Varsity Tutors offers Philadelphia Chinese lessons for anyone who's studying a dialect of the language. Whether you're meeting a language requirement at Upper Darby Senior High School, majoring in Chinese at Swarthmore College, and even if you're studying on your own for business, personal, or cultural purposes, we can support your language learning needs. Lessons take place online in either a group class or through one-on-one tutoring.
Chinese is considered the most difficult language to learn because it's entirely different from English, so it's a good idea to get all the help you can to work towards the fluency level you want to reach.
Chinese is the most common language spoken throughout the world. The Mandarin dialect is most prevalent worldwide, and Cantonese is historically the dialect spoken most in the US. The characters that make up written Chinese are a beautiful art form and have existed for thousands of years. They date back to the Shang Dynasty (1700-1027 BCE), which was a time of great advancement in areas of astronomy, art, math, technology, and more.
As you can see, learning Chinese is bigger than just learning to communicate with more than another billion humans. It involves learning about an ancient, highly developed culture with ancient traditions and philosophies. This is even the reason some people study the Chinese language.
What kind of subjects are studied during Philadelphia Chinese lessons?
Most language courses look fairly similar, especially when studied in school. Learning Chinese involves some unique topics to learn. One of the first things you'll probably learn is how to navigate the tonal differences in the language. Mandarin Chinese consists of four tones: flat, falling, falling then rising, and rising. Funny situations can happen when you mix up tones; you might tell somebody you're going to take a nap for dinner, when you're actually going to boil dumplings for dinner. Some can be more embarrassing. The word for ask and kiss is the same word with different tonal usage, and you probably don't want to mix that up.
There are more than 50,000 Chinese written characters, and even the greatest Chinese scholars can spend an entire lifetime learning them. Of those, 20,000 are in common use. You'll be happy to know that while you're likely going to learn Chinese characters, there's also a written language called Pinyin, which was developed to represent Chinese phonetically using Western letters.
If you've ever studied another language, there's something you might appreciate about Chinese. Each word has only one grammatical form. What does this mean for you? No verb conjugation or tenses, plurals, or articles to memorize. You can spend more time on the pronunciation aspect. The rest of your Philadelphia Chinese lessons may be basically the same as any other language, including using common phrases as soon as possible, memorizing necessary vocabulary, and learning grammar rules.
Which study option should I choose, classes or a private Philadelphia Chinese tutor?
There are a few factors to making an informed decision regarding this question. First, what's the first answer that pops into your mind? That may be your answer, since our first instinct is often right. If you want to know more about the advantages of each type of lesson before you decide, here are some specific things to consider.
Do you tend to learn much more quickly than your classmates? Do you usually need a little more time than they do to fully understand concepts? Are you learning Chinese for a highly specialized niche area? Are you really good at one area of language acquisition, but need a good deal of help with another? Do you find it confusing to be online in a group situation with many people? Do you prefer to work with one trusted individual? If the answer to these questions is more yes than no, you will probably prefer to work individually with a Philadelphia Chinese tutor.
Are you more energized by collaborating with a group of people led by an expert instructor? Do you learn well in a regular classroom situation? Do you like bouncing ideas of peers as well as your instructor? Are you learning Chinese for general purposes without needing a lot of specialized vocabulary? If the answer to these questions is mostly yes, you may prefer to take Philadelphia Chinese lessons in an online classroom setting. One useful option when you take the group class is that you can request time with an individual tutor any time you need some extra focus on a certain idea, more one-on-one conversation practice, or other reasons.
How do Philadelphia Chinese lessons help me learn Chinese better than studying by myself?
While some subjects are easier to study on your own, learning a language isn't suited for that. Languages by their very nature are social. Practicing a language by conducting everyday conversations with people who are equal to or better than you at speaking the language is generally agreed upon as the best way to work towards fluency.
There are many benefits studying Chinese in either an online class or with a private instructor online. For example, an expert instructor may be able to determine the cause of your difficulties in memorization, and more importantly, they're more likely to have a variety of potential solutions. If you've only learned one or two memorization techniques in your middle or high school, you might have missed out on either newer or alternative methods. Maybe you're using digital flashcards, but you're not aware that their effectiveness can increase exponentially when used with the spaced repetition method. This is just one example of the many advantages to studying the Chinese language with an expert instead of on your own.
How can I get started with Chinese lessons as soon as possible?
Varsity Tutors makes it as easy as possible to get set up with a Philadelphia Chinese tutor or class. Simply contact us and our educational consultants can answer any questions you have. They can also enroll you in a class or set you up with a tutor beginning as soon as possible. We look forward to helping you as you work towards Chinese language proficiency and a more interesting future.

