Mandarin is the world's most popular language, and it's set to become even more important in future. If you want to take the opportunity of being in China to learn the language, understand the culture and make new friends there are plenty of options in Shanghai. The mandarin teaching industry however is a largely unregulated one and you can easily get lost in its murkiness. To help you make a good choice the following options are organized in order of price.

 

 

At the top of the price range are the large mandarin schools. Their main advantages are central downtown locations, well organized classes and flexible schedules. Nicolas Clement from France has been in Shanghai for 15 months and has studied with Mandarin House since last October. He first came to the school as it was in Plaza 66 on Nanjing Rd. West, just across from his office. "I'm very ambitious with Chinese – I want to be fluent for business purposes in 3 years – so I prefer to pay the price for good lessons." He says. "Learning good Chinese adds a lot of value so it's worth the price."

 

Other expats however find high prices do not necessarily mean great teachers and advises newcomers to ask how much of your course fees go to the teachers. Those looking for cheaper alternatives can consider smaller mandarin schools. They offer flexible courses but not city centre locations meaning much lower prices. They also lack marketing budgets so you find them by word of mouth, leaflets or clustered around the big universities. Connections are your best bet, so ask around for a school with a good reputation.

 

Typical prices: Downtown mandarin schools: 70 – 80 yuan/hour for classes of under 10, 100-15yuan/hour for individual tuition. Smaller schools such as Top School near Fudan University: 30-35 yuan/hour for classes of 2-3, 40-50 yuan for individual tuition.

 

 

Certain Shanghai universities are authorised to take foreign students for mandarin tuition. The largest and most well known are Fudan, Jiaotong and East China Normal University. These courses are reasonably priced and the teachers have guaranteed levels of experience and qualification. However their schedules can be inflexible, typically requiring 4 hours a day during working hours. They also require you to share classes with up to 20 other students. Lana Nguyen from Hungary has been in Shanghai for 2 years. She went to Fudan for 1 year then continued studying in a small mandarin school. "The Fudan course was good value and well organized, and you can meet many new people." She says. "The beginner courses were good but at advanced levels I didn't learn enough with such big classes. I even had to get a private tutor in my spare time. By contrast the small school offered more intensive tuition and the classes were more custom made to my needs such as HSK preparation."

 

Typical prices: Fudan University: 10,500 yuan for a term of 6 months with 20 hours tuition a week. Short courses over July-August start from 2,900 yuan for 2 weeks.

 

 

If you don't go through a mandarin school for a private tutor they can be found for as little as a third of the price. There's no hard and fast way to measure their competence though, and neither is there a one-stop-shop to find them. American Patrick Willis who has lived in Shanghai for 7 years, comments that, "Choosing a tutor is not just about their teaching methods but also whether you click. Have a trial lesson and see if they are right for your needs first, you don't have much to lose." Like many expats Willis found his teacher through the recommendation of another expat who had been here longer. Emma Luo, an independent mandarin tutor who has been working for 2 years says she advertises online sometimes but the majority of her students were introduced by existing students. “The teacher's ability is more important than qualifications," she says on things to look for in a teacher, "English fluency is important as is their responsiveness. Students often can't articulate what they need so a good teacher should fill in the gaps."

 

Typical prices: 30 – 80 yuan/hour depending on experience.

 

 

If you already have some foundation in mandarin self study can be very effective. The Foreign Language Bookstore on Fuzhou Rd. has a vast store of Chinese learning materials and around 100 yuan will take care of your entire course. If you're a beginner you can still self study with innovative online tools: check out livemocha.com or chinesepod.com.

 

Language partners to practice spoken Chinese are free and easy to find online on sites such as live.shanghaidaily.com, italki.com or shanghaiexpat.com. Effectiveness however is rarely as good as formal lessons. "It requires discipline on both sides to make the exchange equal. If one person is demanding you may spend more time speaking one language." says Seamus Cornelius, an Australian lawyer who has lived in Shanghai for 14 years. "In my experience allocating formal time to exchanges is not an efficient way to learn."

 

Cornelius has been studying Chinese for 15 years and advises newcomers to use a mixture of language learning methods as their skills advance. "At the beginning small classes are really good because you need the discipline of the class and the support of fellow classmates. After you have a foundation though one-on-one coaching is necessary. After that it’s a matter of constant practice with the people around you – including watching TV."

 

 

The Hanyu Shuipin Kaoshi (HSK) is the official qualification for Chinese language proficiency recognised by the Chinese Ministry of Education. The HSK is required for entry to certain university courses, exemption from courses, and for employers to evaluate your Chinese skills. The tests are standardized across the nation and can be taken at a number of cities including Shanghai, Beijing and Hong Kong. There are basic, elementary-intermediate, or advanced levels and two to three tests a year. For how to register and more details see hsk.org.cn. If you want to take the tests you can ask your school or teacher to tailor your lessons for HSK preparation.