Case study: How Kristian got his speaking confidence back in 3 months
The experience of a RTM Speaking Sprints member
Kristian is a member of my RTM Speaking Sprints program.
He joined in January.
Two weeks in, he shared this unprompted note on LinkedIn:
I caught up with Kristian last week.
RTM is now his go-to Chinese learning resource. He’s all in!
Kristian is happy for me to share his experience so far, in case his story resonates with you.
(The next Sprint cohort opens soon, you can join the waitlist here.)
1. What’s your biggest challenge speaking Chinese?
I’ve been learning Chinese for more than 30 years, and have been stuck at an “intermediate-ish” level for a long time.
I use Chinese in my job, and I go to China regularly. Learning Chinese is also a personal passion for me.
But I’ve been dipping in and out of learning. So as a result, my spoken Chinese is just not very fluid (let alone fluent).
2. What made you join the Sprint?
Frustration, mainly.
I’ve worked hard at speaking for years but wasn’t making any real progress.
Self-study and 1:1 classes haven’t worked. I kept running out of steam, going on autopilot, losing motivation, and giving up.
By late 2025, the frustration had built up so much, I decided to give the Sprint a go.
3. How has the Sprint helped you?
The Sprint has really helped me!
In these three ways:
Structure: The self-paced content fits around my schedule. I aim to do a little every day in my own time. Committing to one speaking session every Saturday keeps me consistent week in, week out.
Accountability: Knowing I’ll be discussing the content with other members means I consciously set time aside each week. And I find myself engaging more deeply with the materials as I prepare.
Motivation: The content is fantastic. I’m learning things people are actually discussing right now. It’s relevant, current, and interesting. It keeps me motivated to learn every week.
“RTM is by far the best Chinese language learning content out there.”
4. What’s changed for you after the Sprint?
I feel much more confident when speaking, and I’m using more advanced Chinese than before — including idiomatic language.
I’m much better at constructing complex sentences on the go.
I speak more fluidly with the Chinese speakers in the office. I’m up to date with what they’re talking about — because I know what’s trending on social media, and how to discuss it.
And I can use what I learn in RTM each week to “wow” them with my Chinese!
“RTM Speaking Sprints is now my main Mandarin learning resource. The content is rich, and the team is so encouraging.
I’d recommend it to any intermediate learner who’s serious about bridging the gap to fluency.”
This is how RTM Speaking Sprints can help you
There’s no short-cut to bridging the gap to fluency in Chinese.
But it’s not impossible either.
You can do it with consistent practice, a bit of accountability, and content that keeps you engaged and motivated.
And that’s exactly what RTM Speaking Sprints do.
One piece of real-life content every week, structured in a way that’s engaging, challenging, but not overwhelming, which you can study in your own time.
And then one conversation every week in a private community of likeminded learners.
Over 12 weeks.
It’s ideal if, like Kristian, you’re “intermediate-ish”, or “advanced but rusty” and need some structure, accountability, and motivation to get you started again.
And get your speaking confidence back.
Want to join the next Sprint?
I’ll be opening registration for the next three-month RTM Speaking Sprint soon.
It kicks off on Saturday 4 April.
Join the waitlist to get an early invite!
Cheers,
Andrew
P.S. — Want more information about RTM Speaking Sprints?
Or just hit reply to this email and ask!