CONVERSATIONAL CHINESE (MANDARIN)

Description

Popular Conversational Mandarin Course for Adults in Singapore

Basic Mandarin to Advanced Mandarin Classes

Looking for the best place to learn conversational Mandarin course in Singapore? Want more individual attention and fast improvement? Then our speaking Mandarin class for adult learners is the perfect option for you. Be prepared for lots of fun speaking Chinese, as well as sharing of Chinese culture.

Our conversational Mandarin course in Singapore is small in size, which allows our experienced teachers to tailor lessons to your individual needs. Furthermore, starting out with a conversational Mandarin course is an ideal way for adult learners to master survival Chinese in the short term. When you have made significant progress, there will also be room for you to progress to Intermediate and Advanced lessons at School of Language International (SLI) in future.

Having said that our classes that focus on teaching students how to speak Mandarin are very practical and helpful for expatriates, travelers, professionals and Mandarin language lovers. However, if you need more specific courses, you can also check our other popular Chinese courses: Business Mandarin course, Private Mandarin course, and Corporate Training courses, which are all available at our language center in Singapore.

 

The Reasons to take conversational Mandarin Course in Singapore

Improve your mandarin level significantly in a short time.

Learn basic Chinese from highly qualified Native Chinese teachers in Singapore.

Learn Mandarin in your preferred language (English, Japanese, Korean or Chinese language).

  Benefit from greater individual attention and practical Mandarin lessons.

Learn Chinese and its beautiful rich culture.

There are many levels of Chinese language courses: from Basic level Mandarin to Advanced level Mandarin

Small class size: 3 to 8 students.

There are many new classes which start every month. Please join us today to learn and appreciate the beauty of the Chinese language and culture.

 

 

 

Mandarin Course Level Chart 

What is my Mandarin speaking level?

Please call us at 62255988 for a free Mandarin speaking level test to access your class level.

General Level	CM Books	Duration & Starting Date (Once a week)	Duration & Starting Date (Mon to Fri)	HSK Level
Beginner Level (Basic | Elementary I)	New Concept 1	12 weeks 10am to 12pm 7pm to 9pm	2 weeks Flexible Only 3 students to start a class	HSK 1
Elementary II	New Concept 1	10 weeks	2 weeks	HSK 2
Intermediate I & II	New Concept 2	20 weeks	4 weeks	HSK 3
Intermediate III & IV	New Concept 3 & 4	20 weeks	4 weeks	HSK 4
Advanced I & II	New Concept 4 & 5	20 weeks	4 weeks	HSK 5
Advanced III & IV	New Concept 6	20 weeks	4 weeks	HSK 6

 

Group Class Schedules for 2024

Learning Mandarin in Singapore is fun and practical as you can use it everyday and almost everywhere. We have listed the tentative schedule below for basic Mandarin. However, we have lots of ongoing classes for higher levels, so please feel free to contact us at 62255988 or courses@language-int.com for the lesson schedules for other levels.

Upcoming Mandarin Course

Level: Beginner (Elementary I)

Starting date:  23 Nov 2024
Time:  Sat 11:00-13:00
Course fee: S$ 530 / 10 weeks

Conversational Mandarin Course Outline

What can I learn from the Conversational Mandarin course?

Basic Mandarin (Elementary I)

We have listed the course information here to help you understand what you can learn in our Conversational Mandarin class. Moreover, the topics are very practical and functional. Also here are 12 tips to improve your Conversational Mandarin in Singapore.

