How to Recommend a Mahjong App to Your Students

If you teach American mahjong, you've heard the question: "Is there an app I can practice on?"

It's a good sign. It means she wants to keep going. But it puts you on the spot, because the app she downloads will shape what she practices, and some of what she learns, until your next class.

Here's how to choose one you're comfortable recommending.

Why recommend an app at all?

Because the week between lessons is where students lose ground.

She leaves class glowing, then sits down the next week having forgotten half of it. Not because she didn't try, but because there was nothing to practice with in between. The right app gives her a way to rep what you taught, so next week you start ahead instead of starting over.

It also helps you. Students who practice ask sharper questions, and you spend less class time re-teaching the basics. And confident players are the ones who sign up for your open plays and events, which keeps your calendar booked with the things that keep your business running.

What should you look for in an app for students?

Play it yourself first. You'll know within a few sessions whether it teaches the way you do. While you play, check for:

• The current NMJL card. Your students are learning this year's hands, so the app should be too.
• The Charleston. It's the part beginners find most intimidating. An app that skips it skips the thing they most need to practice.
• Explanations, not just answers. If it says a move was wrong, does it say why? If the reasoning doesn't match how you teach, that's worth knowing before you recommend it.
• The right level. Brand-new students need lessons that start from zero. Students who've finished a series need practice on real decisions. Few apps do both equally well, so you may recommend different ones at different stages.
• Clear pricing. Know what's free and what isn't, so no student feels surprised.

For the full checklist, see How to Choose an American Mahjong App.

What should you tell students when you recommend one?

A few words from you make the app far more useful.

• Tell them what to practice. "This week, do a few Charleston rounds a day" beats "download this."
• Tell them you're still the authority. If the app ever says something different from what you taught, they should bring it to class. Those are some of the best questions you'll get.
• Tell them the app doesn't replace the table. Practice is for the week. Games and classes are where it comes together.

You stay the teacher. The app is homework they actually want to do.

How do you fit app practice into a class series?

Some ideas teachers can try:

• Assign one skill per week, matched to that week's lesson: the card one week, the Charleston the next, discards after that.
• Start class with "What tripped you up this week?" Students bring the hands that confused them, and you teach from real questions.
• Point graduates to practice. When a series ends, practice keeps students playing until they find a regular game, or sign up for your next series.

Looking for more ways to keep students playing? How to Start a Mahjong Club is a natural next step for a class that's ready to keep going.

Where does Bird Bam Mahjong fit?

Full disclosure: we make Bird Bam Mahjong, and we built it for exactly this gap between lessons. It's for students who know the basics and want to get better at the decisions: The Daily Rack, The Charleston, What Would You Throw? and The Pivot, with Bammie, your coach, explaining the why. It isn't a from-zero course, so for brand-new students, your class comes first.

We wrote more about how teachers use it in Dear Mahjong Instructor: Bird Bam Was Built With You in Mind.

Teachers, tell us: what do you want your students practicing between classes? Share it with us on Instagram at @cheersbirdbam, or email us at hello@birdbam.app. We read every one.

Try it before you recommend it. Bird Bam Mahjong is now on the App Store for iPhone and iPad. Every new player starts with 5 days of full access, free, which is plenty of time to see whether it fits how you teach. Download Bird Bam Mahjong.

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