Mastering Mandarin

Expert Hacks for Expats or Anyone to Fly from Zero to Fluency with Maximum Efficiency

There are many books for learning Chinese. There are books that can teach you survival phrases or the first 300 characters, but I have yet to come across a book that teaches you everything you need to know to master the language through self-study. I know this because I bought so many Chinese learning books years ago, and while some were a bit helpful for starting out, none of them taught me step by step what I needed to do to truly master the language. The HSK books by the Confucius Institute are phenomenal and I am a big fan of them, but even they do not tell you HOW to study... Many expats living here in China for more than ten years are still struggling to get by with their beginner Chinese. Quite a few have gotten slightly beyond the beginner level but unfortunately are just stuck in a state of complacency because they believe that they do not have the time or energy to take Chinese seriously. They seem to be willing to spend the rest of their time here with just whatever they have picked up along time way. Expats from both of these groups often become extremely sensitive when the topic of Mandarin is brought up, because almost all of them secretly wish they had taken their studies more seriously and are thinking about getting back on the horse and learning for real this time. If this describes you, then congratulations, because this book will help you tremendously and save you so much time and energy! I have strived and learned so much in such a short period of time; however, I must admit there are some truly remarkable expats that I have come across who have lived here for many years and have a much better handle on Chinese than I do. They are some of the most awe-inspiring people I have ever met! I am not the expat with the best Chinese in all of China, heck I’m not even in the top three in Sichuan Province… but I did go from zero to fluency in an incredibly short period of time, and I want to save you a ton of frustration and time as I share my secrets with you. ***Testimonials*** "Lawrence has developed a clear road map of how to go about learning Chinese, which he created out of his desire to simplify the process for himself and others. It will save you a lot of time and make the process much easier. He is very motivational, and his enthusiasm will rub off on you! Highly recommended!" – Justin D. (expat, writer, and researcher) “Lawrence是一个目标感很强的人，他不达目标绝不放弃。“锲而不舍,金石可镂”，正是因为他的坚持不懈，才有了他今天所取得的巨大进步。他可用汉语就广泛领域的话题进行谈论、演讲，欣赏汉语影视节目，阅读汉语书籍等。相信书中很多方法也可以帮助你更高效地学好汉语，或者任何一门语言.” ——安君香（汉语老师）(Chinese teacher) “I have witnessed the author's grasp of Mandarin in person so I am eager and excited to get my hands on his book. I have been looking for a guide to help me improve my Mandarin and in the quickest way possible. Lawrence was able to become fluent in just a couple years so I am looking forward to reading his insight.” – Nathan G. (expat & science professor) “本书旨在帮助外国人学习汉语，作者的亲身经历可以给你提供很多指导，帮助你避免一些在学习汉语旅途中的坑。作者是一个充满激情的工作者以及学者，也是我们双语播客《Langmonde假老外告诉你》的明星主播。夏天的书语言条理清晰，幽默风趣，推荐此书！” ——吴俊宏（Andy – Founder of Langmonde bilingual podcasts） “After recently traveling to China, I didn't realize the culture shock I would endure as an American citizen. I went to China for about a week and despite using a VPN, three English to Chinese translation books, and using charades to get my point across, communication was such a daunting task. Lawrence's book illustrates and highlights key points to Chinese communication all while learning the language with maximum efficiency. I highly recommend and wish I had this book on my recent trip to China!” - Steven R. (veterinarian) “Lawrence’s passion for learning, discipline, and determination are motivating!” - Ed W. (expat & actor)

Let's get to fluency together. Find fresh learning tips and motivational advice on Twitter @MasterningMando

Good book, bad presentation

Very sound advice on learning Mandarin, but the electronic voice does not speak proper Chinese and is basically useless. This book deserves to be recorded with the right pronunciation of the language it is purportedly teaching.

Some genuinely good advice on learing Chinese.

The author lays out a good plan ok learning Chinese in an immersive learning setting. He points out a few things, specific to Chinese, that should be focused on like tone and cultural influence on the language. Aps, tools, a good day in study are all covered.

The AI narration is ATROCIOUS. It's particularly bad anytime it is taksed with reading pinyin. It seems like a shame that a book that rightly spends so much of it's time dealing with proper pronunciation would allow the audio version to be so bad.

No Chinese pronunciation

The AI narrator does not pronounce the Chinese words. Instead, it reads the pinyin along with the numbers that indicate the tones. For instance, hànzì, is pronounced "han four zee four" in an American accent. Ridiculous!

Not properly recorded

Do not purchase the audio version. The narrative does not include proper Mandarin and only narrate the Pin Yin.

I’m with Ben.

Apperently the Pinyan (romanized Chinese words) for Ben means stupid. I just learned this in this book. Great story and info. The virtual voice is terrible though. Can’t pronounce Chinese words. Now I have an American computer accent lol