I want to learn some Chinese in Shanghai. What are my options for daytime classes?

It's pretty simple to get around town without a lick of Mandarin, especially if you stick to expat enclaves. But if you plan to be in Shanghai for a while, learning some basic Chinese will make life a little easier and much more interesting. Whether it's to communicate with the taxi driver, bargain at the market, make friends or gain a deeper understanding of Chinese culture, a few words go a long way. Having said that, Mandarin is not the easiest language to learn. With pin yin, characters, and four different tones, you need to choose a course that matches what you want to get out of it and how much time you can invest in learning.

Depending on your preferred study style, the pace at which you want to learn or how social you want it to be, there's a range of study options available. With Mandarin House private tuition, tutors can come to your home and tailor the content, focus and frequency of your classes to your needs. Small group classes provide more opportunities to practice speaking Chinese among peers, and make new friends. For those who want to learn more intensively, Mandarin House offers short-term and long-term daytime language programs. Sign up for a semester or a year program.

The HSK is the official proficiency test for Mandarin Chinese, with six levels to full proficiency. There are several test centers in the city and Mandarin House is the biggest authorized HSK test center in Shanghai.