The Best Chinese Lessons

Thursday, February 9th

2023 Chinese Lesson Reviews

Memrise

Taking Chinese lessons can be exciting and effective when you use Memrise. Whether you're just starting your language-learning adventure or you've had some experience with Chinese, you'll have more than enough to learn here - and native speaker video clips help you pick up on gestures, mannerisms and culture too! Create a free account to see how Memrise works, then choose from a low-cost membership to unlock all of the available features. Memrise earns our highest recommendation for Chinese lessons.

italki

If your priority is speaking Chinese fluently, turn first to italki for your lessons. These are like nothing else out there: your instruction will be delivered through one-on-one sessions with the tutor(s) you select, and there are more than 2,500 instructors to choose from! This is also one of the only services that gives you access to more than just Mandarin, if you need to study Cantonese, Taiwanese, or Hokkien. These Chinese lessons are remarkably affordable, with most tutors charging from $10-$20 for a one-hour session, and trial lessons are available for less than $5. italki is one of our all-time favorite resources for well-rounded language learning, and we highly recommend it for students of all fluency levels in Chinese.

Rocket Languages

Rocket Chinese makes it easy and interesting for beginners to take Chinese lessons. This well-known program gives you a holistic approach to the language, with plenty of opportunities to read, write, listen and speak - all within a cultural context. Many people like only having to pay once instead of subscribing, though it's also possible to pay in six installments if you prefer. This isn't the right program for more advanced students, but Rocket Chinese is an excellent option for brand-new students looking for Chinese lessons.

Chinese Class 101

Beginners and advanced students alike will find plenty to study with Chinese Class 101. Many of the lessons are available at no cost, and you can get a 7-day trial of all of the features included in these Chinese lessons. If you choose the highest membership level here, a professional teacher will develop a personalized study plan for you, offer feedback on homework and on your spoken Chinese, and track your progress. The sheer amount of Chinese content can be daunting, but it ensures that you'll always have something new to learn. Chinese Class 101 is one of our preferred programs for lessons across many fluency levels in one package.

Busuu

Looking for official certification of your Chinese studies? Give Busuu a try. You can receive verification once you achieve A1-B2 fluency levels through a paid membership, or just use your free account for as long as you like if you just want to study the language. You can choose three levels of difficulty or focus your studies just on the Chinese you need for travel. There's not much speaking practice, though, unless you work with native speakers of Chinese who also use Busuu and offer you their help.

Mondly

If you want a fun way to learn some basic Mandarin Chinese vocabulary, including conversational phrases you can use right away, Mondly isn't a bad option. You can easily switch between Pinyin and the actual characters, if you need to learn to read in Chinese, and there are fun features like Augmented Reality and Chatbot to have a back-and-forth interaction that closely mimics the real world. You won't get much explanation on what you're learning - no grammar lessons or information on culture, tones, and so on - but Mondly is still an amusing way to begin taking Chinese lessons (or to review what you have learned elsewhere).

Rosetta Stone

Rosetta Stone teaches language through immersion: in other words, when learning Chinese, you won't get any English translation as you work through the lessons. That's easier said than done, especially when learning a language that uses characters instead of the Roman alphabet! You should take full advantage of the free three-day trial here, to see if learning Chinese by immersion is a good fit for you. Most students will feel more comfortable using a higher-ranked provider of Chinese lessons.

Fluenz

Fluenz helps you learn Mandarin Chinese more comfortably by always referencing back to English: no guesswork involved! There are a total of three levels of Chinese lessons here, starting with basics for travel and communication and going up to the language you'll need for "more personal and nuanced conversations in important situations" . You'll pay a one-time fee for the program, which is covered by a 30-day satisfaction guarantee. Unfortunately, there's no trial or sample lessons you can take advantage of, to see how well Fluenz will fit your learning style.