About That's Mandarin

Learn about our school, its history & mission

About Us

ABOUT THAT’S MANDARIN SCHOOL

We offer only the best Chinese lessons for you with a unique and innovative approach to language learning.

That's Mandarin Shanghai Campus | About Us

100,000+

STUDENTS IN TOTAL

We’re the number one choice for Chinese learners, with more joining us annually

17

YEARS OF EXPERIENCE

A reputable and trusted school for guaranteed success since our establishment in 2005

13

YEARS OF SUMMER CAMP

Our first Summer Camp was held in 2008 and has proven a popular choice year on year

11

YEARS OF SCHOOL TRIPS

China′s leading school in organizing trips and summer camps for overseas students

HISTORY OF THAT’S MANDARIN SCHOOL

How Did It All Begin?

2005

Founded in 2005, That’s Mandarin has established a strong reputation in the field of teaching Chinese as a second language with the motto:

“打破一切常规、交流至上”

“Break all conventions and communicate first”

2010

In 2010, with the increasing popularity of the online study system, That’s Mandarin created an online learning platform “Mandarin Café”. That’s Mandarin has become the first Chinese language school to combine advanced teaching methods online and offline. Later, That’s Mandarin created “Chinese Link Words” (previously known as “Smart Lingo”) technique that helps students remember new words better and faster than traditional learning methods.

2011

New campus in Shanghai opened

2018

Shanghai campus moved to Jiaozhou rd
New branch opened in Shenzhen

2020

In 2020, Mandarin Café online learning platform was renewed and changed into NihaoCafe.

2005

Founded in 2005, That’s Mandarin has established a strong reputation in the field of teaching Chinese as a second language with the motto:

“打破一切常规、交流至上”

“Break all conventions and just teach how to communicate”

2011

New campus in Shanghai opened

2020

In 2020, Mandarin Café online learning platform was renewed and changed into NihaoCafe.

2010

In 2010, with the increasing popularity of the online study system, That’s Mandarin created an online learning platform “Mandarin Café”. That’s Mandarin has become the first Chinese language school to combine advanced teaching methods online and offline. Later, That’s Mandarin created “Chinese Link Words” (previously known as “Smart Lingo”) technique that helps students remember new words better and faster than traditional learning methods.

2018

Shanghai campus moved to Jiaozhou rd
New branch opened in Shenzhen

ABOUT THAT’S MANDARIN SCHOOL

School’s Mission and Objectives

Our Logo

The two human faces in our new logo symbolize cross-cultural communication. Since That’s Mandarin’s mission has always been to make Chinese learning simple and enjoyable, we hope that our students will enjoy interacting with teachers in class, and gain a better understanding of the Chinese language and culture. Besides, learning in a multicultural environment is a great chance for our students to get exposed to different cultures.

Chinese Small Group Class | That's Mandarin

Our Mission

We believe that innovative teaching methods, in combination with the use of modern technologies, will make Chinese learning more fun and efficient. Our in-house developed online learning platform NihaoCafe offers students an opportunity to study Chinese anywhere, anytime; and the new logo inspires us to keep improving based on your – our students – experience.

Our Logo

The two human faces in our new logo symbolize cross-cultural communication. Since That’s Mandarin’s mission has always been to make Chinese learning simple and enjoyable, we hope that our students will enjoy interacting with teachers in class, and gain a better understanding of the Chinese language and culture. Besides, learning in a multicultural environment is a great chance for our students to get exposed to different cultures.

Our Mission

We believe that innovative teaching methods, in combination with the use of modern technologies, will make Chinese learning more fun and efficient. Our in-house developed online learning platform NihaoCafe offers students an opportunity to study Chinese anywhere, anytime; and the new logo inspires us to keep improving based on your – our students – experience.

Highly experienced teachers

All of our teachers are highly experienced and qualified to teach using our methods.

Conducive learning environment

Students are encouraged to speak only Mandarin while at our school.

Affordable

Our courses are priced reasonably for the great benefits they offer.

Effective Teaching Methods

We’ve developed our own teaching methods to make Chinese learning easier.

NihaoCafe

Take your learning experience to the next level with NihaoCafe’s integrated review lessons, class notes and scheduling system.

Chinese Link Words

Chinese Link Words (c) technique helps students memorize and retain new words much faster and more easily than via traditional learning methods.

Storytelling methodology | Learn Chinese in China with That's Mandarin

Storytelling Techniques

Improve your understanding of Chinese grammar & sentence structures using meaningful storylines. Learning with stories also makes it much more fun!

ABOUT OUR METHODS

Learning Materials & Topics

What materials are used during classes?

We use our own in-house learning platform NihaoCafe for both online and offline Chinese classes.

For HSK 1-3, the standard course is built around a TV series we filmed in 2019, with a story set in modern China, featuring 64 episodes with over 70 characters in 45 locations. Students can watch the videos, read interactive dialogues, learn new words & grammar, and practice with exercises on the platform.

For HSK 4, more advanced learners can read articles on various topics – Chinese culture, modern China, its economy & job market, dialogues from daily life, and many more. This level has the same set of interactive exercises as the previous levels.

For HSK 5-6, our teachers customize the lessons completely based on student’s learning style and goals, and choose from an extensive pool of materials which include articles, videos, comic books, translation classes, and more. These types of materials are also available for students of other levels who wish to customize their private classes and choose Custom lessons.

What will I learn?

The content you will learn can be customized to your learning goals & needs. If you choose to study with a standard course, you will pick up the necessary HSK Vocabulary, as well as some useful Daily Vocabulary, since our course content goes beyond HSK and tries to link learning with real life. You’ll also pick up Useful Grammar to help you link the new words into meaningful sentences and to express yourself clearly. For higher levels, in addition to HSK vocabulary, you will also learn Set Phrases as well as Slang & Idioms in meaningful contexts that will help you understand & remember them. If you are interested in a specific field, you might choose a course on specialized topics such as Chinese for business, diplomatic, medical purposes etc.