ExcelMandarin — Local services in New York

I first took Q1 of ExcelMandarin with Evan back in 2018. Over the years, even though I didn’t practice much, I noticed that some of the concepts I learned back then really stuck with me. Recently, with more time and energy to devote to learning Mandarin, I decided to give it another try. I just finished the Q1 2024 quarter, and I’m amazed at how much the program has improved since my first experience!

The ExcelMandarin team has clearly invested a lot of time and research into refining the program. The integration between the online classes, the EM app, and the homework system is seamless, making it a truly cohesive learning experience. Personally, I struggle with staying motivated for independent study, so having this structured class was exactly what I needed to make real progress.

Eco老师 and Tim老师 made the classes engaging, interactive, and fun, which kept me looking forward to each session. I also loved learning alongside other students who were at the same level—it really fostered a sense of connection and support over the seven weeks.

For anyone considering joining, it’s important to know that this isn’t a casual, self-paced program. The scheduled lessons (three times per week) are paired with substantial pre-class homework. Don’t be intimidated, though! The homework is enjoyable and highly motivating because the content is interesting, the structure is clear, and the teachers provide quick, actionable feedback. Plus, there are plenty of opportunities (through fun games!) during class to practice grammar and vocabulary, so it all comes together naturally.

During Q1 (I can’t speak to later quarters yet), the focus was entirely on speaking and fluency, so we only worked with pinyin and didn’t learn characters. This is intentional for a couple of reasons: they prioritize building conversational skills first, and they also want the classes to be inclusive for students interested in either simplified or traditional characters. Since both systems have distinct differences, it would be difficult to teach both effectively in the same class while covering all the other content. However, for students who want to learn to read or type in Chinese characters, the companion EM reader app is a fantastic resource. It allows you to toggle between pinyin, simplified characters, and traditional characters. I’ve been passively picking up reading skills while studying vocabulary (mostly so I can keep up with my partner’s family WeChat message group!), and if you recognize characters and can read pinyin, it’s easy to start typing using a pinyin keyboard!

Overall, I’m incredibly impressed with ExcelMandarin and can’t wait to continue with Q2. If you’re looking for a program that combines structure, community, and quality teaching, I highly recommend giving it a try. I’ll update my review after Q2 with any...

This review is after completion of three courses: the 4-week intro class and two 7-week quarters of Excel Mandarin’s Fluency series.

The Excel Mandarin learning method appears to be the most effective learning format out there. It unconditionally focuses on enabling Mandarin listening and speaking skills for daily life situations. I have tried other formats before, such as group classes and individual tutoring, as well as individual apps, which were all of course helpful but not providing me with the learning progress I had been seeking. This method does for me what other approaches I tried could not do – it enabled me to hold a basic conversation in Mandarin with increasing confidence. It also did a shift in my mind and taught me how to learn.

The method makes students speak and practice in Mandarin right away all the time. Right from the first class, students learn to overcome this huge mental hurdle, anxiety and hesitation and learn to listen and speak Mandarin and embedded the words and grammar structures. The class format itself is online in a small, intimate group setting. The classes feel relaxed and engaging, and it is fun and motivating to connect with the teachers and peer learners. The two teachers I so far studied with, Eco and Tim, are just stellar.

It must be clearly stated though- This method requires the regular time commitment to prepare for each class, besides the normal time for work and social life. There are three evening classes per week, and it is essential to use the days in-between to study and complete homework. Only a prepared mind will be relaxed to take the benefit of the reverse classroom approach. To support this, there is a dedicated tailored Excel Mandarin app providing weekly vocabulary, grammar teachings, homework assignments and dedicated articles and online office hour, with immediate supporting feedback on homework provided. The app is well designed, connecting content, fellow students and teachers. At the end of the quarter, students are giving a short, few-minutes basic presentation about one topic of their choice and then answer questions by their fellow students …. All in Mandarin, with the vocabulary and grammar kit learned so far. At the end of each quarter, I felt an incredible sense of accomplishment...

ExcelMandarin is the best school I know for anyone trying to aim for Mandarin fluency. This applies to both absolute beginners (with zero background learning Chinese) to some beginners (with some experience learning Chinese but are unable to speak fluently). I have tried other methods of learning Chinese before (private lessons with various teachers, and apps) but none were even as close to as effective at developing my skills as ExcelMandarin was.

By the end of the first quarter composing of 10 weeks (there are three quarters to full fluency), our whole class (mostly composing of absolute beginners in the beginning) could have conversation in Chinese with each other and our teachers. For example we could talk about our interests, what we did last week, what we plan to do next month, where we want to travel, describe relative locations of objects, articulate comparisons, and much more. I have never felt my speaking improve so fast, and also in a way, so effortlessly. I feel very comfortable speaking Chinese already, and this it has only been 10 weeks! I am excited for what's in store for the next two quarters for total fluency. I think the 3x classes a week is a good sweet spot by making it feel like language immersion while not having too many classes to burn ourselves out and feel overwhelmed. I was able to do this while working full time with somewhat busy hours and it still worked out very well.

In addition to the accelerated learning, I must emphasize how fun the learning process was. The classes are very social and we get a lot of practice using our newly learned sentences on our classmates and the teachers. This contrasts to a traditional lecture style classroom. Instead, these classes were full of social engagement. This helps us bond and learn more about each other. The community is very supportive, and the teachers always give amazing feedback in real-time in the classroom, and also on our homework assignments online. They are extremely encouraging. You can tell they are invested in all of us improving, and I feel like I am well taken care of.

You will quickly become fluent. The community is awesome. And the learning environment is so fun that it feels more like a hobby rather than work. I highly recommend ExcelMandarin to anyone...