English (GB)

English (GB)

Start your path to fluency with

1-to-1 speaking sessions

based on media!

Our programmes are entirely media-based designed to expose you to real-life Chinese and contemporary Chinese culture. No more outdated textbook dialogues and no overly formal vocabulary.

So, you've been studying Chinese for a few years with a textbook but still freeze up when you speak to natives?

You may have assumed that you just suck at Chinese, that you have no talent for language learning.

But this is far from the truth, it's just that your learning resources + strategy are wrong!

Textbooks are great for reading and writing, but they do NOT help you develop speaking and listening skills.

But media and structured immersion does, that's why we created our speaking curriculum that combines these two elements.

We don't force students to memorise long texts and vocabulary lists, instead we get you interacting with native Chinese resources like: vlogs, street interviews, films, songs and even Chinese commercials. You get familiar with real-life Chinese that's used in China, not in a stuffy classroom.

Our sessions are pupil-focussed, which means you will be talking 70% of the time.
Our teachers are there to tech you to think intuitively in Chinese and to undo your habit of translating in your head.

Ready to finally see an investment on years you've put into textbooks?

Join us!

How does the 1-to-1 programme work?

3. Revise and review

1. Book in for your free consultation

2.Receive your first

media workbook

Upon completion of your consultation and payment of the tuition fees, you will receive your first e-workbook to start preparing for your first speaking session. Each week you will receive a new workbook which contains 1 short piece of media in Chinese, accompanied by a breakdown of the vocabulary and most importantly the colloquial sentence patterns that you will learn to use for that week. The point of the workbook is to help you develop micro-fluency in the subject, so that you can speak confidently and fluently during your live session.

You book in for a free 20 minute consultation where you can vent about all your struggles with speaking Chinese, we want to hear it all! We will then assess your spoken Chinese level and based on this information, as well as your language goals we will generate your own study roadmap that you will follow with Laoshi. This study roadmap is either 2, 4 or 6 months long, depending on the package you sign up for.

Between each session, you will be set fun challenges to ensure you continue to use your Chinese, even in your daily life! Here is an example of our beginner student's homework. She has been spotting radicals and characters in her home as well as around China as she travels. This intuitive approach has rapidly accelerated her character recognition as she builds mental maps in her brain!

3. Attend your speaking sessions

All our sessions are student-centred. What that means is that you will be speaking more than the teacher. Our teachers are not there to lecture or preach at you, they are there to guide your conversation and encourage you to ask questions and try out new structures and patterns. It's all part of developing your intuition for the Chinese language which will be so helpful to you as you continue to study Chinese independently.

Who else is taking our courses?

Serious and ambitious professionals based in China who saw the innate value in learning with our media-based approach!

I absolutely loved the courses, I needed that immersion in real-life media to communicate with my staff better! I never quite find a way to focus in traditional classroom settings, but having the curriculum based on stuff we actually see and hear in China was delightful.

Ian Hylton (founder of Ms Min, Xiamen based fashion brand)

I had never heard of learning with media before, most of the resources we were provided with for our placement in China were textbooks and formal classes. I found it so effective for training my listening and speaking skills which were exactly what I needed to brush up on to be able to communicate with locals!

Laura Bicker (Senior China correspondent for BBC News)

★★★★★

Click here to view class recordings

This approach is for you if...

✅

You crave dedicated 1-to-1 support from bilingual teachers who can correct your tones, vocabulary and pronunciation once and for all

✅

You have textbook fatigue and want to engage with real-life material that native Chinese people actually consume themselves

You want to stop translating in your head and instead learn to think in Chinese patterns

✅

You want to get comfortable speaking Chinese on the spot without hesitating for long periods of time

"unlocked the fear of speaking spontaneously"

Choose a package that suits you

Consistency is the cornerstone of fluency in Chinese. Anyone who tells you fluency is possible within 1 months is selling you a false promise. Even the most advanced speakers continue to use Chinese on a daily basis, purely to maintain their level. That's why the shortest package we offer is 2 months long, ranging all the way to 6 months for serious and committed learners who are working towards an important goal. Our primary goal is to equip you with the skillset and the tools to make Mandarin a part of your life.

