Fluenz Mandarin 1+2 was designed by a small team determined to find a path through Chinese that would make the most sense to English speakers. This unique perspective helps learners master the basics faster, as the grammar and vocabulary are explained in English by a tutor who guides learners every step of the way.

Fluenz Mandarin takes advantage of the most advanced media technology to create an immersive learning environment that recreates the model of classical education right on your computer. The result is the most powerful, comprehensive program for learning Mandarin available.

The on-screen tutor, Sonia Gil, relates her experiences of what worked and what didn't as she applied herself to learning Mandarin in China. She guides learners step-by-step through this custom-made program, emphasizing grammar and vocabulary relevant to teens and adults who need to communicate in real-life situations with more than one billion Mandarin speakers around the world.

Fluenz Mandarin 1+2 is built upon three principles:

A real on-screen teacher. It's tough to learn a language, especially on your own. Language tutor Sonia Gil explains everything clearly so you don't have to tackle a new language all by yourself. Having a teacher who has already learned what you are trying to understand really makes a difference when learning Mandarin.

Using English to learn Mandarin. Unlike children who soak up languages like a sponge, teens and adults can apply their knowledge of English to learn Chinese. Fluenz Mandarin has found a path through the language that uses its many similarities to English grammar as leverage for learning Mandarin.

Teaching important words right away. Learners need to start with those few words and structures that will allow for communicating the most in the least amount of time. That means focusing on critical, real-world vocabulary and structures—"cell phone" and "The check please" instead of "red apple" or "The boy is eating."

Why using English makes sense

Approaches that ban the use of English while teaching Mandarin create a burden when it comes to understanding the four-tone system because learners are expected to figure out by themselves something that a teacher can easily explain. We believe that it is very difficult to learn the tones if they are not clearly explained and specifically practiced.

The phonetics of the Mandarin tone system is alien to English speakers because we are not used to relying on subtle pronunciation differences in order to understand the meaning of a word. Without explicitly addressing and practicing the four tones, no-English approaches to teaching Mandarin fail to provide the confidence-building necessary for speaking and understanding the language.

No-English approaches also miss one of the great opportunities for English speakers learning Mandarin: the surprising similarities between Chinese and English grammar (i.e. simple future, lack of verb conjugations, etc.). When explained clearly and in English, these similarities can be taken advantage of to accelerate the learner's range of expression in Mandarin.