As one of the most spoken languages in the world, Mandarin is an important language for many purposes, from business to travel. So, you've been living in China for a few years but your knowledge of Chinese doesn't go far beyond "xie xie" or telling the taxi driver your home address? Or, perhaps you need to communicate with Mandarin-speaking clients at work? It may be time to buckle down and learn the language. Whether you're looking to pick up some simple daily phrases, brush up on what you've learned in the past, or want to up-skill for your resume, we've outlined a list of places you can learn Mandarin in Hong Kong. 

In-person classes

In-person Mandarin classes at a language school or an intensive summer workshop at local universities often take place face-to-face in a private or group setting with a tutor. And for those who thrive in a social setting, taking in-person lessons allows you to get face-to-face interactions with your Mandarin tutor and classmates. On top of getting a multi-sensory learning experience, learning Mandarin in an in-person class setting gives students the opportunity to have auditory and visual stimuli through presentations or have the Mandarin tutor illustrate ideas and concepts on a whiteboard.

Social interaction through group or pair work can also help maximize your opportunities to practice Mandarin when learning how to speak the language. Moreover, students are also able to get immediate support during in-person classes for things they do not understand. However, the downside of learning Mandarin from an in-person class is the lack of flexibility. Since traditional classes require you to attend a few times a week as a part of a class of up to 10 to 20 people, missing classes if scheduling conflicts come up is not ideal but often times inevitable if you’re also balancing full-time work. Another limitation of traditional Mandarin classes is the cost, especially if you’re taking a private class with a one-on-one tutor.

With that said, if you want a Mandarin language certificate, learning the language through school courses with an official exam is one of the ways to go.

Self-learning at home

Self-learning can give you flexibility and freedom that you can't really get anywhere. For those who don't have the time to go to in-person Mandarin classes and tutors or simply cannot commit but still dream of achieving fluency in the language. Learning Mandarin by yourself is also an alternative. While studying Mandarin alone may seem like a difficult feat, it's not impossible to do so successfully. From scheduling your own time, location and the freedom of your learning pace, self-studying also gives you the freedom to focus on what topics are important to you. After all, not everyone has the same goal, and being locked-in a Mandarin class with a tutor and a fixed syllabus that doesn’t cover the topics you want to learn might not be the best for you. For example, if you’re learning Mandarin to converse with your colleagues and friends then your goal is probably very different from a business man who wants to learn Mandarin to converse with his potential clients. Having to follow a strict course syllabus when you just want to learn Mandarin casually is probably not the best way to spend your time.  On top of that, self-studying is oftentimes much more affordable compared to signing up for courses at a language institution or centre. With that said, if you’re a person who struggles with keeping yourself motivated, self-learning Mandarin can quickly become boring without the in-person class interactions, making it more difficult to commit to in the long run.

Online courses

Throwing yourself into a language course in a learning school or just signing up for language classes can be a big commitment, especially if you're working full-time. The best of both worlds, an online Mandarin course provides you with the freedom you get with self-learning and the structure and guidance from an in-person class. Regardless of whether you want to learn completely independently or with the support of an instructor. The power is in your hands, and you can decide for yourself which learning method suits you best. Moreover, you can build informal relationships with your teachers that can extend beyond simply learning Mandarin, since your teacher will share with you a holistic view of Chinese culture.

Here at Linguabox, we offer the most complete mandarin learning experience online. We believe that learning a language should be fun, so we've developed the best ways to teach you mandarin online that is educational yet exciting. Guaranteed to be in good hands, our Mandarin tutors have extensive experience in teaching Mandarin to students of various backgrounds and have incorporated successful and effective language acquisition techniques into a practical, intellectually challenging, and fun online curriculum.

Sign up to Linguabox now!

With programs designed for confidence building, each online Mandarin course will have a variety of fun games, songs, engaging stories, and situational exercises to craft an adaptive experience for a sharper learning experience. After each class, your Mandarin tutor will provide you with a few exercises tailored to your needs so that you can practice before your next session. These exercises will allow you to consolidate your new knowledge and quickly improve your Mandarin skills.

Looking for a fun yet results-driven online Mandarin course to join in Hong Kong? Book your free trial with us here.