Adult Chinese Language Classes

People expect that the main challenges involved in learning Chinese are things like characters, vocabulary, reading, and writing, but they forget about the challenges presented by mispronunciation. This workshop is designed to help Chinese learners who already have at least an intermediate level of Chinese to break poor pronunciation habits and eventually master the correct pronunciation and tones of Mandarin Chinese. This workshop will not only provide a review of the Chinese sound system, but it will also help the students to overcome the difficulties and pitfalls faced by most English speakers, such as the four tones, the initials “zh/ch/sh” v.s. “j/q/x”, the initial “r”, tone-sandhi, and the final “u” v.s. “ü”, etc. Before the class, students will receive professional feedback through a pronunciation test. The instructor will record each student’s pronunciation, focusing on any imperfections, and provide personalized guidance. Through a variety of fun class activities including group practice, games, and pronunciation drills, such as similar sound comparisons and mixed recognition exercises, this workshop aims also to help students recognize the ‘mistakes’ they commonly make and understand what they are doing ‘wrong’, compared to what they ‘should’ be doing. Throughout the course, students will receive continual and immediate feedback in class and, in the end, will be on their way towards speaking with clear and correct pronunciation and tones.

NO textbook is required to purchase for this class. Materials will be provided in class.

Tuesday, 6:30 – 8:00 PM
October 1 – December 3
10 sessions (15 hours)
$390 member / $430 non-member
(plus a $30 non-refundable registration fee)

Maximum Number of Students: 8

This course is designed for absolute beginners with little or no knowledge of Chinese Mandarin. This class will introduce the phonics of Chinese Mandarin, sounds and tones, using the pinyin Romanization system. Upon completion, students will be expected to establish a solid foundation in Chinese pronunciation (initials, vowels and most importantly, the tones). In addition, students will easily master about 50 basic Chinese characters, most of which are very commonly used to construct other characters. Students are also expected to be able to conduct short daily conversations, including greetings, expressing gratitude, and introducing oneself and others, etc.

The textbook required for this course is Road to Success: Threshold.

* Please purchase the required textbook(s) on Amazon or directly from the publisher’s US office, Phoenix Tree Publishing, and enter code DSTY15 at checkout for a 15% discount at www.phoenixtree.com.

[Online] Wednesday, 6:30 – 8:30 PM
October 2 – December 11 (No class on November 27)
[Online] Saturday, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
October 5 – December 14 (No class on November 30)

10 sessions (20 hours)
$485 member / $525 non-member
(plus a $30 non-refundable registration fee)

This course is a continuation of Beginner Chinese 101. This class will continue to build on the pronunciation and tones taught in Beginning Chinese 101. In addition, this course will cover the topics of making acquaintance, describing oneself, making appointments, discussing everyday situations, asking various types of questions, making suggestions or comments, etc.

The textbook required for this course is Road to Success: Lower Elementary, Vol.1 (Lessons 1-6).

* Please purchase the required textbook(s) on Amazon or directly from the publisher’s US office, Phoenix Tree Publishing, and enter code DSTY15 at checkout for a 15% discount at www.phoenixtree.com.

[In-Person] Thursday, 6:30 – 8:30 PM
October 3 – December 12 (No class on November 28)
[Online] Tuesday, 6:30 – 8:30 PM
October 1 – December 3

10 sessions (20 hours)
$485 member / $525 non-member
(plus a $30 non-refundable registration fee)

This course is a continuation of Beginner Chinese 102. This class will continue to introduce new vocabulary and sentence patterns. Upon completion of this course, students will be able to communicate about daily necessities, including shopping, making a purchase, and going to the bank, among many others.

The textbook required for this course is Road to Success: Lower Elementary, Vol.1 (Lessons 7-12).

* Please purchase the required textbook(s) on Amazon or directly from the publisher’s US office, Phoenix Tree Publishing, and enter code DSTY15 at checkout for a 15% discount at www.phoenixtree.com.

Thursday, 6:30 – 8:30 PM
October 3 – December 12 (No class on November 28)
10 sessions (20 hours)
$485 member / $525 non-member
(plus a $30 non-refundable registration fee)

This course is a continuation of Beginner Chinese 103. This class will bring students to a high beginner level. Upon completion of this course, students will be able to talk about daily activities, going to the movies, taking classes, and discussing sports.

The textbook required for this course is Road to Success: Lower Elementary, Vol.2 (Lessons 13-17).

*Upon completion of this level, students may be eligible to take the HSK 1.

* Please purchase the required textbook(s) on Amazon or directly from the publisher’s US office, Phoenix Tree Publishing, and enter code DSTY15 at checkout for a 15% discount at www.phoenixtree.com.

Wednesday, 6:30 – 8:30 PM
October 2 – December 11 (No class on November 27)
10 sessions (20 hours)
$485 member / $525 non-member
(plus a $30 non-refundable registration fee)

This course is a continuation of Beginner Chinese 104. This class will continue to introduce new vocabulary and sentence patterns. Topics to be covered include directions and locations, talking about personal skills, and describing sickness.

