The Best Chinese Lessons

Monday, October 14th

2024 Chinese Lesson Reviews

Rocket Languages

• Starts at $149.95, with packages for different learning levels
• Approachable video lessons to simplify the Chinese writing system
• Friendly audio lessons simulating casual conversations
• Inclusion of cultural lessons for a deeper understanding of Chinese culture
• Voice recognition tool, Rocket Record, for speaking practice
• Hanzi Writing Tool for learning stroke order of Chinese characters
• "Survival Kit Lessons" for relevant vocabulary in specific scenarios
• Gamification with leaderboards for a fun, competitive learning experience
• Community forums for asking questions and getting help
• Audio lessons downloadable as MP3s for lifetime access

Rocket Languages, a leading language learning company, was founded by friends Jason and Mark in 2004 to help people like you master new languages. As a Chinese learner, you'll appreciate their approachable video lessons that simplify the Chinese writing system, their friendly audio lessons that feel like casual conversations, and their platform's design that clearly displays your progress. They also include cultural lessons that enhance your understanding and appreciation of Chinese culture.

Three different course packages starting at $149.95

Rocket Chinese provides you with three tiers of courses to guide your Chinese language learning journey. If you're a beginner aiming to achieve an advanced level of conversation, the comprehensive package, including Levels 1, 2, & 3, is suitable for you, priced at $449.85. For those targeting a very good conversational level, you can opt for the Levels 1 & 2 package costing $299.90. For beginners hoping to attain a good conversational level, Level 1, priced at $149.95, is your best bet. Each package comes with an array of features: voice recognition phrases, audio and language lessons, cultural insights, practice conversations, writing lessons, a free survival kit, a 60-day guarantee, and lifetime access. We think it'd be great if Lifetime Access included all of the languages on their platform like some of Rocket Languages' competitors in our review, but we can understand why they don't - each course provides a lot of value and is clearly the product of a whole lot of time, energy, thought, and research.

Flexible payment and refund options

After purchasing your course, you can try it out for 60 days and if it's not right for you, you can contact the Customer Support Team for a full refund, no questions asked. There's a payment plan available for the 3-level package of Rocket Chinese, which includes Levels 1, 2, and 3. Using the code ROCKETDEAL, you can save $28 per month, paying just $47.00 for six monthly payments. Remember, you can cancel anytime. If you're interested in purchasing individual levels, you can also buy Rocket Chinese Level 2 and Level 3 separately. To start your free trial of Rocket Languages' Chinese course, all you need to give them is your name and your email address.

Each course is custom-made for the language

There are 3 levels of the Chinese course which are broken down into 7 modules and a Survival Kit in each. Level 1 has 29 Audio lessons, 30 Language & Culture lessons, 28 Writing lessons, and 10 Survival Kit lessons. Rather than reusing the same template over and over, Rocket Languages creates their courses with a special focus on each language's unique aspects - which we're really happy to hear for a language like Chinese that uses a different writing system than the Romance languages. The time and care they've put into their Chinese course is evident right from the start. Rocket Languages makes sure that your course content is practical, related to the language, and useful for you.

Audio lessons let you role-play conversations

You'll start with audio lessons that range from 15 to 40 minutes. These lessons, centered around Chinese conversations, offer you ample opportunities to practice speaking. In your first lesson, you'll learn how to greet in Chinese. Rocket Chinese also features a voice recognition tool, Rocket Record, to help you speak Chinese accurately. You can engage in a "Role Playing" activity that simulates real-life Mandarin conversations in a relaxed setting. Moreover, there's a "Lesson Vocabulary" section where you can practice words and phrases that aren't part of the lesson's conversation. Besides these, you have access to extras like flashcards, quizzes, and specific exercises for listening, speaking, writing, and composing in Hanzi.

Get a handle on Chinese culture through language

The Language and Culture lessons aim to deepen your understanding of Chinese language and culture. As you embark on your first lesson, you'll be introduced to the basic elements of the Chinese language. You'll learn how to pronounce Chinese words by reading pinyin, a system that translates Chinese characters into the Latin alphabet. The lessons will also provide you with different ways to greet people in Chinese, offering a glimpse into the social customs of the culture. Also, you'll gain an understanding of Mandarin Chinese's place within the broader Chinese culture. There's a helpful explanation that Chinese is not an alphabet-based language, but one that uses characters (Hanzi). Each character represents a syllable and takes up one full space on your digital device. You'll be introduced to "morphemes” (yusu), the smallest meaningful units of a language, which can consist of one character or more. We really love these practical examples and real-life applications, and we think it would be hard to get bored with these lessons.

