Mandarin Courses - You Have Many Roads to Fluency

Mandarin courses are increasingly popular. Some people note that international trade with China is growing rapidly, and they want in on the deal. Learning Mandarin -- the main Chinese dialect spoken by over a billion people -- is an excellent start. Others want to make friends in China, realizing this is much easier with improved communication skills. Still others scan Chinese blog posts and want to know what they're talking about.

There are many roads to fluency in Mandarin. These include Mandarin audio and Mandarin classes, both online and face-to-face offered by Chinese schools in shanghai.

In Mandarin audio courses, each lesson is approximately thirty minutes long. The student listens to a brief conversation and repeats various phrases from it. The student is constantly asked how to say things in Chinese in a way that stimulates thought and builds language skills. Pimsleur teaches the student to mix words and phrases just like a native speaker.

In Mandarin audio course a web-based Mandarin teaching service with audio lessons, and review tools is provided. Levels range from beginner to intermediate to advance. Live speaking practice with professional Mandarin teachers is available in the mandarin course in shanghai. Chinese Pod has a range of downloadable podcasts with specific vocabulary for a variety of topics, from green tea to the Shanghai Expo.

If you want your Mandarin courses to feature a live teacher, eChineseLearning is a good choice. You will sign on to Skype and speak live to an onscreen teacher in Beijing. Often eChineseLearning assigns homework, which you'll want to review to build up vocabulary and reading skills.

And for face-to-face instruction, your local Chinese school may be a good choice to learn mandarin in shanghai, especially for kids. One excellent example is the Westside Chinese School in West Los Angeles, where children sing Chinese songs, read Mandarin stories, and take part in many fun activities to move toward fluency in one of the world's most promising languages.

Often Chinese students want to improve their English, and if you want to improve your Mandarin, it's possible to work out a mutually beneficial exchange.