Boost Your Chinese with AI: How to Practise Reading Using ChatGPT and The Chairman’s Bao

If you’re studying Mandarin Chinese and want to make faster, deeper progress, combining AI tools like ChatGPT with The Chairman’s Bao (TCB) is one of the smartest things you can do.

As a teacher — and a former full-time student of Chinese — I know how precious time and focus are! Back in my uni days, I would’ve loved access to the kind of HSK-graded reading and listening materials TCB offers today.

Now, with AI changing how we learn, it’s the perfect match: used well, it turns passive reading into active, personalised practice.

Why Use AI with The Chairman’s Bao for Chinese Reading Practice?

I understand that some people might find it funny that a teacher might use AI tools, especially when The Chairman’s Bao already offers an incredible resource: authentic news articles graded to each HSK level, with native audio, key vocabulary, grammar tips, and built-in quizzes.

So why use AI tools like ChatGPT, DeepSeek or Perplexity on top?

Because AI:

Offers instant simplification and explanations

Creates custom quizzes and flashcards

Provides real-time feedback on writing

Generates speaking practice prompts

Think of AI as your 24/7 study partner, TCB as your structured content provider, and your teacher as your Gandalf in the world of a tonal and ever-evolving language.

Together, they create a balanced, highly personalised Chinese learning routine.

How to Use ChatGPT and AI Tools to Practise Chinese Reading with The Chairman’s Bao

In order to deliver effective lessons, teachers must understand a student’s needs, weaknesses, interests, and study habits. But it’s also extremely important to test the materials and tools from a student’s perspective.

Here’s the process I follow when studying with The Chairman’s Bao and AI:

Choose a TCB lesson matching my HSK level and interest. I read the article carefully, listen to the audio, and complete any comprehension questions on the TCB platform.
Ask AI to Simplify Difficult Sentences. For example, I copy a sentence I find complex and ask ChatGPT, “Can you explain this sentence in simpler Chinese or English?” This helps me grasp tricky grammar or vocabulary.
Quiz Myself on New Vocabulary and Grammar. I use AI prompts like, “Quiz me on the new words from the TCB lesson about [topic].” AI then tests my recall and understanding interactively.
Practice Speaking through Writing. I ask AI to create discussion questions related to the news story, then try answering aloud or typing responses. For example, “Create 3 conversation questions about environmental issues from today’s article.”
Why Speaking through Writing? Because, as discussed in this article on Artificial Intelligence and Chinese language teachers, AI is not ready yet when it comes to speech, especially in a tonal language like Chinese. Believe me, I’ve just given ChatGPT a go and it was speaking Mandarin with a thick American accent. And we want to avoid sounding like a 老外 (lǎo wài), don’t we?
Review and Reflect. After working with AI, I revisit any unclear points with my teacher or language partner to get feedback and deeper explanations.

Let’s walk through this method using three real TCB articles across different HSK levels.

How Do I Start Using AI To Practise Chinese Reading at HSK1 Level?

If you’re just getting started with Chinese, don’t worry—this method works even at HSK1. In fact, combining The Chairman’s Bao’s beginner-friendly news articles with AI support is one of the best ways to build confidence, reinforce vocabulary, and get used to sentence patterns in context.

Let’s look at a real example from TCB: First Pet Gym to Open in Shanghai.

Here’s how you can break down this lesson step by step using ChatGPT.

Initial Reading and Listening

Read the Article: Read the article (Script) once, focusing on overall understanding.

Listen to the native audio several times. First, with the text open; next, without looking at the text for listening practice; then repeat key phrases aloud. You can also activate the Pinyin as you read or repeat the key contents while listening.

Copy the TCB article, keywords and grammar points into ChatGPT.

Prompt: You are my professional Chinese tutor. Please read the following text, keywords and grammar points. No action needed from you at the moment.

Simplify Sentences: If I find a sentence tricky (e.g., “有些人说，做这个运动能睡得很好”), ask AI:

Prompt: “Please explain this sentence in simpler Chinese or English. My current level is HSK1.”

Understand Vocabulary and Grammar

Study the Keywords: Share article and the keywords like 宠物 (chǒngwù, pet), 健身 (jiànshēn, exercise), and 开业 (kāiyè, open). Then ask AI to test your knowledge.

Prompt: “Test me on the key vocabulary from this article.”

Review Grammar Points: Look at structures like 了 expressing that an action has been completed, “在+Place”, “Subject+都+Verb”, or “Noun/Pronoun + 很 + Adj.”