Tool to learn history and stroke order of Hanzi

Unlike many language learning platforms, Rocket Languages recognizes the importance of being able to write in Chinese, not just speak it - after all, no native speaker would consider you fluent if you couldn't read and write. Rocket provides you with writing lessons and a helpful tool called the "Hanzi Writing Tool." With this tool, you can see animations of the correct stroke order for each character and then practice drawing the characters yourself. If you find it difficult, don't worry: the tool provides hints after a few unsuccessful attempts. They also provide mnemonics and historical context for each character to help you remember them better. For instance, when you're learning the character Zi (Son), you can visualize a baby with its arms outstretched making little gurgling noises. We also really enjoyed seeing how the characters evolved from Archaic script forms (or "oracle bone” script), the oldest extant Chinese characters.

Survival Kits for relevant vocabulary

In Rocket Chinese, there's a feature called "Survival Kit Lessons" that's designed to equip you with the kind of vocabulary you'd need to converse if you were in particular scenarios. Although the free trial doesn't give access to these lessons, some of the topics you can expect include "Clothing and More," "Life in the City," "Around the House," "Talking about Tones," and "Parts of the Body," among others. We think Rocket Languages is doing a great job of balancing practicality and depth in this course.

Compete against other users and ask for help in forums

You can also find the popular gamified learning experience in Rocket Chinese, with leaderboards located under the "Tools" section on the desktop version. The leaderboard tracks your learning points and ranks you among other learners. This adds a fun, competitive aspect to your learning, but the lessons remain high-quality and thorough - it's not quick dopamine junk-food for the brain like some other language apps that rely too heavily on the gamification aspect. You can also find community forums under "Tools”, which offer a place for you to ask questions and get help from tutors and other learners on topics like grammar, Chinese culture and travel, conversation in Chinese, and more.

They're the best

We're big fans of Rocket Languages' Chinese course. Not only does Rocket teach you stroke order for Hanzi, it also teaches you the history behind them as a mnemonic strategy, which is absolutely amazing for retention, and can even help you guess the meaning of characters you've never seen before. While the Chinese course is linear and structured if you want it to be, you can also jump around based on what interests you - you're not locked out by tests you have to pass first. All of the audio is spoken in clear, natural Mandarin Chinese; no choppy AI audio here. We love the opportunity for friendly competition with other Chinese learners, and that you can download your audio lessons as MP3s, which means you own them forever. Basically, we see no significant downside to Rocket Chinese. These lessons earn our highest rating of 5 stars.

italki

• Offers trial lessons starting at $7
• Connects you to over 1,000 real Chinese tutors for one-on-one video calls
• Provides both Professional Teachers and Community Tutors
• Allows for filtering tutors based on region, including mainland China and Taiwan
• Offers an option to find tutors who speak your native language
• Enables you to keep track of your preferred tutors with a favoriting system
• Offers a Language Challenge for quick language skill boost
• Provides Group Classes for 2-6 students online, focusing on special topics
• Offers a lesson time filter to accommodate your schedule
• Has a strong 4.6-star rating on Trustpilot

The language learning at italki is a bit different from the other services in our review, many of which are gamified apps that you navigate solo. italki, on the other hand, connects you to real Chinese tutors who can meet your learning needs at any level via one-on-one video calls.

2 types of tutors

Many italki tutors also provide study plans for you to follow on your own between sessions. On italki, you'll find two types of tutors: Professional Teachers and Community Tutors. Professional Teachers have teaching certificates and offer organized lessons. Community Tutors are not certified, but the quality of their lessons often matches that of Professional Teachers. Community Tutors speak the language natively or at advanced levels and offer casual tutoring and chat practice.

Over 1,000 Chinese tutors available

When you browse italki, you'll find plenty of filters to help you find the perfect tutor - which is great, because they had over 1,000 tutors listed at the time of our visit. You can specify the type of lesson you want, from general skills such as conversation practice, grammar, to more specialized areas like business Chinese and even prep for the HSK test.

You can filter for tutors from Taiwan

If English isn't your first language, no worries. italki lets you find tutors who speak your native language too. There's also the option to select tutors based on their region, including mainland China and Taiwan. If you're learning Chinese with the goal to work or study in Taiwan, opting for a tutor from Taiwan can expose you to the unique aspects of Taiwanese Mandarin from the get-go, including its pronunciation nuances and cultural contexts. This kind of immersive learning experience is something you just can't find in the typical gamified language learning apps.

Keep track of your favorites with hearts

While we wish italki had filters for ratings or how many lessons a tutor has completed, this information can still be found on each tutor's profile page. To keep track of your preferred tutors, simply click the heart on their profile to add them to your favorites. Each tutor's profile is packed with useful information, like rating scores, lesson and teaching style descriptions, credentials, and student feedback. In fact, many tutors even go the extra mile by introducing themselves through short videos.

