Sure, you understand Mandarin... but can you express what you really mean?
You get what your parents are saying at the dinner table, but when you try to express something real... your feelings, a boundary, something you've been carrying... you end up switching to English. That gap between understanding and expressing is exactly what this course empowers you to close.
sound familiar?
the family dinner
Your parents are talking about something serious... a health scare, money, your grandmother. You understand what's going on, but when you try to respond, you switch to English to convey what you really think. You watch their faces shift ever-so-slightly, hinting that something got lost in translation.
the therapy gap
You've been doing the work in English. Boundaries, self-compassion, emotional regulation... you actually have the language for all of it now. But try explaining any of that to your mom in Mandarin and it's like the growth you're most proud of is locked in one language.
the passing-it-down moment
Your kid asks why we eat fish on Lunar New Year or wants to hear the story of the Nian monster. You know the answer, but you can't tell it to them in Mandarin. You're passing down the culture but not the language, and you feel the weight of that gap.
the identity crisis
You're proud of your family's culture when you're home in the West, but when you visit your relatives in the motherland and they talk about something real, you nod along hoping no one notices you didn't understand a word. You start wondering how deeply you can really dive into the culture you're so proud to be part of.
I built this for us.
Just like many of you, I grew up speaking Mandarin at home. I could chat with my parents about food, the weather, weekend plans - the easy stuff. But the moment a conversation got real, like about how I was actually feeling about a situation, navigating conflict within one of our relationships, or a cultural difference between how we saw things having grown up in the West vs. the East, I would get frustrated with my inability to express important concepts in anything but English.
For the longest time I thought that that "lost in translation" feeling would just always be how I would relate to my family. I figured my Mandarin was "good enough." But the older I got, the more I realized that "good enough" meant I couldn't actually say the things that mattered most to the people who mattered most. And that gap only got wider as life got more complicated. Therapy, fertility struggles, coming to terms with aging parents and all that comes with it.
When I finally went looking for resources to help me, nothing fit. Beginner courses were way too basic. Native content assumed a fluency I didn't have. Nobody was making anything for people like us, the ones who already have the foundation but need the vocabulary for real adult life. So for this course centered on some of life's toughest challenges, I partnered with Crystal Hsia, a Taiwanese Mandarin teacher who immigrated to the US years ago and understands our cross-cultural challenge, and we built this material ourselves, brick by brick. Every lesson and vocabulary word comes from the real life conversations that we heard from so many of you that you wished you could have in Mandarin.
what you'll actually learn
5 modules. 43 lessons. The Mandarin for the life you're actually living.
expressing your emotions
(before): You can say "I'm fine."
(after): You can tell your mom you're burnt out. That you need space. That you're proud of her.
interpersonal relationships
(before): You switch to English for anything deeper than small talk.
(after): You can set a boundary with your aunt, give real feedback to your partner, actually say "I need..." without reaching for English.
fertility & parenting
(before): You rely on English to parent, because the Mandarin just isn't there.
(after): You can explain Chinese holidays to your kids, set boundaries with grandparents, and help your kids navigate big feelings.
caring for aging parents
(before): Your parent gets a diagnosis and you can't explain what the doctor recommended.
(after): You know key medical vocabulary, eldercare terms, and how to talk about difficult topics like memory loss with your family.
self-growth journey
(before): You've learned so much about yourself but can only share it in English.
(after): You can discuss what you've learned in therapy, defy your inner critic, and highlight the importance of self-compassion in the language that connects you to your roots.
what students are saying about Real You Mandarin
“ I really enjoy the content. It's relevant and nuanced in the way a close friend teaches you to better communicate with them in their language! "
— Will T.
“ My hope has been to connect more with my heritage and my family. Language learning has definitely been a part of that! It’s very cool to continue crossing paths with people who have shared experiences of identity, heritage, and belonging "
— Carol Y.
what's inside
5
modules
43
lessons
1300+
vocab flashcards
Both Traditional & Simplified Chinese
Pinyin and English subtitles & transcripts
Self-paced, lifetime access
Discord community to connect with fellow students
frequent questions & concerns
My Mandarin isn't good enough for this course.
If you have conversational Mandarin, can follow along with Pinyin, and found the free lesson manageable, you're more than ready for this course. It's okay that you're not fluent - that's the whole point. We know you have the foundations down but are craving the vocabulary for conversations that actually matter most. You're ready, so let's do this!
$199 is a lot.
This course includes lifetime access to 43 structured lessons & 1300+ flashcards for less than $5 per lesson. For context, a Mandarin tutor runs between $40 to $80 per hour, so you'd hit $199 within 3-5 lessons. Unlike with a tutor, you can revisit lessons as many times as you want. Similar courses from other brands run $399+. Ultimately, this is an investment in yourself and the ability to feel more comfortable in your own skin.
I don't have time.
The course is completely self-paced, so whatever time you're able to carve out, you'll reap the benefits from. There's no schedule, no deadlines, and no live sessions to attend. Lessons are video-based, and even 15 minutes a week will give you invaluable tools for real life conversations. And because it's lifetime access, you can pick back up the course whenever life allows.
How is this different from Duolingo or Chinese classes?
Duolingo is fun and gamified, but you'll always stick to surface-level and have a hard time piecing things together for your actual life. Conventional Chinese classes aren't built with your learning gaps in mind and often generically rely on textbook materials. This course teaches you to tell your mom you're seeing a therapist, set boundaries with your family, and help your kids work through big emotions. No other course covers the topics that people like us actually need. The entire curriculum comes from real conversations that we heard from all of you that you wish you could have.
Can I just buy one module?
Yes! Individual modules and 2-module Saver Bundles are available if you want to start with the topics most relevant to you right now. You can see all the pricing options on the full course overview page.
I'm not an ABC/ABT. Is this course right for me?
As long as you can follow along with the free lesson and are interested in the module topics, this course is right for you.
While we built the course with ABCs/ABTs in mind, we're constantly hearing from other advanced Mandarin learners about how they've been searching for resources that will help them express themselves more deeply, and we're happy to be that resource for you!
find your voice
$199
one-time payment, lifetime access
- 5 modules & 43 lessons
- 1300+ digital flash cards
- Subtitles & Transcripts in Traditional & Simplified Chinese, Pinyin, & English
- Self-paced, lifetime access
- Access to students-only Discord
