Input hypothesis

"We acquire language in one way and only one way: when we understand messages. We call this Comprehensible Input." - Stephen Krashen

The four basic skills of any language are listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

We here at Daily Mandarin Thread advocate for an input-based approach to learning Mandarin. We focus the majority of our attention on input -- that is, on listening and reading -- and by that alone, we acquire the language.

We don’t focus on output. Basic ability to speak and write are incidental skills that come from being able to understand spoken and written language. This may seem counterintuitive to many people, especially if you’ve taken a foreign language in school. But the reality is, for anyone who “struggles” to speak a foreign language, the problem is not lack of practice. It’s a lack of language in your head. By focusing on input, we get as much language into your head as possible, so that when it comes time to speak or write, it has a chance to come out.

The input-based approach to language is a proven method, backed up by personal testimony and by scientific research. When you get enough of the language into your head, speaking and writing will come out naturally.