All Brand New Mandarin Companion

Hello Mandarin Companions!

Jared here with some important news. As 2022 moves into its last quarter and learners around the world move back to school, John and I are excited to announce something big. As of today, Mandarin Companion has a whole new look.

Everything from our website to our logo to our fonts and colors have been updated and codified. This is part of a top-to-bottom rebrand—long in the making and the result of many years’ research.

Hold on, though, what about Level-3 graded readers?

Keeping you waiting was never something we wanted to do, but we’re hoping once everything’s explained, you’ll understand why we did this before moving on to higher levels.

The Bus from Shanghai to the World

When John and I pushed Mandarin Companion out of the station way back in 2012, we had little but our own experiences and intuition. Back then, that was the fuel we needed. My own journey from Chinese illiterate to conversational speaker showed me the value of graded readers beyond any shadow of a doubt.

But each year—as we wrote new books, researched our articles and podcasts, and most importantly got to know you guys and gals through the “You Can Learn Chinese” podcast, chat groups, and our memes on social media, something started to bother us.

We realized, in a word, we could do better. Some of what we’d included in the books was superfluous; some of what was helpful just wasn’t there. We were looking at that globe-trotting bus we set out on and realized it needed a look under the hood—not to mention a new coat of paint.

Mapping the Road: What We Learned

In 2021, you helped us complete a survey that would prove hugely important. The goal was simple: understand the motivations of Chinese learners. And thanks to 1,162 respondents, plus one wonderful data scientist, we did just that.

(A little confession—market research brings out Comicon levels of nerdiness in me. I could make a series of articles just on what we learned, but for now let’s restrict it to the greatest hits.)

The research helped us identify 6 different types of language learners: language enthusiasts, cultural connectors, aspirational learners, functional learners, career-focused learners, and obligated learners.

Figuring out who these groups were and what motivates them taught us how to better connect them to our content. Whether it was finding role models in travelers or diplomats, engaging with culture through personal interaction or Beijing opera, measuring accomplishment, or progressing on a career path, each group needed something particular.

Redrafting what we had already done to better meet these needs was the next logical step.

Revisiting Our Books: Improved Graphic Readers 

The next round of books had to be different, but first we needed to get the old catalog in line. It just didn’t make sense to us not to apply what we’d learned.

Every book in our existing collection from Breakthrough to Level 2 has gotten a major overhaul. Before you even crack the cover, you’ll notice improved art and design. New graphics and maps have been added on the inside too! With these additions, we hope to better contextualize the story and connect our readers to China’s rich culture and history.

You’ll also notice major changes to the layout and a rewrite of the English content. Besides fixing a number of small errors, typos, and errata that we’ve discovered over the years, these revisions, snips, and additions are aimed at fine-tuning what we’ve learned to be the most useful to readers.

A New Central Hub: Redesigning Our Website

Whether you were looking for our books or this article, chances are you’ve already noticed the new and improved website. The changes to our logo, color scheme, and font come together in what we think is a far cleaner look that better represents what we always wanted Mandarin Companion to be. But these changes are far from superficial.

We shared our hard-acquired insights on the homepage to better guide first time visitors. Hopefully, those who arrive curious will find themselves one step closer to discovering the power of extensive reading. We even have a brand new Mandarin Companion Level Finder tool to help learners find the right level for them! With the Level Finder tool, it’s going to be easier than ever figuring out what reading level you’re at and when to move on to the next. 

To create this, we’ve applied our in-depth experience with leveling standards, word frequency, and learner experience with an algorithmic statistical sampling process. For 90% of learners, it will be able to assess your level in 20 words or less. With the Level Finder tool, it’s going to be easier than ever figuring out what reading level you’re at and when to move on to the next. 

User Created Resources is something I’m personally very excited about. We are now accepting submissions for worksheets, activities, and other content from all of you to include in our new Resources section of the site! These resources are meant as study tools for Mandarin Companion’s graded readers, so whether you’re a teacher or a learner, you’ll have the opportunity to contribute and benefit.

We encourage you to swing on by as these resources grow. It’s the perfect thing to tide you over until …

New Level 2 Graded Reader: Sherlock Holmes

Kicking off the next level in Mandarin Companion graded readers is one of our all-time favorite recurring characters. Sherlock Holmes will return in Sherlock Holmes and a Scandal in Shanghai.

A movie star, a politician’s nephew, and a photograph with compromising implications, Gao Ming (Sherlock Holmes) faces a high stakes case involving the international community of 1920’s Shanghai. With the trusty Dr. Watson at his side, Sherlock finds himself pitted against the beautiful Hu Die, a star of Chinese cinema. Will Sherlock retrieve the picture in time or will Hu Die outwit the master of deduction?

Sherlock Holmes and a Scandal in Shanghai

This new story features all the changes we’ve applied to the old catalog, with a tighter focus on the most useful content. It is our hope that the preparation we’ve taken will make Level 3 the best experience for our long-time readers yet, and we have complete faith in Sherlock Holmes to see you through the next stage of your learning journey!

For everyone asking for Level 3, this meme might prove illustrative. 

But seriously, it’s still in our plans! 

Looking to the Horizon: Multilingual Versions

Growing this community into a truly global outreach is something John and I wholly aspire to. We would like everyone, no matter where they come from, to have a chance to engage with Chinese learning.

That’s why our last big announcement is multilingual versions of our existing books. At the time of publication we have the following versions planned:

• Spanish/Chinese
• French/Chinese
• German/Chinese
  
  And more to come!

We’re hoping that anyone interested in having Mandarin Companion readers in their own language reaches out. Whether you’re a teacher with an undersupplied class or a lone struggler on the journey to Chinese mastery, we want to meet your study needs.

If you have a request for your language, send a message through our Contact page or email us at [email], and we can see what the possibilities are.

Watching the mile markers fly by, I can only reflect on what an incredible journey this has been since John and I first met on a bus in Shanghai. And without your incredible support, it would never have been possible.

Thank you all,

Jared (and John too)