(COURTESY OF REX HOW)

Any non-native speaker interested in learning Chinese needn't be intimidated by the language's countless characters any longer.

Starting with a basic vocabulary of only 200 characters, ChineseCUBES creates a never-before-seen multisensory teaching method that makes learning Chinese fun and easy.

Rex How (ZHANG JUAN)

"I believe that learning should be fun, a process that encourages using one's own creativity and imagination, especially when learning Mandarin Chinese, " said Rex How, a publisher in Taiwan and the program's designer, at a press conference on December 6 in New York City. His program won the 2013 iF Communication Design Award at the end of November.

Chinese is rated as one of the most daunting languages for English speakers to learn. Over 3,000 characters are combined in myriad ways to form a basic vocabulary for everyday use.

"Many Westerners will skip learning characters altogether and just learn how to speak Chinese. They may speak Chinese fluently, but are very poor at reading, not to mention writing," said How, adding that "Ironically, they skip learning Chinese characters to save some time but end up with the opposite result."

"Every time Westerners hear that you can make more than 30,000 meaningful phrases and sentences with only 200 Chinese characters, they are always amazed," How said. He strongly believes in the logic of Chinese block characters and in the power of technology.

The methodology utilizes "character cubes" similar to building blocks and augmented reality (AR) software to create a novel tool for language learners. Each cube represents one Chinese character and has on it a unique AR marker--similar to a quick response code or barcode--that makes the cube come to life onscreen when placed in front of a webcam. Audio and visual instructions teach learners how to say, write and use the characters. Learners can then arrange and play with the cubes to naturally grasp Chinese grammar and language in an interactive fashion.

"ChineseCUBES acts as a bridge for beginners to cross the chasm of intimidation when learning Chinese," said Wang Shuhan, former deputy director of the National Foreign Language Center at University of Maryland.

"Not only is it a tool that has never been seen before, it truly applies the teaching philosophy of 'student-centered' education," she added.

(Reporting from New York City)