Location
  • China
    • Shanghai
Length
2 weeks
Language
Chinese

Program Details

Immersion Level
Intensive Standard
Class Size
Private Lessons Small Class (1-7) Medium Class (8-15)
Weekly Classroom Hours
20
Housing
Apartment Host Family Hostel Hotel

Pricing

Starting Price
1350
Price Details
This is the price for 2 weeks of our Intensive 30 course.
What's Included
Some Activities Classes Wifi
What's Not Included
Accommodation Airfare Airport Transfers Meals Travel Insurance Visa
Apr 09, 2024
Oct 31, 2024
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.

Video and Photos

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 2024: May 13th, Jun 17th, Jul 15th, Aug 12th, Sep 9th, Oct 14th, Nov 11th, Dec 9th

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Program Reviews

4.92 Rating
based on 232 reviews
  • 5 rating 92.24%
  • 4 rating 7.76%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Instruction 4.95
  • Support 4.95
  • Fun 4.9
  • Housing 4.75
  • Value 4.65
Showing 1 - 8 of 232 reviews
Default avatar
Cooper
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

My Experience at Silk Mandarin

Before studying at silk mandarin I was experiencing many difficulties regarding my sentence structure and my listening and speaking ability. My sentences were disorganised and misunderstood by others. I was able to read some basic texts, but unable to comprehend their meaning in real time.

Before my departure to Shanghai, I was frantically polling anyone I knew that had ties to China about in-person language schools. However, all the recommendations were either online-based or located outside of Shanghai. While reading online forums, the name ‘Silk Mandarin’ kept appearing. I emailed multiple Shanghai-based schools, but found that Silk Mandarin was by far the most responsive. After a quick online assessment of my current ability, they provided detailed study options.

The intensive HSK3 course really accelerated my learning journey. I found that every lesson logically built upon the previous one, and it teaches Mandarin in a modern and practical way, unlike many outdated textbooks.

They use many unique teaching methods and provide you with an established mandarin-speaking community that I otherwise may not have had in my short stay in Shanghai. Silk Mandarin organised my routine into intense-three hour classes in the morning, establishing a solid allocation of my day in which to routinely learn and practise mandarin. The small class sizes make it impossible to hide, encouraging all students to interact evenly with the content. I was especially impressed by the capability of my teacher, Jane Wu. She is patient, easy going, and shows genuine interest in your background. This creates many opportunities to practise speaking mandarin in a more natural way. Creating a great environment to learn Mandarin.

I’ll be the first to admit that I still have a long way to go on the road to fluency, but Silk Mandarin has helped to form a solid foundation which I can I build on.
I would be quick to recommend Silk Mandarin to any aspiring students.

What was the most unfamiliar thing you ate?
We went out to eat hot pot as a school. I tried pigs brain for the first time.
Pros
  • Community
  • Learning
  • Welcoming
1 person found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Bernard (Barney)
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Learnt so much!

I took both HSK 2 and HSK 3 with Jane 老师 at Silk Mandarin.

Jane 老师 was not only incredibly knowledgeable (always had an answer to any grammar question, and her English is impeccable which helped with explanations of concepts and accurate translations).

Upon starting HSK3 I didn’t believe Jane when she said I’d know hundreds of Characters in about 2 months time, but here I am, I just finished my HSK3 exam. Thank you @Jane老师 and @SilkMandarin!

What sold me on SilkMandarin vs other schools I’ve been to, is that Silk doesn’t waste your time. You get perfectly structured preparation and review materials so that you can focus on PRACTICAL APPLICATION during class rather than reading a textbook. This is what sets Silk apart from many other schools and/or studying with online HSK videos.

Jane老师 created such a productive and fun classroom environment that made class so enjoyable and always something to look forward to despite having a full work schedule. Sometimes I doubted my abilities to make it through the challenging parts, and if ai had studied alone I’m almost certain I would’ve given up. But Jane老师 helped me succeed by being compassionate, motivating and encouraging. Having such a skilled teacher is absolutely priceless!

And the icing on the cake: Besides the classes there is also optional group outings and activities. We played Mahjong, ate Hotpot and shared many fun coffee breaks together. Jane老师 and other teachers would always be there to assist with real-life application of the language.

Thank you @Jane老师 and @SilkMandarin for bringing me to HSK 3 level in such a short time and which so many meaningful and memorable moments on the way. 100% worth it, 100% recommended.