Lesson No.	Topics	Vocabulary	Grammar
Basic Mandarin (Elementary I Level)
1	What’s your name?	1) Personal pronouns. 2) Common Chinese family names and given names. 3) Self-introduction	1) A verb or verb phrase serving as the predicate. 2) Chinese Phonetics (Hanyu Pinyin)
	My name is ____. His name is ____.
2	He is Chinese.	1) Nationality. 2) Greetings.	1) The adverb “也” meaning “also/too”. 2) The question with an interrogative word (“哪”). 3) Chinese Phonetics.
	What’s his nationality?
3	Are you Mr. Mu?	1) Common forms of address. 2) Apologetic expressions.	1) The question with an interrogative word (“吗”). 2) The particle “ 的” indicating possession. 3) The adverb “ 不” indicating negation.
	He is Manager Wang.
4	What does he do?	1) Professions. 2) Adjectives describing physical and mental states.	1) An adjective or adjective phrase serving as the predicate. 2) The affirmative-negative question. “ A 不A “
	She is very busy.
5	What do they like doing?	1) Hobbies. 2) Everyday activities.	1) The usage of the verb “喜欢”. 2) The adverb “ 都”indicating scope.
	I like surfing the Internet.
6	I have an elder sister.	1) Kinship terms. 2) Number 0 – 99.	1) The verb “ 有” meaning “ to have”. 2) The measure word “个”. 3) To ask about quantity using “几”.
	How many people are there in his family?
7	Where is my key?	1) Furniture. 2) Direction and location (Part 1).	The verb “ 在” indicating location.
	The newspaper is beside the computer.
8	Does this red dress look good?	1) Colors. 2) Clothes. 3) Measure words 1 (for clothes).	1) The particle “的” indicating a certain attribute. 2) To ask about nature and characteristics using “怎么样”.
	This yellow sofa is very comfortable.
9	The Spring Festival is on the first lunar month.	1) Festivals. 2) Year / month / day. 3) Week.	The expression of year / month / day.
	When is the Lantern Festival?
10	Would you like to pay by  cash or card? Do you want a big cup or a small cup?	1) Food 1. 2) Measure words 2 (for food). 3) Adjectives describing nature and characteristics.	1) Nouns used as measure words. 2) The alternative question: “A 还是 B”. 3) The structure “X + 的” used as a noun.

Review lesson 6 to12 | HSK 1 Class Practice Test

 

Basic Conversational Mandarin (Elementary II)

Lesson No.	Topics	Vocabulary	Grammar
A2 Elementary Level
1	How much is half a kilo of apples?	1) Food 2. 2) Measure words 3 (of weight ).	1) To ask about prices using “多少钱”. 2) The measure word“斤”. 3) Units of Renminbi.
	How much are the bananas?
2	How can I get to the bank?	1) Public places 1. 2) Direction and location 2.	1) To ask the way using“怎么走”. 2) The preposition “往” indicating a direction. 3) The adverb “ 就” used to emphasize the mood.
	It’s just the white building over there?
3	I’ll come to work by bus.	1) Means of transport. 2) Actions.	1) To ask about the method of an action using “怎么”. 2) The predicate with two verbs 1 ( expressing the method ).
	How does my elder sister go to the airport?
4	I travelled to Egypt.	1) Temporal expressions (day). 2) Public places 2.	1) The particle “ 了” indicating that something has happened. 2) The predicate with two verbs 2 (expressing the purpose ). 3) The adverb “ 就” meaning “soon”.
	What did you do yesterday?
5	How about setting out at half past six in the morning?	1) Clock time. 2) Periods in a day.	1) The particle “吧” used to make a suggestion. 2) To ask for opinions using “怎么样”. 3) The structure “Time + Place + “见” Indicating an appointment.
	Let’s go to play basketball this Sunday afternoon.
	Review Lesson 1 to 5
6	He is very tall.	1) Parts of the body. 2) Adjectives describing people.	A “ Subject + Predicate “ structure serving as the predicate.
	She doesn’t have a good figure.
7	What’s the weather like in Beijing	1) Weather 2) Cities	A noun or noun phrase serving as the predicate.
	It snows a lot in Moscow in the winter
8	You’ve got a cold.	Disease and symptom.	1) The particle “ 了” indicating change. 2) The reduplication of verbs indicating a temporary action. 3) The preposition “ 在 “ indicating where the action takes place.
	What’s the matter with him?
9	What are they doing?	Everyday activities 2.	The adverb “ ( 正 )在” indicating the progression of an action.
	Grandpa is practicing taijiquan.
10	The room has been tidied up.	1) Household activities. 2) Common verbs and adjectives indicating the result of an action.	1) A verb or an adjective used in a phrase to indicate the result of an action. 2) The adverb “ 没 “ used to deny / negate an action in the past.
	My father understood what he heard.
	Review lesson 7 to 11 (HSK 2 Class Practice Test)

 

FAQ

1. How do I learn and improve my Mandarin in the classroom?

In order to help our students improve their Chinese speaking skills faster, our well qualified Chinese language teachers follow the tested ‘Hanban‘ teaching format below:

Learn useful new vocabularies: practice speaking and pronunciation

Learn useful tips: important grammar and the communication focus of the unit

Learn new situational and practical dialogues

Practice and say it accurately: the focus is on using the right Chinese words and phrases

Practice and say it clearly: the focus here is on pronunciation and tone of Mandarin words, phrases and sentences

Extend Mandarin dialogues with lots of role-plays and interactions: the focus is on the Mandarin speaking fluency of the students.

