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Nick Clarke
What That's Mandarin lacks in veneer it more than makes up for with second to none teaching, passion to improve your language ability and stimulating course materials. Forget boring and repetitive grammar drills; look forward to cautionary tales that captivate your imagination yet make this seemingly impossible language conquerable!
After studying Chinese at a nearby University for a semester, and doing so like a geek, I wasn't happy with my progress -- especially with my speaking skills. I was about to give up completely, so I can't thank the teachers enough for rescuing me! And the staff too -- freshly made coffee every time I walked in the door was a great incentive!
That's Mandarin is a great place to learn. The stigma attached to a private school that says private schools aren't recognized like a famous university is nonsensical. Go to a big fancy University and get a certificate. Go to That's Mandarin and get another language. What are you really here for?Read more testimonials...
Kids and Teens Chinese Classes
That’s Mandarin offers both one on one and small group classes that are specially tailored to give children their first introduction to Chinese. Amongst our staff are teachers trained in teaching Chinese to under-18s, right down to the 5 year old age group. Together they explore language, culture, cartoons and songs. There is a constant focus on pronunciation so that the student develops a strong foundation in Chinese from an early age. Our 5-17 year old classes ensure the student is getting all the benefits of studying at That’s Mandarin, using a method that will make their first introduction to Chinese interesting and above all fun.
Class structure and content varies according to age group. Students in the 5-7 and 8-12 year old age groups will have three 50 minute lessons per week. Two of these lessons will be individual and the third will be held on a Friday with a group of three other students.
Students in the 13-16 year old age group will also have three lessons per week. Each of these classes will consist of two 50 minute sessions with a ten minute break in between. Two of these lessons are individual and the third is a small group session on a Friday.
Our Methods:
- Games and fun approaches to memorization
- Enjoy cartoons and kids TV shows together
- Read comics and short stories
- Enjoy the wonders and intricacies of Chinese characters
- picking up some of the traditional ‘ChengYu’ expressions.
- Encourage the child to be confident in speaking and attentive in listening
Young Chinese Learner’s Test (YCT)
The YCT is a Chinese proficiency test for non-native speaking Chinese learners under the age of 15. YCT aims to assess the learners’ ability to understand basic spoken and written Chinese, and is divided into three levels. It is useful as evidence of a student’s Chinese ability when applying for programs abroad. Take a free trial online Chinese class with us today and we can advise on which level best suits your child, as well tailoring a study plan to ensure exam success.
- YCT Level 1 – requires a vocabulary of 300 daily used words, and the ability to introduce oneself, and talk about family, time, numbers, clothes, food and drink.
- YCT Level 2 – vocabulary of 600 words, and able to read short passages relating to study, as well able to express feelings and beliefs, and discuss topics such as sports.
- YCT Level 3 – vocabulary of 900 words and able to perform daily communications with few problems. Also must be able to write short passages with few grammatical errors, as well as discuss more sophisticated subjects such as science.