Trial lessons starting at $7

italki is definitely a cost-effective option if you're looking to improve your Chinese, especially if you want to get better at speaking. The platform lets you try out lessons with different tutors at low prices to see if their teaching style works for you before committing to full-price lessons. These trial lessons usually cost between $7 and $15, which is a bargain - that's only a little more than you would pay to take your tutor out to coffee. The full price cost of lessons depends on which tutor you choose and what you want to learn. For example, a short 30-minute lesson for kids will have a different price than a long session focused on preparing for the HSK exam. italki shows the trial lesson price first when you're browsing - unfortunately, you'll need to take an extra step and click into the tutor's page to find out their regular prices for more lessons or packages.

Community Tutors are just as good as Professional Teachers

On italki, you can find Professional Teachers like Amelie, who has been teaching for over 10 years and offers a range of lesson packages, including a "Tailored Chinese Class" for all levels from A1 to C1, priced at $10.00+ with a 3% discount for packages. Amelie is known for her structured approach, covering everything from basic phonetics to practical conversation skills, and she boasts a perfect attendance record with 466 lessons given to 53 students. Then there's Kai Aoel, a Community Tutor with six years of experience, teaching students from around the globe. Despite not having a teaching certificate, Kai maintains a 5.0 rating across 2,325 lessons with 268 students - proving that you don't need to be certified to be an effective Chinese tutor. She offers "fun and relaxed” lessons that are customized to your goals, including a "Chinese for Specific Purposes" package starting at $19.50 for a 30 minute lesson.

Periodical Language Challenge offered

Join italki's Language Challenge to boost your language skills quickly. By signing up, you pick how many hours you want to study and start taking lessons. Depending on how many hours you achieve - from 12 to 24 - you can get different rewards like digital badges, certificates, and coupons for discounts on lessons. You can aim higher with your goals anytime, but you can't lower them. Don't worry if you don't meet your exact target; you'll get rewards for the closest goal you did achieve. Remember, trial lessons count towards your goal, but group classes don't.

Group Classes available

With italki Group Classes, you can learn with 2-6 students online, focusing on special topics like a Fried Dumpling cooking class or Learning Chinese Characters Through Pictures. These classes are a great way to practice speaking and listening with others from around the world. If you're looking for something more regular, Group Courses offer a series of classes on a single topic or general language skills, meeting weekly. This gives you consistent practice, a well-planned course, and the chance to make friends with your teacher and classmates. Just make sure the course fits your schedule, you're ready with Zoom, and you check out the class materials before starting.

Fit lessons into your schedule easily

If you're juggling multiple commitments, italki's lesson time filter can help you narrow down the list to tutors whose Chinese lessons fit into your schedule. Filter tutor availability by general days of the week, specific times of day, or by specific dates using a calendar date picker. For spur-of-the-moment study sessions, you also have the option to see tutors for Instant Lessons or lessons Within the next 72 Hours. If you've picked a tutor and you're ready to schedule a lesson, you can select a lesson duration ranging from 30 to 90 minutes.

Convenient calendar tool

Using italki's calendar tool, you can then choose your preferred date and time. The tool highlights available times in green, booked times with gray stripes, and unavailable times are grayed out. If none of the available slots work for you, you can always reach out to the teacher and request a time outside their current schedule. Just bear in mind that if your chosen teacher is based in China, you might need to adjust your schedule to accommodate time differences, possibly waking up early or staying up late for lessons.

You'll need an appropriate place to study

italki is a more personal way to learn languages, but it's not for everyone. If you feel shy or nervous in one-on-one instructional settings, italki's Chinese tutoring might be a bit much for you. Also, you need a good internet connection and an appropriate place to learn, so it's not great if you're thinking about studying at noisy cafes or where talking is discouraged, like the library or on public transport. But, if you like making new friends and are eager to learn, italki could be perfect. It's really good for keeping you accountable and helping you build relationships with native speakers.

italki tutors are committed to their work

Learners have shared glowing feedback about their experiences with italki tutors. One student said about Amelie, "She is so encouraging and enthusiastic, and it shines through in her engaging and fun-filled classes". Kai's teaching approach received praise too: "I think it's important to genuinely enjoy what you learn in order to progress and to also have a safe space to experiment and try out new vocabulary or grammar structures. Teacher Kai gives me this opportunity through what she has aptly named our ‘restful learning' sessions." The bottom line: italki tutors are committed to both their students and to the platform - many of these student reviews date back several years, so you don't need to worry about finding a tutor you love and then being left in the lurch. italki also has a strong 4.6-star rating on Trustpilot, with users saying great things about how easy it is to use the platform and find a good teacher, and how helpful italki's support team is.

