Baolingo: Learn Chinese & HSK

Baolingo is a Mandarin Chinese listening and pronunciation practice app built around two learning activities: Dictation and Shadowing.

The app helps learners practise understanding spoken Mandarin, recognising pinyin and Hanzi, repeating native audio, and improving their pronunciation through regular exercises.

HOW BAOLINGO WORKS

Choose a lesson, listen to a Mandarin sentence, and practise it using one of two exercise modes:

• Dictation: listen to a sentence and enter what you hear in pinyin or Chinese characters. Baolingo compares your answer with the lesson content and highlights missing or incorrect parts.

• Shadowing: listen to a native recording, repeat the sentence, and record your voice. Baolingo analyses your speech and provides pronunciation feedback to help you identify sounds and tones that may need more practice.

DICTATION PRACTICE

Dictation exercises are designed to improve listening accuracy and help learners connect spoken Mandarin with pinyin and Hanzi.

During a dictation exercise, you can:

• Listen to Mandarin sentences at the available playback speed
• Type your answer using pinyin or Chinese characters
• Compare your answer with the original sentence
• Review incorrect or missing words
• Replay the audio and practise the sentence again
• Save difficult exercises for later review

SHADOWING PRACTICE

Shadowing helps you practise Mandarin pronunciation, rhythm, tones, and sentence flow by repeating audio from native speakers.

During a shadowing exercise, you can:

• Listen to the original pronunciation
• Record yourself repeating the sentence
• Compare your recording with the lesson audio
• Receive feedback on your pronunciation
• Practise individual sentences multiple times
• Review previous recordings and exercises

PRONUNCIATION FEEDBACK

Baolingo uses speech-processing technology to analyse your recorded practice. Depending on the exercise, feedback may include pinyin syllables, initials, finals, tones, or overall pronunciation accuracy.

Pronunciation feedback is intended to support self-study and regular practice. It is not an official language test score or a substitute for assessment by a qualified Mandarin teacher.

REVIEW YOUR MISTAKES

Exercises that you answer incorrectly can be reviewed again, helping you focus on words, characters, tones, and sounds that you find difficult.

The review section allows you to:

• Revisit previous mistakes
• Repeat listening and speaking exercises
• Practise difficult sentences again
• Track completed and unfinished lessons

TRACK YOUR LEARNING PROGRESS

Baolingo records your learning activity so you can follow your study progress over time.

You can view information such as:

• Completed lessons
• Dictation and shadowing practice history
• Practice time
• Previous answers and recordings
• Areas that may need additional review

MANDARIN CONTENT FOR DIFFERENT LEVELS

Baolingo includes Mandarin practice content for learners at different stages, from beginners learning basic pinyin and tones to advanced learners practising longer sentences and natural-speed speech.

Some lessons may be organised by vocabulary difficulty or language proficiency level to make it easier to choose suitable practice material.

WHO BAOLINGO IS FOR

Baolingo can be used by:

• Beginners learning Mandarin pronunciation and tones
• Learners who want to improve listening comprehension
• Students practising pinyin and Chinese characters
• HSK or TOCFL learners looking for additional listening and speaking practice
• Heritage speakers working on pronunciation
• Travellers and professionals learning spoken Mandarin

PRIVACY

Voice recordings are used to provide speaking and pronunciation practice features. Baolingo does not use your recordings for public posting or social networking.