Award-Winning Mandarin Chinese Courses & Classes in Louisville, KY

No matter your current level of Chinese proficiency, from novice to advanced learner, you may benefit from a Louisville Chinese course, and Varsity Tutors can help you get enrolled. One of the most important factors determining your ability to learn Chinese effectively may be how much dedicated practice time you're able to spend working with the language on a regular basis. A Chinese course can be a great way to invite more Chinese conversation into your life and will provide you with lessons and feedback from an expert Chinese teacher. Saint Xavier High School students can find a course that accommodates sports and extracurricular activities, and University of Louisville students considering a minor in Chinese will be able to hone their skills. Even if you're a working professional looking to learn Chinese for business or personal reasons, there can be a course that fits your needs perfectly.

Chinese is a popular choice for language learners, and there's plenty of good reasons for that. Chinese is the most widely-spoken language in the world, with over one billion native speakers, which means it can be a great language to learn if you're interested in a career in business or international trade. But even if your interest in Chinese doesn't extend into the realm of business, you'll still be learning a language that can give you access to a deep, diverse culture with thousands of years of history, advanced artistic and philosophical sensibilities, and a broad, highly technical cuisine.

The diversity of Chinese culture is represented in the language itself. There are several dialects of Chinese, which are spoken very differently, but which are united by a single written language. The most popular dialect worldwide is Mandarin, which is the official language of the People's Republic of China. In the US, the Cantonese dialect has historically been the most widely spoken. Other dialects that you might take an interest in include Hakka, Gan, Xiang, and Wu. The written language which connects these dialects is very complex, with over 50,000 characters. 20,000 of these are regularly used, although the majority of Chinese communication only requires 2,500 of them. Each symbol represents a single syllable, but the symbols themselves give no indication to their own pronunciation, so you'll have to do a lot of memorization.

What will I learn in a Louisville Chinese course?

The complexity of written Chinese is just one reason that Chinese is considered one of the hardest languages in the world to learn. Even spoken Chinese has very little in common with English. For starters, Chinese is a tonal language, which means that the meaning of a word changes depending on the tone with which it is spoken. Mandarin Chinese uses four tones, but some dialects feature as many as nine. Chinese words also have only one grammatical form: there are no articles, verb inflections, or plurals. So, unlike English, in which plurals are usually modified with the addition of an -s to the end of the word, in Chinese words do not change regardless of context. Getting over this linguistic hurdle is often difficult for language learners.

You'll also study Chinese pronouns, essential vocabulary and basic phrases, Chinese grammar, and will work on your mastery of pronunciation and tones. In addition to traditional written Chinese, you may also learn pinyin, a written system for translating Chinese words into the English alphabet. This may be particularly crucial if you're interested in international communications. There's a lot to learn, and you can't cram a whole language into your head overnight, so it can be essential that you get plenty of consistent practice

How will a Louisville Chinese course help me learn?

A Louisville Chinese class is taught in a live, online classroom environment. You'll be able to see, hear, and speak with your Chinese teacher and your classmates in real-time, and will participate in group discussions where you'll be brought into conversation with other Chinese learners from a variety of backgrounds, which can boost your vocabulary and help you hone your speaking skills. Speaking with other students at your level can also be a great way to get over any anxieties you may have about using your Chinese in casual conversation. You'll also practice reading and writing Chinese together, and your instructor will provide lessons and give feedback. If you're an advanced Chinese learner looking to master the language, your instructor may even choose to teach the class entirely in Chinese, so you can experience a truly immersive Chinese language environment.

While group classes have a lot of advantages, one-on-one study with an experienced teacher can be useful too, especially when you find yourself really struggling with certain material. This is why a Louisville Chinese class will allow you to reserve private time with your Chinese teacher, so you can get back up to speed in no time. These classes have been designed to provide you with many routes to success, no matter your learning style. This attitude extends to scheduling, as well: an online class allows a lot of flexibility and can accommodate your busy schedule. Online classes are offered at a wide range of times, so if you're a DuPont Manual High School student and you've only got free time late at night or on the weekends, we can find something that works for you. The same is true whether you're a professional looking for something that you can fit into a break in your day, or even if you work the night shift and you'd prefer something early in the afternoon.

An online class also cuts out the need for a commute, so you won't have to worry about fitting more travel time into your day, and you won't have to worry about making it to class on time. This is a nice convenience for any class, but for a Chinese class, it may actually have an impact on your learning outcomes. As noted, consistent practice is key to learning any language, especially a language as complex as Chinese. By making sure that you have access to your Louisville Chinese class anywhere that you've got internet access, you can be setting yourself up for success.

How can I get signed up?

If you reach out to Varsity Tutors today, we can give you more information about what a Louisville Chinese course will cover, what courses might work best for you and your schedule, and can get you enrolled. New courses start every month, so there's always something available in the near future. Contact us today, and you'll be setting yourself up for a language learning experience that may transform your understanding of Chinese.