We recommend them

italki gets our stamp of approval as an excellent way to improve your Chinese skills, especially if you're aiming to sound like a native speaker. If you're ready for one-on-one lessons tailored to your needs and enjoy connecting with your tutor, italki might just be the language learning platform you've been searching for. With a diverse selection of tutors, a supportive community, and positive feedback from fellow learners, we're confident that italki will help you progress in your language learning journey.

Memrise

• Free version available, Pro membership for $27.99/month or $130.99/year, Lifetime Pro access for $249.99
• Allows users to pick a proficiency level that matches their knowledge
• Combines pinyin, English translation, literal translation, and Chinese characters for an intuitive learning experience
• Authentic pronunciation from native speaker videos
• Lessons categorized by vocabulary and phrases from realistic scenarios
• Engaging, rapid-fire Speed Review quiz to test memory and recall
• Fun supplementary videos contain the words and phrases users have been learning
• MemBot AI allows users to practice conversing in Chinese without the fear of making mistakes
• High ratings with an average of 4.5 to 4.8 stars across Google Play Store and Apple App Store

Memrise kicked off in 2009, aiming to make learning languages (including Chinese) engaging and effective. With founders like a Grand Master of Memory on board, it was poised to be a game-changer. Their motto? "We push you to learn another language. If you want to pretend to learn, choose another language learning app”. Cheeky, right?

Memrise removed community language courses in questionable move

Previously, Memrise was popular among linguistics nerds and users seeking instruction in less common dialects thanks to its community-created courses. For example, in addition to Spanish and French, learners could find courses on conlangs like Toki Pona and Trigedasleng (from the hit show The 100). However, if you were hoping to dive into rare Chinese dialects on Memrise after February 2024, you'll be in for a disappointment. Despite its community-driven roots, Memrise has now shifted away from user-created content. Initially, they moved these courses to a separate website without app access, faced backlash, reverted the decision, and then, by 2024, removed them again. These changes have taken away a lot of what Memrise's dedicated user-base and active online community loved about the platform, although it still enjoys a few advantages over competing language-learning apps.

Start where you're at

When you sign up, you can pick a proficiency level that matches your knowledge. There are four levels. You can pick "Learn from scratch" if you don't know any Chinese. Choose "Beginner" if you've learned a bit but can't really speak it. Opt for "Elementary" if you can converse about simple things in Chinese. Go for "Intermediate" if you know some Chinese but want to improve.

Scenarios replace traditional learning model

Memrise has tossed the traditional "HSK 1, HSK 2" playbook, delivering Mandarin Chinese lessons in a single, streamlined course. Instead of trudging through endless levels, now you navigate "Scenarios.” These Scenarios are your ticket to real-life conversations, covering everything from ordering coffee to talking about the future. We appreciate that the scenarios are practical and progress logically in the order you might encounter them in real life. You'll start by learning how to introduce yourself, then move on to vocabulary related to travel scenarios, such as ordering at a restaurant. You also can preview the words and phrases you'll learn in each Scenario before you jump in. For example, "xiǎohuā de xinglǐ chāozhong le" translates to "Xiao-hua's luggage is overweight." These are phrases and words you might actually hear in China, unlike some other apps that teach you random phrases like "My horse is not an architect."

Transcribe in pinyin, match Chinese characters to vocab

Each Scenario is split into "Learn" and "Review" parts. In "Learn," you pick up new phrases and vocabulary. When you're introduced to a new word, you'll first see the pinyin, followed by the English translation, the literal translation, and then the Chinese character. For example, the phrase "bú yong xie" translates to "you're welcome" in English, but literally, it means "no need thank". This approach is useful for intuitively learning grammatical rules. When asked to transcribe an audio clip, you're prompted to do so in pinyin. While it doesn't seem like you can transcribe in Chinese characters, you will sometimes be asked to select the correct character for a new word. Unfortunately, Memrise doesn't support learning the stroke order of Chinese characters.

Hear it from a native speaker

When you're learning a new word or phrase on Memrise, you often get to hear it straight from native speakers in the form of short videos filmed like street interviews. It's like taking a virtual tour; you get to hear the authentic pronunciation and catch glimpses of intriguing locations in China. Imagine seeing the bustling streets of Shanghai or the serene landscapes of Guilin as you learn. You're not just learning the language; you're peeking into the culture and geography, making it a richer experience.

Hear multiple recordings of the same phrase

Another cool feature: for many phrases or vocab words, you can listen to multiple recordings by different speakers. Just look for the speaker icons at the bottom of the page. This is super handy for a tonal language like Chinese, where the pitch can change the meaning of a word. It seems like Memrise doesn't offer graded pronunciation practice anymore, so you'll need to find another way to get feedback if you don't trust your own ear.

