Chinese Programs in Shanghai&Suzhou with Silk Mandarin

Name: Chinese Programs in Shanghai&Suzhou with Silk Mandarin
Brand: Silk Mandarin Language School
SKU: 202270
Rating: 4.92 (252 reviews)

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4.92 Rating

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Location

China
- Shanghai

Length

2 weeks

Language

Chinese

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Program Details

Immersion Level

Intensive Standard

Class Size

Private Lessons Small Class (1-7) Medium Class (8-15)

Weekly Classroom Hours

Housing

Apartment Host Family Hostel Hotel

Pricing

Starting Price

830

Price Details

1 orientation + 32 Face2face classes
1 Course Instruction video
7 Pinyin videos
41 self-study videos for preview and review
12 extensive listening videos
12 bonus videos+12 recap videos
HSK 1 Standard Course Textbook & audios
HSK 1 Standard Course Workbook & audios & answers
2 pinyin quizzes
12 self-study quizzes
15 units and 5 combo Quizlet
Midterm Quiz
Final Exam
12 new words Handouts
12 character worksheets(downloadable)
4 vocabulary&grammar review checklist handout
Listening text pinyin version of
HSK 1 Standard Course Workbook
vocabulary&character flashcards

What's Included

Some Activities Classes Wifi

What's Not Included

Accommodation Airfare Airport Transfers Meals Travel Insurance Visa

Last Updated: Apr 09, 2024

Last Reviewed: Apr 25, 2025

Wish List

35 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Intensive Program: With 6 lessons a day you will feel immersed in Chinese language and culture. Listening, speaking, reading and writing, and will all be taught in a balanced way. It aims at acquiring the highest level of Conversational Chinese. The focus of the lessons will be on daily life and this, combined with the use of games and pair/group work, will give an optimal learning environment and a full Chinese experience.

Part-time Program: The part-time courses are the perfect solution for those people that have a busy agenda. Part-time 4 and 2 are both top choices of people that work during the day or that prefer to study Chinese in a less intensive way. With part-time 4 and 2 you also have the possibility to choose to have class on weekdays or weekends.

Our Private Chinese Lessons account for the utmost flexible and personalised lessons. With our 1-on-1 course your class is tailored to your personal schedule and needs, focusing on topics of your choice.

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Video and Photos

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Program Highlights

Full immersion in Chinese language and culture.
Full time teachers native to China and bilingual.
Slow Motion Technique to teach you Chinese with just one rule.
2 in 1 curriculum to teach you Conversational Chinese and to prepare you to pass the HSK exam.
Group Class Starting Dates in 2025: Jan 13th, Feb 17th, Mar 10th, Apr 14th, May 12th, Jun 23rd, Jul 14th, Aug 11th, Sep 8th, Oct 13th, Nov 10th, Dec 8th

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Program Reviews

4.92 Rating

based on 252 reviews

Leave a Review

Rating Spread Language

5 rating 92.06%
4 rating 7.94%
3 rating 0%
2 rating 0%
1 rating 0%

Instruction 4.95
Support 4.95
Fun 4.9
Housing 4.75
Value 4.65

Good for Students

Showing 129 - 136 of 252 reviews

I had classes during almost a year once a week. My teacher Was amazing. Always very energetic, positive, passionate with her job and really patient! She is very talented to teach language. I learned a lot with her. She is quite well structured, method is efficient, and always available when I have a question. The school is very welcoming and professional. I really enjoyed the method which gave me a great learning experience mixing interactions, reading and listening - I will definitely continue my learning with Silk Mandarin.

What was your funniest moment?

When we share the cultural specificities between French and Chinese people :))

The course consists of good themes, valuable for living in the country.
I was very lucky to have my teacher Hailey. She is very patient.
I, as working person, can't spend enough time for systematic review. But she always explained me the theme again if needed.
It's very necessary to have someone, who can help you with language in real life. This kind of person is my teacher. She helps me all the time, not only working hours.
Furthermore, school proposes different kids of extra activities for learning culture, not only Chinese language. For example, for me playing Mangjong was very fascinating
I'd like to have more time for each theme to practice. Also it would be good to include more pinyin pronunciation practice into the book.

I have been a student at Silk Mandarin in Shanghai for 7 months. My choice could not be more appropriate.
Amy and all the staff has been friendly and exhaustive introducing me the school.
After a trial lesson I have started one to one sessions twice a week, with my super teacher Yanqin.
Every class is perfectly managed with a clear structure and you can feel the knowledge and the competence of the teacher. She is ready to answer to all my questions and makes me feel at ease to speak.
The slow motion method is great and makes easier to build up sentences; also the other tools recommended by the school, such as cards and pen reader are useful and help you a lot while studying to get the right pronunciation.
Silk Mandarin has made me feel in love with Chinese language and culture to the point that now that I have moved back to Italy, I am still having remote classes using the ClassIn app, which is an amazing e-learning platform, and I am willing to take the HSK examinations.
I definitely recommend Silk Mandarin: a high standard, professional, experienced and welcoming school.

