【Case Study】Christos From Greece Loves Mandarin Blueprint
Self-Introduction
My name is Christos Serafim, I’m from Greece, and currently, I am a university student, majoring in chemistry. Before taking the course, I didn’t have any knowledge of Mandarin, so I started from point zero.
What problem were you facing that caused you to search for a Chinese course?
I had never tried to learn a language by myself, nor had any background with learning Chinese. I was always intrigued by the language, especially from the writing system, and it’s also considered one of the most challenging languages in the world. So, out of curiosity and because I was never a fan of traditional education systems (for acquiring language at least), I searched for online courses and stumbled upon the Mandarin Blueprint Method.
What would it mean for you if you succeed in learning Chinese?
Apart from opening a lot of opportunities for work and business, it’s a skill that will give me the ability to understand a culture so different from mine, travel, and communicate with Chinese people. The most important of all, for me, is to be able to understand and write complex characters, something I’ve never dreamed of achieving.
How long, on average, does it take you to learn a character?
It depends on the difficulty and complexity of the character but, on average, 30 to 40 seconds max.
How long did it take you to get to that speed?
Approximately three weeks to a month, but that’s something personal. Because the lessons are online, you can go at your own pace, so I kept it slow and consistent. If you invest more time per day, you can absolutely achieve it even faster!
Which three parts of MB have made the most significant impact?
- Analytic videos and motivation. Every aspect of the language is explained, videos are quick and fun to watch, plus I really like the motivation that you give in the review videos. It helps a lot and gives more strength, confidence to continue learning, and keeping us consistent with our work.
- The Hanzi Movie Method, which depends on our imagination and memories by making the learning process so easy and fun. I read almost all your articles on language acquisition before starting the course but only realized that everything is true after trying it by myself.
- Flashcards and Anki. The insane amount of work that you’ve put into these flashcards is beyond remarkable. Together with the spaced repetition system, it makes learning a character memorable for the rest of my life.
What results have you achieved & what impact has it had on your life?
Currently, I am at character #157, which means that I know how to write, pronounce, and read all of them with ease and confidence. Of course, I’m pretty early in the process, because Mandarin fluency is a macro-goal, but investing an hour per day with consistency as I have from the moment that I started, will get me there. The good thing is that I enjoy the process; everything else comes with time.
What were you skeptical about?
At first, I was skeptical about the Mandarin Blueprint system, because I don’t think I have much imagination and the Hanzi Movie Method depends on that. Also, after reading how it actually works, I thought it was kinda ridiculous, definitely not something near the methods that I used to learn English.
Any suggestions for how we can improve the course?
I’d suggest putting a video or two after character #100 in the review of every level, summing up some essential things plus some motivation (I always watch Luke’s video speaking fluent Mandarin whenever I don’t feel like pushing through the daily goal!)
Would you recommend Mandarin Blueprint? Why or why not?
YES, because it works 100%, is user-friendly and affordable!