Ziyue: Philadelphia Mandarin Chinese lesson instructor
...college in the US). I anticipate to major in Biology with a special major in Architecture. My passion for these two distinct fields allow me to have multifaceted career options, spanning architectural school, biology research or academia. I had been tutoring Chinese, writing and math for two years, and I am continuing to teach Mandarin and Cantonese on college campus. I was born in Guangdong, China, and I moved to the states when I was in...
Education & Certification
- Swarthmore College - Current Undergrad, Biology and Art
Subject Expertise
- Mandarin Chinese
- Mandarin Chinese 2
- ACT Math
- SAT
- +13 subjects
Education & Certification
- University of Pennsylvania - Current Undergrad, Political Science and Government
Subject Expertise
- Mandarin Chinese
- Mandarin Chinese 2
- Mandarin Chinese 3
- Mandarin Chinese 4
- +35 subjects

Margaret: Philadelphia Mandarin Chinese lesson instructor
I enjoy helping someone to get where he/she wants to or needs to go. I believe everyone is unique; therefore there isn't just one method in dong anything. Everyone is motivated by something. It is just a matter of finding what that motivation is. ... Find out the root of the problem and work to eradicate that. Not everyone has the same problem; therefore, one cannot use the same method to teach or to learn.... Discover the student's problems and needs.
Education & Certification
- Oberlin College - Bachelor in Arts, East Asian Studies
Subject Expertise
- Mandarin Chinese
- High School English
- History
- Languages
- +18 subjects

Tho: Philadelphia Mandarin Chinese lesson instructor
...Studies with a focus on China & Taiwan. Completed his M.S.Ed. in Elementary Education from PennGSE in Philadelphia, PA. Self-motivated, creative, and passionate young professional seeking to learn and create innovative and transformative learning technologies for the modern user. Inquisitive and hard-working educator with strong technical and writing skills. Classroom practitioner with diverse interests in education technology, social media platforms, and instructional design. Currently teaches upper elementary math in a South Philadelphia Charter School. Extensive...
Education & Certification
- Brown University - Bachelor in Arts, East Asian Studies
- University of Pennsylvania - Masters, Elementary Education
Subject Expertise
- Mandarin Chinese
- SAT Mathematics
- Other
- Elementary Math
- +23 subjects

Jasmine: Philadelphia Mandarin Chinese lesson instructor
...a Neuroscience major at Swarthmore College. My favorite subjects include Biology and Psychology. I am interested in teaching students how to develop a better grasp of their academic material, improve their learning skills, and succeed in whatever course they take. Outside of the classroom, I enjoy playing violin, reading, and traveling. I also have extensive community service experience and have traveled to China, Kenya, and the Dominican Republic to engage in volunteer work.
Education & Certification
- Swarthmore College - Bachelor in Arts, Biochemistry
Subject Expertise
- Mandarin Chinese
- Mandarin Chinese 3
- Conversational Mandarin
- SAT
- +32 subjects

Ning: Philadelphia Mandarin Chinese lesson instructor
...at Thomas Jefferson University after obtaining my undergraduate degree in Biology at the University of Notre Dame in May 2016. With that said, I will dedicate the same quality of care to my students as I would to my future patients. To me, tutoring is mainly about cultivating a passion to learn in the student so that they are able to achieve their ultimate goal. Accordingly, my approach to tutoring is not merely to cram...
Education & Certification
- University of Notre Dame - Bachelor of Science, Biology, General
- Thomas Jefferson University - Doctor of Medicine, Premedicine
Subject Expertise
- Mandarin Chinese
- PANCE - Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination
- Learning Differences
- College Biology
- +104 subjects

Florrie: Philadelphia Mandarin Chinese lesson instructor
...area of study (East Asian Studies and Chinese). The number of students who major in this field and study Chinese language are relatively small however I think language studies are immensely important. Studying Chinese language is my passion so I always try to encourage other students to continue with it. Learning a language can be challenging but I've found it the most rewarding. I take great pride in how far I've come with Chinese and...
Education & Certification
- Ursinus College - Bachelors, East Asian Studies
Subject Expertise
- Mandarin Chinese
- Mandarin Chinese 4
- English
- Mandarin Chinese 1
- +7 subjects

Poushali: Philadelphia Mandarin Chinese lesson instructor
...with minors in Computer Science and Mathematics. From kindergarten to my senior year of college, I've always noticed that my teachers made the largest impact on my success in various classes. The most memorable teachers were enthusiastic about what they were teaching and went the extra mile to provide additional help outside of class. When helping other students, I always remember this fact in order to make learning as enjoyable as possible.
Education & Certification
- Millersville University of Pennsylvania - Bachelor of Science, Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology
Subject Expertise
- Mandarin Chinese
- Pre-Calculus
- Earth Science
- Elementary School Reading
- +44 subjects

Kathy: Philadelphia Mandarin Chinese lesson instructor
I'm a recent Duke grad with experience in Resume Writing, Statistics, Mandarin Chinese, Art History, and Math. I'll be available starting in July through August to tutor. In September, I'll be pursuing my Masters Degree in London at the Sotheby's Institute of Art.... I believe there is no model that fits any one student and that getting to know that student and his or her learning process is integral to teaching him or her effectively and productively.
Education & Certification
- Duke University - Bachelors, Economics and Art
- Sothebys Institute of Art - Masters, Modern and Contemporary Asian Art
Subject Expertise
- Mandarin Chinese
- SAT Verbal
- ACT Writing
- ACT Math
- +28 subjects

Katherine: Philadelphia Mandarin Chinese lesson instructor
...studying Finance and Operations & Information Management. I am an Executive Board Member of one of the largest community service groups on campus, the West Philadelphia Tutoring Project, so I have had plenty of experience tutoring elementary and middle school students in reading and math in the Philadelphia area. Prior to my experience tutoring in Philadelphia, I ran an online writing program teaching essential writing skills to elementary school students and served as an Algebra...
Education & Certification
- University of Pennsylvania - Bachelor of Science, Finance, Operations & Information Management
Subject Expertise
- Mandarin Chinese
- Statistics
- Pre-Calculus
- SAT Subject Test in Mathematics Level 1
- +27 subjects