Zero to Intermediate in 2 Years
I’ve been taking 1:1 online classes with That’s Mandarin Beijing for almost 2 years now and I highly recommend them if you’re looking to learn Mandarin Chinese! I started learning Chinese with TM from absolute zero. Now, two years later, I can have comfortable 1-hour long conversations completely in Chinese about a wide range of topics! I of course still have a long ways to go, but 2 years to get from zero to a solid intermediate level through part-time study (average of 2 classes/week) is not bad at all! One of the things I like most about TM’s teaching method, is that the teacher teaches in Chinese right from the get-go. Even when I knew almost nothing, my teacher still tried to explain slowly and carefully to help me understand. Taking English out of the learning process has rapidly sped up my learning progress. The learning content is also very well paced. Each lesson has a vocabulary list of 5-10 new words, 1-2 grammar points, and a matching 1-2 minute video that uses the new words and grammar in context. You can get reading, listening and speaking shadowing practice all-in-one. All of the course content is online. Side Note: The video transcripts have real people voicing them, not AI-voices, so it is very clear and natural sounding which I appreciate! I’ve found that most value I’ve gotten from TM’s curriculum is in the expanded conversation I have with my teacher on that day’s topic. Often times we go through the vocabulary and grammar fairly quickly, which leaves a lot of time for spontaneous conversation. I talk A LOT in my classes. I find this free conversation time very valuable because I can practice reproducing the new content in different ways, and it mimics real-life interactions very well. The two teachers I’ve had so far have been absolutely amazing. My current teacher, 孟晨, is so patient, enthusiastic and really fun to talk to. I’ve made many mistakes in my classes, and even after correcting me on the same grammar point for maybe the 50th time, Teacher Meng is never impatient. I also really enjoy our conversations and the way she lets our classes flow naturally. Teacher Meng gives me ample time to think and form sentences on my own, never interrupts or rushes me, and always makes sure to note down corrections. Every lesson is so interesting, and ends with dozens of new vocabulary words and sentence examples to review later. My classes with Teacher Meng are one of the things I look forward to most in the week! Aside from the great teachers, That’s Mandarin also has great admin staff who are super kind, very accommodating, and answer promptly whenever I have scheduling changes to make. Shout out to Kitty, she’s the best! I’ve had a great experience with That’s Mandarin and progressed so much with their help!