Prompt: “Explain the grammar point ‘Noun/Pronoun + 很 + Adj.’ with easy examples, suitable for HSK1 students.”

Practice: Write your own short sentences with new patterns.

Practice Speaking through Writing

Conversation Questions: Ask AI to generate questions about the lesson’s topic. Remember to feed the article to the AI first.

Prompt: “Create three yes/no questions in Chinese about exercising. Your questions must match HSK1 level.”

If you need Pinyin, remember to specify it in your prompt.

Review and Human Interaction

Review with TCB’s quizzes and exercises. Use mistakes as learning opportunities.

Human Feedback: Share difficult sentences or new practice with a teacher or partner for feedback on pronunciation and meaning.

How Can AI Improve My Chinese Reading and Listening at HSK3 Level?

At HSK3, you’ve built a decent foundation—but now it’s time to go deeper. This is where AI can really help you personalise your learning: from summarising articles to checking sentence structure and expanding vocabulary through conversation prompts.

Let’s try it out with this real lesson from TCB: Perfect T-shirt Takes Two Years to Design.

Here’s how to use ChatGPT to make the most of it.

Initial Reading and Listening

Read and Listen: Skim the headline and main points, listen at normal and slow speed, then shadow each paragraph aloud.

Copy the TCB article, keywords and grammar points into ChatGPT.

Prompt: You are my professional Chinese tutor. Please read the following text, keywords and grammar points. No action needed from you at the moment.

Paragraph Summarization: Summarize each paragraph, ask AI for accuracy feedback.

Prompt: “These are my summaries for each paragraph. Are they accurate for HSK3? Please also provide feedback on the sentence structure suitable for my level.”

Clarify Difficult Sentences: If stuck, ask AI.

Prompt: Can you explain this sentence in simpler Chinese or English?

Tackle Key Vocabulary and Grammar

New Words: Study topic-specific words (e.g., 二维码,再生,设计师,追溯).

Original Sentences: Use at least five new words and grammar points from the lesson to make your own sentences and ask ChatGPT to provide feedback.

Prompts: Give me feedback on these sentences using today’s vocabulary/grammar.

AI for Vocabulary Quizzes.

Prompts: The following is the key vocabulary from today’s lesson. Please read it and then quiz me.

…

Practice Speaking by Writing

Discussion Questions: Ask AI for conversation prompts about clothing, design, materials, and where products come from.

Prompt: Please ask me questions to help me talk about clothing in my country, using vocabulary from the article. My current level is HSK3.

Written + Oral Practice: Answer in writing, then say responses aloud.

Use Built-In TCB Features

Complete Exercises: Do all comprehension checks, flashcards, and built-in mini exercises.

Review and Get Human Feedback

Share Work: Bring your AI-checked sentences and answers to a teacher or language partner for feedback—focus on grammar and natural language.

How Can AI Help Advanced Learners Master HSK6 Chinese?

At HSK6 level, you’re dealing with complex ideas, idioms, and formal writing styles. This is where AI becomes a powerful tool—not just to clarify meaning, but to push you further with debate prompts, paraphrasing practice, and critical feedback.

Let’s take a look at this advanced-level TCB article: How Shanghai’s Wetlands Are Woven Into Everyday Life

Here’s how to work through it using AI.

Intensive Reading and Listening

Article Study: Read thoroughly, noting advanced vocabulary and idioms.

Listen for Nuance: Work with and without text to deeply understand phrasing, tone, and nuance. Shadow important sections for fluency.

Copy the TCB article, keywords and grammar points into ChatGPT.

Prompt: You are my professional Chinese tutor. Please read the following text, keywords and grammar points. No action needed from you at the moment.

Summarize: Share the article with the AI and write a concise summary (e.g., 100 characters).

AI Prompts: Here is my summary of the article. Please provide HSK6-level feedback.

Vocabulary and Grammar Deep Dive

Nuanced Words: Focus on idiomatic, academic language, idioms, or structures.

Flashcards and Sentences: Create flashcards, use new words/structures in sentences or paragraphs.

AI Feedback and Quizzes:

Prompts:

Quiz me on this article’s advanced vocabulary.

Explain the structure ‘逾+number’ and give me three sample sentences.

Use AI to Clarify and Practice

Simplify and Paraphrase: Use AI to understand or paraphrase dense sections.

Prompt: Paraphrase this complex sentence and provide one similar example.