2 months (8 sessions in total)

people at Forbidden City in China during daytime

8 x 60 minute sessions spread across 2 months.
Following an initial free consultation 老师 will create a roadmap based on your speaking goals as well as your current speaking level.
You will leave every session having mastered 3/4 new colloquial speaking patterns taken from your assigned piece of media for that week.
Receive a weekly digital workbook which breaks down the media clip, the cultural context, the vocabulary and the speaking structures in preparation for your live sessions

multicolored concrete building during daytime close-up photography

4 months (16 sessions in total)

32 x 60 minute sessions spread across 6 months.
Following an initial free consultation 老师 will create a roadmap based on your speaking goals as well as your current speaking level.
Leave every session having mastered 3/4 new colloquial speaking patterns taken from your assigned piece of media for that week.
Receive a weekly digital workbook which breaks down the media clip, the cultural context, the vocabulary and the speaking structures in preparation for your live sessions
We allocate you your own language exchange partner from China.

6 months (32 sessions in total)

£375

£690

16 x 60 minute sessions spread across 4 months.
Following an initial free consultation 老师 will create a roadmap based on your speaking goals as well as your current speaking level.
Leave every session having mastered 3/4 new colloquial speaking patterns taken from your assigned piece of media for that week.
Receive a weekly digital workbook which breaks down the media clip, the cultural context, the vocabulary and the speaking structures in preparation for your live sessions

Save £140 by booking in for 4 months!

Save £210 by booking in for 6 months!

actual value: £600

actual value: £900

£460

Our most popular package

*We also accept RMB payments on Alipay and WeChat, please contact us if you would like to set this up

** Мы также принимаем рубли, пожалуйста свяжитесь с менеджером по имейлу или по инстаграму чтобы организовать оплату.

Still unsure? 🤔

We get it, if media is a totally new approach to you, it's natural to want to understand exactly what our media platform offers, before you invest for the long-run. That's why we have a whole breakdown of the curriculum + exercises you can expect on our media platform.

Set up a free call

欢迎报名！

FAQs

How do I know if my level is suitable for private lessons?

We cater to beginners, intermediate and even advanced learners. But before we enrol anyone, we always assess students' level in a free consultation. If we feel your level is not high enough yet, we would not enrol you to save both your time and money. As a general rule of thumb, the minimum requirement to take part in media-based 1-to-1s is HSK2 and above. However HSK is not always a reliable indicator, which is why we offer the free consultations to be double sure.

Why are the lessons media-based?

After 10 years of teaching experience and observing thousands of students, we are 150% convinced that media is a far more effective learning resource, than textbooks. Students are more engaged, their brains pick up on patterns quickly and they get exposure to up-to-date cultural references coming out of China now, not 15 years ago.

What is the refund policy?

If you give 1 week notice before your first class that you are no longer able to take part, we will fully refund you the total amount you have paid. If you have already start classes, but are no longer able to attend the rest of them, we will only be able to refund 20% of the total fee.

How can I continue studying beyond 6 months?

For those who just like us are obsessed with Chinese, we do offer the option to extend beyond 6 months. This would be at a discounted rate. Please reach out to us by email if you would like to arrange this once your 6 month package has elapsed

I need to pass HSK, is this for me?

It depends on which component of HSK you're trying to work on. If you lack speaking practice, this course could certainly be of benefit to you. Sinosphere's main focus is on speaking and listening skills, taught through media-based resources. We do not base any of our curriculum on HSK textbooks, as the majority of our students come to us looking to get away from HSK and instead immerse in practical resources that suit everyday life in China. If your main concern is exams we'd recommend focussing on taking a course which has an HSK-based curriculum.

Do you accept foreign currency payments?

We use Stripe for all our transactions. All major currencies are available on our store page. If you live in China and would like to pay in RMB, we are able to accept payment via Alipay or WeChat. Please indicate this during the consultation so that we can help you set this up.

Prefer learning independently?

You might like our self-paced C Drama listening courses for Beginner and Intermediate levels

Take me there!

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