When thinking about how and where one might take their Mandarin language skills to the next level there are no doubt numerous critical factors to consider. Language environment, quality of education and sustainability are paramount to the successful absorption of a foreign language. 

      Firstly, without finding and maintaining a sustainable learning process there is little hope for success. When a student comes from abroad to China and finds themselves vastly out of their element, uncomfortable, and without any sort of support system, it is unlikely that they will be able to achieve meaningful progress.

      The quality of and in turn, ability to learn through, enrolling in Chinese classes on Mainland China can vary greatly. In reality, a “Chinese class” can manifest itself as many things, from a fantastic one-to-one professional experience to a class of dozens or more being taught by someone with little to no relevant teaching experience. This is why quality of education should seriously be taken into account. Specific factors to consider should include everything from student-teacher ratio, instructor’s teaching experience, and ability to tailor the curriculum to your needs, to a teacher’s open-mindedness, travel experience, exposure to foreigners and in particular experience teaching foreigners.   

      Lastly, and perhaps most important, is language environment. Language environment is an all-encompassing term that is key to anyone learning a new language- and perhaps even more pertinent to a tonal language like Chinese, that has many dialects and even more regional variations. If your goal is to study Standard Mandarin Chinese- then you need to immerse yourself in an environment that will be conducive to that goal. If one were to look at a map of China and focus on the number of regions where Standard Mandarin is spoken as a first language, in both the home and classroom, you may be surprised to see just how small it is.

      China’s vast array of cultural, ethnic, linguistic and culinary variety is truly something to behold. The variation from region to region is rich, colorful and often surprisingly diverse. However, this can present a challenge if your goal is to study Standard Mandarin. For example, in Shanghai, many locals grow up speaking Shanghainese, then study Mandarin in school and now can hear a dozen different languages on the street being spoken by Chinese from other regions or cities. Although these languages share a common written language, the spoken language is often as different as German and Spanish. Beyond the varieties of Chinese spoken in large urban centers like Shanghai and Beijing, there is an increasingly large number of foreigners from all over the world coming to China. These trends, while positively effecting China in many ways, do not benefit those looking to immerse themselves in a Standard Mandarin language environment.

      Very generally speaking, the southern regions tend to be dominated by Cantonese and other dialects, so most students tend to focus on the northeastern region when selecting a location. More formally speaking China’s northeast or东北 (dōng běi) consists of three provinces; Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning. Though it is outside of this region, many looking to study consider Beijing as the place to settle. While it is a fascinating city in many regards, it doesn’t make for the most ideal location for a very Standard Mandarin language environment. It has become a global city with people from all around the world. In addition, Beijing, in comparison to the majority of China’s urban lifestyles, has become highly westernized. While some may find it enjoyable to converse with other foreigners in ones’ native tongue, this is taking several steps backward in trying to increase Mandarin proficiency. Lastly, the Mandarin spoken in Beijing is not the most standard. In fact, there is a hard “r” sound that gets added to many words spoken by Beijingers which has made the “Beijing accent” quite famous. While it’s close to Standard Mandarin, it should be noted that this is indeed another regional variation of the language.

      So where in China can someone find a place that speaks Standard Mandarin? Harbin, of course! As the saying goes, “If you want to study Chinese language, come to China. If you want to study Mandarin, come to Beijing. If you want to study Standard Mandarin, come to Harbin.” (see Studying Chinese section: http://wikitravel.org/en/Harbin) It is often said that natives of Harbin, the capital city of Heilongjiang province, speak the nicest, clearest and most Standard Mandarin. In fact, CCTV broadcasters are often from this northeastern region as they have grown up only speaking Mandarin and not another dialect. So if your goal is to increase your Mandarin proficiency as quickly and accurately as possible, then the choice is clearly Harbin.

      Within Harbin, focusing on the factors most important to your Mandarin education; language environment, quality of education and sustainability, it’s easy to spot The Mandarin Workshop as a standout. The language environment here is as good as it gets. While in session, students are working one-to-one with teachers who are all Harbin natives. While outside the classroom, you will find yourself immersed in Harbin’s Standard Mandarin, spoken by all of its inhabitants, from cab drivers to business owners and beyond.

      The quality of education is top-notch. Teachers at The Mandarin Workshop have been teaching foreigners Mandarin professionally for years, and have college degrees specifically in teaching foreigners Mandarin. This is very important. Just finding a Chinese person that speaks great Mandarin is simply not good enough. The instructor needs to have specific training and experience in teaching their language to those who aren’t native speakers. As all of the classes are taught one-to-one, your time and energy are being maximized in an incredibly powerful way. Group led classes simply do not begin to compare.

      Beyond a fantastic language environment and incredibly high quality of education, The Mandarin Workshop provides a highly sustainable study practice and life in Harbin. The school is located in Dao Li district, Ai Jian Xiao area – one of Harbin’s nicest, modern and most developed areas. The school itself is located in a high-end community and has every amenity you could be looking for within walking distance. Apart from the physical surroundings, The Mandarin Workshop fosters a deep sense of home and family between the student and the school. The teachers and staff truly become a part of your team here in Harbin, supportive, nurturing and helpful in every facet of life. It’s not simply being there to teach class during business hours, but really providing a support system to make studying Mandarin in Harbin both sustainable and highly enjoyable. The teachers and staff here are not only interested in an academic classroom education, but also very eager to go beyond the classroom by exploring the city, restaurants and travelling together. One of the best ways to evaluate and get feedback on a school is to talk to its previous students. Let the schools’ finished product speak for itself. Please feel free to reach out directly to The Mandarin Workshop and specifically ask to contact alumni. We look forward to hearing from you and hope to begin a lasting relationship that will result in phenomenal progress of your Mandarin language skills.