Practice High-Level Writing and Speaking

Debate and Essay Prompts: Get AI to generate prompts inspired by the article.

Prompt: Please have a debate with me about urban wetland protection versus urban development. I will choose one side, and you represent the other. Please use advanced vocabulary, idioms, and formal written language to express your opinions and appropriately rebut mine during the debate. Afterwards, please help me write a short summary of my own viewpoint.

Written Output: Write essays or persuasive paragraphs using new content.

Prompt: Here is my persuasive paragraph. Please provide detailed feedback on grammar, logic, and clarity. No need to correct minor stylistic issues.

Maximize TCB Features

Complete All Exercises on the Platform.

Review Notes.

Reflect and Seek Feedback

After self-study and AI practice, share your new sentences, responses, or summaries with a teacher or language partner to refine accuracy and natural usage.

Focus feedback sessions on improving nuance, idiomatic expressions, and pronunciation where applicable.

Why This Method Works: The Combined Power of TCB and AI

✅ All Four Skills Covered
Reading, listening, writing and speaking are all integrated—with TCB content at the core, helping you progress from HSK1 basics to HSK6 mastery with confidence.

✅ Personalised Learning
AI adapts to your needs. Ask for more examples, explanations, or corrections anytime, making tricky grammar or vocabulary more accessible and tailored to your needs.

✅Instant Practice and Feedback
No more waiting. AI lets you self-test vocabulary and grammar right after reading.

✅Active, Authentic Learning

TCB’s native-speaker audio and real-world news expose you to up-to-date language and culture, while AI transforms passive reading into active use through self-quizzing and practice questions.

✅Better Retention and Confidence

Combining vocabulary recall, grammar drills, and personalized conversation with regular feedback from both AI and teachers boosts memory, clarity, and spoken confidence.

✅ Scalable at Any Level
Whether you’re learning your first 50 characters or debating tourism trends in Chinese, this approach adapts to your needs: helping beginners build foundation skills, and advanced learners deepen nuance, naturalness, and fluency—all with ongoing support.

Important Tips for Safe AI Use

While AI is a fantastic aid, I always remember:

Double-check AI explanations with your teacher or a reliable grammar guide.

Don’t rely on AI alone for pronunciation or nuanced grammar corrections.

Use AI as a tool, not a replacement for real interaction and study discipline.

FAQs: AI and The Chairman’s Bao

What Is The Chairman’s Bao?

The Chairman’s Bao is an online platform that offers graded Chinese news articles for HSK levels 1–6, with audio, vocabulary, grammar in context, and comprehension exercises.

Is ChatGPT Good For Learning Mandarin Chinese?

ChatGPT is useful for simplifying sentences, testing vocabulary, and practising writing. But it’s not ideal for pronunciation or tones—use native audio for that.

Can AI Help Me Understand Chinese Grammar?

Absolutely. You can ask AI to explain grammar points with examples tailored to your level. It’s a great complement to textbook explanations.

Is It Okay To Study Chinese Only With AI?

No. AI is a great study assistant, but it shouldn’t replace native audio, real-life practice, or feedback from teachers and tutors.

What’s The Best Way To Combine AI And TCB?

Choose HSK-level TCB article
Read the article and listen to audio
Paste text into ChatGPT
Use AI prompts for simplification/quizzes
Practise writing
Review with a teacher

Which AI tools work best with The Chairman’s Bao?

ChatGPT, DeepSeek, and Claude handle Chinese text well. For vocabulary drills, try Perplexity or Khanmigo. Avoid AI for pronunciation and always use TCB’s native audio.

Final Thoughts

If you’ve been using The Chairman’s Bao for your Chinese reading and listening practice, try adding AI to your routine. It’s like bringing your own private tutor to every session: ready to explain, quiz, and challenge you at your own pace.

Just remember: AI can speed up your learning, but it’s your consistency, curiosity, and real-life practice that turn input into fluency.

Happy learning and 加油 (jiā yóu)!

Author:

Fabia Parodi

Fascinated by foreign languages and cultures, Fabia Parodi was determined to be a polyglot since she was a child. Fluent in Italian, English, French and Spanish and competent in Mandarin Chinese, Fabia is an experienced language teacher, translator and multicultural marketing specialist.

When in class, she always make sure to include graded and authentic materials in her lessons to expose students to foreign cultures and to introduce a more natural use of the language they are learning. The two things she loves more than languages are travelling and exchanging stories with people from all over the world.