Chinese Programs in Shanghai&Suzhou with Silk Mandarin

Prior to Silk Mandarin I had no knowledge of Mandarin, but I had strong desire to learn.

I came to Shanghai for work in the beginning of 2023, and since I planned to stay in China for a while (more than 3 years), then of course learning Mandarin was a necessity as one cannot rely on phone translators forever. My first experience was with another school, however they lacked enough structure for my taste and the lessons felt very disorganised and structureless. However, my work colleague told me of another school nearby that they and their friend have had great experience with: quicker learning, structured lessons, friendly staff - the full package.

Firstly, the pricing and flexibility of Silk Mandarin gave a very positive first impression and it made the cumbersome non-language-learning part of the process much easier: easy to pay, to plan classes, a lot of flexibility and guidance. Additionally, if I had an emergency or preoccupied with work, switching to an online lesson was incredibly easy, although I preferred offline classes overall.

Secondly, I finally felt an astronomical increase in my perception of the Chinese language and characters. Mainly, the structure and professionalism of the lessons ignited an actual desire to practice outside of class, either with downloading Pleco to practice han-zi, or using DuChinese to practice listening and comprehension. However you feel about "studying by the book", sometimes it is warranted, and the last thing you want in your language learning is a lack of structure. Although Silk Mandarin don't go strictly by the book, i.e. chapter by chapter, they are able to streamline and compress the HSK books into a digestible, easy-to-revise format.

Thirdly, the main methods of revising/homework/practice provided by Silk Mandarin (ClassIn) proved to be the most efficient and easy to use. My only other experience with a Chinese learning school was lacklustre as it only provided a web portal. Having an application like ClassIn on my android phone and Mac made it so much easier to practice on the train/car/office/etc. without the difficulties of websites that sometimes glitch out on the phone.

Lastly, the positive vibes are paramount to a good learning experience. I have difficulties balancing my work obligations with extracurricular activities, being it language learning or just going out, but the positive atmosphere and personal contact from the teaching staff made me *want* to learn to balance these things and actually improve my Mandarin. It's one thing to translate on your phone, but a whole other feeling to speak the language of the land you are a guest in and fully immerse yourself.

I plan to not only continue studying at Silk Mandarin (after 2 months), but hope to return the favour by speaking fluently and fully appreciating their country and culture. Would recommend whole-heartedly.

During Shanghai lockdown at 2022 I was searching for a qualified Chinese online school and luckily I found Silkmandarin. I applied for the HSK1 course and it was an fantastic experience what Silkmandarin can provide on the platform with very professional structured online media components for the self learning, additional the online classroom on the ClassIn platform very well designed with tools for an professional interactive class session environment. Last but not least a big applause to the professional teachers where they very well align individual to the students which brings a very good motivated atmosphere and the outcomes and results for the students are accordingly at this level what Silkmandarin offer. Meanwhile I passed HSK2 and preparing now for HSK3. I highly can recommend Silkmandarin and wish you have fun 🤩!!!

I've been studying at Silk Mandarin for approximately two months, and as my time here concludes, I want to share my positive experience.
Silk Mandarin has been instrumental in organizing my journey to China, and their welcoming and supportive approach made the transition seamless.

The staff is genuinely welcoming, and the teachers' dedication, coupled with a well-structured curriculum, fostered a positive and effective learning environment.

I highly recommend Silk Mandarin for anyone considering language studies in China. It has been a rewarding experience, and I am grateful for the support they provided.

Mandarin Chinese is a very distant language from my mother tongue. After nearly two years of weekly classes, I struggled to construct long sentences. My writing and listening improved, but I needed help to express more complex and informative ideas.
I was looking for a school, and a friend recommended Silk Mandarin to me as she has been a student for the last two years at their school and praised the high standards and enthusiasm of the teachers. After contacting one of their staff members, I quickly understood that Silk Mandarin was a well-organised school with various teaching plans that could be rapidly adapted to my schedule. The one-on-one class perfectly matched my preferences, and the online platform provided all the material to study at my own pace outside of class hours.
Silk Mandarin made a massive difference in my daily learning of the Chinese language. The school provided me with listening, audio, and visual material beforehand to prepare for each lesson. Following the class, the teacher adapted each homework according to my progression with an efficient review for me to understand my mistakes. Furthermore, the teacher was always available to answer my questions and inquiries.
One of the most surprising experiences was the online teaching. I was initially sceptical about having one-on-one teaching lessons entirely online. On the contrary, the online platform allowed unique learning tools, which enhanced the overall quality of the teaching. Another aspect was the teaching methodology of the Slow-Motion Technique. As I always had difficulty in Chinese to organise sentences grammatically, the Slow-Motion Technique set the guidelines to establish the order of each character. With the excellent methodology provided by my teacher, it is far easier for me to learn and understand the Chinese language.
I strongly recommend Silk Mandarin for any student wishing to improve their language skills, succeed in standardised HSK examinations, or have their first experience with Mandarin Chinese. I guarantee it will open a whole new world of knowledge and opportunities.

Silk Mandarin has a nice and convenient location in downtown Shanghai and is very accommodating to all language levels and all schedules. They provide the HSK books for use in class and the workbooks for test practice. They also provide classes twice a week, every day, and even online classes for whichever is best suited for you. The teaching and marketing team are all friendly and welcoming and are willing to assist you in any way they can. Silk Mandarin utilises a blended learning method where online materials are used prior to class to present new vocabulary and grammar and then you get the chance to practice using it all in lessons with your teacher and classmates. It’s a relaxed atmosphere for learning and a good way to build up your proficiency.

Silk Mandarin is a very organised school. They use creative & engaging online materials and relevant offline activities to make Chinese easier to pick up.
SM staff are accommodating, they arranged HSK2 individual lessons and HSK3 group lessons for me. Hannah laoshi is caring and very patient with me when correcting my pronunciation and sentence structure. She makes the lessons enjoyable as she diligently covers every grammar point. I feel this is essential and motivates me to continue learning.

I began learning Chinese when I moved to Suzhou with Silk Mandarin in August of 2023.
First, I started with the HSK1 course. My teacher, Sisi, is a great teacher. She took the time to answer all my questions and correct my errors.
I really appreciate the fact that I can pre-study the lesson at home, at my own pace, thanks to the internet platform that perfectly complements and enriches the textbook and workbook. This way, during the face to face class, I can use the new words and new grammar points in order to speak.
The internet platform is really intuitive and the video explanations are very useful.
I was so satisfied by the HSK1 course that as soon as I finished it, I signed up for the HSK2 course and I am already planning to continue my Chinese studies with Silk Mandarin.
To sum up, I am really happy to study at Silk Mandarin!

Silk Mandarin is a reliable and good Mandarin school in Shanghai. Teachers are patient and professional. Laoshi Hannah is great! When I came to China first time in 2019, I chose SM because some friend recommended. I finished HSK 1 very fast and now I'm currently on HSK 2, with much improvement in my Mandarin skills. I recommend the course for foreigners that need to speak before even understanding the language itself. The course is practical and focused on daily life events. The location of the school is also a plus.