Thanks! We've dropped you an email to confirm your information. We'll be in contact to set up your free trial lesson.
Newbie: I'm a bit overwhelmed with the tones, pronunciation and characters in Mandarin — where should I start?
Beginner: Found great Mandarin video-lessons online, but I’m struggling to retain much of the material.
Group class: I’ve limited opportunities to speak Mandarin and I’d prefer to practice with natives, not other students.
Intermediate: People hear my Mandarin pronunciation then revert to even worse English!
Advanced: I know over 6000 Chinese words, but my Chinese grammar is less than spectacular, and I need to use Chinese professionally.
Our instructional practice
How can you effectively use your memory for language learning? Key to understanding this is the play between how memories are formed, stored and recalled.
Learning a language works best when you make associations with life experiences, scenes and emotions - and layer new learnings on top of old ones. In time, these interconnected associations build up and support a web of working memory - your own internal language system.
The importance of real interactions
It's not difficult to learn new words or phrases in a short space or time, but getting them to stick in your working memory is much harder. Language exists for communication, and if you're not communicating, you will find it hard to maintain and recall what you've learnt.
And to communicate effectively (and use the right word at the right time), you need a good grasp of context, grammar, and pronunciation. More than that, non-linguistic cues like movement and expression all contribute to successful communication. Real interactions, in a context that a professional teacher can provide, gives you the opportunity to repeatedly reinforce your working memory. This is a fundamental part of how we help you to be an effective language learner.
1-to-1 NATIVE private expert tutors with 6+ years of Mandarin teaching experience
Fully tailored, highly effective, flexible learning experience
Time-tested Mandarin textbooks for beginners and intermediate students, and personally curated Chinese material for advanced levels.
Track your Mandarin goals with bespoke study plans, updated regularly. Periodic Mandarin tests and progress reports help build confidence.
30-day money back guarantee with prompt, reliable after-sales service. We’re nice people, not a mindless mega-school
Unlimited voice homework help
Free regular review plan
Free advisory assistance when you're in China, such as how to rent an apartment, travel tips, the go-to mobile apps, registering for the HSK exams, applying for Alipay and so on
Free Chinese reading content with supplementary audio on a wide range of real topics.
Opportunity to be put in touch with Mandarin learners worldwide and enlarge your circle of co-students through online activities
Crouching tiger, hidden children. A structured Mandarin course aimed at younger students. We also offer Chinese classes for children whose parents speak Mandarin at home.
For anyone doing business in China or with Chinese companies. From basic greetings and avoiding faux pas to joint ventures, email etiquette and giving presentations.
This textbook based Mandarin course is suitable for most people and is designed to improve your Mandarin speaking, listening, reading and writing. We have Mandarin classes focused around everyday conversations, pronunciation, grammar, Chinese characters. We're glad to be flexible to meet your study goals on Mandarin.
-Aldona, Company boss, London
I am extremely happy with Chloe as my Mandarin teacher. She is very professional and the Chinese classes are always interesting. I can see my own progress from week to week and it makes me want to learn more. I feel lucky I found WaveChinese, Ellen is very approachable and the communication with the teacher is very easy and smooth. All in all, 11 out of 10 :-)
Kert, PM, Sydney-
Perhaps you could clone Andrea, my teacher?! She's really great. Andrea had been incredibly supportive and encouraging as I have been working from a very basic level towards fluency. There are structured lessons, following the HSK program but with the flexibility to tailor lessons to particular social or work events as required. My teacher had gone above and beyond to help me rent a house during a visit to China.
We'd love to give you a free 30 minute lesson to try us out
After class, we'll work on a preliminary study plan to get the ball rolling
If you like the sound of it, sign up to some lessons and start scheduling classes
In your first month of joining you’ll be working to a detailed personal study plan and your achievements will be recognised by regular feedback. However, if you change your mind for whatever reason within the first 30 days, we would be happy to refund you any untaken classes.
I'm a huge exercise buff and 100% basketball obsessed (and I really like Chinese basketball player Yi Jianlian !). I'm also keen on tennis, badminton, ping-pong, and going out on my bike with my husband. I also like dancing: the waltz, modern Korean dance, aerobics and - along similar lines - Tai Chi. In 2010, after I graduated from Xi'an International Studies University, I started teaching Mandarin Chinese to foreigners. Eight years of this and a fair bit of management experience as well made me keen to do something bigger. My wish is - to work hard to help bring the best Chinese I can to my keen students.
Writing is one of the things I am good at, along with long distance running. I like outdoorsy stuff - climbing mountains, hiking and so on. When I have free time I’m a keen mobile photographer and enjoy watching art films. I was an editor for two years for a youth science magazine after university, and then took a deep breath and plunged into 7 years of Mandarin teaching followed by management, followed by more Mandarin teaching. Now I’m trying to put my experience to some kind of good, helping students study Mandarin quickly, have fun and stay interested. I’m really glad to be working with a team of very able Mandarin teachers that are enthusiastic and willing make a really unique contribution to our students and the industry.
waveChinese was set up in 2015. We are a start-up based in Xi'an. We offer online 1-to-1 Mandarin Chinese lessons, and offer our students free advisory assistance when they are in China, including: rent an apartment, teach you how to use Chinese Uber, how to find a local restaurant and so on. If you’re interested, please get in contact and we would love to give you a free 30 min trial Mandarin Chinese lesson.
With our teaching approach you will experience different real-world situations in each Mandarin lesson. We will gently introduce new words and re-enforce old ones -- similar to how children pick up languages naturally. It's a scientific and systematic teaching method from the Beijing Language and Culture University, and it works.
Self study is an unavoidable part of Mandarin language learning — but a good Mandarin teacher can guide you through it. They can help you plan your learning goals, check your progress and suggest adjustments from time to time. This will keep you heading in the right direction, and avoiding the periodic ruts that most language learners find themselves in. For the most dedicated self-lead students, even one lesson a week will help.
Textbooks. There are some really poor Mandarin textbooks out there, but seriously, a good Mandarin text book is hard to replace. A well designed Mandarin textbook is systematic: it regularly re-enforces language learnt, and should come with an expert tutor that can guide the student through it and bring it to life.
