# My Chinese Learning Plan

## The Goal

Learn Chinese well enough to have real conversations with my wife. No more struggling to express myself - I want to speak naturally and understand her when she talks to me.

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## What I'm Working With

I have 5 textbooks from my intermediate Chinese course:
- **Speaking book** (Kouyu) - 12 chapters, pretty thick
- **Composition book** (Hanyu) - 13 chapters, the longest one
- **Reading book** (LEDU) - 12 chapters, lots of vocabulary
- **Listening book** (Tingli) - 30 chapters, but they're short
- **Writing book** (Xiezuo) - 6 chapters, pretty quick

That's 73 chapters total. If I keep a good pace, I can finish everything in about 10 months.

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## My Weekly Routine

I'm keeping it simple - same thing every week so I don't have to think about it:

**Monday**: Speaking practice (Kouyu)
**Tuesday**: Composition work (Hanyu)
**Wednesday**: Reading (LEDU)
**Thursday**: Listening (Tingli)
**Friday**: Writing (Xiezuo)
**Saturday**: Catch-up day - review weak spots or make up missed work
**Sunday**: Free day - life happens, so this is my buffer

Each day takes 1-2 hours. The most important part? I practice speaking EVERY day, even if it's just 15-20 minutes of talking to myself or shadowing audio. Speaking is my weakest skill, so it needs daily attention.

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## How the Month Works

### Weeks 1-3: Learning and Reviewing

I alternate between learning new chapters and reviewing old ones. Some days I tackle fresh material, other days I go back and reinforce what I learned before.

The pattern roughly works out to:
- 2-3 new chapters per week
- 3-4 review sessions per week
- 6 days of study (with Sunday free)

When I finish a chapter, it doesn't just disappear. It comes back for review:
- Next day: Quick vocab check (10 minutes)
- 3 days later: Redo some exercises (20 minutes)
- 1 week later: Practice speaking/writing with that content (30 minutes)
- 2 weeks later: More advanced practice
- 1 month later: It shows up on the monthly exam

This spaced repetition keeps things fresh in my memory.

### Week 4: Exam Week

Instead of grinding through new material all month, I take the fourth week to test myself properly. One exam per day:

**Monday**: Speaking exam
**Tuesday**: Composition exam
**Wednesday**: Reading exam
**Thursday**: Listening exam
**Friday**: Writing exam
**Saturday**: Grade everything and see where I stand
**Sunday**: Write up a monthly report

The exams are real - no shortcuts. I need to score above 80% to truly pass. Between 50-80% means I'm struggling with that skill and need to focus on it more. Below 50% is a red flag that I need to seriously review before moving forward.

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## Why This Works for Me

**No decision fatigue**: Monday is always speaking day. I never wake up wondering "what should I study today?"

**Realistic flexibility**: Life isn't perfect. That's why Saturday is catch-up day and Sunday is completely free. If I miss a day during the week, I can make it up on Saturday. If I have a rough week, Sunday is there as backup.

**Accountability**: Every month ends with exams and a report. I can't hide from the numbers. I'll share these reports with my wife so she can see my progress (and keep me honest).

**Balanced development**: I'm not just doing the fun stuff. Every skill gets its day, including the ones I'm bad at.

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## The Games

Learning from a textbook can be boring, so I'm building 3 mini-games for every chapter:

1. **Vocabulary game**: Matching Chinese words to meanings, quick quizzes, flashcards
2. **Grammar game**: Building sentences, transforming patterns, filling in blanks
3. **Production game**: Real scenarios where I have to speak or write using what I learned

These make the review sessions way more engaging than just re-reading notes.

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## Tracking Progress

I keep a simple daily log:
- What chapter I worked on
- How much time I spent
- Whether I did my speaking practice
- What went well and what was hard
- Current streak of consecutive days

At the end of each month, I generate a report showing:
- How many chapters I completed
- My exam scores
- My consistency (did I actually study most days?)
- What I'm good at and what needs work
- Goals for next month

This report gets shared with my wife. It's my way of staying accountable.

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## The Timeline

At my current pace (about 9 new chapters per month), I'll finish all 73 chapters in roughly 8-9 months. Add in the review time and exam weeks, and I'm looking at about a year total.

**3 months in**: About a third of the way through
**6 months in**: Over halfway, should be noticeably more confident
**9 months in**: All chapters completed
**12 months in**: Everything mastered, speaking fluently with my wife

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## Starting This Week

The plan is ready. Now I just need to:

1. Pick which chapters to start with
2. Do my first Monday (speaking day)
3. Log it in my daily tracker
4. Keep the streak going
5. Show up every day, even if it's just for 30 minutes

The system is simple. The routine is clear. No more overthinking - just consistent work, one day at a time, until I can speak Chinese naturally with my wife.

That's the plan.

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**Note**: The plan might change with time but that's my working framework at least.
