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Mandarin Chinese courses for members of the public

We teach Modern Standard Chinese, known as 普通话 Pǔtōnghuà, with references to other forms of Mandarin Chinese spoken in different regions.

Traditional Chinese calligraphy drawn on paper with calligraphy brushes and inks.
Develop your Chinese language and intercultural skills

Chinese is the most challenging language I have learnt but our teacher has said many times in class: ‘See, learning Chinese is easy!’ and somehow it does feel easy with her. (Olivia Wolfheart)

Qualifications

In semester 2, you have the option of sitting HSK qualifications 1, 2 or 3. Exams take place in official HSK centres in London and other cities (please note, there is no test centre in Bath).

To help you prepare for the exams, you can join our HSK preparation workshops, which are offered free of charge to anyone enrolled in another Mandarin Chinese class; they are not available to join as standalone classes. If you would like to join the relevant workshop, please speak to your teacher after you have enrolled in your core class.

Placement test

If you have never learned Mandarin Chinese with us before, please take this placement test so that you know which course is suitable for you.

We recommend reading our Terms and Conditions for information about what to do if you enrol at the wrong level and need to transfer to a different class.

Available classes

We offer a variety of classes based on the Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (HSK ) framework, which is an international standardised test for Chinese language proficiency. The following Mandarin Chinese courses are available for members of the public, although not every class runs every semester. Check the class timetable below to see which classes are running this semester.

Complete Beginner: Enrol on this course if you have never studied Chinese before, or if you know a few basic phrases.

Post Beginner: Enrol on this course if you have taken the Complete Beginner class with us, or if you can:

  • note down words and phrases you hear using pinyin
  • engage in basic conversations, exchanging information such as age, name, nationality, and occupation
  • read and write around 50 basic Chinese characters

Lower Intermediate Part 1: Enrol on this course if you have completed the Post Beginner course, or achieved the Chinese standard examination HSK 1, or if you can:

  • engage in conversations on topics such as the weather, routine and leisure activities, state preferences
  • read and understand short texts written in Chinese characters on familiar topics
  • produce short texts using Chinese characters to give basic information and describe simple situations

Lower Intermediate Part 2: Enrol on this course if you have completed Lower Intermediate Part 1, or achieved the Chinese standard examination HSK 1, or if you can:

  • perform simple tasks such as shopping and ask for information such as directions and opening hours
  • understand straightforward written resources on familiar topics written in Chinese characters
  • write short texts using Chinese characters to give essential information and describe simple experiences

Intermediate Part 1: Enrol on this course if you have completed Lower Intermediate Part 2, or achieved the Chinese standard examination HSK 2, or if you can:

  • engage in conversations on a number of non-abstract topics such as travel and leisure activities
  • read and understand straightforward written resources on a variety of familiar topics
  • produce structured texts in Chinese characters on a variety of familiar topics, including past events and future plans

Intermediate Part 2: Enrol on this course if you have completed Intermediate Part 1, or achieved the Chinese standard examination HSK 2, or if you can:

  • engage in conversations in a variety of situations with a degree of confidence
  • read and understand written resources in Chinese characters on familiar matters and some abstract topics
  • produce structured texts in Chinese characters with a degree of confidence on topics such as shopping, travel, jobs and abstract topics

Learn Chinese with Weekly News: Enrol on this course if you have completed Intermediate Part 2 or have reached the Chinese standard examination HSK level 3 or above. In this course we will discuss bite-sized news items that are written in graded Chinese following the HSK levels. During this course you will:

  • further develop your independent learning skills
  • have personalised learning experiences to take your Chinese language skills to a higher level
  • develop your intercultural competence and improve your employability skills

Class timetable

In semester 2 2024-25, classes start week commencing 10 February 2025 and finish week commencing 28 April 2025, with a two week break for Easter (7 - 18 April 2025).

Enrolments for semester 2 are now closed. The class timetable for semester 1 2025-26 will be published on this page later this year. If you would like to be notified when the timetable is available and enrolments are open, please complete this form.

More ways to develop your Mandarin Chinese language skills

For more information on what it’s like to learn Mandarin Chinese with us, check out our blog.

We also organise our own cultural events, student-led Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) sessions and Language Cafés. If you are enrolled on a Foreign Language course, you are welcome to take part in all these activities; please ask your teacher for more details after you have enrolled.

Enquiries

If you have any questions, please contact us.

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