Levels 

Levels & Learning Outcomes

Our Mandarin classes are designed to meet you at your current level and help you progress with confidence. Whether you're just starting out or looking to refine your skills, we offer different levels to match your needs. Here is a brief overview of each level and its learning outcomes:

Beginner: This level is divided into beginner and upper elementary levels. It is designed for beginners with little to no prior experience in the language. 

• Beginner (Threshold) focus areas: learning Pinyin and pronunciation, building essential vocabulary and a solid basic grammar, an introduction to Chinese characters, and engaging in simple conversations like greetings, introductions, asking and answering simple questions. 

• Upper Beginner focus areas: Developing speaking skills, engaging in conversations about more topics in daily life, consolidating the fundamental language points, and preparing for the transition from using Pinyin to Chinese characters. 

At the end of the beginner level, you will be able to:

• Communicate basic personal information: Introduce yourself, describe your family, and talk about your daily routines.

• Engage in simple conversations: Use common greetings, ask and answer basic questions, and respond appropriately in everyday situations (e.g., shopping, giving directions or ordering food).

• Understand fundamental grammar: Use essential Chinese sentence structures and ways of expressions.

• Build a foundational vocabulary: Recognize and use about 800 essential words related to common topics like food, travel, and hobbies.

• Develop listening and pronunciation skills: Begin distinguishing key sounds and improving pronunciation to be understood by native speakers.

Intermediate:  At this level, you'll strengthen your foundation, improve your speaking skills and start using more complex sentence structures. Focus areas: improving fluency in conversations, reading and writing while expanding vocabulary. You'll be able to handle everyday interactions and express your thoughts and opinions with more confidence. 

At the end of the intermediate level, you will be able to:

• Engage in longer conversations: Discuss preferences, make plans, and express opinions on familiar topics like movies, books, or news.

• Expand grammar knowledge: Use a wider range of tenses (e.g., future, conditional), comparatives, and more complex sentence structures.

• Handle practical situations with ease: Navigate scenarios like giving directions, arranging appointments, or solving problems while traveling.

• Improve listening and comprehension: Follow conversations, understand the main points of short stories or articles, and watch videos with subtitles.

• Write clear, organized texts: Draft emails, letters, or short essays with improved grammar and vocabulary.

• Increase vocabulary: Master about 2000 words, including those related to work, travel, and culture.

Advanced: This course is for students who are comfortable with the language and want to refine their skills. We'll engage in fluent conversations in almost any environment with a firm grasp of sentence structures. Focus areas: nuanced conversation, understanding complex texts, discussing a wide range of topics fluently, and using the language in a more natural, authentic way. 

At the end of the advanced level, you will be able to:

• Speak fluently and confidently: Express complex ideas, debate opinions, and discuss abstract topics like global issues, culture, or literature.

• Master advanced grammar: Use idiomatic expressions, passive voice, and nuanced sentence structures for more precise communication.

• Understand native-level content: Follow fast-paced conversations, comprehend news broadcasts, and read advanced texts like novels or research articles.

• Write professional-level texts: Craft detailed reports, persuasive essays, or creative stories with minimal grammatical errors.

• Adapt to cultural nuances: Understand humor, sarcasm, and cultural references in conversation, making you sound more natural and authentic.

• Specialize your language skills: Focus on areas such as academic discussion, business communication, advanced writing, cultural fluency, depending on your goals.

Note to Students

These outcomes may vary based on your starting point and the effort you put into practice. Each level is designed to be comprehensive and tailored to your individual learning goals.