The textbook required for this course is Road to Success: Lower Elementary, Vol.2 (Lessons 18-22).

*Upon completion of this level, students may be eligible to take the HSK 1.

* Please purchase the required textbook(s) on Amazon or directly from the publisher’s US office, Phoenix Tree Publishing, and enter code DSTY15 at checkout for a 15% discount at www.phoenixtree.com.

Monday, 6:30 – 8:30 PM
September 30 – December 9 (No Class on October 14)
10 sessions (20 hours)
$485 member / $525 non-member
(plus a $30 non-refundable registration fee)

This class will continue to introduce new vocabulary and sentence patterns. Topics to be covered include style of clothing, making comparisons on weather, food and cities. New grammar and sentence patterns include reduplication of verbs, the complement of manner, making comparisons, among many others.

The textbook required for this course is Road to Success: Lower Elementary, Vol.2 (Lessons 23-28).

*Upon completion of this level, students may be eligible to take the HSK 2.

* Please purchase the required textbook(s) on Amazon or directly from the publisher’s US office, Phoenix Tree Publishing, and enter code DSTY15 at checkout for a 15% discount at www.phoenixtree.com.

Monday, 6:30 – 8:30 PM
September 30 – December 9 (No Class on October 14)
10 sessions (20 hours)
$485 member / $525 non-member
(plus a $30 non-refundable registration fee)

This course is designed specifically for heritage Chinese students who possess speaking skills but limited reading and writing skills in Chinese. It will introduce basic vocabulary, sentence patterns and phrases, and fundamental grammar rules in Chinese. Writing is also an important part of the training in this class.

The textbook required for this course is Contemporary Chinese for Heritage Learners: An Introductory Text Simplified Character Version 2nd Edition, Lessons 1–8.

* Please purchase the required textbook(s) on Amazon.

Tuesday, 6:30 – 8:30 PM
October 1 – December 3
10 sessions (20 hours)
$485 member / $525 non-member
(plus a $30 non-refundable registration fee)

Following Heritage Chinese Beginner I, this course is designed specifically for heritage Chinese students who possess speaking skills but limited reading and writing skills in Chinese. More complex and functional vocabulary words, sentence patterns and systemic review of grammar will be practiced through reading texts on various cultural topics. Writing is also an important part of the training in this class.

The textbook required for this course is Contemporary Chinese for Heritage Learners: An Introductory Text, Simplified Character Version, 2nd Edition, L9 – 14.

Monday, 6:30 – 8:30 PM
September 30 – December 9 (No Class on October 14)
10 sessions (20 hours)
$485 member / $525 non-member
(plus a $30 non-refundable registration fee)

This class will continue with Road to Success, Elementary Vol 1. Students will learn how to express exclamation and other emotions, explain issues, and describe resultative events.

The textbook required for this course is Road to Success: Elementary Vol. 1 (Lessons 5-8).

* Please purchase the required textbook(s) on Amazon or directly from the publisher’s US office, Phoenix Tree Publishing, and enter code DSTY15 at checkout for a 15% discount at www.phoenixtree.com.

Thursday, 6:30 – 8:30 PM
October 3 – December 12 (No Class on November 28)
10 sessions (20 hours)
$485 member / $525 non-member
(plus a $30 non-refundable registration fee)

This class is a continuation of Intermediate Chinese 205. Topics covered include entertainment and culture, etc. Students will learn grammatical points such as “把” structure in a more comprehensive way, the probable complement, and the passive patterns, among many others.

The textbook required for this course is Road to Success, Elementary Vol 2 (Lesson 21-24).

*Please purchase the required textbook(s) on Amazon or directly from the publisher’s US office, Phoenix Tree Publishing, and enter code DSTY15 at checkout for a 15% discount at www.phoenixtree.com.

Monday, 6:30 – 8:30 PM
September 30 – December 9 (No Class on October 14)
10 sessions (20 hours)
$485 member / $525 non-member
(plus a $30 non-refundable registration fee)

This class is a continuation of Intermediate Chinese 206. Topics focus on various aspects of life in China such as consulting Chinese medicine, dining out cultures, traveling during Chinese holidays, discovering Taiji, Peking opera and other traditional Chinese arts. Students will be able to talk about personal and social life at a high intermediate level.

The textbook required for this course is Road to Success, Upper Elementary Vol 1 (Lesson 1-4).

* Please purchase the required textbook(s) on Amazon or directly from the publisher’s US office, Phoenix Tree Publishing, and enter code DSTY15 at checkout for a 15% discount at www.phoenixtree.com.

Thursday, 6:30 – 8:30 PM
October 3 – December 12 (No class on November 28)
10 sessions (20 hours)
$485 member / $525 non-member
(plus a $30 non-refundable registration fee)

This class is designed for students who have learned about 1,000 words and structures covering various topics in daily life or at an equivalent proficiency level but want to improve conversational skills. The class will help students speak the language with sufficient structural accuracy and vocabulary to participate effectively in most informal conversational and business settings. The class is highly conversational and interactive, with a focus on live conversations and discussions to achieve fluency in spoken Chinese. Topics for discussion revolve around a wide range of themes, including the latest hot topics in China and worldwide.

