Program Reviews

The best way for me to recommend Silk Mandarin is to say that there are 2 Mandarin schools within a 15 minute walk from my home (1 is just across the street), but I chose Silk Mandarin, which, door to door, takes me an hour to reach. That’s 2 hours of commuting, 5 days a week, for a 3 hour class. And it’s worth every minute of the commute, even in the middle of a hot Shanghai summer. I had researched and talked with representatives of several Mandarin schools and chose Silk Mandarin because it was clearly the best. The teachers are exceptional, and 6 weeks into intensive courses I am amazed at how much I can speak, read, and write. The courses move quickly, but the teachers are accommodating, patient, and supportive, and I can’t say enough good things about them. I don’t think I’ve ever bumped into a teacher or other staff member in the school who did not stop to talk with me (they all even know my name, which speaks to the professional collaboration and caring nature of the school). After living in China for 7 years and never studying the language, Silk Mandarin has helped open my adopted home to me in a whole new way. Mandarin schools are a dime a dozen in Shanghai, and choosing 1 is overwhelming, but I have already been recommending Silk Mandarin to friends and colleagues, and I will continue to do so.

I love Silk Mandarin!!! Such a good company! I learnt so much in such a short space of time. The lessons are fun, interesting and interactive. Groups are small and the teachers are brilliant. The support you have from the whole team is amazing and I think it's such a lovely thing to be a part of. I have not only improved my Chinese massively but also made lovely friends. I'm so happy I joined to do HSK2, I've already signed up for HSK3 with Silk Mandarin. I have recommended this to so many of my friends because it's great for all levels and so much fun!

I enjoy learning Chinese with Silk Mandarin. I had previously had not so great success with a private tutor and found that when I switched to classes from Silk my Chinese really started improving and I could start making full sentences instead of just knowing some words. I like their teaching methods (flashcards, talking pen, work books) and also they have fun group outings which is a great way to meet people and practice Chinese in a social setting. So far the scheduling has been flexible which I appreciate as I also work full time.

I came to Shanghai speaking absolutely no Chinese but because of the classes at Silk Mandarin, I have made a lot of progress in a little over a year—I can now read short, easy texts written entirely in characters and have basic conversations with taxi drivers and wait staff at restaurants. The teachers at Silk are knowledgeable, personable, and patient. They use a number of different teaching methods to help students learn the material, and the slow motion technique explains much of Chinese grammar in a really logical way. The teachers and staff are also incredibly helpful in navigating life in China, and they’ve regularly gone above and beyond to solve small problems for me. Even the students I’ve met at Silk are amazing and have become good friends. I highly recommend Silk Mandarin for any level of Chinese learner and I’m constantly telling my friends who want to learn Chinese that they should enroll in classes there.

Today marks 6 months since I’ve been with Silk Mandarin with Yanqin Laoshi. I tried several schools in Shanghai before committing to one, but during the trial lesson, the first 2 weeks intensive course & bi-weekly lessons since, I feel I made the right choice with Silk. Yanqin tailors each lesson to my learning requirements, sets good homework & her classes change style & tempo depending on what I’m struggling with & what I’m doing well.
I have a long way to go, but after learning Chinese for 2 years in Chengdu, I can really feel the development in the last 6 months

I moved to Shanghai 4 months ago and a friend of mine recommend me Silk Mandarin. The school offers great and different classes. A unique technique, interactive classes and very skillful teachers are helping you to improve quickly! And it is always fun and you meet a lot of interesting people. Besides that the school offers different cultural activities and makes you feel more home in a new city. After three months I can get a long with my Chinese in my daily life and looking forward to improve my skills thanks to Silk Mandarin!

I first noticed Silk Mandarin when i saw them at their booth at the yearly Expat fair in Jing’an (downtown Shanghai). I had tried other Chinese schools before so it didn’t really get my attention at first but then i saw 3 familiar foreign faces on their billboards advocating about the school. After a great talk with Silk Mandarin at their booth i phoned the 3 faces from the billboards just to be sure that this school would be different and better that the other ones i had tried. They all confirmed it and after being a student at Silk for a little over a year i can say that i surely have been more than happy with their way of teaching. My teacher Yanqin has been way above all expectations. What i love most about our classes is that she gives me the time and attention to go over whatever question i could have in Chinese instead of strictly sticking to the book and curriculum. She’s always smiling and that energy just makes it a true pleasure to go to class every time!

I had a career break and wanted to get settled in Shanghai. Living there, it makes sense to learn the basics of the language and the culture. The course from HsK 1 to 3 is very flexible, it can adjust to your individual needs while still being embedded in some small groups from up to 4 students. It’s great if you don’t know how long you can stay exactly and how much time to invest. Loved it and with 2 different teachers each day, you can learn about different teaching methods and get used to different accents.

I am General Manager of my Spanish company branch in Asia and I needed to improve my chinese skills focused on business, vocabulary, speaking, etc. I joined 2 plus 1 Business Chinese lessons and experience is being great. Now I am able to have business meeting with my suppliers without need of my chinese coleagues. The school and the staff are simply fantastic. Convenient location at Jingan area, native teachers totally bilingual. I’m totally sure I will pass BCT exam. That’s my next goal with Silk Mandarin. Thanks for this experience!

I had classes during almost a year once a week. My teacher Was amazing. Always very energetic, positive, passionate with her job and really patient! She is very talented to teach language. I learned a lot with her. She is quite well structured, method is efficient, and always available when I have a question. The school is very welcoming and professional. I really enjoyed the method which gave me a great learning experience mixing interactions, reading and listening - I will definitely continue my learning with Silk Mandarin.