December Challenge

Communication Strategies for Fluency

For all levels: these techniques will benefit intermediate learners the most, but beginners will get some useful tips and mindset advice, and advanced learners who have issues in live conversations will also get some much needed relief.

Just $97

Do you struggle to speak fluidly in conversation?

Do you feel stuck when trying to keep a conversation going? Maybe you:

Freeze up when you can’t think of the right words.
Get nervous and fall back on short, basic responses.
Feel like you’re not making the progress you want with speaking fluency.

The problem isn’t you—it’s your strategies.

The Communication Strategies for Fluency Challenge is designed to help you build the skills and confidence to communicate effectively—even if your grammar and vocabulary aren’t perfect.

What’s the Challenge?

This 30-day program is built around three powerful communication tools that will transform the way you approach conversations:

1. Show Your Stuff

Learn how to confidently expand your answers and keep the conversation flowing.

2. Build Up Your Islands

Prepare well-rehearsed chunks of speech that you can use seamlessly in conversations.

3. Simplify, Simplify

Communicate complex ideas clearly and naturally, even with limited vocabulary.

You’ll practice these tools every day with short, actionable lessons and exercises. By the end of the challenge, you’ll have the skills you need to sound fluent and confident in any conversation.

How Does It Work?

Duration: 30 days, starting December 1
Daily Practice: Spend 20–30 minutes a day learning and applying the tools.
Weekly Coaching: Join live sessions for expert feedback and guidance.
Community Support: Connect with fellow learners for motivation and accountability.

What You’ll Achieve

By the end of the challenge, you’ll:

Speak more confidently and naturally in conversations.
Handle difficult situations with ease.
Express yourself clearly without worrying about perfection.

It's all possible when you sign up for the

December 30-Day Communication Strategies for Fluency Challenge

with your coach...

John Renfroe

Co-founder, Outlier Linguistics

Before co-founding Outlier, John studied Linguistics and Paleography in the Graduate Institute of Chinese at National Taiwan Normal University. He co-founded and later ran the Taipei Classical Chinese Reading Group, a weekly reading group consisting mostly of graduate Sinology students from western universities. He also taught classical Chinese to members of the group who had no previous instruction in the language. His coursework and research focused on excavated Warring States bamboo texts, historical Chinese character morphology, and the Shuowen Jiezi 說文解字 and its commentaries and criticism.

Here’s what the challenge entails:

We’ve crafted a 30-day program designed to teach you some very practical tools that will help you to communicate more fluidly in Mandarin.

Each day has specific tasks for you to complete, which are designed to:

help you build your "language islands" and start using them effectively,
give you practice embellishing your conversations instead of sticking with short, simple answers,
get you comfortable with communicating complex ideas using simple language, so you can expand the range of topics you're able to discuss.

Just 30 minutes a day is all it takes.

All you have to do is show up and do the tasks we give you each day.

The results?

By the end of the month, this experience will develop your communication skills in Mandarin, enabling you to keep the conversation flowing more naturally.

What you get when you join

Daily guided tasks

Clear, focused daily assignments that tell you exactly what to do—no guesswork, no overwhelm.

Proven methods

Based on tried and true methods taught by Boris Shekhtman, one of the world's most renowned language educators.

Practical techniques

Learn techniques like “show your stuff,” “language islands,” and “simplify,” designed to help you build the skills and confidence to communicate effectively.

Weekly Q&A Sessions

Two live (Zoom) Q&A sessions per week with our expert teacher, Christine—get your questions answered, get help working through the texts, and more.

Community of learners

Access a community of other learners going through the challenge with you—form study groups, ask questions and get answers.

Lifetime Access

Revisit specific lessons whenever you want—even after the challenge ends.

The concept is simple yet brutally effective!

Every day, for 30 days, you’ll receive a few tasks to complete.

Days 1-2: The Intro Phase

The first few days will be an intro to the challenge: our goals for you, and an overview of the techniques we'll be covering.

Days 3-9: Show Your Stuff

As learners, we often fall back on short, simple answers. But think about what that kind of answer does in your native language...it often kills the conversation! "Show Your Stuff" is about giving longer, wordier replies to things. It gives the other person more chances to understand your thoughts, and more stuff to reply to, keeping the conversation going for longer and ultimately giving YOU more practice with the language!