Race against the clock in Speed Review

Then, in "Review," you get to practice and polish what you've learned, making sure those tricky words don't slip through the cracks. Speed Review is especially engaging, offering a rapid-fire quiz on words you're familiar with. It's designed to be a quick, fun test of your memory, where you race against the clock to answer questions correctly and keep your hearts from running out. As you progress, getting answers right in a row can earn you extra lives, adding a layer of challenge and excitement to your review sessions.

Watch short-form videos that utilize your vocabulary

As you progress through Memrise, you'll be suggested supplementary short videos that contain the words and phrases you've been learning (a 15 second sketch where two people introduce themselves and talk about the weather). As you get more advanced, these video suggestions might include news segments or music videos pulled from YouTube. After each video, you'll be asked how much you understood.

Practice with artificial intelligence

To learn a new language, you have to apply your knowledge. That's where Memrise's AI chatbot, MemBot, comes in. It uses artificial intelligence to let you practice speaking a language without the fear of making mistakes. This way, you can try out what you've learned all by yourself, getting comfortable with the language before you move on to real-world conversations. MemBot is like a practice buddy that's always there, ready to chat, correct your grammar, and suggest what to say next, making it easier for you to gain confidence in your new language skills.

Free version available, Lifetime access for $249.99

Memrise offers a free version that lets you explore all its language courses, including the basics and some interactive features. However, to fully dive into everything Memrise has to offer, like removing ads, unlocking all vocabulary lessons, accessing all native speaker videos, and engaging in unlimited conversation practice, you might want to consider upgrading to Pro membership. The regular cost for Pro is about $27.99 a month or $130.99 for a year. But keep an eye out because Memrise often runs promotions that drastically reduce the price for Lifetime Pro access from its price of $249.99 (which, by the way, was recently bumped up from $199.99 - ouch). Opting for the Lifetime Pro means you won't have to worry about monthly fees again. It's worth comparing this one-time cost with other monthly subscriptions you have to see if it's a good fit, especially if you're serious about mastering Chinese. Just remember, some of the advanced scenarios and features will be locked behind this Pro paywall.

Highly rated by users

Prepare to be wowed by the sheer number of people who've given their two cents on Memrise - we're talking about more than 1.5 million reviews on the Google Play Store and close to 200,000 on the Apple App Store. It's clear that users are over the moon with Memrise, as it showcases an impressive average rating of 4.5 to 4.8 stars across these platforms. Users often highlight its effectiveness as a language learning tool, even suggesting it tops the charts in this category. However, it's worth noting that no platform is perfect. The latest updates and features introduced by Memrise seem to come with their own set of glitches, such as lessons that don't end automatically, interrupting users' streaks. This serves as a gentle reminder that even the most beloved services have room for improvement.

We miss the community courses

Memrise shines as a top-notch language learning app, blending traditional and innovative techniques like spaced repetition, native speaker videos, and an AI chatbot to make learning Chinese engaging. However, the decision to remove community courses has left us - and clearly, many others - with mixed feelings. The community courses were a gold mine for those looking to learn less mainstream languages or dialects, and their removal feels like a significant step away from what made Memrise so special. It's a classic case of "you don't know what you've got till it's gone," and in this instance, it seems Memrise may have underestimated the value these courses added for a substantial portion of their user base.

Still a solid choice despite changes

Even with this change, Memrise continues to update and add new features, making it a strong option for learning Chinese. Whether Memrise is the right tool for you really depends on if you're okay with these changes. If you're looking for a fun and interactive way to learn Chinese, Memrise is worth considering, even though it's moved away from its community-driven roots.

Busuu

• Offers both free and premium options, with premium available at $128.79 per year ($10.73 per month)
• 7-day free Premium trial
• Provides two paths: "Complete Chinese" for an in-depth study or "Chinese for Travel" for quick basics
• Content is fun, smart, and includes real-life conversations with native speakers
• AI-powered Vocabulary/Grammar Review sections for mastering and maintaining knowledge
• Provides certificates of completion for Premium users
• Competitive aspect with the Busuu Leagues, motivating users to earn points and climb the leaderboard
• Community of native speakers to aid in pronunciation and writing practice
• High user ratings across Google Play and the Apple App Store
• Ideal for beginners with bite-sized, manageable lessons

Back in 2008, Busuu started with a simple idea and an endangered language from Cameroon as its namesake. Fast forward to today, after being snapped up by Chegg in 2022, Busuu has become a go-to for people wanting to learn Mandarin Chinese. It's a mix of free lessons and a premium option that steps up the game. With its easy-to-use app and a thumbs-up from tons of users, Busuu seems like a solid pick if you're a beginning learner of Chinese.

