That's Mandarin — Local services in Shanghai

Hi everyone! I wanted to take some time to talk about my experience with That's Mandarin.

TM was the first time I've ever had a professional tutor. At first I was a bit apprehensive, because I've heard a lot of negative things about language classes (they're boring, they amount to busywork, blah blah blah), but there were some specific points in my ability I needed to fix. Many people think they can take Chinese on themselves. However, Chinese is like a forest, you can wander and get lost, but it's so much better and more fun when you have a guide!

So I gave them a call and explained my situation. The next day, they had me set up with a free trial class, and by the end of it I was completely sold. I think I bought more classes that day 🤣.

I think the thing I was most impressed by was the customizability. Although they do have a solid curriculum to follow in a normal case, on any given day I can send my tutor a list of things I want to talk about. While I was very far from being a beginner, I was still pretty undirected and knew I sounded weird, and my teacher's done wonders to help string together my words and sound native.

Because of this customizability, I think even if you have way less than I do, or nothing at all, the school would be able to help you. The tutors all speak great English, but when I was ready to kick off the English crutches, it was pretty fluid, and probably 80% of my lessons are in Chinese now. Not to mention anything I misunderstood was typed by my tutor and permanently saved for my own review online later. So it's like taking a class in college, but you're the only person and your teacher takes the notes for you 😎

watching TV makes more sense then ever before, my native speaker girlfriend thinks I'm a different person, and I have since starting a few months ago (not exaggerating) began dreaming in Chinese.

If you have any Chinese aspirations at all-- just call and have a free lesson. With some dedication, the school just might be your ticket...

The learning experience is really great. I have been here already 6 weeks, ranging from intensive to part time group classes and I learned a lot. The focus has been mainly on speaking, listening and reading, as the small group size kind of encourages that. The staff is very nice and helpful, each teacher has their own teaching style and it is great experience.

As for the actual class experience. Depending on your language level, there might be a fitting group available otherwise, you will get 1on1 sessions. This is usually a really nice experience, but if you booked a group class which should last 3 hours, in a 1on1 setting, it last only 2 hours. I made that experience with both, the intensive and the part-time group classes. Something to keep in mind.

Further on, each class is usually structured around a topic. In the lower levels, there are usually three vocab sections which are then used in a respective video for that topic. The higher levels have usually one vocab section with a longer text and no video. Both are fine and support the learning process well!

The facilities are modern (with free coffee and tee!) and are located in the heart of Shanghai. Have a look at the attached pictures, the view is great!

To round up the experience, they developed their own website, which runs also great on mobile!

As long as my time allows, I would attend the classes and recommend it for everyone who wants to...

I give That's Mandarin language school my highest recommendation. I take one on one classes from the U.S. using their language study platform Nihao cafe. Their instructors are extremely knowledgable and talented. My current instructor, Wang Laoshi, is extraordinary. Whether you are a fast learner or slow, beginner or more experienced they teach at a speed you is tailored to you knowledge and skill. They are extraordinarily patient, so if you make mistakes, you never feel embarrassed, which makes learning much more effective and comfortable. I have also had lessons in person at their Shanghai campus in Jing'an. It's very modern and classrooms comfortable. Also, the teachers are always will and able to discuss and explain Chinese culture, which is critical to learning the language. Finally, while we almost always have the class in Chinese, my teachers have always been fluent in English, so if you have questions you need to ask in English, they always understand and give answers clearly. That's Mandarin classes are vert reasonably priced and the school should be everyone's first choice for Chinese...