Award-Winning Mandarin Chinese Lessons in Phoenix, AZ

With the help of Varsity Tutors, you can be connected with Phoenix Chinese lessons, whether you're taking your first Chinese language class at Mountain Pointe High School, fulfilling a language requirement at Arizona State University, or learning Chinese for any other reason. We provide lesson options including live online classes, online tutoring, or a combination of both.

Chinese is the most popular language in the world, with more than one billion native speakers. The Mandarin dialect is the most common, and is the official language in the People's Republic of China and in Taiwan. In the US, people have historically spoken Cantonese, but whichever dialect you study, you'll increase the number of people you can communicate with by a lot.

Chinese can seem daunting because the writing system is pictographic and because it's tonal in nature. This means there are words that mean different things based on which of the tones is used (four in Mandarin). There can be up to nine tones in some dialects. Some aspects that start out being confusing about the language, such as the lack of articles, verb inflections, and the distinction between plural and singular nouns, can also make it easier once you understand it better. Learning Chinese is definitely best done with a professional instructor because of the dissimilarity to English. Whether you do so in an online class or with a private tutor, signing up as soon as possible is likely your best bet. Continue reading to learn more.

What's covered during Phoenix Chinese lessons?

There are a number of topics in Chinese that may be covered in your class. For one, the written symbol system called Pinyin uses English letters based on how Chinese words sound. If you're looking to become entirely fluent, you'll eventually learn characters, which is a lifelong process for even native Chinese speakers. But having the Pinyin to work with until you become familiar with characters is useful.

Learning the tones is something you'll probably do very early. You might be surprised how different a word's meaning can be whether you say it in a flat, rising, falling then rising, or falling tone. This can instigate humorous situations, but as a serious language student, you'll probably want to get the tones figured out early on.

Pronunciation, including the tones, is essential to making yourself understood in Chinese. This is something that can be a big focus during your lessons in the virtual classroom with your class or your private language coach. As with any language, you'll probably start speaking Chinese right away, beginning with simple introductions and moving on through a planned syllabus in class lessons, or according to your individual needs in private lessons.

Should I choose a private Phoenix Chinese tutor or multi-student virtual classroom lessons?

In the end, you must decide what's best for you, but we can look at some of the benefits of each type of lesson. If you're energized by working with others, teaming up with students who are in your same learning situation, and sharing tips and ideas amongst your instructor and peers, you'll most likely want to enroll in a Chinese course. The atmosphere of collaboration in these types of classes has been proven to help with learning and retention and provides a variety of speaking and listening practice partners. It can help if you're in a group of students all working on your tones, your instructor can point out if one of you has really got it right, and the rest can use that person's pronunciation as a model. This means you're not entirely dependent on the instructor and can get together online to continue studying once the class period is over.

If you prefer to focus on what you're learning from one trusted mentor, or if you have other-than-average language-learning needs, then Phoenix Chinese tutoring lessons might be your best bet. Examples would be if you knew a great deal of Chinese restaurant vocabulary and usage because you worked at a Chinese-owned restaurant, but you don't know how to share thoughts and ideas or read an academic text. Another example would be if you were learning Chinese for a precise purpose, such as communicating on a regular basis solely with a Chinese supplier in your specialized industry like manufacturing toys or creating Chinese décor for restaurants in the US.

Why are Phoenix Chinese lessons better than learning on my own?

While it's always better to learn a language with a fluent speaker, it would be nearly impossible to learn Chinese on your own. Chinese is much more of a spoken language than a written language, and there is no book in the world that can properly demonstrate the differences in tone the way group or individual Phoenix Chinese lessons with a professional instructor can. Hearing people speak Chinese on free Internet sites can be part of a good language-learning plan, but it doesn't help much with developing your pronunciation and intonations.

You'll almost certainly have a lot of questions as you're learning Chinese. Possibly the most common one being, "Was that right?" regarding your pronunciation. But there will be others, and learning the culture and history of the area of Chinese you're interested in can be an added bonus of learning with someone who's either a native speaker or has plenty of experience.

The bottom line is, language is a social practice. There would be no need for language if we didn't use it to share information with other people. Whether you'd prefer that to be Phoenix Chinese lessons with one expert, or an expert plus a classroom of peers, Varsity Tutors can help you learn Chinese the way it was meant to be.

Great. How can I get enrolled in Chinese lessons?

All you need to do is contact Varsity Tutors and speak with an educational consultant. They'll ask you some questions about your schedule, your current fluency level, and other pertinent information. They'll then use this to set you up with a Phoenix Chinese tutor or enroll you in a Chinese class that best matches your unique set of requirements.