Mandarin Blueprint Review: A Path to Fluency, But a Costly One

Having dedicated more than ten years to learning Chinese, I've invested significant time and money in numerous Chinese courses. Mandarin Blueprint asserts it can teach you 99.4% of the language and prepare you for the HSK Level 9 exam, which immediately piqued my interest.

After a nine-day trial period with the course, I am certain it can guide you from a beginner to a highly advanced level—provided you can afford the cost.

What is Mandarin Blueprint?

Mandarin Blueprint is a structured program developed by two Chinese language learners designed to lead you to fluency.

It's described as an "intensive Chinese degree program," with an estimated time commitment of 800-1,500 hours to achieve fluency. This is contrasted with the typical 3,500-5,000 hours required using conventional study approaches.

The program features over 9,000 lessons, 2,000 videos with a coherent and progressive structure, more than 15,000 multimedia flashcards, and additional resources. The creators even assert that completion equates to mastering 99.4% of the Chinese language.

How Does Mandarin Blueprint Work?

The Mandarin Blueprint course utilizes the comprehensible input approach developed by Dr. Stephen Krashen, combined with their Hanzi Movie Method for teaching Chinese characters. We will explore this method further, but it fundamentally involves creating mnemonic devices.

It follows a three-step framework:

• Step 1: Build understanding
• Step 2: Receive and comprehend messages
• Step 3: Activate your acquired knowledge

The first step focuses on mastering pronunciation and learning Chinese characters through video lessons.

The second step involves receiving comprehensible input—engaging with listening and reading materials suited to your level, enabling natural language acquisition without formal grammar or vocabulary drills.

The third step is applying what you've acquired through speaking practice.

The Mandarin Blueprint Method provides all the tools needed to master the first step, "Build Understanding." It employs mnemonic and visualization strategies to teach Chinese characters from the very beginning. After learning a handful of basic characters, you proceed to step two, where you begin acquiring more vocabulary and eventually understand complete Chinese sentences. The course promises that through daily review, you will naturally internalize Chinese grammar without explicit study.

The content is cumulative, so within a short time, you can advance to slightly more complex topics.

Upon finishing the course, you will have mastered 3,000 characters and 12,000 words, which they state constitutes 99.4% of the language based on word frequency.

Mandarin Blueprint Features

Mandarin fluency scorecard

Mandarin Blueprint provides a complimentary "Mandarin Fluency Scorecard." This is an online quiz that evaluates your Chinese proficiency. After completing the assessment, you receive a personalized fluency guide and report via email.

The guide identifies your current weaknesses in Chinese and the factors hindering your progress. It also explains your present level and details the subsequent steps needed to reach fluency.

I began by taking the scorecard test, which was very straightforward. It takes about a minute (or less) to finish, and the report was delivered to my inbox almost instantly. The report is a 12-page PDF providing an overall score and individual scores for each Chinese skill. For instance, my results appeared as follows:

I answered the questions based on having studied Chinese for seven years in total (four to five years consistently), but with almost no practice in the last two years. I found the results to be largely accurate.

The test does not directly assess your skills—all questions are in English, and it is entirely a self-evaluation. Therefore, you must be completely honest with yourself.

It serves as a useful starting point, but I would advise viewing the results with some caution.

Guided course structure with 9,000+ lessons

Mandarin Blueprint boasts an extensive library of lessons. The lessons are organized into "phases." Each phase introduces new characters. They build upon one another, so the characters learned in Phase 1 are the most fundamental. As you progress, you'll be able to write more intricate and advanced characters using the radicals and components acquired in Phase 1.

The phases are further subdivided into levels. For example, Phase 1 includes Levels 1-6, Phase 2 covers Levels 7-12, Phase 3 encompasses Levels 13-20, and so forth. There are five phases in total, concluding with level 36.

After completing Phase 5, you advance to the two intermediate-level courses (named "The MB Method"). Finally, you proceed to the advanced course, which, upon completion, supposedly prepares you to pass the HSK Level 9 exam.

The phases are intensely focused on helping you memorize characters as quickly as possible. Luke and Phil teach the characters using their Hanzi Movie Method, which they claim will enable you to learn any Chinese character in under a minute.

This methodology is based on mnemonics. You select a mnemonic for each character component and then construct a story incorporating them to aid memory. You create mnemonics for people, places, objects, and actions, and Luke and Phil guide you on when to use each type for learning a new character.

Access to the “Pronunciation Mastery” course

The program begins with the Pronunciation Mastery mini-course, included in the Blueprint. Although I'm not a beginner, I wanted to observe how Luke and Phil approach teaching pronunciation to absolute newcomers to understand the full process.

There are 10 units, and Unit 1 contains 19 lessons by itself—which initially seemed excessively long to me. However, I was reassured to find that most videos are under two minutes.

Unit 1 covers all the fundamentals of tones and pinyin, including initials. Unit 2 addresses the three Simple Finals and has 28 units in total.

