Make learning Chinese fun: Cheryl Mainland's Dragon Academy uses storytelling and technology to revolutionise Mandarin education
Language as a superpower
Above Cheryl Lee Mainland used to be the translator between her two grandmothers (Photo: courtesy of Cheryl Lee Mainland)
Above On her first day at school in Taiwan, Cheryl Lee Mainland introduced herself in Chinese and felt that she belonged (Photo: courtesy of Cheryl Lee Mainland)
Indeed, it's no coincidence that Mainland decided to dedicate her life to making Chinese more accessible. From a very young age, she understood that language wasn't just a tool for communication—it was her ultimate connector. Born in Taiwan to a Chinese mother and an American father, she vividly recalls realising early on that Mandarin would be her secret superpower—something she discovered on her very first day at school.
'Even at that age, I was aware I looked different from everyone else—all other kids were 100 per cent Chinese,' she says. 'But I remember introducing myself in Chinese, and immediately felt that I belonged. All my insecurities disappeared. It didn't matter what I looked like because language was my way in.'
That sense of belonging stayed with her through some of her most important and emotional moments. Whether acting as a translator between her two grandmothers—one in Mandarin, the other in English—or sitting across from her father at business meetings, Mainland saw firsthand how language could bridge worlds. The most defining moment came when she was able to conduct her Harvard interview in Chinese—a clear reminder of the tremendous power of language to unlock opportunities and connect different facets of identity.
'I owe so much to my parents,' Mainland says. 'At home, multiculturalism was celebrated—there was an understanding that language is more than words. It's a bridge. I carried that belief with me everywhere.' Personal challenges to a new mission of purpose
Above Cheryl Lee Mainland and her children on the Pearls shoot in Bali (Photo: courtesy of Archie Geotina)
Above Cheryl Lee Mainland and her children in Bali (Photo: courtesy of Cheryl Lee Mainland)
Throughout her life, Mainland has leveraged her ability to act as a translator—not just between languages and generations, but also between 'consumers and businesses'.
'I am good at identifying a market that is huge, but underserved,' she says. Over two decades, Mainland has launched multiple successful online brands—including women's workwear, prom dresses and swimwear—while travelling the world with her family. Their moves took them to London, New York, Chicago and beyond, until they finally settled in Melbourne, where life's unexpected challenges took centre stage.
During the Covid-19 lockdown, Mainland experienced a period most families hope to never face: her young daughter was diagnosed with kidney cancer and an extremely rare congenital heart defect. Fortunately, her daughter survived (and is 'Aurora', one of the Dragon Academy story characters), but her marriage of 17 years did not. 'It was a really challenging time,' she recalls. 'I was at my lowest.'
But rather than let these hardships define her, Mainland saw an opportunity for reflection. As her daughter began to recover, she took a step back to reevaluate what truly mattered. The answer, she says, emerged through her children.
Above The nine characters of the Dragon Academy (Photo: courtesy of Dragon Academy)
'During the lockdown, my daughters were learning Korean on Duolingo because it was 'cool' despite the thousands of dollars I spent on Chinese tutoring,' she says, laughing. 'That's when I knew I had to make learning Chinese as cool as Korean or Japanese.'
Even without the influence of K-pop or manga, the world's hunger for Chinese speakers is growing rapidly. Experts predict the global Chinese language learning market will hit $13.1 billion by 2027, with an annual growth rate of nearly 12 per cent. As Dragon Academy gets ready to kick off its first round of outside funding, Mainland hopes the platform will play a major role in shaping this exciting and fast-changing industry.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Tatler Asia
2 days ago
- Tatler Asia
11 films with love triangles to get you ready for ‘Materialists'
Past Lives (2023) Above The film stars Greta Lee, Teo Yoo and John Magaro (Photo: IMDb) In Materialists director Celine Song's feature film debut, two childhood friends contemplate the nature of their relationship as they grow apart, live separate lives and finally reunite. The film stars Greta Lee, Teo Yoo and John Magaro. The Notebook (2004) Above The film stars Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams, James Marsden and James Garner (Photo: IMDb) A young couple in the 1940s falls passionately in love despite obstacles trying to keep them apart. Directed by Nick Cassavetes, the film stars Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams, James Marsden and James Garner. The Dreamers (2003) Above Directed by Bernardo Bertolucci, the film stars Eva Green, Louis Garrel and Michael Pitt (Photo: IMDb) Set against the backdrop of the 1968 Paris student riots, a young American student becomes entangled in a strange dynamic with a French brother and sister. Directed by Bernardo Bertolucci, the film stars Eva Green, Louis Garrel and Michael Pitt. Y Tu Mamá También (2001) Above The film stars Diego Luna, Gael García Bernal and Maribel Verdú (Photo: IMDb) In this seminal coming-of-age drama, two teenage best friends embark on a road trip with an older woman across rural Mexico. Directed by Alfonso Cuarón, the film stars Diego Luna, Gael García Bernal and Maribel Verdú. Bridget Jones's Diary (2001) Above The film stars Renée Zellweger, Colin Firth and Hugh Grant (Photo: IMDb) Bridget Jones, a thirty-something