RTM Speaking Sprints
Get confident in Chinese conversations through live weekly discussions with native speakers
Does this sound like you…?
When you speak Chinese, you're constantly doubting and second-guessing yourself…
You’re getting stuck in halting conversations because you've forgotten vocabulary, which you know you know...
And you end up feeling nervous, awkward, and worried that your Chinese sounds far worse than it actually is...
If this is what happens when you speak Chinese, then you can build confidence with my intensive immersion program where you'll practice with native speakers in regular "Mandarin-only" weekly live calls.
This is not a Chinese language lesson or a speaking class
It’s real conversations in Mandarin with native speakers about real news as it’s happening. You'll be within a community of supportive learners just like you to keep you motivated and inspired.
It brings what you’ve learned in RTM Plus to life, so you can apply it in engaging and interesting conversations about real news.
It works for you if you are “intermediate” (HSK4) and above, and are looking for opportunities to have conversations with native speakers.
You don’t need to worry if you’re feeling nervous, rusty, or out of practice. Because it’s a private, safe, and encouraging environment. And we don’t even record the calls.
You’ll get weekly practice speaking with native speakers
So you can practice speaking more coherently, at using more sophisticated Chinese, and at constructing more complex sentences.
And you’ll overcome your self doubt and become more confident.
If you follow the process, you will get more fluent: with just enough structure to keep you accountable and moving forward, without feeling overwhelmed.
So you'll converse more fluently about current affairs in Chinese, engage more meaningfully with native speakers about topics that matter, and feel genuinely confident in real-world conversations.
Plus, it’s already helped dozens of Mandarin learners improve their spoken Chinese, and get their confidence back.
“I look forward each week to reading newsletter, listening to podcasts, and speaking with fellow RTM friends. RTM Speaking Sprint provides a full immersive experience. Highly recommended.”
Join the next 12-week Sprint!
But first, let me introduce myself…
I’m Andrew Methven.
I’ve been learning Chinese for 25 years, speak it fluently, and have helped thousands of Mandarin learners improve their Chinese since 2021.
I'm the founder of RealTime Mandarin — a resource which helps you get fluent in Chinese, stay informed about China, and communicate with confidence in Mandarin. All through weekly immersion in real news.
I started writing it in 2021 during COVID as my way to keep my language skills current and from getting rusty while unable to travel to China.
What began as a passion project turned into a serious side-hustle.
It now helps over 12,000 China watchers stay informed and practice their Mandarin every week through real news as it happens.
“The best and most efficient way I’ve found to maintain my Chinese reading, and learn new idiomatic language. Because it’s drawn from Chinese media reports and online language, it’s also an excellent resource for keeping up with current events in China” — Jeremy Goldkorn, Editor, The China Week
I launched my paid membership in 2022 — RTM Plus.
As the membership grew, in 2023 I started offering 1:1 onboarding calls to new members. This helped me understand their main challenges, and helped them get more out of the resources in RTM Plus.
In early 2024, I noticed one challenge kept coming up in these onboarding calls:
The most common challenge people had was speaking
Not having the chance for real conversations in Chinese with native speakers, and not having the environment to integrate regular speaking into daily life.
RTM Plus is a great resource. Though one thing it didn't do back then was create opportunities for conversations with native speakers.
So when that question came up in onboarding calls, the only advice I could give was very basic: Get a teacher, find a language partner, or talk to yourself using my weekly sentence drills.
Not ideal.
The RTM members I spoke to wanted more
They wanted conversations with native speakers, not speaking classes. They wanted proper discussions about what they’d learned in RTM Plus.
So I decided to do something about it.
RTM editor Zoe and I came up with an idea in May 2024. It was based on her experience of learning German. She’d recently joined a program to improve her spoken German (she lives in Germany), which involved live weekly meet-ups where learners practice with native speakers.
She suggested we could try something similar for RTM Plus members.
So we decided to give it a go with a one-month pilot
I invited a group of existing RTM Plus members to join a five week Speaking Sprint.
To be honest, I didn’t think it would work. But the pilot was an easy way to quickly test the idea. If it flopped, we’d just drop it.
Here’s what happened: 10 RTM Plus members upgraded to join the pilot. We held five live sessions in May, moderated by two native speakers. These were experienced teachers who’ve worked with me for years creating RTM Plus content every week.
In each session we discussed the news story in that week's RTM Plus, structured around three discussion questions we shared ahead of the live meet-up.