No placement test for Chinese

Beyond Mandarin, Busuu opens doors to learning other languages too. But focusing on Chinese, you get two paths: "Complete Chinese" for a deep dive or "Chinese for Travel" for quick basics. It's a bummer that there's no Placement Test for Chinese to see where you stand from the get-go. However, the way Busuu guides you from beginner (A1) to upper-intermediate levels (B2) is pretty straightforward.

Effective learning content

Busuu nails it with content that's both fun and smart. They bring real-life conversations into play with help from native speakers, making each lesson feel more authentic. The app throws in videos, quizzes, matching games, and audio to keep things interesting. While they do a good job explaining grammar and vocab, adding literal translations every time Chinese pops up would make things even clearer. For instance, we were presented with the phrase "nǐ ne?" spoken by a native speaker. The next page provided an explanation: "When we finish introducing ourselves, to ask someone else for their name we say "nǐ ne?" (And you?) Nǐ means "you", and ne is a particle." We appreciate that they don't just expect you to learn the phrase without explanation. However, it would be beneficial if a literal English translation was provided every time Chinese text appears on the screen, similar to some other apps. In our experience, this is a more effective way to learn grammatical rules.

No pinyin keyboard

The way you move through Busuu's courses, hitting checkpoints to unlock new topics, is motivating. But, the instructions for writing exercises could be clearer - at the end of the first chapter, you can choose to participate in a community exercise, either by writing or speaking your answer to a question in Chinese. However, it's unclear whether you're supposed to write in pinyin or characters. We would assume pinyin, as Busuu has not yet introduced characters. However, there's no built-in pinyin keyboard, so you'd need to install it on your phone or desktop's keyboard settings to avoid penalties for missing tone indicators.

AI-powered vocab and grammar review

On Busuu, you'll find a smart Vocabulary Review section that uses an AI-powered algorithm to help you master and maintain your word knowledge. For grammar, you can take a deep dive into specific topics and track your progress using color-coded mastery levels. What's super impressive is that Busuu's language learning approach is so effective, an independent study found that just 22 hours on Busuu Premium equates to a whole college semester of language learning. So, you're not just playing around on an app, you're making serious strides towards fluency in Chinese.

7-day free trial

Let's talk money. If you're curious but not ready to commit to Busuu, the free version lets you progress through lessons in a linear fashion, and you can always review lessons you've completed. Premium users, on the other hand, can jump around as they please. For a taste of the full experience, Busuu offers a 7-day free trial of Premium. If you decide it's for you, there's a chance to get a year of Premium at half price for $128.79 ($10.73 per month). This deal includes a bunch of perks like ad-free learning, access to all lessons, priority native speaker feedback, and extra tools to practice grammar and vocabulary. Just be mindful of the auto-renewal policy to avoid any surprises.

Keeping track of your journey

Staying on top of your progress is key when learning a new language, and Busuu has got you covered. Imagine finishing a level and getting a Certificate with your name on it, shining proof of your hard work and the skills you've mastered in Mandarin, according to the well-respected CEFR standards. However, it's good to know that these certificates are reserved for Premium users and are currently only offered for the A1 level.

Making learning social and fun with leaderboards

Have you ever thought about learning as a sport? With Busuu, it kind of is. After you finish a couple of lessons, you're thrown into the Busuu Leagues, where you can earn points and see how you stack up against others. It's all about keeping the learning spirit alive and kicking, from Monday to Monday, with top learners climbing up and others finding new motivation to push harder.

Nail pronunciation with help from native speakers

Let's face it, pronunciation can be a real hurdle in learning Mandarin. But Busuu's got your back with a community of native speakers ready to lend an ear and offer feedback on your spoken and written efforts. Through video flashcards and direct submissions to the community, you get to hear the real deal and practice until you get it just right. It's like having a tutor in your pocket, always there to guide you towards sounding like a local.

High ratings across platforms

On Google Play, Busuu has nearly 700,000 ratings, averaging an impressive 4.7 stars at the time of this review. While it's not as widely used on the Apple App Store, it maintains the same 4.7 star average across over 80,000 reviews. Feedback from users sheds light on what works and what could use a tweak. The consensus? Busuu's content, especially for languages like French and Spanish, is top-notch. The app's focus on practical phrases and the chance to interact with native speakers are big wins. But, some learners find the Chinese course wanting, with a call for better grammar support and more consistent content quality across languages. Plus, the ability to drill down into vocab or grammar sections more deeply would be a welcome improvement for many.

Good for beginners

So, is Busuu the magical key to becoming fluent in Chinese? Well, it might not take you all the way to advanced levels, but as a starting point, it's hard to beat. The lessons are bite-sized and manageable, never leaving you feeling overwhelmed. And with the risk-free chance to give it a go, why not see if Busuu's method clicks with you? If you're new to the language, Busuu offers a well-rounded approach to learning Chinese that's definitely worth exploring.