What was the most nerve-racking moment and how did you overcome it?
I almost gave up when I understood how many Chinese Characters I’d have to master to achieve HSK3 level. But my teacher, Jane, believed in me more than I did at that low moment, and I succeeded in the end and actually loved the process!
Pros
  • Great structure. No time wasted in class
  • Great Community
  • Experienced teachers
5 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Mel
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Highly Effective and Engaging Mandarin Learning Experience

My experience with Silk Mandarin was excellent from the start.
I started speaking to Amy first and she really took the time to understand my goals, assess my skill level, and patiently answered all my questions.
I took the intensive HSK3 course with Jane, an experienced teacher who structured the lessons well and was able to explain complicated grammar structures in a way that was easy to understand (also, her English was great which helped). The best part about the classes was all the practical speaking and listening exercises which I think is what really propelled my learning and confidence in the language.
Jane knows the HSK curriculum so well - it really helped that she could pick the right level of words and grammar to incorporate into conversations and give us the best opportunities to practice.
The teachers and staff created a fun and engaging learning environment. Breaks were great for practicing what we had learned with other students and teachers, and we often went out for lunch together after class, which allowed us to experience more local culture and food.

7 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Galen
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Helpful tutors

Helpful tutors and staff. Insightful course suitable for beginner or intermediate level students. Really helpful when it comes to solving or helping problems outside academic work. Superb clarity of teaching to improve your Mandarin proficiency. Located in city center very convenient to go by public transport. Easily to find foods nearby with walkable environment. Once every month Silk Mandarin held events for students and staff to join. Worth the time and money well spent for studying Mandarin.

8 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Selcuk
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Great step to Learn Chinese

I am glad that our roads cross with Silk Mandarin. Our Jane was very friendly and helpful during our whole learning Journey. She is always patient and willing to help. I was trying to do self study before Silk Mandarin and some of the basic learning concepts were missing and Jane helped me to have better understanding of the language. They have online metarials supported by videos, You can do self study back home. Now it is time to learn Chinese charachters. It will be more challanging but I will succeed with the help of Silk Mandarin. Thanks a lot.

What was the most unfamiliar thing you ate?
Chicken feet so far :)
12 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Sara
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Great methodology and teacher

I started from zero Chinese level and had low expectations on the possibility to progress in short time, but after having completed the HSK1 I can say it is a very effective approach. It is required high effort, to be honest. I have studied 2-3h per week for two months approx. This methodology based on preview (study before the class) and review (after the class) truly works in consolidating the learnings. I had Jane as teacher and I can highly recommend her. She is professional and easy going at the same time. Always willing to address my doubts and curiosity, not only on the language but also on the Chinese culture in general. Very positive experience!

If you did this all over again, what's one thing you would change?
I think private lessons helped me progress very fast. In the future I will evaluate also the group lessons which can also help to connect and practice outside the class.
Pros
  • Teacher Jane
  • Methodology
  • Nice material with app on the phone, very convenient
Cons
  • 1h to get there from work
12 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Vildan
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Learn Chinese fast with Silk Mandarin

Silk mandarin is the best place so far to learn Chinese. They give you too many learning materials to study. As I’ve mentioned it to them before, “It is almost impossible to not learn from Silk Mandarin”. The way they teach Chinese is very good, very practical. The teachers are very professional and make it easy to learn. They make a study plan for their students and help their students to reach their goals in learning. All the staff are very nice and caring. They also have social activities, they are very friendly and very fun.

12 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Genée
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Silky Smooth Sailing with Silk Mandarin

I have been studying Chinese for a while. I recently became quite frustrated with my lack of progress and decided to travel from Australia to Shanghai to try a more immersive experience with Silk. I chose Silk as they had excellent online reviews, reasonable pricing and a great location.

The experience was exceptionally good and I plan to return in future at least once a year.

The course organisers were extremely flexible and allowed me to spend one week reviewing HSK3 in individual/private lessons (to refresh my memory) and then one week studying HSK4 in group lessons.

Here is a list of things I really liked:
*Prior to starting, the course organiser was able to accurately assess my level and place me in the correct class.
*The online learning platform was very easy to install/use to prepare for the face-to-face lessons.
*The lessons were very organised and the videos were kept short and succinct.
*The grammar/new word explanations were very easy to understand with many examples to demonstrate different use cases.
*New words were deliberately repeated throughout example sentences throughout the course to help memorise them. There were also specific videos made for words that are similar, to demonstrate how they are different
*The teachers were completely fluent in English&Chinese and they were patient, energised and friendly.
*They were willing to assist me with course queries, as well as issues/queries regarding Shanghai daily life/sightseeing.
*The course was very well paced and I never felt rushed/overwhelmed or bored.
*The course content was extensive with daily classes focusing on the core concepts, but allowing students to review as much as they like after class.
*The facilities were very good- air conditioning was good and classes were tidy and clean. Small refreshments were served during breaks.
*Some grammar points were explained using ‘Slow motion technique’ which helped me better understand things I previously learned but never quite understood
*As well as online videos/flashcards/activities, textbooks and workbooks were supplied for review after class
*The face-to-face classes were engaging and fun. We all had a good laugh!

If you did this all over again, what's one thing you would change?
I only studied for 2 weeks, but I wish I had stayed longer!
Pros
  • Organised and succinct online lessons
  • Fluent, progressional, friendly and patient tutors
  • Great facility- air conditioning, tidy and clean
Cons
  • Can’t think of any
18 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers