Award-Winning Mandarin Chinese Courses & Classes in Austin, TX

Thanks to Varsity Tutors, students of all ages can start mastering the Chinese language. Whether you're a freshman at Westlake High School, an undergraduate student pursuing your bachelor's degree at Austin Community College, or a doctoral candidate at the University of Texas-Austin examining how Chinese characters influenced Japanese Kanji, an Austin Chinese course could be your path to becoming proficient in Chinese.

There are plenty of professional, personal, and intellectual benefits of learning a language. For one, being multilingual has been shown to have a very positive impact on cognition. Learning and speaking another language not only improves cognition and decision-making skills but also makes you less likely to develop certain neurodegenerative issues that tend to arise in old age.

In a similar vein, knowing another language can also make you more compassionate and open to diverse viewpoints. Learning another language forces you to step out of your own shoes and walk a mile in someone else's, so it can be a great way to deepen your connection to other people, cultures, and traditions.

Since our economy today is highly interconnected and dependent on the transnational flows of people, goods, and services, it's also highly useful to be able to communicate with someone who has a different cultural background from you. Your competitors, colleagues, and bosses may be from another country, so your ability to communicate with them clearly and effectively could be the key to your success in the workplace.

Although there are thousands of spoken languages in the world, one of the most useful to learn is Chinese. Mandarin Chinese, in particular, is a language that may offer you a host of opportunities. Although Chinese encompasses various different dialects including Xiang, Wu, and Hakka, the most widely spoken is Mandarin Chinese. One billion people call Mandarin Chinese their native language.

Today, China is a global superpower that cannot be ignored. The Sinosphere - the Chinese linguistic and cultural sphere - has a massive influence on the way that international affairs and political economy function today. Furthermore, the Sinosphere itself is mind-boggling in its diversity. While Japan and South Korea are a couple of major countries that form the core of the Sinosphere, China's growing global influence means that you are likely to find Chinese speakers everywhere from Jakarta to Johannesburg. As China continues to invest heavily in Africa, mastering Chinese can not only land you that prestigious job in Chengdu, but maybe even catapult you to exotic locales like Durban and Dakar.

Even as knowing Chinese can offer you innumerable exciting opportunities, the process of learning the language can be fairly time-consuming and frustrating. Linguists and scholars have long been making the argument that consistent practice and an immersive environment tend to be the keys to fluency. Yet, with a hectic schedule and no time for an extra commute to Chinese class, how can you expect to learn, and eventually master Chinese?

That's where an Austin Chinese course can help you out. An Austin Chinese course is held at various different times, including weekends and evenings, so you don't have to rush through your other commitments to make it to a class. Moreover, it's all online!

The online Live Learning Platform mimics the regular classroom, but without the stress of navigating traffic when you're already busy. With the powerful digital tools built into the Live Learning Platform, you can have conversations with your peers and instructor alike. It's easy to request one-on-one time as well, so you can stop worrying about lagging behind or dragging the pace of the class for your peers.

So, whether you're translating interviews for your ethnography on Mississippi's Chinese-American population or still wrapping your head around pinyin, getting signed up for an Austin Chinese class can be one way for you to take your Chinese language learning goals forward. Dedicated instruction time, rigorous practice, and a collaborative classroom environment can help make your ride to proficiency a smooth one.

What types of skills would an instructor generally go over in a Chinese class?

Mandarin Chinese has a very distinct pictographic script, grammar, and phonology or sound system. Students may find it surprising to learn that the different Chinese dialects are not even mutually intelligible. So, not only is Mandarin Chinese distinct from the Hokkien or Harbin dialects, but it also has practically nothing in common with English. In other words, while languages like French and Spanish have features in common with English which make the simpler for English speakers to master, the same cannot be said for Mandarin. Mandarin contains no articles, verb inflections, or plurals. In addition, all words have only one grammatical form. For a typical monolingual English speaker, this can be fairly tricky and confusing to understand.

An Austin Chinese class acknowledges these challenges and puts your language learning needs first. From pronunciation to the complex set of characters, your knowledgeable instructor can help make the process of learning Chinese - an extremely difficult but rewarding language to speak - stress-free and enjoyable.

What advantages are there to signing up for a class?

You're managing multiple responsibilities and there's no space in your schedule for any more commitments. An Austin Chinese course recognizes this fact and strives to offer you the greatest convenience. So, classes are held entirely online and at various different times, including weekends and evenings.

Furthermore, the Live Learning Platform gives you the ability to engage with your peers and instructor just like you would in a standard classroom. You have the added benefit of being able to request individualized time with your instructor, too. This one-on-one time can be used to review lessons in greater depth to address any struggles.

Another crucial advantage is that an Austin Chinese class does not discriminate on the basis of proficiency. That is, no matter where you find yourself in your Chinese journey, you are welcome in an Austin Chinese class.

How can I get registered and start taking Chinese classes?

Signing for an Austin Chinese class is simple - contact the educational consultants at Varsity Tutors today and get the process started. New sections begin on a monthly basis and classes are held at many different times. So, you can find a class that works for your schedule and doesn't burden you with one more commute.

Whether you're in your very first semester of Chinese at Vandegrift High School or eager to go out for hot pot with your group of Chinese exchange student friends, register for an Austin Chinese course and get going. Begin your Chinese adventure with Varsity Tutors today.