Yep that is right. I wish I had started working with Silk Mandarin sooner than later. Initially, I was taking Chinese lessons with other institutions and honestly after every lesson I would feel discouraged and unsettled. As an engineer, I am use to learning with structure and proper format. My goal when living in China was to learn Chinese. I was told by my parents that the best souvenir you could ever get from a country is learning the language. Everything else is materialistic. This is why I am so happy I found Silk Mandarin. All thanks to my friend Elke who introduced me to the school. I was at first skeptical giving Silk Mandarin a try as it was my 5th attempt in looking for a proper Chinese school. However, after the first consultation, I quickly learned that I had been learning Mandarin incorrectly the entire time. My husband and I immediately signed up for one on one tutoring. I love their learning materials and tools. Especially the talking cards and their online tutoring platform. My tutor Shirley was and still is fantastic. She was patient with me and really helped me unlearn the bad habits and develop the proper structure to learn and fall in love with Mandarin all over again. It makes sense and its really not hard if you have the proper teaching. Fast forward today, I can now speak survivor Chinese and passed HSK 1 and 2. Now that I no longer live in China I do have the option of continuing taking lessons because they teach online world wide. Yess!!! I am forever grateful to my friend Elke, my Silk Mandarin teacher Shirley and the Silk Mandarin team for giving me the confidence to not give up on learning this live long souvenir. I wish I had found them sooner. If you are interested in learning Chinese and are looking for a proper Mandarin school look no further. It's Silk Mandarin!!!

What would you improve about this program?

I honestly would say to have the talking cards after HSK 3.

After a few months in this school I can only recommend it. I started with one of my colleagues our course, at the beginning we had doubts about the academy, but after some lessons we saw that it was exactly what we were looking for, a flexible school with modern teaching techniques that can adapt to our needs and help us to keep improving our level.
At the same time we were super lucky with our teacher, Amélie, who makes of the lessons a very fun and productive activity.
All in all, 100% recommendable

I had been studying mandarin for 9 years when I moved to Shanghai 2 years ago. After an accidental meeting with Silk Mandarin’s founder, I decided to give this school a try. Over my previous 9 years, you can imagine I have been through my fair share of schools and teachers. Silk Mandarin is world class and my teacher Andy is easily the best I have ever had. Its a joy to come to class and my level has skyrocketted over the last 12 months. The facilities are really great and the staff helpful/friendly. Highly recommended!

I was introduced to Silk Mandarin by a friend, he had a great experience and got to HSK4 level quite quickly with intensive group classes.

It only took me attending the free introduction class for me to see that Silk Mandarin’s ‘Slow Motion’ approach was simple, structured and going to work for me.

I don’t have time for the more full time classes, so I’m taking 2 night 1:1 classes with Amelie each week, it’s only been a short time and she has helped me get to half way through HSK2 level already!

I heard about Silk Mandarin from a Vegans of Shanghai food workshop at Silk Mandarin. I really appreciated how they broke down the meaning behind each character and radical in a way that made sense to me as a foreigner.

I took a crash course for basic Chinese in L.A. right before coming to China. I had basically no fluency in Chinese.

My Chinese class at Silk Mandarin is definitely my highlight of the week. Taking Geminii’s class with my classmate Jade is so enjoyable and fun. I end up laughing to the point of tears at times.

Geminii explains everything in a way that makes sense to my foreigner way of thinking. She gives the background of the Chinese way of thinking and why things are said the way they are in Chinese. It makes everything so much more digestible for me. I need to understand the logic of a culture in order to truly understand the language, and Geminii strives to fulfill that every lesson.

Geminii caters the class to make it involve different methods and activities for learning so that it never get monotonous or dull.

Wherever we are at as a class, she will make sure that we can all participate and understand in some way that is appropriate for our learning style. It has truly been a joy to learn Chinese from Geminii at Silk Mandarin.

Questions & Answers

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Interview

Why did you choose this program?

When I arrived in Suzhou for work I wanted to expand on my Chinese reading, writing, speaking and listening. To that end, I needed a school which would be willing to go beyond simple conversational lessons and be willing to help me with my reading and writing as well. In addition, because I was working, I required an institution capable of working around my busy schedule. During my first visit to their facilities I was very impressed by the professionalism of Silk Mandarin’s staff and the quality of their instructional materials. I knew that it was the right place to achieve my goals.

What did your program provider (or university) assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

Since I was already living and working in Suzhou I thought there weren’t many things I needed my school to set up for me. However, my program still assisted me with many things to facilitate my language learning. My school provided textbooks and workbooks, as well as access to their library of graded readers. Most conveniently, when the time came, they arraigned for me to take the HSK test appropriate to my level and handled the shipping and reception of my official scores. I was responsible for helping to select a class and homework schedule which worked for both me and my teacher.

