Mandarin for the
life you lead
Where would you like your Mandarin to take you?
A learning plan built around you
Private coaching
Develop your Mandarin through one-to-one lessons shaped around your goals and starting level. Build confidence in everyday or workplace conversations, practise pronunciation and tones, or develop the language you need to connect with Mandarin-speaking colleagues, friends and family.
Prepare for a real situation
Practical Mandarin
Prepare for the Mandarin you want to use in a particular situation. Practise introductions, small talk and joining conversations through a structured social-events course, or discuss coaching for a communication task of your own. Explore the current options to find the right focus.
Learn and practise with others
Small-group classes
Build everyday Mandarin alongside other learners in structured live online classes. Practise the core language for social interactions and everyday situations, with guided activities and a shared class timetable.
Bring your Mandarin into everyday life
Mandarin is one of Singapore’s official languages and can be useful in everyday, social and professional situations. Learning it can help you participate more confidently in conversations with Mandarin-speaking people here and during travel abroad.
Learning Mandarin can help you:
communicate with Mandarin-speaking colleagues, clients and contacts
join conversations with family and friends
handle everyday interactions while travelling
understand more of Chinese-language media and cultural experiences
If your goals involve using both languages at work, you may also want to strengthen your English.
Our Mandarin courses support adults in Singapore with different starting points and learning goals, including:
beginners learning Mandarin for everyday life or work
adults who understand some Mandarin but lack confidence speaking
learners returning to Mandarin after school or a long period of limited use
professionals and learners developing Mandarin for relationships, travel or specific situations
Mandarin and Cantonese are different spoken varieties of Chinese. If you want to communicate with particular relatives, colleagues or clients, check which language they use. For Cantonese-speaking contacts, explore our Cantonese courses.
If reading and writing are part of your goal, consider whether you need simplified or traditional Chinese characters. Tell us about the messages, documents or places where you want to use Chinese so we can discuss an appropriate learning focus.
Teaching that
adapts to you
A teacher matched to you
Practice for real situations
A course plan that adapts
Mandarin course levels
Our courses use the internationally recognised Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) to describe language proficiency. Explore the levels below through examples of everyday, social, study and workplace communication relevant to learners in Singapore.
These are broad guides to learning at each stage. Your starting level and goals help determine the appropriate course and focus.
Beginner A1–A2
Mandarin for Everyday Life in Singapore
Build simple Mandarin for familiar encounters around Singapore. Start with supported conversations that help you connect with people and manage everyday needs.
Practise how to:
- introduce yourself to a Mandarin-speaking neighbour or colleague
- order at a hawker stall and ask about a dish or ingredient
- ask a shop assistant about prices or where to find an item
- exchange simple information about family, work and weekend plans
- confirm a meeting time or ask someone to repeat an instruction
Intermediate B1–B2
Mandarin for Fuller Participation
Move beyond short exchanges to explain experiences, discuss options and contribute your own views. Develop more connected Mandarin for Singapore’s workplaces, neighbourhoods and social settings.
Practise how to:
- share a story and join a group conversation with friends or relatives
- explain a problem with an order or service and discuss a solution
- clarify a task and agree on next steps with a colleague
- compare recommendations for food, activities or places to visit
- discuss a local news story or neighbourhood issue and explain your opinion
Advanced C1–C2
Mandarin for Precision and Nuance
Refine your Mandarin for complex discussions and situations where tone or implied meaning matters. Express detailed ideas and respond flexibly across personal and professional relationships.
Practise how to:
- present a proposal and respond to challenging questions from colleagues or clients
- discuss social issues and different perspectives on life in Singapore
- handle a sensitive family or workplace conversation with care
- compare information and viewpoints in Mandarin-language reporting
- adapt your expression for a formal meeting, a lively social discussion or a conversation with an older relative
What would you like to do with Mandarin?
Ask about your course
Your questions, answered
Which Mandarin course should I choose?
Choose private coaching if you want to develop your Mandarin through personalised teaching and continued practice. Practical courses suit a specific task, role or situation, with either tailored coaching or a structured programme. Group courses offer structured learning with other learners.
If you’re unsure, tell us what you want to achieve and we can recommend a suitable option.
Can beginners join, and how do I find my starting level?
Beginners can join any of our private Mandarin packages. Choose the length according to how much teaching and practice you want: Builder provides 6 hours, Development 12 hours and Core 18 hours. Core offers the most time to practise, apply feedback and consolidate what you learn. Some practical or group courses may require an existing foundation; check the individual course details.
You don’t need to know your CEFR level before contacting us. For Builder, Development and Core, the first lesson includes spoken placement alongside teaching. Group courses also include spoken placement assessments. Standalone assessments are available if you need a separate assessment of your Mandarin.
How are practical courses different from private coaching?
Private coaching supports your ongoing language development, with lessons shaped around your goals and starting level.
Practical courses address a particular purpose. You can prepare for your own communication task or follow a structured programme built around a role or situation.
Both routes offer one-to-one teaching. The difference is the scope and purpose of the learning.
How can I improve my spoken Mandarin if I already understand it?
Practise producing your own responses in familiar situations, then extend them into stories, explanations and follow-up questions. Understanding what someone says and finding the words to reply are different skills.
Personalised coaching can build on your existing knowledge, with speaking practice and feedback for family conversations, everyday encounters and workplace situations in Singapore.
Can I learn to speak Mandarin without reading Chinese characters?
Yes. You can develop speaking and listening without already knowing Chinese characters. Pinyin can support pronunciation, but reading characters becomes useful for messages, signs and other written communication.
Tell us where you want to use Mandarin. We can discuss how reading and writing should fit alongside conversational practice.
What is the difference between conversational Mandarin and Business Mandarin?
Conversational Mandarin supports everyday exchanges, social relationships and familiar discussions. Business Mandarin focuses on professional situations, such as explaining your work, participating in meetings or communicating with clients and partners.
They share a language foundation. If forming sentences or following everyday speech is still difficult, broader language development may be a useful starting point before more demanding workplace tasks.