Program Reviews

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!

Thanks to silk mandarin I could achieved a HSK 3 level in 6 months using their amazing "slow motion" technique from the very beginning. I started my classes only knowing 你好 and 再见, but now I can read more than 600 characters and have a conversation with Chinese people on the street.

I hardly recommend you take their part time course which is only twice a week but you learn a lot and super fast. The teachers are really good. I had the opportunity to be Christina's, Ting Ting and David student and I cannot complain at all.

I fully recommend the Silk Mandarin School. I have found my teacher Jiamian to be extremely professional, patient and kind. As a busy business person with frequent international travel I have limited time to study. Jiamian Laoshi has maximized the efficiency of our learning time with frequent reviews and consolidation. Lessons have always been interesting and fun. The school has good on-line class room tools which have made it possible for me to continue to study when away from Shanghai.
So overall I recommend the Silk Mandarin School to all students including busy expats such as myself.

I studied Chinese on and off over the span of nearly 10 years in both University and private tutoring environments, but I never was able to fully connect with traditional course tracks and teachers. Frustrated with my language level and growth after having lived in China for years, I was referred a few months ago to Silk Mandarin by a friend and have found this to be a truly unique school from day one.

My teacher Jasmine developed an approach and schedule tailored to what I need, even going beyond the HSK curriculum to include custom valuable segments relevant to my career needs. I have learned faster than I expected, and more importantly I am perpetually more and more motivated by the progress and results.

I had always written off learning characters as I thought they were too daunting to learn comprehensively given my busy schedule, and instead prioritized conversational skills and pinyin. Silk Mandarin, however, has a way of teaching characters that makes it feel easy and logical, and it has completely changed how quickly I can learn comprehend and retain information.

The school is in a great central location too, comfortable, and after moving to the new classrooms on the 16th floor the environment got even better. Positive vibes, I highly recommend.

Silk Mandarin is a great language school. The teachers are extremely skilled at bringing mandarin to life for students, helping them understand the stories behind the characters and the logic behind the language. Silk Mandarin get the balance right between having fun in the classroom and also making sure each student makes progress in their mandarin learning. The school provides group, one to one and online classes which is great if you travel and want to keep your mandarin skills up. I would highly recommend Silk Mandarin to anyone thinking of studying Mandarin.