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

Do not allow setbacks to become disasters! Learning any language is difficult and learning a language with a completely different writing system is doubly so. I personally had many situations where poor pronunciation or imperfect use of grammar led to a misunderstanding in my daily life in China. This can lead to a decrease in your motivation to learn and a decrease in your practice time. Fortunately I had a great teacher who worked hard to reignite my passion for Chinese and this kept my motivation from fading away. The only way to fail at learning a language is by giving up!

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

The average day or week in this program varies based on the needs and situation of the student. For my part I attended an individual class three times a week for two hours before heading off to my workplace. Students with a less hectic schedule can opt for longer group classes and can take advantage of the many recreational and cultural events that the school organises for weekends and holidays. Still, no matter your schedule, there are always opportunities to interact with staff and other students as part of the Silk Mandarin community.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

My biggest fear in going abroad was that I would not be accepted into a community and that I would fail in my language learning goals. My language program and the welcoming people of China helped me overcome these fears. I always felt like I was part of a learning community among my fellow students and my accommodating teachers. When you have people you can ask questions to and bounce ideas off of the day to day difficulties of living abroad become much more manageable. My fear of failure was further mollified as I saw my conversations with locals become more fluid and comprehensible. Over time I started to view interacting in Chinese not as a frightening prospect, but as a fun and helpful way to test knowledge and learn new ways of communicating.

How did this program accommodate your unique learning style and language goals?

Silk Mandarin was extremely focused on my goals from the outset: when I explained that I wanted to pass HSK tests within a certain timeframe they immediately started working out a study plan to get me where I wanted to be when I wanted to be there. As my unique weaknesses and strengths started to become apparent my teacher adjusted our activities in class. For example in order to address my low HSK listening scores much more time was spent on listening practice. What’s more, as time went on and my priorities shifted my teacher was willing and able to help me with new goals and ambitions. A good example of this is when I wanted to become more proficient in writing Chinese characters from memory and so my teacher assigned and even graded additional writing practice on top of the program’s standard workbook homework. The flexibility and individual care I received is perhaps what I found most impressive about Silk Mandarin’s program.

Barney Goatley

2019 Alum

Daniel T

2019 Alum

Jacob Johnson

2019 Alum

Felix Wendlandt

Luke Nestler

2019 Alum

Daniel de Smeth

2017 Alum

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

What is your favorite travel memory?

The most memorable trip I made was to Florence, Italy.

We went to the bookstore that day and then went to Michelangelo Square in the afternoon. At 3 or 4 pm, there were not many people in the square. In the evening, when the sun was about to go down, people gradually grew. On the stairs, on the square, in the cafe, on the path, the crowd was full of people, and everyone was waiting for the sunset. The sunset slowly became very red, slowly falling, and everyone was cheering and hugging happily at the last moment when they were completely gone.

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

My current company has allowed me to grow a lot, and my colleagues and boss have helped me a lot. I will meet regularly to solve my problems in time when I encounter difficulties. Especially in the teaching process, no matter new or old colleagues, I will be enthusiastic to help me. Thank you very much for my company.

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What is the best story you've heard from a return student?

One of the best stories I have ever heard was from my student Jackson. We were in class one day, and he was very happy to tell me that his Chinese friend was not good at school, German friends didn’t speak Chinese, and they couldn’t communicate, but after he and I learned Chinese, he could help them communicate He felt very happy and thanked me.

If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?

I will choose the content related to teaching because I think such projects will be very helpful to my teaching and help me become more familiar with the teaching content so that my class will be smoother and more confident. I will also choose some projects made from teaching materials so that I can make my thinking logic clearer and have a sufficient understanding of the teaching content.

What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?

What makes my school unique is that the atmosphere of the whole school is very kind and the learning atmosphere is strong. Each teacher is dedicated and dedicated to education, and the leaders also get along well, and everything is communicating effectively. The educational philosophy of our school is very advanced, making it easier for students to learn Chinese.

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

I think the biggest success factor for a company is that the hearts of the entire team are together and work together to make the school better. If the team works well, the company will grow better. There is a saying in China: Three Zhuge Liang top one Zhuge Liang.

Hannah Ma

Chinese Teacher

Wang Yali

Chinese Teacher

David Wang

Teacher, Product Manager

Jasmine Zhou

Teaching supervisor

Giacomo Verde

Digital Marketing Executive

Location

Location:

Shanghai

Currency:

Chinese Yuan

Weather:

Jan-Mar

57 F / 36 F

Apr-Jun

82 F / 54 F

Jul-Sep

90 F / 72 F

Oct-Dec

73 F / 41 F

Airports:

Shanghai Pudong International

( PVG )

Shanghai Hongqiao International

( SHA )

Shanghai, fondly known as the Oriental Paris, is the largest commercial hub in mainland China. This country blends eastern and western cultures and will bring out different sides depending where you are from.

About Silk Mandarin Language School

We at Silk Mandarin believe that understanding each other’s language and culture unites people. It is our mission to teach Mandarin and Chinese culture to all who have an interest in it, whatever their ambition, background or age, and wherever they are. Since we opened our doors early 2015, our ground-breaking Slow Motion Technique has proven to be...