Mandarin Chinese FAQs

Most learners can handle simple conversations and read around 500 characters within our 12-week Foundation Mandarin Course. Of course, it depends on how much time you’re putting in outside the classroom, but we’re talking 2-3 months to get genuinely functional at the beginner level.

No, we start with pinyin, which is the Romanized version of Mandarin. You’ll learn to recognize and write characters gradually, at your own pace. We don’t believe in overwhelming beginners—it’s better to build confidence with spoken Mandarin first, then tackle the written characters as you progress.

Mandarin is different, not necessarily harder. The grammar is actually simpler than English in many ways—no verb conjugations or gendered nouns. The tones take practice, and yes, characters are challenging, but thousands of people in Canada are learning it successfully. We structure our courses to make it manageable.

Absolutely. Our Foundation Mandarin Course is designed for complete beginners—no prior language learning needed. We’ve taught people from all backgrounds, and what matters most is showing up and putting in the effort.

Apps are great for drilling vocabulary, but they don’t teach you to actually speak with a real person. In our Conversational Mandarin Workshop, you’re practicing with instructors and peers, getting feedback on your pronunciation, and learning the cultural context that makes language stick. Apps are a tool; our courses are a complete learning experience.

We offer both formats to fit your schedule. Check our course page for current class times and locations, or contact us to discuss what works best for your learning style.