Learn Chinese in NYC :: Williamsburg

$315 for each 20-hour class

Our Mandarin Chinese classes are 20 hours each, usually meeting once a week for 2 hours for 10 weeks. Our Williamsburg classrooms are two blocks from the Graham Avenue L train stop.

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Manhattan
Williamsburg
Private Lessons

Fluent City teaches standard Mandarin Chinese, which is the official language of business, politics, media and culture throughout the PRC. With this in mind, pronunciation is based on standard Northern/Beijing Mandarin. Beginning in Level 1, students will learn to use pinyin, the romanized system of notation, and also begin learning to recognize Traditional characters.

Level 1

Level 1 Group Classes
in Williamsburg

Wednesdays 7:30-9:30pm
June 26 - September 4
* Skips July 3
See class options in Manhattan »
Info about Books/Materials for Level 1 »

Books information for Level 1

You will need a copy of Integrated Chinese, Level 1, Part 1, 3rd Edition, ISBN 978-0-88727-639-2. Make sure it is Traditional Characters (not Simplified Characters) and that it is the textbook (not the workbook). Depending on availability (there will be a "buy" button if we have some in stock), you can purchase the book through us here. You may be able to find less expensive used copies online if you prefer to go that route.

We ship all books to the shipping address you list during checkout. Please purchase all books seven days in advance of your class start date to guarantee they will arrive in time. Brooklyn students can purchase a book in person at our Williamsburg location but should not preorder the book through our website unless they would like it shipped.

Plan on taking notes and keeping handouts organized in some way. The folder that all Fluent City students receive on the first day of class usually does the trick just fine!

Don't see the level you are looking for or a class that works for your schedule? Be sure to sign up for our email newsletter at the top of this page and we'll notify you when we add new classes that work for you!

Level 3

There are no open classes for this level at the moment. We'll be adding one soon!

See class options in Manhattan »
Info about Books/Materials for Level 3 »

Books information for Level 3

You will need a copy of Integrated Chinese, Level 1 Part 2 Textbook, 3rd Edition, ISBN 9780887276729. Make sure it is Traditional Characters (not Simplified Characters) and that it is the textbook (not the workbook). You will also need a copy of Shaum's Outline of Chinese Grammar, ISBN 978-0071635264. Depending on availability (there will be a "buy" button if we have some in stock), you can purchase both books through us here. You may be able to find less expensive used copies online if you prefer to go that route.

We ship all books to the shipping address you list during checkout. Please purchase all books seven days in advance of your class start date to guarantee they will arrive in time. Brooklyn students can purchase a book in person at our Williamsburg location but should not preorder the book through our website unless they would like it shipped.

Plan on taking notes and keeping handouts organized in some way. The folder that all Fluent City students receive on the first day of class usually does the trick just fine!

Level 2

Level 2 Group Classes
in Williamsburg

Tuesdays 7:30-9:30pm
May 28 - July 30
See class options in Manhattan »
Info about Books/Materials for Level 2 »

Books information for Level 2

You will need a copy of Integrated Chinese, Level 1, Part 1, 3rd Edition, ISBN 978-0-88727-639-2. Make sure it is Traditional Characters (not Simplified Characters) and that it is the textbook (not the workbook). You will also need a copy of Shaum's Outline of Chinese Grammar, ISBN 978-0071635264. Depending on availability (there will be a "buy" button if we have some in stock), you can purchase both books through us here. You may be able to find less expensive used copies online if you prefer to go that route. We ship all books to the shipping address you list during checkout.

Please purchase all books seven days in advance of your class start date to guarantee they will arrive in time. Brooklyn students can purchase a book in person at our Williamsburg location but should not preorder the book through our website unless they would like it shipped.

Plan on taking notes and keeping handouts organized in some way. The folder that all Fluent City students receive on the first day of class usually does the trick just fine!

Level 4

There are no open classes for this level at the moment. We'll be adding one soon!

See class options in Manhattan »
Info about Books/Materials for Level 4 »

Books information for Level 4

You will need a copy of Integrated Chinese, Level 1 Part 2 Textbook, 3rd Edition, ISBN 9780887276729. Make sure it is Traditional Characters (not Simplified Characters) and that it is the textbook (not the workbook). You will also need a copy of Shaum's Outline of Chinese Grammar, ISBN 978-0071635264. Depending on availability (there will be a "buy" button if we have some in stock), you can purchase both books through us here. You may be able to find less expensive used copies online if you prefer to go that route.

We ship all books to the shipping address you list during checkout. Please purchase all books seven days in advance of your class start date to guarantee they will arrive in time. Brooklyn students can purchase a book in person at our Williamsburg location but should not preorder the book through our website unless they would like it shipped.

Plan on taking notes and keeping handouts organized in some way. The folder that all Fluent City students receive on the first day of class usually does the trick just fine!