single woman in London, decides to start keeping a diary while she searches for love. Directed by Sharon Maguire, the film stars Renée Zellweger, Colin Firth and Hugh Grant. My Best Friend's Wedding (1997) Above The film stars Julia Roberts, Dermot Mulroney and Cameron Diaz (Photo: IMDb) A New York City food critic attempts to sneakily sabotage her lifelong best friend's wedding to a wealthy college student. Directed by PJ Hogan, the film stars Julia Roberts, Dermot Mulroney and Cameron Diaz. The Age of Innocence (1993) Above The film stars Daniel Day-Lewis, Winona Ryder and Michelle Pfeiffer (Photo: IMDb) Based on the novel by Edith Wharton, this Gilded Age romance follows a wealthy lawyer drawn to a mysterious countess despite his engagement to her cousin. Directed by Martin Scorsese, the film stars Daniel Day-Lewis, Winona Ryder and Michelle Pfeiffer. Sabrina (1954) Above The film stars Audrey Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart and William Holden (Photo: IMDb) A chauffer's daughter returns home from Paris and catches the attention of both a playboy bachelor and his business-minded brother. Directed by Billy Wilder, the film stars Audrey Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart and William Holden. The Earrings of Madame de… (1953) Above The film stars Charles Boyer, Danielle Darrieux and Vittorio de Sica (Photo: IMDb) An aristocratic woman sets off a series of unexpected events after she sells a pair of earrings given to her by her husband. Directed by Max Ophüls, the film stars Charles Boyer, Danielle Darrieux and Vittorio de Sica. Gone with the Wind (1939) Above The film stars Vivien Leigh, Clark Gable and Leslie Howard (Photo: IMDb) This historical epic follows a manipulative Southern belle and a roguish bachelor as they endure the collapse of their high-class society during and after the American Civil War. Directed by Victor Fleming, the film stars Vivien Leigh, Clark Gable and Leslie Howard. NOW READ 12 best Hollywood films about Hollywood 10 inspirational sports films to watch 7 times that 'Oscar baiting' worked for films
Sydney Morning Herald
13-06-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
The scariest thing about Trump? Nothing he does can shock us any more
For a president famed for his shock value, the dog days of June have actually been some of the least shocking of his tenure. The break-up of Donald Trump and Elon Musk must have been on everyone's bingo card. Surely no one was surprised when their divorce exploded on social media, and we feasted on a pass-the-popcorn moment writ large in Trump-scale signage. A trope of the Trump years is that a Hollywood scriptwriter would be laughed out of town for authoring such a madcap screenplay. America is in its final season, goes the joke, and the showrunners have completely jumped the shark. On this occasion, however, they would have been sent back to the writing room, and told to try harder. The personal insults. The threats of cancelled government contracts. Even Musk's taunt about the Jeffrey Epstein files felt cliched. I would not even have been surprised if either Trump or Musk had sought to monetise their row by launching a crypto coin in the shape of a broken heart. That is a measure of how, in the 10 years since Trump descended that golden escalator, the abnormal has been normalised. The chaos in Los Angeles was also entirely foreseeable. A crackdown on protesters in a Democratic-run city in a Democratic-run state was always going to be an obvious Trump play. Better still, the faux flashpoint came when agents from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) tried to arrest and expel unauthorised immigrants. For Trump, the staging for this American passion play could hardly have been more perfect. And what a dramatis personae and props. An African-American Democratic mayor, Karen Bass. A liberal Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, with a surname that lends itself to the playground slur 'Newscum' which Trump rejoices in using. A Democratic US senator, Alex Padilla, being bundled out of a press conference and then handcuffed after trying to ask Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem a question. Protesters waving the national flag of Mexico. And a big beautiful battalion of federalised National Guard, under the president's command and control, with 700 US Marines standing by on the fringes of the city. 'Lights! Camera! Action!' A Hollywood summer blockbuster executive produced by the country's most powerful executive. Nor should we overlook how the Democratic Party, and the Biden administration in particular, was crucial in the plot development. 'Democrats have gotten the border issue so wrong, for so long, that it amounts to political malpractice,' wrote W ashington Post columnist David Ignatius, a frequent Trump critic. Loading The Musk meltdown and Los Angeles showdown are, of course, linked. Trump, whose personal approval ratings have slumped sharply, needed a distraction after the breakdown of his billionaire bromance, and Musk's complaints that the 'One Big Beautiful Bill' would add $2.4 trillion to the deficit. So Trump became the first US president since 1965 to federalise the National Guard without the agreement of a state governor. Back then, in one of the most climactic showdowns of the civil rights era, president Lyndon Johnson did so to protect black protesters marching between Montgomery and Selma, who had been bludgeoned by Alabama state troopers on 'Bloody Sunday'. Johnson's opponent was George Wallace, the white supremacist governor of Alabama, a 'Dixie' demagogue often viewed as a populist forerunner of Trump. Wallace would have applauded the president's announcement this week restoring the names of seven army bases which honoured Confederate leaders.
