From Language Learner to Mandarin Master

How three 20th century writers can help you improve your Mandarin skills, and understand the latest language trends in China

Is it possible to get good at Mandarin within 2-3 years?

Yes: Pronunciation, day-to-day conversations, and reading the news, are all skills you can learn with a bit of talent, good tools, and a lot of effort.

But the part that can't be done quickly is learning the cultural, historical, and social context you need to know.

Unfortunately, for Mandarin learners like you and I:

• This is the key to getting good at Chinese because it’s a context-based language;
• It’s mainly spoken in one country so the linguistic heritage is shared and assumed to be known by everyone;
• It's impossible as a language learner to acquire ALL the cultural and historical background you need to know.

There are no hacks, apps, or short-cuts to learning this vast ocean of information.

But you can be strategic about what you invest your time in to learn.

There are a few "high leverage" things which make a big difference.

20th century Chinese literature is a great place to start, which is what our next Deep Dive is all about.

From Language Learner to Mandarin Master is a one-hour deep dive about how three 20th-century Chinese writers can help you massively improve your Mandarin skills, stay more on top of the latest language trends, and impress people with your amazing and on-trend language skills.

Why is an essay over 100 years old relevant to China today, and to learning Mandarin?

The answer to that question is in what these three recent events and trending topics have in common: 

• Anti-covid student protests in November 2022
• Graduates who cannot find work in China since March 2023
• Media coverage of the Mount Everest rescue scandal in June 2023 (this week)

Answer: They are all about suffering described vividly by the words of Lu Xun 鲁迅, a 20th century Chinese literary giant often compared to Dickens and Orwell.

Phrases from Lu Xun’s essays are still used today. They have been adapted to talk about these and other issues that matter to people in China.

The Lu Xun phrase "Eating people" (吃人), for example, was used by students last November to criticise how the government’s zero-covid policies were an abuse of power.

If you are Chinese and can read, you know the link is Lu Xun 鲁迅. But as a language learner, if you don't know the context, you just don't get it.

• You've missed the most important part of a conversation.

Lu Xun 鲁迅 is so important and relevant to what’s going on in China today. And to a lesser extent, but still important, are Lao She 老舍 and Qian Zhongshu 钱钟书.

If you want to truly master Mandarin, you need to know about them. 

From Language Learner to Mandarin Master helps you do that: By compressing what you need to know about these writers, and their most important works, into a one-hour presentation. 

What's Included in the Deep Dive?

Who is it for?

From Language Learner to Mandarin Master is for you if you:

✅ Have been learning Chinese for at least 5 years and define yourself as 'advanced'

✅ Are equivalent to HSK5/6, or graduated in Chinese language from university

✅ Know enough characters to read a short news article without too much trouble

✅ Need to read Chinese news as part of your job, and/or are a keen China watcher

How will it help you?

This Masterclass will help you understand:

✅ The role 20th literature plays in modern China

✅ The importance of learning about these three writers

✅ How language of their stories is absorbed into how people talk today

✅ How these "mainstream" writers interact with trending topics, official narratives, and censorship

What will you learn?

You'll learn about these writers and the following stories:

• Lu Xun 鲁迅: 
  • Medicine 药
  • Kong Yiji 孔乙己
  • Diary of a Madman 狂人日记
• Lao She 老舍 
  • Rickshaw Boy 骆驼祥子
• Qian Zhongshu 钱钟书
  • Fortress Besieged 围城

What's in it? 

The session is a 50 minute presentation delivered live by Zoe Qian, the editor of the Slow Chinese newsletter, followed by 10 minutes Q&A with attendees who joined live. The presentation is mostly be in English.

We cover:

• The writers: 
  • Who each writer is
  • Why they are important
• Their stories: 
  • What their stories are about
  • Why they still resonate today
• The language:
  • What language is used today
  • The context it’s used in + examples
  • How to use it yourself

On purchasing, you get immediate access to:

• A downloadable recording of the session
• A copy of the presentation

You'll also get access to these bonus resources: 

• Bonus 1: 3 x Slow Chinese archive lessons (worth $45): from previous issues of Slow Chinese, including audio and transcript, Pleco and Skritter downloads, word lists, and other resources:
  • "Eating People" - Exploring the language of discontent during protests across China (3 December 2022)
  • "Down and Out" - A Qing Dynasty Metaphor about being a graduate in China today (1 April 2023)
  • “The Worst Kind of Traitor" - Online discussions about COVID testing companies and their pandemic profiteering (10 December 2022)
• Bonus 2: 1 x Lu Xun lesson (worth $20):
  • "Kong Yiji" in a lesson format including the full text and audio, a word list, and Pleco download
• Bonus 3: 2 x further reading resources
  • Medicine: Full Chinese text and audio
  • A Madman's Diary: Full Chinese text and audio

How much does it cost?

• The price is $75.

What happens next?

• Hit "I want this" to complete your purchase. (We are currently running a promotion with The China Project - use the discount code TCP50 at checkout and you will get $25 off)
• You'll receive an email confirmation of your purchase, and you'll be able to access all the resources immediately.