Our Story

About Constructing Language

Constructing Language was built by people who made the journey themselves. Every course, every audio lesson, and every grammar graphic was designed with one goal: to give learners the clearest, most efficient path to genuine fluency in Japanese and Mandarin Chinese.

How It Started

Luke moved to Japan with no knowledge of the language. Faced with the reality of learning one of the world's most structurally complex languages, he found that most available courses either overwhelmed beginners with grammar rules or trained them to repeat phrases without understanding why they worked. Neither approach produced the kind of fluency he was looking for.

Working with Hiro, a native Japanese speaker and educator, Luke developed a different approach: one that treated language learning as a construction process. Rather than memorising disconnected vocabulary or drilling grammar in isolation, the method builds the language in deliberate layers — sounds first, then vocabulary patterns, then grammatical structure, then natural expression. Each layer supports the next, creating a compounding effect that mirrors how native speakers develop language from childhood.

After completing the Japanese course, Luke applied the same method to Mandarin Chinese, partnering with Xiang to build a course that takes learners from the tones and phonetics of Pinyin all the way through to natural conversation. The result is a course library built entirely on the principle that language is not memorised — it is constructed.

The Instructors

Meet the Team

These courses were built by people who actually made the journey. Luke has lived in Japan and China, learned both languages from scratch, and partnered with native speakers to create something genuinely useful.

Luke and Hiro, instructors of the Constructing Japanese course
🇯🇵 Japanese Course

Luke & Hiro

Luke learned Japanese from scratch while living in Japan. Together with Hiro, a native Japanese speaker and language educator, they built the Construction Method from the ground up — creating a course that takes complete beginners to confident, natural Japanese.

Luke and Xiang, instructors of the Constructing Chinese course
🇨🇳 Chinese Course

Luke & Xiang

After mastering Japanese, Luke took on Mandarin Chinese, partnering with Xiang to apply the same structured Construction Method to one of the world's most spoken languages — building a course that makes Mandarin genuinely accessible to English speakers.

"Language is not memorised, it is built."

This is the principle behind every course we make. Language acquisition is a construction process — and when you understand how the language is assembled, fluency follows naturally.

What Every Course Includes

Structured Audio Lessons

Carefully sequenced modules that build on each other, taking you from sounds and phonetics to natural conversation.

Lifetime Downloads

Instant access to all audio files, grammar graphics, and PDF course books. One-time payment, yours to keep forever.

Learn Anywhere

Audio-first courses designed for commutes, gym sessions, or anywhere you want to learn on the go — no internet required.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about the team, the method, and the courses.

Who are the instructors behind Constructing Language?

Constructing Language was founded by Luke, a British language learner who lived in Japan and later learned Mandarin Chinese from scratch. He partnered with Hiro, a native Japanese speaker and educator, to create the Japanese course, and with Xiang, a native Mandarin speaker, to create the Chinese course. All courses are built by people who have made the same journey the student is about to take.

What makes the Construction Method different from other language courses?

Most language courses teach vocabulary lists and grammar rules in isolation. The Construction Method treats language as a building process: sounds first, then high-frequency vocabulary, then grammatical structure, then natural expression. Each stage reinforces the last, creating a compounding effect that mirrors how native speakers actually develop language.

Are the courses suitable for complete beginners?

Yes. Every course starts from zero — no prior knowledge of the language is assumed. The Foundation stage covers pronunciation and phonetics before any vocabulary or grammar is introduced, ensuring you build correct habits from the very first lesson.

How do I get support if I have a question?

You can reach the team at [email protected]. We aim to respond to all enquiries within one business day.

Ready to start constructing?

Browse the full course library and find the right starting point for your language journey.

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