Metro
13-06-2025
- Metro
Yakuza 0 Director's Cut review - Kiryu on the Nintendo Switch 2
One of the best Yakuza games is remastered for the Nintendo Switch 2 with new content and features, but is it worth the inflated price tag? For anyone who hasn't played many current gen games over the past few years, the Switch 2 launch line-up is a stacked compilation of hits to catch up with. Mario Kart World might be the headline act, but between Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition, Split Fiction, Hogwarts Legacy, Street Fighter 6, and upgraded versions of arguably the best two Zelda games, it's a well-rounded recap of the modern gaming landscape. Another one of these titles is Yakuza 0 Director's Cut, a re-release of the PlayStation 4 game which came out in 2017. By most accounts, it's recognised as one of the best games in the Yakuza (now Like A Dragon) series, and helped catapult its popularity in the west. We'd argue Yakuza: Like A Dragon is a better entry point now, in terms of modern gameplay standards, but as an origin story for characters Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Majima, Yakuza 0 still makes the most sense from a story perspective. This new version is basically the same beat 'em-up gangster drama as before, only repackaged with some additional perks for the Switch 2. If you're looking for a route into the series with your shiny new handheld, this is a worthwhile pick-up, but the portable element is the only real upside to this expanded cut. If you want a breakdown of the game, you can check out our original review of the PlayStation 4 version. The Director's Cut is fundamentally the same games, but some aspects are showing their age eight years later – namely the combat. It's still enjoyably scrappy in its arcade sensibilities, especially in the scripted Heat actions, but when compared to the variety and fluidity of modern entries, Yakuza 0's combat has become a stiff throwback. Everything else holds up reasonably well and there's a visual upgrade on the Switch 2, with 60fps and 4K support when docked. It helps make the city streets of Kamurucho pop, especially at night, but it's a shame other improvements weren't made elsewhere, like the character models outside of cut scenes or the presentation of menus, to give it a modern finish. Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. There are also new, if minor, additions. The Director's Cut comes with an English dub, and while recent entries like Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth have decent English voicework, the performances here are a drastic step down when compared to the Japanese actors. We might be too attuned to the latter to comprehend any changes to Kiryu's delivery, but listening to the English dub is a real slog. The biggest addition is the multiplayer mode Red Light Raid. Here, you team up with up to three other players online to fight waves of enemies over multiple stages, with the occasional boss encounter thrown in. There are six missions in total, with each one ramping up the difficulty. Any money you earn over these runs can be used to unlock new characters to scrap with, including Goro Majima, Akira Nishikiyama, or obscure fighters pulled from the Coliseum like the clown Red Lip Yamamoto. When you're fighting alongside three other human players (any empty spots are filled by CPUs), there's a chaotic charm in seeing classic Yakuza 0 characters steamroll through enemy goons in rapid succession. However, Red Light Raid is little more than a shallow distraction – a tacked-on mode which is a nice novelty for a few rounds, but nothing you'll return to in the weeks to come. For Yakuza nerds, the driving appeal of the Director's Cut is, as the title suggests, the inclusion of new cut scenes. There are 26 minutes of new footage in total and, as confirmed by producer Makoto Suzuki, these are scenes which were dropped from the original game, and not new inventions thrown in after the fact. More Trending The problem is, as is often the case with deleted scenes, you realise why most of these were cut in the first place. At their best, these inclusions add colour to Kiryu's relationships with characters like Nishikiyama, and while a neat extra, they're not worthwhile enough to make up for the knocks to the pacing. At their worst, some of these scenes are emblematic of the series' most irritating storytelling habits, with one character's death being inexplicably reversed, to the narrative's detriment. Yakuza 0 Director's Cut is a tough game to evaluate, as it depends on your familiarity with the franchise. If you have access to other platforms, the original game is cheaper and you won't be missing much. However, if you're looking for a gateway into the series and have a Switch 2, this is a great, if expensive, option with a few inconsequential extras thrown in. For long time fans though, this expanded version will likely become an odd curiosity over the definitive edition. In Short: An excellent Yakuza game with some Switch 2 benefits, but the bonuses fail to justify the high price tag. Pros: Still one of the best entries in the series, even if it is showing its age in some areas. Looks great on the Switch 2, with 60fps and 4K support. Cons: New multiplayer mode is largely forgettable. Extra scenes are disappointing. Score: 7/10 Formats: Nintendo Switch 2Price: £44.99Publisher: SegaDeveloper: Ryu Ga Gotoku StudioRelease Date: 5th June 2025 Age Rating: 18 Email gamecentral@ leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader's Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. MORE: Games Inbox: Is Nintendo the best video game company ever? MORE: The 8 worst Nintendo games ever – from Welcome Tour to Donkey Kong Jet Race MORE: How to unlock everything in Mario Kart World: all characters, costumes and more
