Gallery
Ian McGraw
In between my BA at Stanford University and my Ph.D. at MIT, I came to China to get a solid foundation in the Chinese language. I thought that I was capable of teaching myself Chinese as I had done with other subjects in the past. I even had the advantage of having quite a few bilingual friends who were willing to help me out. After two months of self-study, however, I realized my progress was depressingly slow. I needed help.
Thus, I contacted That's Mandarin. It was definitely the best decision. Their methods are truly innovative. I can still remember the first lesson when Guo-laoshi explained to me the beauty of the Chinese language by constructing a vocabulary list of interconnected words. For example, if I were given the word wai4guo2ren2 (meaning foreigner), he would also explain the meanings of wai4bian1 (outside), guo2jia1 (country), ren2 (person). They created a web of interrelated words to study, making memorization quicker and easier.
As my Chinese improved, That's Mandarin 's methods adapted. After four months my vocabulary was over three thousand words and I was able to improvise full stories during class. Outside of the classroom I found myself able to hold steady conversations and follow much of the rapid-fire dialog of a Chinese television show. I also began to break free of the canned-examples of the text books and started reading characters in the form of signs, subtitles, and even comic books.
From the very first day I met them, I knew they were the right teachers for me. Their energy matched my enthusiasm for learning, and their methods are created from the very core of what makes Chinese such a wonderful language. Thus, if you are a serious student of Chinese or would like to become one, I whole heartedly recommend you learn with That's MandarinRead more testimonials...
Accommodation
For students on our small group intensive Chinese program in Beijing, we will provide accommodation in Seasons Park, a modern apartment complex situated right next to our Dongzhimen Chinese School. Each student will have their own room (with a bed, desk and wardrobe, as well as bed linen, pillows and towels), and shared living room, bathroom and kitchen with other students on the small group intensive program. All apartments also have broadband access. See the photos below of the accommodation in Seasons Park.
Although accommodation is not included in the tuition fees for students on our other Chinese courses in Beijing, we can still help you to find a comfortable and affordable place to stay while you study with us.
If you would like to find your own apartment in Beijing, we can put you in touch with a good housing agent, who will help you to find a suitable apartment close to one of our Chinese schools. Alternatively, we can put up notices in our schools and ask around among our existing students about spare rooms for rent. If you will only be with us for a short period and are planning to stay in a hotel or hostel, get in touch and we can give you some recommendations. Please check out our blog posts about accommodation near our Dongzhimen Chinese School and accommodation near our Wudaokou Chinese School for more information.
All apartments include the following
- Close to the school (no more than 15 minutes walk)
- Bedroom’s include – bed linen, pillows, and towels. There is also desk and wardrobe
- Living area, bathroom and kitchen.
- All types of accommodation have broadband access