logo
episode-header-image
Aug 4
32m 24s

Fun First, Fluency Follows: Karl Vilhelm...

Jared Turner
About this episode

What happens when a Swedish physics student decides to go all-in on Chinese? Meet Karl Vilhelmsson, a particle physics student at Stanford’s SLAC lab and a self-described language adventurer. 

From a middle school classroom in Stockholm to immersive conversations with a Taiwanese friend and a solo Chinese language-only trip to Suzhou, Carl shares how curiosity and fun fueled his Chinese learning journey. 

Carl talks with Jared about building meaningful friendships through Chinese, discovering the joy of reading and writing characters, and how Chinese has deepened his global perspective, both personally and professionally.

Carl’s story is a reminder that Chinese is learnable, and it doesn’t have to be boring.

Links from the episode:


Up next
Sep 29
From Bubble Tea to Boxing Rings: How Freddy Buechel Found His Voice in Chinese
What happens when you move abroad at age 10 and suddenly find yourself in daily Chinese class? For Freddy Buechel, it was the start of an adventure that took him from Singapore to Taiwan, back to the U.S., and eventually to Shanghai for a full-on study abroad immersion.In this ep ... Show More
31m 55s
Sep 8
You Can Speak Chinese, but Can You Understand the Reply? (And Other Listener Questions)
Jared and John are back with a full episode dedicated to answering listener questions covering everything from language learning strategies to cultural quirks. They explore the challenges of using sarcasm in Mandarin, how to prepare for a trip to China if you're not yet fluent, a ... Show More
32m 54s
Aug 18
How to Learn to Read Chinese: Developing Fluency Now (Replay)
In this replay of a fan-favorite episode, John and Jared discuss the concept of fluency now as opposed to some distant time in the future and how reading will get you there.Guest interview is with Olle Linge of Hacking Chinese and Chinese language enthusiast extraordinaire. He of ... Show More
58m 49s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2024
Chinese Podcast EP113: From Zero to Intermediate Chine Only with Dashu Mandarin?! 只听大叔中文中文从零到中级!
In this video, we share how a student used Dashu Mandarin podcast to advance from a complete beginner to an intermediate level in Chinese. We’ll also discuss another student’s story that made the Uncles feel sad and reveal the snacks the Uncles love. As a blind box question podca ... Show More
41 m
Jul 2024
Chinese Podcast EP105: Learn Chinese with StoryTelling丨Comprehensible input chinese丨Good chinese teacher丨
Welcome two exceptional Chinese teachers: Suqing laoshi from channel of Comprehensible Chinese, and Keren laoshi from channel of Unconventional Chinese with Keren. Both teachers specialize in using the Comprehensible Input teaching method for Chinese language instruction. In this ... Show More
48m 20s
Nov 2024
Chinese Podcast EP125: Chinese girlfriend / Chinese boyfriend = Learn Chinese Faster? 有中国伴侣就能学会中文吗?
In this episode, we’re joined by William, whose Chinese has reached a near-native level, and his Chinese girlfriend Xiaoyun. Together, we dive into the question: Does having a Chinese girlfriend really help you learn Chinese better? They also share their heartwarming love story a ... Show More
1 h
Aug 2024
Chinese Podcast EP112: The Chinese Story That Changed Your Life 改变你人生的中文故事
In this episode of Dashu Mandarin, we explore "The Chinese Story That Changed Your Life" and discuss the profound impact of certain stories on our lives. We also introduce our specially written Chinese storybook (Chinese Stories for Intermediate Learners: The Talking Cat: Dashu M ... Show More
44m 18s
Apr 2025
Chinese Podcast EP143: Can You Really Learn Chinese in 6 Months? 你真的能在6个月内学会中文吗?
今天,大叔中文请来了一位中文超厉害的英国小伙——欧培实!他目前才16岁,中文说得特别棒,这次他要跟我们聊聊,自己是怎么在1500个小时内,把中文学得这么流利。欧培实还是个多语者,他也会分享一些自己高效的学习秘诀,希望能帮到正在学习中文的你!Today, Dashu Chinese invited an awesome British guy — Olly Prentice!His Chinese is amazing, and this time he’s here to chat with us about how he managed to lear ... Show More
40m 10s
Sep 2024
Chinese Podcast EP116: Are Chinese Children Really not Happy? 中国孩子过得真的不开心吗?
在这一期的播客中,大叔们继续从盲盒中抽取问题展开讨论。从打游戏、玩游戏的话题开始,我们深入探讨了中国孩子所面临的压力,并且涉及到一些深层次的心理问题。但是,中国的孩子真的不开心吗?同时,我们互相提问:如果你能改变自己身上的某一个外表或性格,你会选择改变什么? In this episode of the podcast, the uncles continue drawing blind box questions for discussion. Starting with topics like gaming, we explore the press ... Show More
49m 38s
Oct 2024
Chinese Podcast EP120: Chinese Study Advice From World Champion of Chinese Bridge 汉语桥世界冠军的建议
n this episode, we interview Benjamin from Belgium, the champion of the Chinese Bridge competition. Benjamin shares his journey to victory, providing fascinating details about the competition and offering valuable tips for Chinese learners. He discusses his strategies for masteri ... Show More
39m 35s
May 2022
【 Why Taiwanese Love to Go to KTV?】Taiwanese Mandarin Listening (conversation)
☀️ You love this kind of cultural series? Share with me how they help you improve your Chinese? Please take a minute to fill out this here:) ➡️Survey ☀️Want to speak Chinese naturally with confidence? My Conversation Training Course  for Beginners /Pre-intermediate learners ➡️ ht ... Show More
9m 39s
Sep 22
Xiang Biao and Wu Qi, "Self as Method: Thinking Through China and the World" (Palgrave Macmillan, 2022)
Today I had the pleasure of talking to Professor Xiang Biao on his new book, Self as Method: Thinking Through China and the World, which was originally written and published in Chinese. The English translation has just come out with Palgrave Macmillan. Self as Method provides a m ... Show More
1h 39m
Sep 22
Xiang Biao and Wu Qi, "Self as Method: Thinking Through China and the World" (Palgrave Macmillan, 2022)
Today I had the pleasure of talking to Professor Xiang Biao on his new book, Self as Method: Thinking Through China and the World, which was originally written and published in Chinese. The English translation has just come out with Palgrave Macmillan. Self as Method provides a m ... Show More
1h 39m