Silk Mandarin Language School

Program Reviews

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Hesty
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

First semester with Silk Mandarin

This is my first semester with Silk Mandarin, it has helped navigating my communication better. Giving the great structure of grammar and also oral skills.

The slow motion technique introduction was really useful skills to know. Because sometimes chinese language could get so confusing on how you use the grammar properly.
The course also has extending my vocabularies, that was very useful for living in Beijing.

I wish I could continue my studies to the next step with them, I am looking forward to it!

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Stachea
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Online Silk Mandarin School was a wonderful experience!

I've taken several online courses and I've absolutely love Silk Mandarin school. The Slow Motion technique they teach and the videos are all extremely helpful and the teacher was both engaging and encouraging. The small group class was perfect and provided a really good mix of grammar, vocabulary, and conversation.

My HSK2 teacher was easily accessible via the class chat, WhatsApp, and even WeChat and would answer questions really quickly even though we were in different time zones.

Highly recommend and signing up for the next series

What was your funniest moment?
They have a lot of great content videos and daily life videos within the program and publish out on youtube. Some of them are really funny and enhance the experience.
Pros
  • Great content
  • Amazing teachers
  • Slow Motion technique
Cons
  • none
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Janice
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

HSK1

I did my HSK1 course with Silk Mandarin and i found the course to be just what I needed to keep motivation and focus. The course is made to be able to understand as well as use basic phrases which are really useful in everyday life. The preview part of the course is really useful as it prepares you for the in person class which takes place twice a week. I really appreciate the review parts as well as it confirms and helps me remember everything. The timetable is manageable aven when working a full time job, I will definitely continue working towards HSK2 here!

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Daria
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

An optimal course if you are busy, but still have some time to study a new language

I am fully satisfied with the course. The structure and preparatory videos are clear and useful, not too long. Classes are well structured. Teachers are really good as well (mine was Christina and she would always answer all my quesitons well). I had an individual online course due to unpredictable schedule, and I had to cacnel/move a number of classes and the teacher was very understanding about it. I am very grateful.

Vocabulary is useful and sutiable for the HSK2 exam.

I like the design of the course.

Highly recommend.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
I think it is important to listen to the school's advice to start learning words and grammar for the next class at least 2 days before the class. This helps to remember everything better.
Don't skip homework.
Pros
  • Clear structure
  • Very good grammar explanation and practice
  • Useful sentences and vocabulary
Cons
  • Expensive
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Eva
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Great way to learn mandarin

Coming to China I realized quickly that learning mandarin is a must - but living in the outskirts of Shanghai I didn’t want to travel 2hours downtown to attend a class. The online class with the blended learning approach from Silk Mandarin school really made a difference for me. With the review and preview of each lesson you keep your brain busy with Chinese and you will have your first sense of achievement very soon! Teachers are just great, very helpful and motivate you when you have doubts of getting the hang of the language on your learning journey. Totally recommend!

If you did this all over again, what's one thing you would change?
I would enroll on my first week in China and not wait 1 month to compare other programs.
Default avatar
Riekert
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Great Online Course

I decided after living in China a while to learn Chinese HSK1to make my daily life easier.I came upon Silk Mandarin and contacted them.The sales team contacted me within a few hours, listened to what I wanted and recommended the online course. After some thought and comparisons I accepted.The platform was easy to use, my teacher excellent and she had a lot of patience with me.The workload is also manageable.I highly recommend Silk Mandarin as their teachers, materials and videos are excellent quality.

What was the most nerve-racking moment and how did you overcome it?
My bad tones. Chinese is a tonal language and if you give the wrong time. You can have some embarrassing moments and strange stares.
Pros
  • Well planned lessons.
  • Easy to use and follow.
  • Reasonable price and excellent teachers.
Cons
  • No cons with this course.
Default avatar
Janice
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

HSK1 with Silk Mandarin

I did my HSK1 course with Silk Mandarin and i found the course to be just what I needed to keep motivation and focus. The course is made to be able to understand as well as use basic phrases which are really useful in everyday life. The timetable is manageable aven when working a full time job, it is also possible to arrange for online classes when you are travelling or busy with other events. The platform is very easy to use to prepare your lessons and it gives you the possibility to self study and ask questions to your teacher. I will definitely continue working towards HSK2 here!

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Nathan
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Great Choice for Learners of Mandarin

After a couple of months of learning Chinese informally through social media, I enrolled in a course through Silk Mandarin in Suzhou. From the beginning, the staff at Silk Mandarin have been remarkably friendly, as well flexible and responsive to my needs and interests as a learner. My teacher, Sisi, is a skilled language instructor and it is clear that she has extensive experience working with non-native learners—she is able to anticipate common challenges for learners of Chinese and understands how to explain them in terms that make sense to learners. She is also adept at continuously incorporating previous course content into new lessons, which allows me to reinforce the various concepts we have learned. During class, I always feel engaged and appropriately challenged; as such, I’ve felt both my proficiency and my confidence improve throughout my course at Silk Mandarin. As all of the above suggests, I’d highly recommend Silk Mandarin to learners!

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Rita
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Comfortable way of learning Chinese effectively

Focusing on oral speaking practice as a primary objective really helped me a lot with gaining confidence and motivation to learn. Not putting so much pressure on character learning, but making it the secondary focus, helped me to progress faster. My teacher Christina made it comfortable for me to ask questions that increased my understanding, helping me to grasp the language faster and use it effectively. It gave me a lot of speaking opportunity, of which the importance can’t be overstated, especially since Chinese tones can be difficult to grasp.

What was the most nerve-racking moment and how did you overcome it?
Chinese characters can take on various meanings. Being able to discuss their meaning and practical use, as well as being allowed to make and correct pronunciation mistakes, helped me to learn to speak with confidence.
Pros
  • Personal
  • Adaptable
  • Conversational
Cons
  • Initial progress is slow
  • Self study required
  • Limited speaking opportunity, more is better
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Jacques
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

moving to Shanghai in 2023

Arriving in Shanghai in September 2023 I knew I wanted to learn mandarin, not only in order to facilitate communication in daily life, but also to gain access to Chinese culture in general, this as a sign of respect to the people of this country. For a certain number of reasons regular courses on one of the local universities did not work for me. By coincidence I found the address of SILK MANDARIN online and in some printed expat guide. After the initial contact it took only more or less one day to get in touch with all the relevant people at Silk in order to enrol for HSK1, very fast and very professional. The atmosphere is very friendly, the whole team does its best to make you feel at ease and being part of their "family". Teachers (at least those I know) are doing a really good job, questions are answered almost anytime of the day in almost no time, they are cool, competent and friendly but they are also demanding and insisting in order to get students out of their comfort zone, the only way to succeed with such a different language for westerners. Being in a blended learning course with pre-recorded elements I appreciate the good quality of the videos and the perfect intonations and pace of Jasmine, this is very important when learning a tone based language. I hope my mandarin journey will continue successfully over the next months and years.