Build a fun and effective immersion environment right where you are (without the hassle of moving to China or Taiwan, paying for expensive classes, or slogging through boring textbooks.)
You probably already know that "immersion" (being surrounded by the language all the time) is the best way to learn Chinese. But here’s what you might not know. You don’t need a plane ticket, new zip code, or classroom to immerse yourself in Mandarin.
With the right methods, materials, and attitude, you can reach a high level of fluency anywhere in the world. Master Mandarin shows you how to create an immersion environment almost as good as being in Beijing or Taipei, even if you’re stuck in Bellingham or Tampa. The book empowers you to:
Learn where you want.
Learn when you want.
Learn how you want.
Meet Your "Diving Instructor"
Hi, I’m John Fotheringham, a linguist, teacher, the author of Master Mandarin, and the creator of the Anywhere Immersion Method™ (A.I.M.).
Like most Chinese learners, I really struggled to learn the language through formal classes. But once I realized that I could learn faster and have more fun by creating my own immersion environment, my progress took off.
I now teach others how to learn through the same immersion-based approach, no matter where in the world you are.
I’ve been learning and teaching languages for over two decades, including studying Linguistics at Western Washington University, teaching adults in the U.S., Japan, and Taiwan, presenting at multinational companies, working as a translator and interpreter for the Japanese government, and now creating immersion books and courses.
I have dedicated my life to empowering language learners, making language acquisition more fun and effective, and helping others avoid some of the mistakes I made along the way.
You are NOT alone.
Most Chinese learners spend years “studying” the language but never reach fluency.
Here are the six most common causes. Any of these sound familiar?
The path to fluency isn’t necessarily complicated, but it DOES take consistent practice, day after day. You need to get crystal-clear clarity on your reason for learning Chinese, the “WHY” that keeps you going on the days where you feel bored or unmotivated.
To reach fluency, you need thousands of hours of "input" (listening and reading) and "output" (speaking and writing). That might sound impossible in your busy schedule, but there are many ways to squeeze in time each day through “habit stacking” and “hidden moments.”
Most people don’t practice speaking enough due to fear of making mistakes. They busy themselves instead with memorizing vocabulary, tapping away in language apps, or watching YouTube videos. These activities can help, but they won’t teach you to actually speak Mandarin.
A lot of learners get stuck studying ABOUT the language rather than actually practicing IN the language itself. Many language apps and classes focus on indirect skills that don’t build fluency and won’t help you in actual human-to-human communication.
Fun gets done, so you need to select methods that YOU will enjoy. It’s natural for language learners to sometimes feel bored and not want to keep going. This is why it’s extra important to use materials that are fun to use and fit your unique interests and goals.
On the other hand, many language learners feel overwhelmed when considering all the materials they could use, and as a consequence, they never actually get started. Finding just a handful of tools you love to use, and sticking with those consistently, is the antidote. Less but better.
Founder, Fluent in 3 Months
"Master Mandarin is the only book I've seen that covers absolutely everything from start to finish in terms of must-knows."
CEO, Skritter
"I'm very impressed! There is so much content in this guide. Master Mandarin provides a great overview of the Chinese language and language learning strategy."
Founder, Fluent in Mandarin
"John has clearly put a huge amount of effort into Master Mandarin. For anybody getting into Chinese, it offers clear direction."
Building a personalized immersion environment right where you are!
If you can avoid the above mistakes and put in the required time and effort, you will reach fluency in Chinese.
The key to all of this is creating a fun, immersive environment right at home. It is this environment—and all the exposure and opportunities for practice it provides—that will actually get you to fluency.
Not textbooks.
Not classes.
Not teachers.
Not apps.
Nope, your environment holds the key. And you have more power today than anytime in human history to control and build your learning environment. By leveraging the power of modern technology and media, you can create an amazingly effective immersion environment wherever you are:
At home
At work
At the gym
In the car
On a walk
You used to have only two choices if you wanted to get fluent in Mandarin:
Take expensive Chinese classes.
Move to China or Taiwan.
Today, anyone with an internet connection and a little creativity can learn Mandarin anywhere in the world. While Chinese classes and living abroad can be great, they no longer have to be a barrier to entry for language learners.
Master Mandarin shows you how to create what I call an “Anywhere Immersion” environment that brings China to you right where you are. Not only can you learn from the comfort of home, but this approach has many advantages over traditional classroom and textbook-based learning:
The Anywhere Immersion Method allows you to choose fun, engaging materials and activities that you love.
Language classes and textbooks are boring and expensive. Choose fun―and often free!―modern resources instead.
Anywhere Immersion allows you to learn anytime, anywhere. No need to move abroad or commute to a class.
Your custom immersion environment allows you to learn more quickly and leverage tiny “hidden moments” throughout the day.