Pimsleur

• Price: $14.95 for audio-only, $19.95 for audio and text-based exercises
• First week is free
• Discounts available with the annual plan
• Audio lessons can be convenient for multitasking
• Can be used anytime, anywhere
• Syncs progress across all devices
• Multiple account members are allowed
• Offers Mandarin and Cantonese Chinese
• Starts with simple survival phrases and builds up to complex conversations

If you want to learn to speak a new language, Pimsleur thinks the best way to do that is to actually speak the language. In other words, Pimsleur's method relies on interactive speaking practices supported by techniques like Graduated Interval Recall for long-term memory retention, "mini-step challenges" to overcome conversational fear, focusing on core vocabulary to start speaking in as little as 30 days, and intuitive grammar learning through listening. This holistic approach is designed to make learning efficient, natural, and deeply ingrained, mimicking the way we naturally acquire language. After all, you've never seen a baby studying a sentence diagram, so why would you? Pimsleur offers Cantonese Chinese in addition to Mandarin Chinese.

Fit Chinese into your life easily

When you're starting any new habit, it's important that it fits into your lifestyle - the less friction there is, the easier the habit will be to maintain. For people who are short on time but who spend part of their day commuting or doing hands-on household chores, Pimsleur could be a great way to fit in some Chinese practice. The lessons are audio-only and therefore hands-free, meaning you can listen in the car, while you fold laundry, or while you're doing yard work. But it's probably best not to take your Pimsleur lessons at the gym or grocery store, unless you don't mind getting a few funny looks for talking to yourself.

Multiple account members allowed

Whether you're using the Pimsleur app on the move, engaging with Alexa in the comfort of your home, or sitting at your computer, your language learning can happen anytime, anywhere. What's more, your progress is seamlessly synced across all devices. And there's something for the whole household: one main account holder plus up to three additional members can track their individual learning journeys. So, if you're keen on navigating the streets of Beijing solo, or if your family dreams of a cultural deep-dive into the heart of China, each person gets a customized, in-sync learning experience

$19.95 for audio and text-based exercises

The first week of Pimsleur is free. After that, it's $14.95/month for audio-only. If you want the visual tools such as the Speak Easy role-play tool, a vocabulary bank, and flashcards, you have to pay $19.95/month. By paying $20.95 per month, you also get access to all of Pimsleur's language courses. Unfortunately, they don't disclose all of this upfront, only when you start the checkout process. They're likely counting on your credit card already being out to have a better chance of getting more of your money. If you're interested in discounts, consider opting for an annual plan. You can save up to 34% this way - it's $134.95 for Audio Only, $149.95 for Premium, and $164.95 for All Access. You can also cancel your membership or switch from a monthly to an annual subscription at any time.

You won't learn the characters until later

The obvious drawback of using the entirely audio-based plan to learn Chinese is that you won't get practice with the writing systems - neither pinyin nor hanzi. That's why we think to get the most use out of Pimsleur, you'll need the Premium subscription. After signing up and taking the free 30 minute audio lesson, we had a decent grasp on what certain phrases sounded like, but they didn't really click into place until we played the Quick Match review game where we could see the words we'd learned written out. For any written exercise, you can toggle between pinyin and hanzi. However, unless you have a photographic memory, you can't count on retaining much of the hanzi you're shown - at least not early on.

Pronunciation Practice is hit-or-miss

Pimsleur recently introduced a new feature where you listen to a phrase in English, then in Chinese, and then record yourself pronouncing it to be graded. However, we think their system could be a little tougher with its grading. For example, we didn't really know how to say the last word of "wo hui shuo yi dianr” (”I can speak a little”), and while the playback of our best guess sounded wrong to even our untrained ear, the AI still told us it was "Excellent” (just to make sure it doesn't give a positive result every time, we spoke some English into the mic and were appropriately asked if we'd like to try again).

Reading Chinese characters at the end of the course

How far can Pimsleur take you? The great news is that they have 150 of those 30-minute lessons across 5 levels of Mandarin proficiency. That's about 15 hours of audio for each level. You'll start with simple survival phrases and build up to confidently discussing complex topics, including your personal and emotional experiences. By the end, you'll understand fast-paced conversations and be able to express yourself in depth. Alongside speaking and listening, you'll also learn to read. Starting with Hanyu Pinyin, the phonetic system for Mandarin, and progressing to Hanzi, the Chinese characters, by Level 5. You'll finish feeling confident in your ability to communicate and with a deeper insight into the Chinese language and culture.

