Mandarin Chinese Essentials
This course is part of multiple programs. Learn more.
This introductory Mandarin Chinese course provides a thorough foundation for beginners seeking to develop practical communication skills in a business context. The curriculum methodically breaks down the five essential characteristics of Mandarin Chinese—tones, pinyin, grammar, characters, and basic structures—through a structured, week-by-week approach that makes the transition from Latin alphabet languages less intimidating. Each lesson introduces a core concept with extensive practice opportunities and relevant dialogues through videos featuring practical business conversations. The course develops a solid learning system for differentiating and constructing sentences applicable in workplace and business scenarios. Students on the verified track gain additional benefits including webinar lectures with Dr. Estella Y. Chen exploring Chinese business culture and trends, plus three specialized pronunciation lessons designed to enhance communication effectiveness in professional environments. Developed with assistance from Dr. Haohsiang Liao, Director of the Chinese Language Program at MIT, this course requires no previous knowledge and serves as an excellent starting point for anyone interested in mastering Mandarin for business purposes or personal enrichment.
4.5
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Instructors:
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What you'll learn
Master the five essential tones of Mandarin Chinese for authentic pronunciation
Use pinyin effectively as a transcription tool for pronouncing Chinese words
Recognize and write basic Chinese characters following correct stroke order
Understand the fundamental concept that one Chinese character equals one syllable
Construct basic Chinese sentences for everyday and business communication
Gain insight into Chinese culture relevant to business interactions
Skills you'll gain
This course includes:
PreRecorded video
Graded assignments, Exams
Access on Mobile, Tablet, Desktop
Limited Access access
Shareable certificate
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Top companies offer this course to their employees
Top companies provide this course to enhance their employees' skills, ensuring they excel in handling complex projects and drive organizational success.
There are 5 modules in this course
This comprehensive introductory course to Mandarin Chinese is structured over five weeks, methodically building a solid foundation for beginners. The curriculum begins with the most crucial characteristic of Mandarin—tones—teaching students that speaking Chinese requires melodic inflection. Week two introduces pinyin, a Latin character transcription system essential for beginners to pronounce Chinese words correctly. In the third week, students progress to Chinese characters, learning to write them stroke by stroke. Week four focuses on a fundamental concept: one character contains only one syllable, with no prefixes or suffixes as in many Western languages. The final week introduces basic Chinese sentence structures and provides practice opportunities in everyday scenarios relevant to business contexts. Throughout the course, practical business conversations and cultural insights are integrated into the learning material. The pedagogical approach emphasizes building confidence through repetition and practical application, enabling students to begin communicating effectively with colleagues, clients, and friends in Chinese. Developed with input from MIT's Chinese Language Program Director, the course provides a structured pathway to language acquisition specifically tailored for business environments.
Week 1: Tones
Module 1
Week 2: Pinyin
Module 2
Week 3: Chinese characters
Module 3
Week 4: One Character One Syllable
Module 4
Week 5: One basic Chinese structure
Module 5
Fee Structure
Individual course purchase is not available - to enroll in this course with a certificate, you need to purchase the complete Professional Certificate Course. For enrollment and detailed fee structure, visit the following: Mandarin Essentials for Beginners, Business Mandarin Essentials
Payment options
Financial Aid
Instructor
11 Courses
Founder and CEO of MandarinX
Dr. Estella Chen is the founder and CEO of MandarinX, a platform dedicated to making Mandarin learning accessible to a global audience through high-quality online courses. Driven by her entrepreneurial spirit, she aims to standardize Chinese proficiency testing to match the global recognition of English in international communication and academia. Prior to founding MandarinX, Estella taught business English at various universities, focusing on enhancing students' general English skills and academic writing capabilities.
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