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Regular listeners to this podcast will be aware that a common thread running through many of the topics we discuss is how to create an optimal language learning environment while studying Mandarin from outside Chinese-speaking countries.
So on today’s podcast, I explore the topic of immersion with the founders of a groundbreaking new language learning initiative.
It’s called Mandarin Retreat and its organisers Karl, Ryan and Esther (who are also regulars on this podcast) aim to enable Mandarin learners of all levels in the UK to replicate the experience of living in a totally Chinese-speaking environment for an entire weekend.
The immersive weekend trips take place in Scarborough in the north of England. Small groups of native Chinese speakers and Mandarin learners are brought together to enjoy a weekend of walks, eating and fun activities all 100% in Chinese.
I recently attended one of the first ever retreats and found it gave my spoken Mandarin a real boost. As I documented in a recent blog, it was the first time I’d ever gone a whole weekend entirely immersed in the language. By the end of it, my Chinese was noticeably more fluent than it had ever been before.
Need help with Mandarin speaking?
If you’re studying Mandarin and are struggling with your speaking skills, our free Peak Mandarin newsletter shares practical tips on how to become fluent in Chinese. It’s based on exactly what my friend Will Hart and I did to teach ourselves the language while working and studying full-time in the UK.
Subscribe to the newsletter on this link and we’ll also send you my 50-page eBook, Lessons from a Chinese Learning Phenomenon, telling the story of how we went from zero to fluency. And how you can too!
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