Humans have acquired languages through immersion for hundreds of thousands of years. Our brains are wired to learn this way.
Anywhere Immersion allows you to tailor the learning process to your unique interests, needs, and learning style.
A how-to manual for independent language learners
Master Mandarin is NOT a textbook.
Nor is it a guided language course.
Textbooks and courses have their place (and I've created some myself!), but the purpose of Master Mandarin is to act as a navigation system for independent learners.
The book will show you:
How to learn Chinese through "Anywhere Immersion."
What methods and resources to use to increase fun and efficiency.
What common mistakes and pitfalls to avoid so you don't waste time.
"Everything anyone would ever need to jumpstart their Mandarin learning."
“Master Mandarin is incredible and so helpful. Your guide has been invaluable.”
Here's a sneak peek of Master Mandarin
You'll learn how to get the most out of the book, get answers to common learner questions, shift your mindset for success, and uncover your WHY for learning Mandarin.
You’ll get a roadmap to Mandarin fluency and learn the phases that lie ahead (and how to get through the traps!) as you improve the four skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
Now that you know the roadmap, you’ll create an ideal learning schedule for yourself, learn proven strategies to keep yourself on track, and learn the right way to measure your progress.
You’ll learn how to win the inner battle of learning a language by changing how you think. You’ll also get proven strategies to face your fears, keep your motivation high, and develop diamond-tough discipline.
Learning how to learn is life’s most important skill. You’ll accelerate your progress by learning how to create an immersion environment of fun activities at home, plus proven methods for developing skill and improving memory.
You’ll select your “weapons,” the tools and resources that are right for YOU to learn the way you like. I’ll give you my top recommendations for dictionaries, podcasts, music, TV shows, movies, video games, comics, books, and much more.
Want to see if Master Mandarin is right for you?
I am proud of the book I've created, but Master Mandarin is not for everyone. Download the entire Start Here chapter for free, and also the full table of contents which shows exactly what's included in the full 827-page book.
The Master Mandarin Digital Bundle includes the book in 2 formats:
The beautiful PDF version of Master Mandarin works on all devices and operating systems and can be opened with any PDF reader.
The EPUB version of Master Mandarin can be viewed in all versions of iBooks (iOS & macOS) and many other eBook readers.
These print-ready PDF worksheets and cheat sheets act as quick, easy reference for key information covered in the book, and make it easy to create your personalized goals, systems, strategies, and schedule.
Unlock essential patterns with Tim Ferriss’ famous 12 sentences. Think of it as the “80-20 Rule” applied to grammar.
Learning these high-frequency words will empower you to understand over 70% of the Chinese you will see and hear day to day!
This handy cheat sheet includes all the sounds of Mandarin Chinese in one handy resource, including pronunciation guides.
A complete list of all 214 Chinese character radicals, called bùshǒu (部首), including meanings, pronunciations, and strokes.
A complete list of all the characters in Remembering the Simplified Hanzi, including frame numbers and keywords.
A complete list of all the characters in Remembering the Traditional Hanzi, including frame numbers and keywords.
Create specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time bound goals and then translate them into effective daily systems.
Get inspired and avoid the most common mistakes with over 8 hours of interviews (MP3 format) with Chinese experts, linguists, polyglots, teachers, and authors.
Founder, Chinese Learn Online
CTO & Co-Founder, Outlier Linguistics
Founder, Fluent in 3 Months
Founder, Fluent in Mandarin
CEO, Skritter
Author, Remembering the Hanzi
Founder, Sensible Chinese
Founder, StoryLearning
Founder, Melnyks Chinese
Founder, LingQ
UCSD Language Production Lab
Polyglot, Forever a Student
You can choose to read Master Mandarin on any device using the beautiful PDF or in iBooks or the Kindle app using the EPUB version.
The PDF worksheets and cheat sheets act as quick, easy reference for key information covered in the book, and make it easy to create your personalized goals, systems, strategies, and schedule.
Get inspired and avoid the most common mistakes with over 8 hours of interviews (MP3 format) with Chinese experts, linguists, polyglots, teachers, and authors.
Ready to stop studying and start acquiring Mandarin Chinese?
Master Mandarin includes everything I have learned over the past 20+ years as both a teacher and learner. Everything I wish I had known when I first started learning Chinese. Every lesson I've learned teaching others. Every principle I've learned as a linguist.
You will learn strategies for effective language-learning, but more importantly, I’ll take you by the hand and walk you through all the best methods and materials you can choose for yourself.
You’ll learn how to create an immersion environment in your own home that accelerates your path to fluency and is totally tailored to YOU:
your schedule
your interests
your preferences
your likes and dislikes
And that environment will be your teacher.
The end result? Being able to speak Mandarin fluently for the rest of your life.