You won't regret it.

If you actually want to learn Chinese, study at Silk Mandarin. It’s not the cheapest, but that is because the quality is the best you’re going to be able to find, especially if you’re a beginner. Here are my two main reasons why Silk is worth it: 1. Class Size - The group classes have a limit at 6 students, so you’re guaranteed to get tons of personal attention from your teacher and have the opportunity to speak a lot, which is what you actually need if you’re going to improve, especially at the early levels. 2. Teachers- The teachers here are the best. I had Jessica for HSK 1, Christina and Jessica for HSK 2, Jessica for HSK 3, and now David and Jessica for HSK 4. Christina is a boss. She don’t mess around and she makes grammar so easy to understand. Jessica is my savior, my fearless leader, my tug boat, pulling me along even when I have no gas left. She explains things so clearly that you don’t think you’re learning until you look back a few chapters and realize that you understand everything. Seriously, a teacher goddess. David is my newest teacher and is perfect for my HSK 4 needs and desires. His English is so goddamn good, which is really helpful because he can explain the nuances between similar words that a textbook can’t (really, the textbook sucks at this). This is very useful for me at the higher level now that my vocabulary is a little bigger (ex. Think about the difference between “but, although, actually, even though, even if, etc... “). He also has a decent sense of humor.

So yea, if you want to pretend to learn Chinese, buy some textbooks and “study” at Starbucks or go to a school where you’re listening to a teacher with 15 other students in the class and you never have a chance to speak. But, if you really want to learn Chinese rapidly, try Silk Mandarin out. I started mid HSK 1 in October (I had taken a single Chinese course two years before in America), and now 5 and half months (April) later I am mid-HSK 4 and a few months away from being conversationally fluent. I am so thankful I found this school and would recommend it wholeheartedly.