Easy-to-Read Chinese Stories
Learn Chinese with stories you love and build fluency with adaptations of classic novels.
Start leveling up your Chinese today!
Reading in Chinese is one of the best ways to build fluency
Learn Vocabulary Faster
Acquire vocabulary twice as fast compared to flash cards
Learn Grammar Naturally
Seeing grammar patterns over and over again trains your brain to naturally understand
Automatically Process Chinese
As your reading speed increases, you’ll start to understand it in Chinese instead of translating in your head
Enjoyable
Interesting and fun stories you can AND want to read
We offer three levels of graded readers to help you learn Chinese confidently.
Breakthrough Level
For those who are just getting started with Chinese
Level I
For those with some built up vocabulary
Level II
For those taking it to the next level of learning
You Are In Charge of Your Learning
Welcome to Mandarin Companion!
We’ve worked hard to create enjoyable stories at the right level for you — that can help you build confidence and competence to improve your Chinese.
Our Graded Readers use language that is controlled and simplified that makes them easy for learners to read. Reading long strings of text in context shows you how the language is used to build proficiency in and naturally understand Chinese.
Research shows that learners need to ‘encounter’ a word 10-30 times before truly learning it. Graded Readers provide that repetition that you need to develop fluency NOW at your level.
In the next section, you can take an assessment and discover if this is the right level for you. We also explain how it won’t just improve your Chinese skills but will have a wide range of benefits, from better test scores to more confidence.
We hope you enjoy our books and all the best with your studies!
Start Learning Chinese Today!
Post List #1
You Can Learn Chinese Podcast
Learn HOW to learn Chinese with hosts Jared Turner and John Pasden. You will learn tips, strategies, and insights so you can supercharge your language learning. You will also be inspired by guest interviews with people from all over the world who have learned Chinese.
Both Jared and John both learned Chinese, lived in China for many years, and have worked with learners all over the world and understand the unique challenges that Chinese learners face. They stay at the forefront of language learning research and methods and bring that to listeners everywhere.
What does it take to go from barely speaking Chinese to giving a three-hour university presentation in Chinese? For William Whitaker, the journey was anything but planned, and when that intimidating presentation finally arrived, he wasn't even sure he could pull it off.
William originally moved to Shenzhen, China, to pursue his passion for basketball, not to learn Chinese. After spending his first year picking up relatively little of the language, the COVID pandemic unexpectedly changed everything. What was supposed to be a short trip to Bali with his future wife turned into nearly seven months, giving William an unusual opportunity to throw himself into learning Chinese.
When he finally returned to China, he discovered how much had changed. Street signs suddenly made sense, conversations became more accessible, and an entirely new side of life in China began opening up to him.
In this episode of You Can Learn Chinese, William shares how he went from self-study with graded readers, audiobooks, Anki flashcards, and Chinese basketball podcasts to eventually moving to Taiwan and enrolling in a master's program in East Asian Studies taught entirely in Chinese.
We explore the surprising benefits of handwriting Chinese characters, the difference between understanding Chinese and being able to use it, and how friendships and real-world experiences can transform language learning. William also recounts one of his biggest breakthroughs: overcoming his fear of delivering a lengthy academic presentation in Chinese in front of native speakers.
Throughout his journey, William has developed a perspective that every Chinese learner can benefit from:learning Chinese is a lifelong journey, and that's something to be excited about, not discouraged by.
Whether you're just getting started or have been studying for years, William's story offers practical insights and a reminder that sometimes the most meaningful progress comes from embracing the struggle, following your interests, and finding ways to make Chinese part of whatever season of life you're in.
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