Mission 101: Plan Your Halloween Weekend in Mandarin | Beginners, Canberra

Know some Mandarin but no one to practise with? This 2-hour mission has you planning a real Halloween weekend with new friends, in Mandarin. Know some Mandarin but no one to practise with? This is where you use it. At Learnése, we turn small everyday moments into missions you complete in Mandarin. This month’s mission is a Halloween special: Your mission: plan your Halloween weekend with new friends, in Mandarin. You’ll arrive, open your mission brief and team up with other learners. Each person holds a secret piece of the plan, so the only way to complete the mission is to talk. By 4pm, you’ll have made real plans for Saturday 31 October, in Mandarin, with people you’ve just met. What you’ll walk away with • Real speaking practice. Two hours of actually talking, not listening to a teacher. • Phrases you’ll actually use, in Chinese characters and pinyin. Here’s a taste: • • 好久不见！hǎo jiǔ bú jiàn! (Long time no see!) • 要不要一起…？yào bú yào yìqǐ…? (Want to … together?) • 一起去吗？yìqǐ qù ma? (Shall we go together?) • 我看看。wǒ kànkan. (Let me check.) • 不见不散！bú jiàn bú sàn! (See you there!) • …plus more real-life phrases, unlocked on mission day. • New friends who are learning Mandarin too. • A real Halloween plan, if you want one. How the two hours run • Mission briefing: meet your hosts and the group • Warm-up: quick, low-pressure introductions • Gear up: practise the key phrases together • Mission, round 1: a team game where you ask, listen and work it out in Mandarin • Mission, round 2: a surprise twist changes the plan • Make it real: use the same phrases to plan your actual weekend • Mission complete: share your plans with the group Who it’s for • Beginners who can read pinyin • Learners who study on apps or in class but rarely get to speak • Anyone new to Canberra who wants to meet people while practising Mandarin The details • When: Sunday 25 October, 2–4pm • Where: Griffin Centre, Canberra • Group size: 6–16 people, so everyone gets to speak • Hosts: bilingual Learnése hosts run the game and help when you get stuck