We refined the format and approach based on feedback from participants in the pilot.
The pilot went WAY better than I expected
I could hear participants' spoken Mandarin improve across the five weeks. I saw their confidence grow. And they got better at using more sophisticated Chinese.
It was great to see RTM Plus content we create each week being used and discussed in this way, and to see people connect with each other through it.
The live meet-ups brought the content to life in intelligent conversations about what was going on in China.
Everyone enjoyed it so all ten participants agreed to join the program when we formally launched the membership.
So in July 2024, I launched my premium tier — RTM Speaking Sprints.
"Listening, focused learning, current vocabulary, and speaking have helped me break through. I think Real Time Mandarin has really found the next frontier in learning Chinese."
Join the next 12-week Sprint!
Introducing RTM Speaking Sprints
RTM Speaking Sprints are a structured immersion program of weekly group calls in Mandarin with native speakers about real news as it’s happening.
Every week you’ll get the content, support, structure, and accountability you need to help you practice, apply, and retain what you learn.
So you can build confidence and boost your spoken Chinese.
It’s flexible, but structured.
And that’s because I use a ‘flipped classroom’ approach. You learn the content before the live sessions — not during them — so you can study at your own pace within a structure that works for you, and then apply what you’ve learned in the meet-ups.
Live sessions are every Saturday (or Friday or Sunday depending on your timezone).
Each discussion is based on RTM Plus content from the previous week, and three discussion questions in Chinese which you get on Wednesday ahead of the meeting.
So you have plenty of time to learn and prepare. And then you can practice and apply what you’ve learned in the live weekly conversations with native speakers.
This works because the structure helps keep you accountable, so you do the work, and you stay consistent without feeling overwhelmed.
You’ll be amazed at how quickly you get your confidence back and start to feel more fluent, with just a bit of consistency and practice.
You can join a 12-week Sprint at the start of each quarter, or join for a full 12-month Sprint at any time.
"The weekly calls and their structure provide just enough accountability for me to engage with the newsletter in a way that fits into my lifestyle as a working mom.”
Join the next 12-week Sprint!
Who RTM Speaking Sprints are for
RTM Speaking Sprints are for you if you want to speak Chinese with native speakers on a regular basis.
Joining a Sprint is ideal for you if you’re intermediate (HSK4 and above) to advanced, but you're feeling rusty, or have gaps in your knowledge and vocabulary.
It’s for you if you struggle to speak confidently (even though you used to).
Or if you doubt or second-guess yourself in conversations, forget words when you speak, and are stuck using basic expressions, unable to use more advanced and sophisticated language.
RTM Speaking Sprints help you accelerate your learning, but they are not a quick fix.
It requires an investment of your time to get the most out of it. You need to put aside one hour each week for the meet-ups. And to prepare for each session, I suggest you need at least 20-30 minutes which you can do in your own time. The more time you invest, the greater the return on that investment.
You don’t have to join every week. Most members aim to join 2-3 times a month.
So, whether you’re preparing for a trip to China, using Mandarin at work, or simply want to improve your speaking level, investing in an RTM Speaking Sprint will help you make consistent and rapid progress.
RTM Speaking Sprints are not for you if you’re just starting out, are not yet at intermediate level, or don’t have the time to commit to weekly live sessions.
We discuss topics that are hot in China TODAY (not the 1990s), the sessions are engaging and fun, and we learn additional vocab / use cases beyond what we read in the newsletter.”
Join the next 12-week Sprint!
If you’re not quite ready for the Speaking Sprints, then our self-paced program, RTM Plus could be just the thing to help you level up your Chinese.
How RTM Speaking Sprints Work
When you join RTM Speaking Sprints you get all the content and resources included in RTM Plus membership, and you get the 1:1 onboarding chat with me too.
Choose content based on your level: from Advanced and Fluent podcasts published on Saturday, to Intermediate on Sunday, or the Conversations podcast which brings it all together, every Wednesday.
RTM Speaking Sprints are about bringing this content to life in real conversations with native speakers every week to help you overcome your self doubt, get confident, and build fluency.
Weekly discussions with native speakers
You’ll join a one-hour private group call every weekend hosted on Zoom.
These are Mandarin-only meet-ups hosted by native speakers with a small group of other learners. It’s a safe and encouraging environment so there’s no need to feel nervous. You can practice, get feedback, and get 1:1 support during calls.
The format of meet-ups is structured but flexible.
