“The Sound System” has 10 exercises — the first 3 are free
Guest mode saves nothing. Two ways to open the rest: subscribe, or book a lesson — Jane's students get every exercise in the course (practise 点火锅, book a class, and all of Beginner Speaking 1 opens; whether you take more classes is up to you). Anything unclear, ask her in class. Teachers who buy the courseware open it for a whole class with a class code.
The Seven Troublemakers — and Your First Pattern
七个难点音 + 我喜欢
Tame z c s and zh ch sh r, then spend them immediately: 我喜欢…… works on anything you love.
The clinic: find your seven
Play Teacher Jane's recording
Watch the tiles — each one lights up as Teacher Jane says it.
Today everything happens in the two red rows. Tap z, then zh. Tap c, then ch. Tap s, then sh. Listen to each pair back to back — the difference is the tongue tip, nothing else.
Pronunciation clinic
One tongue move separates them
z c s: smile a little and push the tongue tip FORWARD, flat against the back of your top front teeth — the air hisses out at the front. zh ch sh r: curl the tongue tip up and back, past the bumpy ridge onto the smooth hard palate behind it, keep it loose, and let the air flow over it — just like the picture. Tip forward at the teeth = z c s. Tip curled back = zh ch sh r. That's the whole secret.
z c s：微微一笑，舌尖往前，平平地抵住上齿背（上门牙内侧），气从前面嘶出来。zh ch sh r：舌尖翘起来往后，越过牙龈脊靠近硬腭，保持放松，让气流从舌尖上方通过——就像图里画的那样。舌尖在前＝z c s，舌尖后翘＝zh ch sh r。全部的秘密就这一条。
Pronunciation clinic
And the lips? Pout!
Here is Teacher Jane's extra secret for zh ch sh r: your lips should pout a little — push them softly forward, reaching out, like you're about to give a small kiss or say "shh". Flat smiling lips belong to z c s; pouting lips belong to zh ch sh r. Check yourself in a mirror: if your lips reach forward, the rolled sounds suddenly get much easier.
Jane老师的加料秘诀：发 zh ch sh r 的时候，嘴唇要微微嘟起来——轻轻往前送，像要亲一口或者说“嘘”的样子。扁扁的微笑嘴型属于 z c s，嘟起来的嘴型属于 zh ch sh r。对着镜子检查：嘴唇往前伸了，卷舌音一下子就容易多了。
Pronunciation clinic
Before you say a single one: the 'i' that isn't an 'i'
Look at how these seven are written: zhi, chi, shi, ri, zi, ci, si. Every one ends in i — and not one of them says 'ee'. After these seven letters the i has no sound of its own at all. It is the consonant itself, held on and buzzing. Say 'sh…' and let it hum without ever reaching a vowel: that is 十 shí. Say 's…' the same way and that is 四 sì. This matters right now, because the next thing you are going to say is 四是四，十是十 — eight syllables in a row, every one of them a buzz. Get this wrong here and you will practise the wrong sound eight times.
先看这七个音怎么写：zhi、chi、shi、ri、zi、ci、si。每一个都以 i 结尾——而没有一个念「衣」。在这七个字母后面，i 根本没有自己的声音，它就是那个辅音本身，继续嗡下去。发「sh……」让它一直嗡，永远不要到达任何元音——那就是「十」。用同样的方法发「s……」，那就是「四」。这件事现在就得说清楚，因为你接下来要念的是「四是四，十是十」——连着八个音节，每一个都是嗡出来的。这里搞错，你就要把错的音练八遍。
The famous four-or-ten test
The most famous mix-up in Chinese: 四 sì (four) uses flat-tongue s, 十 shí (ten) uses rolled-tongue sh. Get it wrong at a market and your bill changes. Listen until you can hear the roll.
🔊 Tap any line to hear it
Your seven, in words you already own
Every one of these words from lesson one contains a troublemaker sound. Tap and listen for it — Teacher Jane's voice, your ears.
🔊 Tap any line to hear it
Ear check: flat or rolled?随堂小练
No pressure — just making it stick.
Listen carefully — how many is this?
Your friend tells you the price. How much?
我要一份___士，谢谢。
Wǒ yào yí fèn ___shì, xièxie.
I'd like a portion of cheese, thanks.
我喜欢 — five true sentences
Teacher Jane reading the pattern from your first class. Tap each line to hear it alone — notice 喜欢 never changes, only the thing you love does.
Plug anything you love into 我喜欢___
The frame never changes: 我喜欢 + thing. Tap each word, then say the full sentence out loud — 我喜欢火锅！我喜欢中文！ Every tap is a sentence you can make.
🔊 Tap any line to hear it
Build your sentences随堂小练
No pressure — just making it stick.
我___咖啡。
Wǒ ___ kāfēi.
I like coffee.
Teacher Jane asks you this. Which answer actually works?
你___什么？
Nǐ ___ shénme?
What do you like?
A：你喜欢什么？ B：我喜欢___。
A: Nǐ xǐhuān shénme? B: Wǒ xǐhuān ___.
A: What do you like? B: I like sleeping.
Say it out loud — the microphone is listening随堂小练
No pressure — just making it stick.
Your turn — say it
芝士
cheese
Your turn — say it
四是四，十是十，十四是十四，四十是四十。
Four is four, ten is ten — the tongue twister
Before you go课后回顾
- Say three TRUE 我喜欢 sentences out loud — things you actually love. Tomorrow, say them to someone.
- The wallet test: say 四十 and 十四 five times each. Can a friend hear which is which?
- Which of the seven troublemakers still fights back — z c s or zh ch sh r? Tap it on the chart three more times.