🇨🇳 Low Beginner Mandarin – In-Person Class

Continue learning Mandarin in Berkeley with a welcoming small group—serving adult learners from Oakland, San Francisco, and across the Bay Area.

📅 Course Dates and Schedule

January 9–February 13, 2027
Saturdays, 11:45 a.m.–1:15 p.m. PST
Location: Polyglottist Language Academy, 2161 Shattuck Avenue, Suites 234–235, Berkeley
Format: In-person, small group (3–6 students)

👥 Who This Course Is For

This course is designed for learners who have completed a Complete Beginner Mandarin course or have basic familiarity with Pinyin, tones, and simple phrases.

If you can greet someone, introduce yourself, and take part in very simple exchanges, this class will help you build on that foundation and become more comfortable using Mandarin in everyday situations.

Join a supportive group of fellow learners for face-to-face practice, personalized feedback, and engaging lessons that help you keep making progress.

📖 What You’ll Learn

You’ll review essential beginner skills while expanding your vocabulary, grammar, and knowledge of Chinese characters. Through guided practice, you’ll learn to:

• Use more everyday vocabulary in social and practical situations

• Build longer, clearer sentences

• Ask and answer questions about routines, directions, and preferences

• Recognize and write additional Chinese characters (Hanzi)

• Improve pronunciation and tone accuracy

• Understand how culture shapes everyday communication

🌍 Themes and Topics Include

• Describing your daily schedule and activities

• Talking about likes, dislikes, and hobbies

• Asking for directions and using transportation

• Shopping and discussing prices

• Ordering food and making simple requests in restaurants

• Exploring Chinese festivals, traditions, and cultural practices

💬 What to Expect

Each class includes:

• Interactive, face-to-face instruction with an experienced teacher

• Pair and small-group speaking activities

• Vocabulary and grammar practice through dialogues and exercises

• Continued reading and writing practice with Chinese characters

• Cultural insights woven into lessons

• Light homework to review and reinforce new material

✅ By the End of the Course, You’ll Be Able To:

• Take part in short conversations on familiar everyday topics

• Describe routines and express simple preferences

• Ask and answer practical questions using familiar vocabulary

• Recognize and write an expanded set of Chinese characters

• Use Mandarin tones more accurately and understand familiar spoken phrases

• Continue your Mandarin studies with a stronger foundation and greater confidence

👩‍🏫 About the Instructor

Catherine Tan brings more than 20 years of Mandarin teaching experience to the classroom. She has taught students of many ages and proficiency levels, including university students and adult learners, in both in-person and online settings.

Her lessons emphasize practical communication, clear pronunciation and tones, and confidence in speaking and understanding Mandarin. Catherine creates engaging, interactive activities and adapts her instruction to students’ goals, interests, and learning pace.

🏫 About the School

Polyglottist Language Academy offers language classes for adult learners in Berkeley and online.

Located on Shattuck Avenue, our school welcomes students from Berkeley, Oakland, San Francisco, and throughout the Bay Area. Our in-person Low Beginner Mandarin class offers a friendly setting to practice with others, receive individual guidance, and continue building your language skills.