They are based on weekly RTM content, and three discussion questions which you get ahead of the meeting every Wednesday.
Each one-hour session is divided into three 15 minute discussions based on the pre-set questions. And the remaining time is used for introductions, transitions between discussions, and wrap-up.
For each 15-minute discussion, participants divide into smaller groups in break-out rooms. Each one is hosted by a native speaker, so everyone gets ample time to speak.
After each break-out discussion, everyone returns to the main Zoom room before forming new random breakouts for the next question.
This rotation lets you interact with different native speakers (male and female, with varied accents) and meet and get to know other participants.
Sessions always begin by asking what vocabulary or grammar Sprinters found most interesting, challenging, or need some help with. This eases you into the conversation naturally, and gets you immediate support where you need it most.
The other two discussion questions are open-ended.
So you can respond based on your understanding, your level, and according to your experience, knowledge, and interests. You’ll be able to contribute to the conversation even if you’re not so familiar with the topic.
When new vocabulary comes up in the live sessions, which is related but in addition to the week’s RTM content, the Chinese moderators also share it in the chat box so you can read it as well as hear it.
This means you also get deeper insights through these live interactions about the subject. The additional vocab, and links to additional resources recommended during the live sessions, are circulated afterwards in the Substack Chat.
Live sessions rotate across three times every Saturday (and Friday or Sunday depending on the timezone) so you have the opportunity to join wherever you are, and join at least three live sessions every month.
Calls are not recorded so you can feel comfortable and confident to practice in private.
Structure to keep you consistent
RTM Speaking Sprints use a “flipped classroom” structure.
Where you learn independently first, then apply it during meet-ups. You get all the content and an outline of what we’ll discuss for the live sessions in the week before the session.
Here’s how it works.
First, choose from content based on your level — Advanced and Fluent podcast published on Saturday, Intermediate on Sunday, and the Conversations podcast, which brings it all together every Wednesday.
Then also on Wednesday, after all the week's RTM learning content is available, you’ll get a Speaking Sprint pre-reading note with everything you need in one place for the next meet-up — including links to all content and three three discussion topics in Chinese.
This structure helps keep you accountable and makes sure you do the work each week.
Private community to keep you accountable
In the live discussions, you’ll connect with a community of dedicated Mandarin learners like you from all over the world.
You’ll get to know each other through the weekly calls and your shared passion for learning Chinese, and China.
Each session is an interactive and enjoyable discussion with group members on the call, as well as moderators.
And don’t worry about "not being the right level" or being rusty.
It’s a supportive environment, where you can learn and be inspired by people who are a bit further on than you, and encourage others who may need some help.
This community gives you just enough accountability to make sure you get the work done every week.
Join the next 12-week Sprint!
What RTM members are saying
Since May 2024, RTM Speaking Sprints have helped dozens of Mandarin learners move beyond structured lessons, textbooks and graded readers, and speak confidently in more sophisticated and up-to-date Mandarin.
Here’s what some of them are saying about how RTM is helping them:
"The next frontier in learning Chinese"
“I passed HSK-6 many years ago, and with that vocabulary plus the vocabulary I commonly use for work, and was stuck there. Real Time Mandarin's methods including listening, focused, current vocabulary, and speaking have helped me break through. I think Real Time Mandarin has really found the next frontier in learning Chinese.”
"We discuss topics that are hot in China TODAY (not the 1990s)"
“You've been learning Chinese for a while, you've achieved a fairly decent proficiency level - now what? You're probably sick of Dawei's adventures and want to go beyond a textbook and talk about real life. These sessions are just what you need! We discuss topics that are hot in China TODAY (not the 1990s), the sessions are engaging and fun, and we learn additional vocab / use cases beyond what we read in the newsletter.”
"Feasible and fun"
“Life is way too busy and my Chinese language skills deteriorate as a result. The clear, topical weekly lessons make learning feasible and fun. The Zoom meet ups then provide a space to discuss the weekly topic in a lively, supportive atmosphere.”
"Just enough accountability for me"
“Joining RTM Speaking Sprint has increased my consistency and motivation in learning and speaking Mandarin. Initially, I was uncertain about paying for another language learning resource that I might end up not using. However, the weekly calls and their structure provide just enough accountability for me to engage with the newsletter in a way that fits into my lifestyle as a working mom.”
What next
Join the next Sprint!
There are two ways you can join RTM Speaking Sprints.
