Program Reviews

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.

I’ve been studying at Silk Mandarin for about 8 months now. When I first came to Shanghai I new that I wanted to continue studying Mandarin. I had started learning some in college and wanted to continue studying the language while in China. For my first few months in China I worked with private tutors but never felt I was getting what I needed out of the classes. Silk Mandarin has improved my Chinese language learning in such a positive way! I feel that through studying at Silk their method helps me to focus on reviewing things I already know and working to continue building on that foundation which has helped me actually advance at a constant pace and retain the new things I learn! I’ve been very happy with the teachers, students, and facilities at Silk and they have been very flexible and easy to work with when I encounter scheduling issues- always making it possible to find a class that fits my needs. I’m getting close to finishing HSK4 and I don’t know I would’ve done it without the help of Silk Mandarin!

I happened to be in Shanghai for two weeks and decided to do the intensive lessons for two weeks, after doing some research online, I decided to go with Silk Mandarin. Yanqin was my main teacher (we had one-one-one lessons) whilst I was at Shanghai and she was amazing! She was so knowledgeable with Mandarin and her teaching approach and energy is one of the best out of any teacher I have met. You can tell she is very passionate and loves what she does, and her enthusiasm really encourage and motivates you to learn. She remembers what she has taught you, she reviews and emphasises on ones she sees you struggle on, and you can feel that she cares about your learning and progress, which I believe are very important traits in a teacher.

I am still doing lessons with Yanqin via online (starting HSK 2 now), and her teaching approach is still just as effective! I also had some lessons with another teacher, Christiana, and found her teaching approach also quite good and she has a lovely personality. I would highly recommend Yanqin and Christina to anyone who wants to study at Silk Mandarin. It’s an awesome school. All the staff there are friendly, approachable and helpful, especially Amy and Vicki who were always happy to chat and answer my questions. They made me felt so welcome when I arrived and when I departed Shanghai.

I am not sure whether other Chinese schools have this, but Silk Mandarin provides these really cool magic talking cards (with Chinese characters and pictures) and a talking pen which I felt helped me immensely with my learning. The school uses a “slow motion technique” to help students remember the grammar which I think is very clever and useful!

Also, during my time in Shanghai, I was at a homestay (organised by Silk Mandarin) with an older couple who were extremely nice and helpful. Mary was the host and she is one of the loveliest people I have ever met. She was incredibly accommodating towards me and spoke to me in Mandarin to help me learn. It was a very special and unforgettable experience. I would recommend Silk Mandarin to anyone, and I would love to attend the school again sometime in the future. The face-to-face lessons and online lessons are both equally good, and you will definitely see progress.

When moving to China about 2 years ago I was determined to learn Chinese. So after a good month of settling in I went looking for a school. I chose for Silk Mandarin and after meeting with Shirley for a demo class I was hooked. Not only her enthusiasm, but also her experience and the learning methodology Silk Mandarin has to offer made me wanted to start immediately. I chose for a one on one class, but my husband went for the online approach due to his job. And now I have completed HSK4 and ready to continue to start HSK5!

I would recommend Silk Mandarin, because they really help you understand the language, have created useful tools like cards and a talking pen, offer tailor-made classes, and most of all they have an amazing team of highly skilled, motivated, and passionate teachers.

I’ve been studying at Silk for over a year now and I’m on my way to finishing HSK 4! I spent a year in China thinking “I can get by..” and “I’ll just pick it up” but choosing to study at Silk was one of the best decisions I made! The teachers are amazing and really adapt learning to your own needs and learning goals. I’ve studied with Jessica, Christina and Andy and I have nothing negative to say about any of them! Their slow motions technique just makes sense and is super logical which makes learning so much easier!

I first came to Silk Mandarin about two and a half years ago, just going to classes on the weekends because I lived a little bit out of Shanghai. Right from the beginning, actually from our very first demo class, the staff were extremely friendly (in a good way, not a creepy way) and made my girlfriend and I feel right at home.

This for me is actually the most salient point. Speaking a language is difficult only in a psychological sense. If a student has motivation and confidence then they will learn the language, whatever it is.* Motivation can only really come internally from the student, but the confidence part can be nurtured externally. This for me is where Silk really excels. They will help you to have the confidence to speak, what is for Westerners, a very difficult language. They will speak to you frequently in Chinese, with enthusiasm and genuine warmth. They will encourage you to speak back in Chinese, with patience and an open ear. From the teachers to the support the staff, the whole environment is geared towards speaking Chinese. They will help you to feel like speaking the language is not only very possible but also enjoyable, and in my opinion there is no greater thing a language school can do for you than this.

