroke order, and structure. Here is what to fix and why from-memory practice beats tracing.
Lawrence Arya··5 min
Playbooks
Relearning Mandarin Handwriting as an Adult to Teach Your Kids
Want to relearn Mandarin handwriting as an adult so you can teach your kids? Your recognition is intact, so it comes back fast. Here is how to relearn and lead.
Lawrence Arya··5 min
Research
Adult-Friendly Mnemonics for Hanzi, Not Childish Ones
Adults do not need cutesy stories to remember characters. Mature mnemonics use real component logic, etymology, and memory palaces, then lock it in by writing from memory.
Lawrence Arya··5 min
Essays
At What Age Does Plasticity Drop for Writing Hanzi?
Worried adult brain plasticity is too low to learn to write Hanzi? There is no age cliff for this skill. Here is what the science actually says.
Lawrence Arya··5 min