Frequently Asked Questions
What level is the challenge for?
No matter your level, if you're struggling with particles, this challenge is for you. The practice sentences are mostly at the HSK1-2 level because we want to keep the examples simple so you can focus on 了. The short stories may be as high as HSK3, but we'll be giving you comprehensive vocab lists in case there are words you don't know. But even if you're at HSK4 or above, if you struggle with particles, this challenge will be beneficial. You'll probably already know all of the vocabulary, so you can just focus on the usage of the particles themselves.
How can I access the challenge?
Mobile, desktop, laptop, tablet... The challenge is super user-friendly and you'll be able to log on from anywhere!
What exactly will I learn? How will this challenge help me?
During this challenge, we'll cover three categories of particles:
1. Aspect particles like 在, 過 | 过, and 著 | 着.
2. Sentence-final particles like 呢, 吧, 啊, 呀, 哦, 嘛, 啦.
3. Grammar words that aren't particles per se, but that do cause learners trouble, like 把, 被, 跟, and 像.
Mastering these will significantly improve your ability to express yourself in Mandarin and make you sound much more natural to native speakers.
You'll also drill a bunch of sentences using these particles until you bury them into your muscle memory. That means it will start to become more effortless and automatic to use the particles correctly, and you'll know instinctively when to use them in context. By the end of the challenge, you'll have a much deeper knowledge and intuitive ability to use particles correctly.
What's so special about this method anyway?
Particles in Mandarin are unlike anything in most Indo-European languages. So, when learning Mandarin, when we encounter these particles, we tend to try to force them to fit something more familiar to us in our own languages.
But thinking like that will lead to to using particles incorrectly. It simply can't work. You have to learn particles on their own terms. That requires both an intellectual understanding of how they work, and the experiential understanding that you build up through encountering particles in a bunch of different contexts, and imitating their use in a systematic way.
With the "Chinese Particles Mastery" Challenge, you'll get both. The grammar videos and short story analysis helps you build your intellectual understanding, and the chorusing and shadowing drills will help you build your experiential understanding! This will create a virtuous circle that can't help but improve your usage in real life.
As you complete your reps each day, the particles will begin to lodge themselves into your subconscious. It doesn't happen right away - in fact it may take a few weeks for you to feel the real effects. But by the end of the challenge, you'll have a new command of particles that will surprise you.
I'm not sure I can commit for 30 days
Your daily tasks should only take 30 minutes. The principle of the challenge is, "do a little each day and big results will follow." 30 minutes is a pretty manageable amount of time to devote to your Chinese.
You can break it up into 5 minute chunks throughout the day:
• 5 minutes after breakfast
• 5 minutes on your lunch break
• 5 minutes before dinner
• 5 minutes while waiting for the bus...whenever is convenient for you!
The secret sauce is the consistency - working at it for a little bit of time every day. You'll be amazed at the massive progress you make from simply showing up every day to give focused attention to one aspect of your Chinese!
What if I decide the challenge isn't for me?
All of our products come with a 30-day money back guarantee. If you are unsatisfied with it for any reason, reach out to me at any point during the challenge and I'll issue you a full refund.
How long do I have access to the course after the end of the challenge?
How does "lifetime access" sound? While the challenge is 30 days, you will have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like.
What exactly does "lifetime access" mean?
In practical terms, it means the course materials will be available online for as long as Outlier is in business. If we do ever go out of business or otherwise need to remove the course for any reason, we'll make the material available for you to download for a period of at least 6 months.