Award-Winning Mandarin Chinese Courses & Classes in Pittsburgh, PA

Varsity Tutors offers a Pittsburgh Chinese course that can have a positive impact on your language learning experience, whether you're or a high school student at Central Catholic High School, a University of Pittsburgh student fulfilling your language requirement, or a college student at Duquesne University. Learning Chinese can be difficult, and a traditional classroom may not be enough to allow you to master the language. One important factor in your success as a learner is regular opportunities to practice the Chinese language both in writing and conversation. A Pittsburgh Chinese course can provide you with access to not only this sort of language learning environment, but it also will provide you with the tutelage of an expert Chinese teacher who can help immerse you in the language.

Chinese is the most spoken language in the world, with over one billion native speakers. It has several dialects, the most popular of which is Mandarin. Other dialects include Xiang, Gan, Wu, and Hakka. Mandarin is the official language in the People's Republic of China (including Hong Kong) and Taiwan. Written Chinese is thousands of years old, with evidence of Chinese characters dating back to the Shang Dynasty. The various Chinese dialects share the same writing system. You may not know this, but there's no Chinese alphabet. Instead, there are over 50,000 characters that exist. Each symbol represents one syllable. Around 20,000 characters are used regularly, but the overwhelming majority of written Chinese is communicated using about 2,500 characters. It is the only modern pictographic language. Many of the Chinese characters that are used today come from ancient drawings of the items they are meant to describe. The symbols give no clues to pronunciation and must be learned individually. Pinyin is a system for translating Chinese characters to letters in the English alphabet based on their pronunciation.

Chinese is considered one of the hardest languages to learn as it has very little in common with English. Knowing the Chinese language may provide an advantage to those interested in international business and trade. Whether you're a student who's struggling in Chinese and worried about completing your general education requirements, a professional looking to expand your business skills, or just someone looking for more access to Chinese literature, history, and culture, we can enroll you in a class that is right for you. You are welcome no matter what your level of proficiency is. A Pittsburgh Chinese class may be just the thing you need to get more time practicing Chinese into your schedule.

What material will a Pittsburgh Chinese course cover?

Any language has nuances that can make it challenging to learn and master. Chinese is a tonal language. The meaning of a word changes according to its tone. There are four tones in Mandarin Chinese: flat, rising, falling then rising, and falling. Other dialects feature up to nine different tones. Chinese has no articles, verb inflections, or plurals. All words have only one grammatical form only. Unlike English, wherein plural nouns are marked with an "s", Chinese nouns retain the same form regardless of whether or not they're in singular or plural form. Chinese has different characters for pronouns based on gender. The sound is the same, but the pronunciation is different. It can be easier to understand the Chinese language once a learner is able to comprehend this. This is also why English is tricky for native Chinese speakers to pick up.

Other topics that a Chinese instructor may cover include Pinyin, pronouns, verbs and differentiating verbs that sound alike, common phrases, essential vocabulary, grammar, sentence structure, pronunciation, Chinese history, culture, customs, and traditions. As you can see, there are many things to cover, and learning all these on your own can be a gargantuan task. That's why it is beneficial to enroll in a Pittsburgh Chinese class.

How can a Pittsburgh Chinese course help me learn?

A Pittsburgh Chinese class is taught online in an interactive classroom, led by an expert Chinese instructor. You will be able to see your instructor and classmates and speak with them, so you can engage in learning activities and practice your Chinese through conversations. You can imagine how having easy access to a Chinese class over the internet can boost your ability to pick up the language quickly. Even when you are going over materials that you already feel you've got a handle on, helping out your classmates who are struggling has the potential to strengthen your own understanding and retention of the material. Immersion in the language is a powerful tool in learning Chinese, and some instructors may even choose to teach their entire classes in Chinese, depending on the situation.

Of course, there are times when you may want one-on-one time with your Chinese instructor, which is why our Chinese courses will enable you to request this sort of private support if you find yourself struggling with certain topics. These courses are intended to provide you with various avenues to succeed in pursuing Chinese proficiency.

An online course means you don't need to worry about fitting an extra commute into your busy schedule. We offer a wide range of course times, too. Whether you are looking for weekend courses, night courses, or even something during a break in the middle of the day, we can provide options that are convenient for you. Courses start on a rolling monthly basis, so we can get you enrolled quickly in the course you're looking for.

How can I get signed up?

The Chinese language can be a valuable tool in reaching for your academic, business, or personal goals, whether you are an established professional, a high school student at Allderdice High School, or a college student at Carnegie Mellon University. Contact Varsity Tutors today so we can give you more information about what a Pittsburgh Chinese class will cover, our current class offerings, and how we can get you enrolled in the Chinese class you might be looking for. Reach out now, and you can find yourself making strides in your command of the Chinese language soon.