My impression of the pronunciation course is that it is very thorough and can undoubtedly teach you everything about Chinese pronunciation. However, this level of detail is somewhat excessive. I wasn't familiar with terms like "initial" or "final" until I attended university Chinese classes after seven years of self-study, and I consistently received compliments on my pronunciation.

Chinese pronunciation becomes quite intuitive with sufficient exposure to the language, and I believe dedicating excessive time to pronunciation at the outset can be discouraging for many learners, as you haven't actually learned any Chinese words yet (despite spending 10 units and 50+ lessons on pinyin).

My suggestion? Complete the first few lessons to grasp the basics. Then, begin the main course while continuing to work through the pronunciation course gradually. This approach helps maintain motivation while also ensuring you master pronunciation.

Guided explanations on how to use the “Hanzi Movie Method”

Mandarin Blueprint employs their "Hanzi Movie Method" for teaching characters.

It is essentially a system of detailed mnemonics, where you create a memorable "movie" scene for each character you learn. The method works by having you devise props, sets, and actors that symbolize different parts of Chinese characters.

Props represent character components and radicals—they are items you choose to represent the character based on its visual appearance in your mind. For instance, I selected a cigar as my prop for 一 (yī).

Sets represent the finals in Chinese (the ending sounds of words) and are locations that hold personal significance for you. My set for the final -an was my parents' home, and my apartment in Peru represented the final i sound (as in shì).

Finally, actors are people you choose to represent the initial sound of the Chinese word. They can be celebrities, personal acquaintances, etc. It may sound absurd, but my actor for the sh sound was my ex-husband's cousin named Shawn.

The first character taught in the course is 十 (shí), which I already knew, but I practiced using the Hanzi Movie Method. After following the steps, I created a story about my ex-husband's cousin Shawn being in my apartment in Peru with a cigar, which he threw on the ground when it went out, making a loud groaning sound (to represent the fourth tone—the falling tone).

The initial lessons guide you through this process. In fact, you even have specific flashcards for your actors, props, and sets.

Initially, the process seems lengthy and intricate. Each level contains approximately six lessons, and by the end, you might only learn one character because the first few lessons focus on creating a movie scene to remember it. However, the creators assure that by character 105, you will no longer need pinyin if you adhere to the method. Furthermore, once you reach the intermediate levels, you only require one brief lesson per character.

As you progress, you will also encounter "New Vocabulary Unlocked" videos. These introduce new words you can form using the characters you now know, and they appear quite early in the course.

You continue using the Hanzi Movie Method for all courses, including the advanced HSK 9 level ones.

Access to the Mandarin Immersion Masterclass

This is one of the three courses included with Mandarin Blueprint. It offers 10 hours of video content and a list of resources for immersing yourself in Mandarin.

The resources are organized on a Notion page with dropdown menus to help you find content appropriate for your level.

The course is thorough—it's divided into four immersion levels, and each level includes tutorials on utilizing different resources for immersion learning. In Level 1, you'll also find "The Six-Step System for Mandarin Immersion," a six-video mini-course explaining their immersion methodology.

Access to the Habit-Building Bootcamp

This boot camp is the third (and final) course in the Mandarin Blueprint package. It consists of four hours of video lessons, accompanied by PDF downloads and homework assignments.

The boot camp's objective is to prepare you for a consistent Chinese learning journey. It teaches you how to establish long-term study habits by optimizing your environment and adjusting your mindset.

You will also learn effective strategies for monitoring progress, reviewing learned material, and refining your habits.

Free lifetime Traverse account for multimedia flashcards

Purchasing Mandarin Blueprint includes a lifetime subscription to Traverse, a spaced-repetition software that typically requires a separate payment.

The second video in the Pronunciation Mastery course guides you through setting up your Traverse account, which was the most straightforward process I've experienced for accessing course flashcards.

You register with the same email address used for your Mandarin Blueprint account, and after creating a password, every flashcard deck from the Blueprint courses is automatically available in your app.

The flashcards include multiple audio recordings, allowing you to hear various native speakers pronounce the word. The same applies to full sentences.

1-on-1 lifetime support

Upon signing up for Mandarin Blueprint, you gain lifetime access to their community Facebook group. They encourage using the group for accountability, finding study partners, sharing progress, and similar activities.

Their support team also responds to emails remarkably quickly. When I contacted Mandarin Blueprint via email, I received a reply within an hour.

Pros of Mandarin Blueprint

Extensive courses that can actually take you from zero to advanced

I have taken many Mandarin courses, and I can confidently state that Mandarin Blueprint is the most comprehensive one I've encountered. The content is well-structured and seemingly limitless. Most courses only take you to an intermediate or upper-intermediate level, but I genuinely believe Mandarin Blueprint can bring you as close to fluency as a single course possibly can.

