Gap Year in China Programs

I am very pleased with That's Mandarin as a school. The school is located in a central and vibrant part of Shanghai which is also easily accessible by public transport. The school's facilities are excellent, the staff really do try to solve your problems and are familiar on how to deal with foreigners. The teaching is also very good. 

I signed up for the this programme because although I knew quite a lot of vocabulary  I could not communicate and it is helping me communicate more confidently everyday.

The course comes wIth an app Mandarin Cafe which helps you to study conveniently. The course is also well structured so you can achieve your desired Chinese level by a certain date.

I would recommend That's Mandarin to anyone.

The teachers are very good and, with one exception, are able to adapt to the specific needs of their students. Special mention to Yang laoshi who is one of the 3 best foreign language teacher I have met. Focusing like you do in the small size groups or 1-on-1 classes are the best option. The non-teaching team is very helpful, available and welcoming. Premises are great and consistent with the school atmosphere.

It was really interesting to stay in Shanghai and learn chinese.

I would recommend this program to everyone who want to have a great experience in China.

Learning chinese becomes easy in That's mandarin thanks to the great teachers. I was a beginner when I arrived here but now I can communicate with Chinese people.

This is my second year studying at That’s Mandarin, but I have been studying Chinese for a lot longer. That’s Mandarin has taught me more during my classes here than any other Chinese School, I have studied at in the past. During my classes I learn very fast because it is a one on one situation. Each class uses it’s time very effectively and I’m able to learn a lot in the 4 hours that I am here each day. Both my teachers have been very helpful in understanding how I learn and have changed their style of teaching to fit that which makes each class very productive. The tools that the school uses to teach are also very easy to understand and having the one on one program allows the teachers to correct every mistake I make as I make it, which helps me correct any improper grammar that I may use. Every year my mother gives a choice as to where I want to go in China to study Chinese and every time I say I want to come back to Shanghai to go to That’s Mandarin, Because I only have one month each year to study Chinese and this school is able to teach me the most in that short amount of time. If given the choice again to come back and study Chinese I will choose That’s Mandarin because of all these reasons. The only thing I will say was a slight problem was the switching around of teachers. Each time I switch a teacher they have to try and figure out how much I know and what I do not know which in my opinion wastes a little bit of time since sometimes information gets retaught. Other than that That’s Mandarin is a great Chinese school and I will definitely choose it again in the years to come.

That's Mandarin gave me a great insight into Chinese langauge. I enjoyed learning from different teachers since all had a different way of teaching. Therefore I also learned to adjust and greatly adapt to dialects. I am very happy about my experience at That's Mandarin as I was able to learn a lot in just a samll amount of time.

My experience with That's Mandarin has turned out better than I could have hoped! The staff are all very helpful and employ and excellent teaching method, and give you the tools necessary to go out and start using your Mandarin skills straightaway. I've learnt a lot in the short time that I've been here, and am very excited about going to Beijing for a further two months of tuition. I did the Intensive 1-1 Course, with 4 or 6 hours a day depending, and can totally recommend it as it's entirely focused on you and your needs, thereby giving you maximum exposure and attention during your lessons. On top of that, the school has been extremely accomodating to my needs and is based in a great location with only a short subway trip to the centre of town!

One the accomodation side, I definitely recommend the Rock and Wood Hostel in Changning District, which is where I've been staying this whole month. It's really well run and I'm very happy with my room, which comes at a very reasonable price. Just a short trip down Line 2 on the Metro from JingAn Temple.