What our members say...
Results from Speaking Sprints members
Hello!
I could talk about the RTM Speaking Sprint all day.
The deadline to join the next Sprint is tomorrow (Wednesday).
It’s being going for over two years, and it really is a fantastic way to get your speaking confidence back.
But our members say it better than I ever could.
So today I’m stepping aside and letting them do the talking.
Charis felt stuck with limited vocab
“My business vocabulary was sorely lacking, and it was getting really frustrating searching for vocabulary in mid-sentence.
The wonderful thing is that it definitely helped me love the language again!”
David had the knowledge but not the confidence
“When I have opportunities to speak Mandarin in real life, I usually get flustered, awkward, and end up giving in to the pressure to switch to English.
After a few weeks, I definitely noticed that I’m speaking much more readily and with a lot less hesitation.”
Chris hadn’t spoken regularly for five years
“To start with I was terrified about speaking with my pronunciation. But I should not really have worried. You can go at your own pace.
Yes, some speakers have many years of experience speaking Chinese and are clearly already fluent. This has helped to improve my vocab. Now, I don’t worry about speaking.”
Joel used to feel nervous when he spoke
“I was so terrified of making a fool of myself that I wrote down complete answers and read them out to the group. I am now confident enough to speak extemporaneously.
Although I know I am making mistakes, I also know that the moderators and the other participants are supporting me. It’s a very friendly environment which is great for building confidence.”
Diana couldn’t get beyond small talk
“Instead of having to make awkward small talk, I can use each speaking session to practice conveying my opinions and perspectives on timely, topical issues.
The sessions simulate the exact types of native-level grown-up conversations I am studying Mandarin to learn how to engage in.”
John didn’t thing he could have serious discussions
“The biggest speaking challenge was building up the confidence and vocabulary to participate in serious discussions.
This program has allowed me to build the vocabulary needed to read about current events in China. I no longer walk around the swimming pool taking courses about swimming. I actually now swim in the pool!”
Kristian finally took the plunge after 30 years
“Now knowing that I will be discussing the newsletters with my peers, I find myself engaging more in-depth with the materials as I prepare.
RTM Speaking Sprints is quickly becoming my main Mandarin learning resource. I would recommend it to any intermediate learner who is serious about bridging the chasm to fluency.”
Molly returned from a year in China and needed to keep the momentum going
“The RTM Speaking Sprint is a fantastic way to keep up to date with current affairs in China while practising Mandarin with native speakers.
After returning to the UK after spending a year in China, it has been the perfect way to maintain and build on my language skills.”
These aren’t exceptional people with some special talent for languages.
They’re intermediate and advanced Mandarin learners just like you who were stuck, rusty, and frustrated.
The only difference is they showed up consistently for twelve weeks.
And that changed everything.
The next 12-week Sprint starts Sunday 29 March.
The first live session is Saturday 4 April.
The deadline to join is Wednesday 25 March.
Places are limited.
Cheers, Andrew
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P.S. Not sure if you’re at the right level?
Our members range from HSK4 to HSK6 and beyond.
What they all have in common isn’t their level. It’s that they’re serious about finally doing something about their speaking.
If that’s you, you’ll fit right in.