NO textbook is required to purchase for this class. Materials will be provided in class.

– [In-Person] Thursday, 6:30 – 8:30 PM
October 3 – December 12 (No class on November 28)
– [Online] Tuesday, 6:30 – 8:30 PM
October 1 – December 3
– [Online] Saturday, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
October 5 – December 14 (No class on November 30)

10 sessions (20 hours)
$485 member / $525 non-member
(plus a $30 non-refundable registration fee)

This course is designed for students who have finished Level 301 at China Institute or anyone who has achieved an overall high intermediate level of proficiency in the Chinese language.

The textbook required for this course is HSK Standard Course 4A (上) (Lessons 6-10).

*Upon completion of this level, students may be eligible to take the HSK 3 or 4.

Saturday, 12:30 – 2:30 PM
October 5 – December 14 (No class on November 30)
10 sessions (20 hours)
$485 member / $525 non-member
(plus a $30 non-refundable registration fee)

This class is a continuation of Advanced Reading I. The class will be highly interactive with students participating in discussions on a wide range of thought-provoking topics on contemporary China. A reader series, Reading into a New China, published by Cheng & Tsui (2017) will be used to replace a traditional language textbook. Students will read articles reflecting various social issues in contemporary China, such as the education system and employment. Advanced skills in reading comprehension will be developed, along with professional speaking skills, such as discussion and oral presentation.

The textbook required for this course is Reading into a New China, 2nd Edition Vol. 1 (Lessons 4-6), published by Cheng & Tsui: https://www.cheng-tsui.com/browse/reading-into-a-new-china-2e

Wednesday, 6:30 – 8:30 PM
October 2 – December 11 (No class on November 27)
10 sessions (20 hours)
$485 member / $525 non-member
(plus a $30 non-refundable registration fee)

This course is designed for those who have completed the advanced course Advanced Reading II at CI or for anyone who has achieved an overall advanced level of proficiency in the Chinese language and seeks to continue their studies by reading more advanced texts. The class will be highly interactive with students participating in discussions on a wide range of thought-provoking topics on contemporary China. A reader series, Reading into a New China, published by Cheng & Tsui (2017) will be used to replace a traditional language textbook. Students will read articles reflecting various social issues in contemporary China, such as entrepreneurship and viewpoints of marriage and love. Advanced skills in reading comprehension will be developed, along with professional speaking skills, such as discussion and oral presentation.

The textbook required for this course is Reading into a New China, 2nd Edition Vol. 1 (Lessons 7-10), published by Cheng & Tsui: https://www.cheng-tsui.com/browse/reading-into-a-new-china-2e

Saturday, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
October 5 – December 14 (No class on November 30)
10 sessions (20 hours)
$485 member / $525 non-member
(plus a $30 non-refundable registration fee)

This course is designed for individuals who have completed the advanced course Levels 301-304, and preferably, the Advanced Reading course (Book: Reading into a New China) as well at CI. It is also suitable for those who have attained an overall advanced proficiency in the Chinese language and wish to further their studies by engaging with more advanced texts. The selected textbook for the course, Anything Goes (《无所不谈》), is part of one of the most popular book series published by Princeton University Press. Anything Goes is an advanced modern Chinese language textbook that focuses on newspaper commentaries. The text selections are primarily sourced from local and overseas Chinese newspapers and magazines, covering topics related to economic, cultural, social, and political changes since the reform and opening up of China in the early 1980s.

The class will feature a highly interactive format, with students actively participating in discussions centered around a wide range of thought-provoking topics on contemporary China. The course aims to develop advanced skills in reading comprehension and enhance professional speaking abilities, including discussion and oral presentation.

The required textbook for this course is the Revised Edition of Anything Goes (《无所不谈》), published by Princeton University Press in 2011, Lesson 4 – 6.

Wednesday, 6:30 – 8:30 PM
October 2 – December 11 (No class November 27)
10 sessions (20 hours)
$485 member / $525 non-member
(plus a $30 non-refundable registration fee)

This course will bring the Heritage Chinese to its advanced level. It is designed specifically for heritage Chinese students who possess speaking skills but need to improve reading and writing skills in Chinese. An innovative textbook has been selected: The Routledge Advanced Chinese Multimedia Course: Crossing Cultural Boundaries. This book offers advanced readers the opportunity to consolidate their knowledge of Chinese through a wide range of activities designed to build up both excellent language skills and cultural enrichment. This book is designed to boost learners’ level of useful vocabulary and usage, improve in-depth reading abilities, and provide interesting and culturally important topics for discussion. Writing is also an important part of the training in this class.

Required textbook: The Routledge Advanced Chinese Multimedia Course: Crossing Cultural Boundaries, 2nd edition, published by Routledge: https://www.amazon.com/Routledge-Advanced-Chinese-Multimedia-Course/dp/041584133X

The course, Heritage Chinese Advanced I will cover lessons 1-3.

Tuesday, 6:30 – 8:30 PM
October 1 – December 3
10 sessions (20 hours)
$485 member / $525 non-member
(plus a $30 non-refundable registration fee)