Make learning Chinese fun: Cheryl Mainland's Dragon Academy uses storytelling and technology to revolutionise Mandarin education

Tatler Asia

6 days ago

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.