More about Level 1

Taught in English. Level 1 is for students who don’t have a clue about Mandarin and for those who maybe took a little bit before but want or need to restart at the very beginning. Level 1 coursework involves an overview of characters and sounds reinforced through exercises in vocabulary and basic grammar. At the end of Level 1, students are able to read and sound out any written word as well as deliver a basic self presentation.

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More about Level 2

Level 2 is for those who are beginning to gain some understanding of the tones, sounds and structure of Mandarin as well as the initial vocabulary needed for basic conversation. In Level 2, the professor focuses on expanding expression to build on the core concepts of Level 1. In Level 2, students will focus on developing more complex sentence structures and building vocabulary needed to cover a range of topics related to basic aspects of travel and daily life.

For students who think they may be Level 2 or higher, choose the level that sounds most appropriate for you based on these descriptions and go ahead and sign up for a specific class. We try to do an informal placement phone call with all new incoming Level 2 and above students for both you and us to be sure that the level you choose isn’t either too advanced or not advanced enough. If your level choice doesn't make sense when we talk with you on the phone (or once you start class), we'll work with you to make a game plan to transfer you into a different class at that time. We prefer to make this placement call after you sign up online because about 70-80% of students place themselves accurately.

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More about Level 3

Level 3 is for those who are beginning to gain some confidence in basic Mandarin as well as the initial vocabulary needed for conversation on a limited range of topics. In Level 3, the professor focuses on application of the core concepts of earlier levels, accuracy in pronunciation and conversational ability.  Class will focus on developing more complex sentence structures and building the vocabulary needed to cover a range of topics related to travel and daily life.

For students who think they may be Level 2 or higher, choose the level that sounds most appropriate for you based on these descriptions and go ahead and sign up for a specific class. We try to do an informal placement phone call with all new incoming Level 2 and above students for both you and us to be sure that the level you choose isn’t either too advanced or not advanced enough. If your level choice doesn't make sense when we talk with you on the phone (or once you start class), we'll work with you to make a game plan to transfer you into a different class at that time. We prefer to make this placement call after you sign up online because about 70-80% of students place themselves accurately.

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More about Level 4

Level 4 is for those who are beginning to gain some confidence in basic Mandarin as well as have the vocabulary needed for conversation on a limited range of topics, such as weather, family and ordering food in a restaurant. Students who have completed Level 1-3 are comfortable expressing things like basic comparisons: For example, Mr. Li runs (much faster than/ not as fast as) Mr. Wang. They are able to use the 了 structure to express the the (past action/ completed action) aspect, forming sentences such as "Mr. Li bought a book, but forgot to call his wife." Students are getting comfortable using a range of (direction/ location) words to give directions or express clearly where an object is located. An expanding range of prepositions have begun to allow expression of more complex actions, such as sending flowers to a loved one or making dinner for friends. In Level 4, the professor focuses more on application of the core concepts of earlier levels, accuracy in pronunciation and confident conversation. Class will focus on more complex sentence structures and building the vocabulary needed to cover a wider range of topics.

For students who think they may be Level 2 or higher, choose the level that sounds most appropriate for you based on these descriptions and go ahead and sign up for a specific class. We try to do an informal placement phone call with all new incoming Level 2 and above students for both you and us to be sure that the level you choose isn’t either too advanced or not advanced enough. If your level choice doesn't make sense when we talk with you on the phone (or once you start class), we'll work with you to make a game plan to transfer you into a different class at that time. We prefer to make this placement call after you sign up online because about 70-80% of students place themselves accurately.

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How do I know which level I am?

Each 20-hour class is a “level” (Level 1, Level 2, etc.) and most students choose to continue on to the next level at the end. If you are an absolute beginner and/or wish to start at the very beginning, you should choose a Level 1 class. Level 2 is for students who are at least a tiny bit familiar with how the language works and have taken at least one class at some point before, even if it was a long time ago.

A Level 2 student can usually struggle through saying something like: "Hello, my name is ___, I live in Brooklyn. I have a cat. My brother is a professor…"; but would not be able to say more complex things like "I wanted to meet up tonight, but I forgot that you aren't available."

For students who think they may be Level 2 or higher, choose the level that sounds most appropriate for you based on the descriptions and go ahead and sign up for a class. We try to do a informal placement phone call with all new incoming Level 2 and above students for both you and us to be sure that the level you choose isn’t either too advanced or not advanced enough. If your level choice doesn't make sense when we talk with you on the phone, we'll make a plan to transfer you into a different class at that time. We prefer to make this placement call after you sign up online because about 70-80% of students do place themselves accurately.

If we aren't able to reach you for the placement call before your class starts, do attend the first session. If your professor agrees that you have placed yourself either too high or two low after that first class, then we are happy to transfer you to a different class at that time.

If you want to go ahead and purchase the book(s) required for the course you sign up for so that you have it in time for the first class, but end up changing to a different level class that uses a different book, we are happy to buy the unused new book back from you for no more than the price listed on our website (fluentcity.com/books) for that specific book.

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