Speaking of teachers, it's been a while now but my first teacher was Amelie老師, teaching me from 0 to HSK 2. Teaching grown men who can barely say "tingbudong" correctly, Amelie is of course extremely patient, and also extremely funny. I enjoyed my classes with her and she helped me to get progress quickly even when I wasn't being a good student. (do your homework in the HSK books, it makes a world of difference).

My latest teacher for HSK 3 was Jessica老師. Jessica is an enthusiastic and positive teacher, who knows a lot about the ancient origins of many 汉字. She also has a good story to share which helps to form a mental connection between words in your language and in Chinese.

As I said, it's not just teachers that help you learn at Silk. Amy/Lina, always comes over for a chat in Chinese, which is super helpful for applying what you've learned. I really want to thank Amy for this because it must be extremely boring listening to my baby Chinese, but it's always something that I've really appreciated.

Likewise my thanks also goes to Jasmine. At one social event of Silk, over a beer she asked me about my studies and told me that she was worried about my motivation - which was completely accurate. My job at that point was very stressful and I wasn't applying myself properly to my studies. This chat was a good wake-up call to me, and a reminder that people cared about my progress. It's easier to motivate when other people also care about your success. After that I took my homework more seriously and tried to go over the weekly characters that we had learned more often. The results were instant and I was able to stay comfortably on top of the material for the remainder of the term's classes.

I'm not just recommending Silk in words. I've put my money where my mouth is and purchased an introductory class for a colleague and friend from work. He enjoyed his first class very much and has gone straight from HSK1 to 3 with Silk in the space of a year.

If you have the motivation and put the work in, you can progress very quickly with Silk. And if rather like me, you are an interested learner, but sometimes life gets in the way, Silk will still help you to slowly improve. Your progress is largely down to you, but for the learning environment, support, and teaching quality I would find it hard to imagine a better school in Shanghai, or indeed in China for that matter.

*this is obviously just my opinion.

I’ve been studying here for over a year. In that time the team have taken me almost two levels in my ability (HSK4). They provide a manager and a teacher so you get to both tailor your learning objectives and also give feedback to your manager if needed. Great mix of patience, skill and fun to push your mandarin further throughout both busy schedules or intensive study times. Staff seem genuinely invested in meeting exam goals. Really nice environment but productive place to get stuff done. Andy is a super star.

After living in Shanghai for 5 years, I thought that it was finally time to formally learn the local language. While initially intimidated by the numerous methods for learning, I gave Silk Mandarin a shot based on a recommendation from a friend. It's safe to say that Silk offers a comfortable yet effective approach to learning, that is especially accommodating to those with busy schedules. All three of my teachers — Bella, Yanqin, and Gemini — have had distinct and functional teaching styles that have fortified different aspects of this fascinating language. Highly recommended!

I’ve been living in China for 2 years and finally decided to take my Chinese instruction seriously. I searched different classes and tutors in Shanghai, but was thrilled to find Silk Mandarin! I knew from my first interaction that I had chosen the best program available. Silvia quickly responded to my online inquiry and offered information about Silk Mandarin’s methodology, class structure, course options and more. During my trial lesson and assessment, I felt understood and encouraged... they listened carefully to my personal goals and helped to develop a plan for me to achieve them. I was paired with Amelie Laoshi and instantly felt at ease in her classroom. She is very good at what she does, using humor and multi-modal techniques that support my learning. The visual aids like the Hanzi cards, “Magic Pen” for auditory feedback, PPT’s and physical cues make learning engaging and motivating. Amelie’s patience is to be commended... carefully reviewing lesson content and homework so I can optimize my time and reach my goals. Amelie also shared a variety of additional tools, like online classes and an APP that make it possible to continue learning beyond my scheduled class. I can’t say enough about the people I’ve met! For the first time in years, I’m completing what I started... it’s all due to Silk Mandarin.

Before I came to Shanghai, I started researching Chinese schools
for my next language adventure. With such a competitive environment, it can be
hard to find the right one for you. But SILK MANDARIN really stood up amongst
the rest. Everything from the first email contact, visa, learning materials and
classes was perfect. I started as a total beginner with group classes and my
teacher LEXIE was amazing. Very well explained grammar, together with Chinese characters
labyrinth, conversations and listening.. and the level of my Chinese skyrocketed.
Chinese language can be very hard but the right teacher makes you want to study
and learn new things every day. More importantly, you see the progress! I’m thankful
for all the patience with me and I highly recommend to everyone!