Great for audio learners, but try it first

We'd say Pimsleur is great - for a specific category of people, namely, the audio learners among us. There are plenty of testimonials from everyday people and celebrities alike to be found on Pimsleur's website for whom the method works great. Lots of users say they never thought they could learn a second language until they found Pimsleur. On the other hand, others who are used to and comfortable with more text-based, go-at-your-own-pace language learning methods might find themselves frustrated by having to ask Ms. Wang how she likes her tea fifteen times, word by word. So, we'd recommend you sign up to try out the free lesson and see if Pimsleur works for you.

Chinese Class 101

• Plans priced at $4/month (Basic), $10/month (Premium), $23/month (Premium PLUS)
• $1 for 30-day Premium Membership trial
• Free resources including initial lessons, daily Chinese word, and popular Chinese word list
• Audio lessons with cultural information
• Variety of learning aids like transcripts, notes, and quizzes
• Paid plans offer extras like in-depth notes, tests, word banks, and teacher access (Premium PLUS)
• Suitable for all learner levels
• 60-day refund guarantee

Chinese Class 101 is a member of the Innovative Language family. They offer lessons in 34 languages, with the course titles stylized in the "[language name] Class 101" or "Pod 101” format. They provide apps, audiobooks, iBooks, video lessons, and more, with additional features for paid subscribers.

Free learning materials

Let's start out by getting into what you can do for free on Chinese Class 101. A Free Lifetime Account gives you access to the first 3 lessons in each Pathway, new weekly lessons, the Chinese Word of the Day (which you can also have delivered directly to your inbox if you choose), a list of the most frequent 100 Chinese words, lists of Chinese vocabulary and phrases, and full access to the Survival Phrases Pathway. You can select from one of five levels to start, suitable for beginners, intermediates, or advanced learners. Or, if you're not sure what level you are at, you can take a Diagnostic Test of 40 questions. Then you'll see a learning path on your dashboard based on the level you've chosen or been placed in. This helps you get started learning easily, though you'll find that the site has many different paths to choose from, all with lots of lessons.

Audio lessons are full of cultural insights

Your very first lesson with Chinese Class 101 as an Absolute Beginner is a 15 minute audio lesson in the style of a conversation between Amber and Victor, who walk you through the vocabulary and grammar involved when meeting and greeting new people in Chinese. If you've only used gamified language learning apps, you might be overwhelmed by this format - but stick with it. We really appreciated the wealth of cultural context provided in the audio lesson, and we found it a refreshing change from the surface-level vocabulary lessons of those gamified apps. For example, in Amber and Victor's conversation, we learned that you can't use your Western name in Chinese due to the deep and meaningful nature of Chinese names, which can include parental aspirations for their child.

Humorous anecdotes make it fun

They also gave a couple of humorous anecdotes about Chinese names, including one about a family with a father named Money and a son named Cash - who were ironically not all that rich, which is why it's important to be humble when choosing an aspirational name. Amber and Victor also advise against selecting a name randomly from a dictionary to avoid ending up with a name that might be amusing or inappropriate in Chinese culture. Instead, they recommend seeking help from a Chinese friend or asking Chinese Class 101 to come up with a Chinese name for you. We saw users doing just that in the comment section below the audio lesson - like one user named Iris who was then given the Chinese name Ai li si.

Lots of ways to retain information

On the lesson page you'll also find a full transcript of the audio lesson, notes on the concepts discussed in the lesson, and playable audio of the individual Chinese vocabulary words and phrases discovered in the lesson. You can also add these vocabulary words to your Word Bank or Flashcard Decks and take quizzes to test your memory, which includes multiple-choice and writing questions.

30-day trial of Premium for $1

When you create an account with Chinese Class 101, you'll get an offer for a $1 trial of their Premium Membership that includes 60 video lessons, one product download, and access to the 7-day Fluency Fast course. If you click "No Thanks”, you won't have another chance to take advantage of the trial. If you do go ahead with it, just make sure you cancel before your subscription renews after 30 days if you decide it's not for you.

Three paid plans

We've covered what you can do for free on Chinese Class 101, so let's take a closer look at the paid plans and what they include. There are three: Basic, Premium, and Premium Plus.

• $4/month Basic Plan
• Everything in Free, plus:
• Access to All Lessons
• In-Depth Lesson Notes
• $10/month Premium Plan
• Everything in Basic, plus:
• Multiple-Choice Assessments
• Line-by-Line Audio Dialogue
• Premium Lesson Tracks
• Personal Word Bank
• Spaced Repetition Flashcards
• $23/month Premium PLUS Plan
• Everything in Premium, plus:
• 1-on-1 Access to a Teacher
• Hand-Graded Assessments
• Guidance & Personalized Assessment
• