🇨🇳 Low Beginner Mandarin – Online Class

For learners in Berkeley, Oakland, San Francisco, San Jose & the Bay Area

📅 Course Dates

This class will meet from October 29th to December 10th

There will be no class on November 26th due to Thanksgiving.
Format: Online, small group (3–6 students)
Schedule: Weekly live classes

👥 Who This Course Is For
This course is designed for learners who have already completed a beginner Mandarin class or have basic familiarity with Pinyin, tones, and simple phrases. If you can greet someone, introduce yourself, and handle very simple exchanges, this course will help you expand your skills and gain confidence in using Mandarin in a wider range of real-world situations.

If you're based in Berkeley, Oakland, San Francisco, or San Jose, this is the perfect opportunity to join a small, supportive group class and keep building on your Mandarin foundation.

📖 What You’ll Learn
In this course, students will reinforce beginner basics and progress into more complex vocabulary, grammar, and characters. You’ll learn to:

• Expand everyday vocabulary for social and practical contexts

• Build longer and more accurate sentences in conversation

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

• Recognize and write additional essential Chinese characters (Hanzi)

• Improve pronunciation and mastery of tones through extended practice

• Understand cultural nuances in communication beyond the basics

🌍 Themes and Topics Include

• Describing your daily schedule and activities

• Talking about likes, dislikes, and hobbies in more detail

• Directions, transportation, and navigating around town

• Shopping, bargaining, and handling prices

• Ordering in restaurants with more complex requests

• Chinese festivals, traditions, and cultural practices

💬 What to Expect
Each class includes:

• Live, interactive instruction with an experienced teacher

• Pair and group speaking practice for natural conversations

• Vocabulary and grammar building through dialogues and exercises

• Continued reading and writing practice with characters

• Cultural insights woven into lessons

• Light homework to strengthen and review new material

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

• Hold short conversations on familiar everyday topics

• Express preferences, routines, and simple opinions in Mandarin

• Read and write an expanded set of Chinese characters

• Use correct tones and improve listening comprehension

• Be fully prepared to move into a Mandarin High Beginner course

👩‍🏫 About the Instructor
Catherine Tan is an experienced Mandarin instructor with more than 20 years of teaching experience. She has taught students of many ages and proficiency levels, including university students and adult learners, in both in-person and online settings. Her teaching emphasizes practical communication, clear pronunciation and tones, and building confidence in speaking and understanding Mandarin. Catherine creates engaging, interactive lessons and adapts her instruction to students’ individual goals, interests, and learning pace.

🏫 About the School
This course is offered by Polyglottist Language Academy, based in Berkeley and serving students throughout the San Francisco Bay Area—including Oakland, San Francisco, San Jose, and beyond—with both in-person and online learning options.