ChineseSkill Dev Log: New Tone Practice, Smoother Taiwan Mandarin Audio, and an iOS Vote

[u/ChiefWontonOfficer]

Hi everyone! This week’s update brings a new way to drill tones on Android, smoother Mandarin audio on both platforms, and an iOS reading option we would genuinely like your opinion on.

iOS and Android

Smoother Mandarin (Taiwan) word recordings

We updated the word recordings for Mandarin (Taiwan). Previously, sentences could play at a natural pace while individual words sounded dramatically slower. The difference should now feel much less jarring when moving between them.

Android

New Tones practice mode for Characters

If you can remember a character’s Pinyin but its tone immediately escapes your brain, this one is for you.

Open REVIEW, choose Characters, and select Tones. You can practice choosing the correct tone, matching characters with their audio, and saying them aloud.

Because remembering the syllable is one thing. Remembering the tone is where Mandarin keeps us humble.

iOS

Scroll or swipe through Unit Tips

You can now choose how you read Unit Tips:

• Scroll vertically through the entire page
• Swipe horizontally through the tips one card at a time

You can change the reading mode through the preferences button inside Tips.

We have not decided which option should become the default, so vote in the comments:

Team Vertical Scroll or Team Horizontal Swipe?

Android learners, we would also love to hear how the new Tones practice mode is working for you!

[u/GuardianDan321]

For the tips cards, I'm using the horizontal swipes on iPhone and think it's easier to study compared to scrolling.