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Mandarin Chinese · Intermediate Level 1

Missus Lin Retires

Take a video call from Seattle: hear that Missus Lin has retired, congratulate her, hear that the buying is yours now, count twenty kinds of tea, ask for the budget, and promise to have it all bought before December.

Start lesson 1 — free 30 min · Audio instruction: English

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Mandarin Chinese · 12 levels

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Intermediate Level 1 Audio instruction: English 30 lessons

Mrs. Lin retires and makes Owen her buyer. From Little Wu's village under the Yellow Mountain to the oolong hills of Fujian, he learns the trade, meets a rival, and keeps a secret with Lan. Learn to tell the past in full.

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Intermediate Level 2 Audio instruction: English 30 lessons

The secret is out, and Lan's father has conditions. Owen enters the village's tea-frying contest, then follows pu'er to the ancient tea trees of Yunnan, where the rains close the road. Learn to set conditions, wish and persuade.

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Intermediate Level 3 Audio instruction: English 30 lessons

Owen's parents fly in from Seattle, the two families meet over tea, and under the Mid-Autumn moon Owen asks Lan to marry him. Then comes the formal visit to her parents. Learn to report what people said, and to be polite when it matters most.

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The first 2 lessons of every level are free.