12-week Sprints
You can join a 12-week Speaking Sprint which begins at the start of each quarter.
To register your interest click the link below and take 1 minute to complete the application form to join the waitlist for the next Sprint.
The next Sprint starts on Saturday October 4, 2025.
The deadline to join is Friday 26 September.
The investment to join is just $300 for 3-months of weekly meet-ups with native speakers, so you can get your confidence back and feel more fluent.
Places are limited and applicants will be accepted on a first come, first serve basis. So the sooner you apply, the better your chances of getting in.
Once you apply, I’ll come back to you via email within 48 hours.
12-month Sprints
Or, if you are ready to invest for longer than 3-months, you can join a 12-month Sprint any time, with no waitlist.
The investment to join the 12-month Sprint is $1,000/year.
Get in touch on email if you’d like to join for a 12-month Sprint!
My guarantee
And I know that if you follow my process, the RTM Speaking Sprint will help you get more confident, and more fluent.
So I’m offering you my personal guarantee.
If after the first month you don’t feel more fluent, you haven’t gained confidence, or you realise it’s not for you...
Just drop me an email and I’ll get you a full refund.
No hassle. No questions asked.
Start speaking and get more confident today!
Now you’ve seen RTM Speaking Sprints are the only immersive Mandarin speaking program where you’re talking to native speakers about real news, as it’s happening every week.
They will help you get confident and build fluency in spoken Chinese,
It works for you if you’re “intermediate”, “advanced-ish” or “fluent with gaps.”
And you’re fully protected with my guarantee.
So if you want to start speaking Chinese regularly with native speakers, and finally move beyond self-doubt and halting conversations…
Click the button below to get started today:
Join the next 12-week Sprint!
Frequently Asked Questions
What are RTM Speaking Sprints?
RTM Speaking Sprints are weekly discussions with native speakers.
They are an intensive structured immersion program to help you boost your spoken Chinese, and build your confidence.
So each week you’ll immerse yourself in real Chinese news, with the support, structure, and methodology to help you learn, practice, apply, and retain what you learn.
How much does the RTM Sprint cost?
There are two ways you can join:
3-month Speaking Sprint: $300/quarter
12-month Speaking Sprint: $1,000/year
You can join the annual plan whenever you want.
If you want to join a 3-month Sprint we start new cohorts every quarter.
Can I expense the cost of membership to my company?
Yes. The RTM Speaking Sprints are a valuable investment to improve your Chinese speaking skills, and upgrade your performance in a professional Chinese speaking environment.
So you should be able to ask your company to pay for it on behalf of you.
To make things easy, I even drafted a request email which you can use as your company.
I’m worried my Chinese isn’t good enough. Should I join?
Yes you should try it out!
As long as you are (or used to be) intermediate or above, you’ll be fine.
There’s a real mix of people who describe themselves as ‘advanced’ and ‘intermediate’. Most people feel like they’ve got rusty so you won’t be alone.
So my advice is to get stuck in and try it out.
The purpose is to create opportunities to speak and engage with other participants, and enable a deeper engagement with the newsletter content.
If it really doesn't work for you, you'll get a full refund. So there is no risk for you.
What is the format of the live sessions?
Meet-ups are held on Zoom every week.
Sessions follow a clear structure.
During the session two native Chinese speakers moderate the conversation, around three pre-prepared discussion questions.
Each question takes 15 minutes to each discuss giving you time to express your views, practice, and engage with each other.
You’ll be split into break-out rooms for discussions on each question, so everyone gets plenty of time to speak.
After the session you’ll get any additional vocab and recommended resources discussed on the call in the RTM Substack Chat.
When do I get the information to prepare for the calls?
RTM Speaking Sprints use a "flipped classroom" approach.
You get everything you need to learn before the live session so you learn before you join.
One week before, you access RTM content on Saturday (Advanced and Fluent), Sunday (Intermediate), and Wednesday (Conversations).
Then on Wednesday when all the week’s content is available, you’ll receive an email with everything you need to prepare: content to study in advance, and three discussion questions in Chinese.
So you have plenty of time to learn and prepare, and use the time of the live meetings to practice and apply what you learned.
Do you cater for different timezones?
All sessions are currently held on Saturdays (UK time) to avoid clashes with busy working schedules.
We have members around the world, so it’s impossible to cover all timezones with one fixed time each week.
