My Journey Learning Mandarin
My interest in Mandarin began during my 21 years in the Royal New Zealand Navy. My work took me throughout Asia, including Singapore, Hong Kong and China. I first visited China in 1986, and those experiences sparked a lasting interest in Chinese language and culture.
Many of my deployments to the Far East lasted around six months. Spending so much time alongside Mandarin speakers made me want to understand more and communicate properly.
Over the years, I tried apps, classes, YouTube videos and different learning methods. I could recognise words and phrases, but holding a natural conversation still felt surprisingly difficult.
The turning point came when I stopped trying to memorise isolated vocabulary and began following a more structured approach based on listening, useful spoken Mandarin and regular conversation practice.
Why I Created Learn Real Mandarin
Working alongside Chinese colleagues reinforced something I had already discovered: real conversations rarely sound like textbook dialogues. Learners need useful language, clear explanations and plenty of listening and speaking practice.
I created Learn Real Mandarin to share what has helped me as an adult learner. The lessons are designed to make Mandarin feel practical and manageable, especially for people who have studied words and grammar but still lack confidence when speaking.
I am not a native Mandarin speaker, and I understand the frustrations learners experience. My role is to explain Mandarin honestly from a learner’s perspective.
My partner, Sunny, is a native Mandarin speaker from Shenyang in northeast China. Her knowledge of natural everyday Mandarin and Chinese culture helps ensure that what we share is authentic, useful and relevant to real life.
Meet Sunny
Sunny grew up in Shenyang, in northeast China, and Mandarin is her native language. She brings firsthand knowledge of everyday Chinese, natural expressions and the culture behind the language.
Sunny helps ensure that the Mandarin we share sounds natural and is useful in real conversations. Her native-speaker perspective complements my experience as an adult learner who understands how confusing Mandarin can sometimes feel.
Together, we are developing Learn Real Mandarin as a welcoming place for adults and children learning Mandarin, Chinese speakers learning English, and anyone interested in connecting more closely with Chinese language and culture.