Days 10-16: Language Islands

Language islands are short, pre-rehearsed speeches on topics you find interesting. Whether it's movies, music, technology, sports—whatever it is, it's something you enjoy talking about. Whenever a conversation starts to get "out to sea" (away from topics you're comfortable discussing), rather than letting the conversation die because you can't discuss the topic in Mandarin, you can steer it back to one of your islands so that the conversation can continue. It's a super useful technique, and it will take you a long way in your learning journey!

Langauge Days 17-23: How to Simplify

Often, you're able to discuss something in your native language that you don't have the vocabulary for in Mandarin. "Simplify" is about learning to discuss those things even if you don't have the vocabulary you need—how to explain things in very simple language, and extract the terminology from the person you're talking to. This is a great way to keep the conversation flowing, and it's also a great way to learn new words in context—and to practice using them on the spot!

Days 24-30: Bringing It All Together + Next Steps

In the last week, we'll discuss how to combine these three tools so that they enhance each other, as well as how to keep developing them as you get more advanced. These are tools that will be useful for the rest of your life, so this challenge is just the beginning! We'll also touch on some other tools briefly and give you some ideas for how to implement them in your learning.

AND

Each week during the challenge, I'll be conducting a few group Q&A/coaching sessions. I'll vary the times to accommodate for different time zones.

Plus, you'll get access to the Communication Strategies Community—a whole cohort of people going through the challenge along with you. Find an accountability partner, ask questions, and share tips—our communities are always super lively, and many people have made friends with people they met in the community.

The Results

By the end of the challenge you’ll have some powerful new tools in your arsenal—tools that allow you to communicate much more fluidly (and fluently!) at your current level. Yes, this challenge isn't about learning new words, phrases, or grammar points—it's about maximizing your use of what you know, so that you become able to use what you know more fluently.

And if you're like I was in my pre-intermediate stage, you'll get a lot of mileage out of these techniques!

We'll give you the tools, and we'll guide you through how to develop the tools for yourself.

All you need to do is show up and put in your time each day.

Ready to Speak More Fluidly?

We've meticulously organized the entire challenge, so all you need to do is show up and dive in!

Here's what you need to know to join us:

● Start date: December 1st

● Daily time commitment: up to 30 minutes

● Total duration: 30 days

The investment in your conversational transformation is just $97 — equivalent to a couple of sessions with a professional tutor.

All materials, video lessons, activities, and community interaction are included, except for Björkstén's book, which we do highly recommend buying.

And lifetime access means you get to keep everything, even after the challenge is finished.

Click the "Sign Up Now" button to sign up today.

Communication Strategies for Fluency

Learn techniques like “show your stuff,” “language islands,” and “simplify,” designed to help you build the skills and confidence to communicate effectively.

100% risk free - 30 day money back guarantee

Here's what you get:

30 days of guided training on fluency techniques
Daily structured tasks focused on improving and showcasing your proficiency
Time tested methods used by the world's top language experts
Peer interaction and community support for consistency and accountability
Lifetime access to all challenge materials and future updates

Just $97

Frequently Asked Questions

What level is the challenge for?

No matter your level, if you want to maximize your ability to use what you know, this challenge is for you. By the end, you'll have some tools you can use to steer the conversation into comfortable territory, as well as techniques to keep conversations going, and to give your conversation partner more chances to understand you and reply to what you say.

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's so special about this method anyway?

This challenge is based on tried and true techniques taught by some of the world's most accomplished language educators—in particular, Boris Shekhtman. These techniques are used to improve the fluency of military intelligence officers, diplomats, and other people with intensive demands on their language abilities.

We'll walk you through how to develop and apply these tools for yourself, and we'll show you how to keep using, developing, and refining the tools throughout your language learning journey.

I'm not sure I can commit for 30 days

Your daily tasks should only take 30 minutes—sometimes less. The principle of the challenge is, "do a little each day—consistently—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
• and so on...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.

Learn to speak more fluidly in 30 Days, starting December 1.

Just $97!

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