 

2. What are the learning tips to help me improve my Mandarin faster?

You can check the recommendations below:

How to improve Chinese in Singapore

3. Can I learn Mandarin in Japanese instead of English?

Yes, you can. Even though most of our Mandarin classes are conducted in English & Mandarin, we do have classes being conducted in Japanese or Korean upon customers’ requests.

 

4. I am a foreigner, and just want to learn basic Mandarin for fun. What are the topics covered in your beginner Mandarin course?

In our Basic Mandarin course (Beginner Level), you will learn the top 10 most useful topics as well as vocabulary related to:

Greetings & Self-introductions
Date & Numbers
Family & Work
Profession & Places
Transportation
Food Ordering & Restaurant
Languages & Countries
Holidays
Feelings
Shopping

 

5. What kind of teaching materials do you use for Mandarin or HSK Prep lessons?

We use Hanban China accredited syllabus aligned with international Mandarin and HSK Test, which are written by the best Chinese language experts.

 

6. As I have lots of business trips overseas, do you have one-to-one private Mandarin classes available?

Yes, we do. For private lessons, you can decide on the lesson schedule, frequency, locations, and progress. You can cancel your scheduled lesson with no charge. One-to-one Private Mandarin classes.

 

7. Do you provide online conversational Mandarin course?

Yes. Online Mandarin courses.

 

8. What are the challenges of learning Mandarin as a first time beginner?

Learning basic Mandarin as a beginner can be challenging due to several factors, including the Chinese language’s tonal nature, complex writing system, and differences in grammar and sentence structure compared to English. However, with the right approach and resources, these challenges can be overcome. Here are some solutions to common challenges beginners face when learning basic Mandarin:

1. Tonal nature of Mandarin: Mandarin is a tonal language, which means that the meaning of a word can change depending on the tone used to pronounce it. For example, the word “ma” can mean “mother” (mā), “hemp” (má), “horse” (mǎ), or “scold” (mà) depending on the tone.

 

Solution: Listen to and practice Mandarin pronunciation regularly to become familiar with the different tones. Use resources such as videos, audio clips, and language exchange apps to improve your pronunciation.

 

2. Complex writing system: Mandarin uses characters rather than an alphabet to represent words, which can be challenging for beginners to learn.

 

Solution: Start by learning basic characters and stroke order, then gradually build up your vocabulary. Use flashcards, practice writing characters regularly, and focus on characters that are relevant to your daily life or interests.

 

3. Differences in grammar and sentence structure: Mandarin grammar and sentence structure are different from English, which can make it difficult for beginners to form sentences correctly.

 

Solution: Focus on basic grammar patterns and sentence structures first, and gradually build up your knowledge. Use language learning apps or textbooks to practice sentence construction, and seek feedback from native speakers to improve your accuracy.

 

4. Lack of exposure to Mandarin speakers: It can be challenging to practice speaking and listening to Mandarin if you don’t have regular exposure to native speakers.

 

Solution: Look for language exchange groups or tutors, join online forums or social media groups, and seek out opportunities to practice speaking and listening to Mandarin. Use language learning apps that have speech recognition features to practice your pronunciation.

 

5. Motivation and consistency: Learning a new language can be challenging and requires consistent practice and motivation.

 

Solution: Set realistic goals and track your progress, practice regularly, and use a variety of resources to keep your learning engaging and interesting. Celebrate your successes and seek out support from other language learners or native speakers to stay motivated.

Overall, learning basic Mandarin requires patience, persistence, and a willingness to learn from mistakes. By focusing on the basics, using a variety of resources, and seeking out opportunities to practice at class and outside of the class, beginners at SLI can overcome the challenges and become proficient in Mandarin.

 

9. What is the difference between Mandarin and Chinese language?

Mandarin is a form of Chinese language and the official language of China. Further more 80% of the Chinese speaks Mandarin as their primary language.