So to give all members an equal opportunity to join, we rotate sessions across three time slots:
Session 1: Saturday 6pm UK time:
🇺🇸 PST: 10am, MST: 11am, CST: 12pm, EST: 1pm
🇪🇺 7pm CEST
🇨🇳 1am CST (Sunday)
🇦🇺 3am AEST (Sunday)
🇳🇿 5am NZST (Sunday)
Session 2: Saturday 2am UK time:
🇺🇸 PST: 6pm, MST: 7pm, CST: 8pm, EST: 9pm (Friday evening)
🇪🇺 3am CEST
🇨🇳 9am CST
🇦🇺 11am AEST
🇳🇿 1pm NZST
Session 3: Saturday 10am UK time:
🇪🇺 11am CEST
🇨🇳 5pm CST
🇦🇺 7pm AEST
🇳🇿 9pm NZST
🇺🇸 PST: 2am, MST: 3am, CST: 4am, EST: 5am
In Session 3 weeks when the time is unsociable for the US members, there’s a separate “US Club” hosted by one member at 9am PST on Saturday.
So every month you should get at least three sessions which you can join at reasonably sociable times. And if you’re in the US, you’ll be able to have a meet-up every week.
What if I can’t join all the live sessions?
No problem! Just pick up where you left off.
Current members say they aim to attend at least two sessions each month as life can get busy at times.
With 2-3 sessions per month, as well as dedicated study time each week, you’ll see real progress.
I am concerned about confidentiality. Do you record calls?
No!
We do not record calls, or share information of anyone who is included in the membership (You will see we don’t even include names of people who provide testimonials).
It’s a discrete group of committed China watchers and Mandarin enthusiasts who have a wide range of opinions about and experiences in China.
We respect all opinions (as long as they are delivered in a respectful way), and nothing discussed on the calls goes any further.
I already pay for Chinese lessons. Why should I invest in another resource?
RTM Speaking Sprint sessions are not “lessons”.
They are conversations in Chinese guided by native speakers who have a deep understanding of the story, and have created the learning content with me.
This gives you the space for natural conversation to try out the language you have learned, and ask questions about the words and phrases, the wider topic, as well as connect with other members of the community.
This format is more free-flowing and varied than a typical language lesson.
It’s not for everyone, which is why we offer a one-month trial period.
Our experience tells us this format is a great supplement to varied study program.
If I decide it’s not for me, can I get a refund?
Yes!
I offer a 30-day guarantee. If RTM isn’t the right fit for you, just let me know within your first month and I’ll give you a full refund.
No questions asked, no risk to you!
Still sitting on the fence...?
Here’s what more of our members are saying:
"I have renewed momentum"
“I am impressed by your enthusiasm and dedication for the newsletter and now the Conversation Pro. I feel you are pulling out all the stops, which has given me a renewed momentum and inspiration.”
"Engaging and dynamic"
“I enjoyed the sessions very much. Even if I don't understand some of what others were saying, this only motivates me to try harder to improve. I have no idea when the time had passed. The classes are very engaging, the questions + breakout rooms approach makes it very dynamic. Love it!!!”
"Full immersive experience"
“I look forward each week to reading newsletter, listening to podcasts, and speaking with fellow RTM Pro friends. RTM Pro provides a full immersive experience. Highly recommended.”
"Structured and high quality"
“The conversation group is inspirational, and it’s made me do a lot more targeted reading. Andrew and his team are very committed to provide a structured and high quality discussion, and their enthusiasm has given me a new weekly purpose.”
"Consolidated my use and understanding"
“For me, dedicating time for preparation and actively participating in the conversation has consolidated my use and understanding of the weekly themes and new vocabulary.”
"I find myself prioritising study"
“I was concerned at first that I wouldn't have time to prepare enough to make it worthwhile, but I find myself prioritizing listening to the article and studying the vocabulary. This program is ideal for learners who strive to improve their knowledge of current affairs and ‘living’ language in China and build a consistent reading habit.”
"Helps motivate me to stay consistent"
“As an intermediate Chinese learner, this program motivates me to consistently read engaging articles. When I first signed up, I doubted my ability to converse fluently in a group. However, through the kind and patient moderators, pleasant discussions, and thought-provoking questions, time flies by.”
Helps intermediate and advanced learners practice speaking"
“It's fun to learn with others in a relaxed setting while getting feedback on usage of new terms from native speakers. This program would suit intermediate to advanced learners who would like to practice speaking skills and to stay motivated to continue learning Mandarin.”