FAQs

We have different class types, including comic classes, story classes, listening classes, reading classes, etc.

All our classes are designed to be fun, engaging and, above all, educational. Chinese classes are for 3 hours every day and include a Topic Chinese Class, Cartoon Class and Reading & Writing Class.

We aim at improving students’ ability to apply their knowledge of Chinese in practice – by taking them to local shops and markets, and letting them complete simple tasks using the words and phrases they’ve learnt in class.

All of our classes are taught in Chinese, allowing the students to have a fully immersive experience. Even for absolute beginners, our teachers use English in class as rarely as possible. Instead, they will use pictures, videos and body language to help students understand them. As the Chinese level progresses, less and less English is used, and you or your children will be able to understand more and more every day.

Our teachers give each student around 20-30 minutes to complete their homework every day, to revise what they learned in class that day, and to prepare for the upcoming classes.

Our teachers are all native Chinese speakers and are university graduates with majors in Chinese language education or Chinese literature. They have also previously obtained a “teaching Mandarin as a second language” certificate before they joined us and successfully completed That’s Mandarin’s mandatory Teachers Training Course (TTC).

Teachers are selected based on their caring personality and they are highly experienced in taking care of kids and teens.

Since 2008, we’ve welcomed over 10,000 campers within our Summer and Winter Chinese Camps and China School Trip programs.

Most of our students come from North America, Europe, and Asia.

We also organize customized trips based on our clients’ specific requirements. You can visit this page to find out more about our camp programs.

We offer a wide range of cultural activities and excursions to give China School Trip participants a well-rounded insight into Chinese culture and history. Find out more about the Chinese cultural activities and excursions we offer.

Yes, there will be activities organized every evening. Based on your group’s requirements, it can be evening excursions, movie sessions, visiting local markets, etc.

We have no specific requirement about the type of visa; all legal Chinese visas are acceptable to study with That’s Mandarin.

If you require a visa to come to China for a short-term visit, we recommend a tourist L visa. This is relatively easy to acquire. We can assist you if you have any questions.

If you’ve already got a visa and would like us to help you extend it, please send us an email with details on your current visa (type, date of expiry and issuing place, as well as your nationality, gender and passport number).

Our contacts:
info@thatsmandarin.com (Beijing)
info.shanghai@thatsmandarin.com (Shanghai)

We recommend participants to bring between 100-200 RMB per day for pocket money. This is more than enough to buy souvenirs, snacks, etc.

Summers are generally very warm (even hot!) in China, so bring comfortable summer clothes. Check out our packing list to see what to pack and to learn more about the weather in Beijing and Shanghai.

We advise you to visit your doctor prior to traveling to check with them which vaccinations they recommend. Be aware that for some vaccinations, you may need to go over several weeks, so make sure you check with your doctor far enough in advance.

In the event of illness, a representative from That’s Mandarin will take you to the hospital if required and will help you to acquire any medicine you need.

If first aid is required, we have staff trained in first aid who will be able to assist.

We offer airport pick-up and drop-off to ensure everyone gets to their accommodation safely.

We provide a hotel accommodation for our students, and our teachers will be around to make sure you are well looked after. Students will be provided with breakfast, lunch and dinner each day and will have the opportunity to attend evening and weekend activities and field trips.

Yes, we can provide both airport pick-up and drop-off services. Just let us know your departure or arrival information at least 2 weeks in advance and we will promptly get back to you with pricing information.

A healthy lunch is provided to all participants. We only work with restaurants that use green and safe products.

Participants will also enjoy a healthy snack during the morning break between their Chinese classes.

If you have any special dietary requirements, kindly let us know before the program starts so we can make special arrangements.

There is always at least 1 teacher for every 3-6 students. The number of teachers depends on the age of the children. For younger children, we have more teachers supervising.

We have a curfew in place for all students. It is possible to go out in the evenings, but only if accompanied by a member of staff or a parent. It is also possible for you to give written permission to us allowing your child to go out at night if you wish.

Our hotel accommodation is modern and comfortable. All rooms have air-conditioning, access to WIFI, satellite television and 24/7 hot water. Towels and bedding are provided and rooms are cleaned regularly.

We work with hotels that are located not too far from the school, usually within a 15-minute walking distance from our Beijing/Shanghai campus.

A member of staff will accompany younger campers from their accommodation to the school each day. Whether it be by bus, metro or walking; they will make sure your child gets safely to school in the morning and back to the accommodation in the evening.