Easy-to-follow course structure

Mandarin Blueprint adheres to a specific course structure that you can progress through at your own pace. It's simple to follow, and you can always track your progress as you move through the levels.

The lessons also build upon each other in a very logical manner. Characters are introduced in an order that makes Chinese feel accessible, then builds on previously learned ones to expand your vocabulary rapidly. The initial words might seem random or unimportant, but if you trust the process, it begins to make sense relatively quickly.

All the study tools you need are included

You will never need to download or use an external study tool. Mandarin Blueprint includes everything required—resource tutorials, the complimentary Traverse flashcards subscription, Chinese videos, movies, TV shows, manga, and more.

It teaches you how to learn Chinese

What I find distinctive about Mandarin Blueprint is that the course emphasizes the learning method equally with the Chinese vocabulary being taught. Most courses provide the necessary vocabulary and grammar, leaving you to determine how to study them. Mandarin Blueprint handles this for you by having you apply the study method throughout the course.

You can fly through the lessons pretty fast

Even though the amount of content can appear daunting, the videos are almost always very brief. Many phases and levels have 20+ videos to watch, but most are only one to five minutes long.

And because the characters build on each other and the focus is on creating mnemonics, I could complete levels much faster than anticipated without feeling exhausted. It felt as though I was progressing through the course rapidly without consciously trying to speed through it.

90-day money-back guarantee

Mandarin Blueprint guarantees a full refund for any reason if you request it within 90 days of your purchase, which is a significant reassurance given the course's high cost (more on this shortly).

Cons of Mandarin Blueprint

It’s extremely expensive

The most significant drawback of Mandarin Blueprint—unquestionably—is the price. It is not affordable for what I would assume is the average person. It costs $997 for lifetime access, and if you prefer not to pay the full amount upfront, you can opt for 12 monthly payments of $97.

No free trial

Given the high cost, I expected at least a free trial—but none is offered. The founders have great confidence in their course, and the 90-day money-back guarantee exists, but it's still a considerable risk to make such a large investment without a preview of the content.

The amount of course content can be overwhelming

Even though you can progress through lessons quickly, the sheer number of videos in a level or phase can be intimidating.

Some learners might appreciate the very short lessons, but I personally prefer one or two medium-length lessons (e.g., 15-20 minutes) over a playlist of 20 two-minute videos. I felt that much of the content could have been consolidated.

No grammar focus

Because Mandarin Blueprint emphasizes language acquisition, there is no dedicated Chinese grammar instruction.

It is entirely focused on vocabulary learning until you begin using the immersion masterclass resources, which also do not explicitly teach grammar. The goal is that you will naturally absorb grammatical patterns through exposure to the content.

This is ideal for individuals who wish to avoid grammar study. However, I have always found that I learn more quickly when I study grammar directly.

Pricing of Mandarin Blueprint

Mandarin Blueprint offers two payment plans: a single payment of $997 or 12 monthly installments of $97. This includes:

• The Mandarin Blueprint Method (the primary course)
• Mandarin Immersion Masterclass
• Habit-Building Bootcamp
• Lifetime support
• Lifetime access to the Traverse flashcard app
• Community forum

Mandarin Blueprint Alternatives

Yoyo Chinese

Yoyo Chinese offers six complete Chinese courses: Beginner Conversational, Chinese Characters, Intermediate Conversational, Chinese Characters II, and Upper-Intermediate Conversational.

Additionally, there is a Chinese grammar series with 71 lessons and a "How to Say in Chinese" series with 51 lessons.

It won't take you to as advanced a level as Mandarin Blueprint, but the course is video-based and features an easy-to-follow, cumulative structure that can get you to a relatively high conversational level within six months.

Furthermore, it is considerably more affordable, with subscription options of $14.99/month and $19.99/month, annual payment plans, or a one-time payment of $299 for lifetime access.

Lingflix

Similar to Mandarin Blueprint, Lingflix teaches Chinese through immersion—but it also instructs you on grammar patterns encountered in the videos, which I appreciate.

Lingflix is not a structured course like Mandarin Blueprint. It offers playlists for Beginner 1, Beginner 2, Intermediate 1, Intermediate 2, Advanced 1, and Advanced 2. These playlists function as courses with less rigid structure—you watch the videos until you finish a playlist, learning vocabulary and grammar along the way.

If you encounter a word not included in the vocabulary list while watching, you can click on it in the subtitles to see its meaning, pronunciation, example sentences, and add it to a flashcard deck.

Like Yoyo Chinese, Lingflix offers monthly and annual subscription plans that are much less expensive than Mandarin Blueprint.

Final Thoughts on Mandarin Blueprint

Without a doubt, Mandarin Blueprint is one of the most comprehensive Chinese courses available.

It can guide you from a beginner to an advanced level, the methodology is effective, you can progress at your own pace, and you won't need any study tools beyond what the course provides.

My only reservations are its high cost and the lack of focus on grammar. However, if it fits your budget, I would highly recommend it.