On-screen tutors Yi Wei, a native speaker of Mandarin who grew up in Chicago and went on to Harvard, and Sonia Gil, who relates her experiences of what worked and what didn't as she applied herself to learning Mandarin in Shanghai and Hangzhou, form the ideal team to guide learners in their journey through this ancient and beautiful language.
The biggest companies shun explanations of any kind, instead claiming to offer an "easy", "natural" approach. But anyone who has ever tried to learn a language knows that it requires focus and practice. And without explanations, it's nearly impossible to master key parts of Mandarin, such as the tone system and measure words. With Fluenz, you are guided step-by-step through the language, making sure you master all the key aspects of Mandarin.
We wanted to move beyond the cookie-cutter approach typical of computer language education: simplistic methods that boast a natural, passive way to learn Mandarin, and those that treat adults like kids by emphasizing the association of words and pictures. Instead, the Fluenz tutor guides you every step of the way, offering clear explanations of every new concept so that you truly learn how Mandarin works.
Greatexplanations make a big difference because we don't learn like children anymore.
- Where we Stand
- Video Tour
There is no more effective way to fully understand Mandarin, its four tone system, sentence structure, and other central elements than from a tutor who explains these important subtleties. We know which parts of the language are easier to learn and which are more challenging--because we've done it ourselves. Each session features an extensive tutorial where the tutor covers all the new things being learned, guiding you through the difficult parts and moving more quickly through the easier ones.
Our unique approach is currently being used by elite units of the US Navy, senior personnel at the UN and UNICEF, executives of Fortune 500 companies, and students at Harvard Business School and other leading universities.
Fluenz Mandarin is organized around one-on-one tutoring sessions that each take up to two and a half hours to complete.
How Fluenz begins
The tutor begins each session with a brief introduction. This provides an understanding of how the new material will take you a step closer to fluency, while immersing you in the cultural context and the experiences of everyday Mandarin.
Introducing useful, everyday language
This is followed by a realistic conversation between native speakers that uses all the words and structures to be learned in the session. These conversations place you in the most common, everyday situations right from the very beginning.
To inspire, great tutors need to speak your language.That's where
"natural immersion" falls short.
Immersive one-on-one tutorial
Immediately after the conversation, the tutor presents a full tutorial explaining in detail and in English how every single new word and structure works. Beyond in-depth explanations, these tutorials offer strategies, tactics and personal experiences that give you valuable insights.
Workout to fluency
After each tutorial, the program turns to over a dozen different types of increasingly challenging workouts that cover reading, writing, speaking, and listening. These workouts reinforce and expand your communication at the same time.
Coaching you forward
At the end of the session, the Fluenz tutor returns to offer a conclusion, along with the kind of inspiration only a human teacher can provide.
Mandarin can be intimidating to new learners. But by placing an amazing tutor at the center of the program, Fluenz Mandarin is able to provide the kinds of explanations that really make a difference, showing you step-by-step how the language works. And because it specifically addresses pronunciation and the four-tone system (something that "natural immersion" programs avoid), Fluenz gives you the tools you need to communicate confidently in the Mandarin-speaking world.
Mandarin is much more than wordsand images. Our
tutors will take you
on an unbelievable journey of discovery.
Audio CDs
Mandarin for your car or iPod
Fluenz Mandarin comes with Audio CDs that supplement the DVD-ROM sessions. Listen to them periodically as you make your way through the software to further internalize what you're learning. Their special emphasis on the four-tone system of Mandarin further helps you master this central part of the language.
Fluenz Podcasts
Download to Learn on the Go
Continuing a tradition at the Fluenz Lab, Fluenz Mandarin offers exclusive podcasts made by the same team that created the interactive program. These downloadable podcasts supplement the training work offered by the audio CDs, while providing a more informal, relaxed window into the world of Mandarin and the actual learning of the language.
The Fluenz Navigator
Your Essential Phrase Book
Fluenz Mandarin also comes with the Fluenz Navigator, a useful quick-reference guide for travelers with all the most critical words and phrases for getting by abroad.
