Mandarin Zone School: Study Chinese in Beijing

I'd like to give my ¥2 here, for anyone looking for instruction. I'm currently studying at Mandarin Zone and have been for the last 3 weeks. I'm extremely pleased with everything and everyone at the school. Margaret is the manager (owner, too?) is very kind, helpful and conscientious and my teacher, Miao, with whom I've been taking one-on-one lessons is a fantastic teacher. She's smart, fun and knows not just how to speak but how to teach. I came in knowing ZERO Chinese and now feel like I'm establishing a decent basis in the language. Not only that but my time at MZ has fostered a real love of the language such that I am hopeful that I'll find the time and resources to continue when I return to the US (which is, sadly, just a week from now). I should say that I've studied many foreign languages in the past and I'm finding this course of study as good or better than any that I've had in the past. I recommend The Mandarin Zone without reservation.

I would definitely recommend Mandarin Zone! When I came to Beijing for employment, I needed to learn business chinese very quickly to use at work. Since I speak little Chinese and could not read or write, my teacher customized my learning by balancing HSK vocabulary and business chinese. It was very effective and professional teaching method. I was really impressed. Within half a year, I completed both HSK Level 4 and Business chinese at the same time. I have improved my speaking, reading and writing tremendously. For those who are looking for professional and effective learning but at really good price, Mandarin Zone is definitely a good choice!

I spent 2 weeks studying at Mandarin Zone and can't but highly recommend the school! First of all, the management is excellent. The leader of the school is so friendly, clear, helpful and clearly cares about the school and the students. The homestay that was arranged for me was great, with a warm-hearted family where I had 2 meals per day. In addition my laundry was washed and I got tons of help with whatever homework I might have had.

I had school 5 times/week, from 9.30 - 13.20. 20 minutes of pause. It was very intense and very rewarding. I had problems with grammar, but with persistency and tons of examples, I was able to get a good grasp on it. I had studied 9 months prior, but my grammar was a mess. 2 weeks had a huge impact. We used "New practical chinese reader" for grammar and for practical language "short term spoken chinese vol. 2". Especially the practical book was very helpful, and the teacher knew both books nearly inside out. Wonderful school and people! Highly recommended!

The price that was offered for me was the cheapest I could find. I'm very happy that I chose Mandarin Zone, and would be happy to take classes again in the future. The teacher also helped me with arranging practical things, such as buying a sim card, train tickets, booking hostels etc.

MandarinZone is a great school. The teachers are passionate about helping foreigners learn Mandarin, and they are always positive and encouraging to the students. The owner, Margherita, is always around, helping with classes, chatting with students, and just being a lovely person in general.

Classes are small - I studied for more than a year and a half with MZ, and while the numbers fluctuated, there were never more than 4 people in my class. For a few weeks, I actually had private classes as my classmate was swamped with work and exams.

I already had living arrangements when I started class, so I cannot review their housing policies and/or practices.

I came to Beijing last Summer 2013, without knowing too well what we would find here China. We luckyly bump into Mandarin Zone Schoo, who opened the doors fo this country to us and not only because of their Chinese courses but also because the inmersion to the Chinese culture that we got in their progra, the visit program around the city, the fun in the class and the opportunity to make wonderful people from different countries.

My family and I joined their Summer Camp last years when we moved to China and since then we have been continuing learning with them, improving our level of Chinese to level that we could never expect.

I am very glad that I met Margaret, their Director, and very thankful to their team

Cheers

I arrived in Beijing knowing almost nothing of Chinese language. After a trial lesson at Mandarin Zone I discussed my goals with Margherita Liu, school director. After 80 hours or so of instruction at the school I sat for HSK-2 and passed. Margherita was tremendously helpful in my preparation for the test. She provided sample tests and other study aids. I completed the practice exams under her supervision, she graded the exams and we reviewed the results until I understood what vocabulary I was missing or what grammar points I was not understanding.

The school teaches from a series of text books called "Short-term Spoken Chinese" published by the Beijing Language and Culture University. The quality, quantity and the format of information in books 1 & 2 are high. The teachers at the school know the material in detail, there is never any time lost as the teacher searches the book for the relevant vocabulary or grammar topic.

The teachers are supportive and answered my questions not only about Chinese language but also about how to get around Beijing. My teacher, Liang, was incredibly patient and focused while I stumbled through pronunciation and incomprehension. And somehow she always made a connection between any random question I had about life in China and the topic of instruction for the day.

After 180 hours of instruction at the school I had completed the first 2 textbooks and, more importantly, felt I was really starting to understand Chinese language and something about China. I was able to discuss simple topics with Chinese friends and read/write simple text messages using Chinese characters.

I had to leave China and these days I continue my study on my own. The instruction at Mandarin Zone gave me a strong foundation so that I can continue to learn with self-study and with Chinese people I meet in the world.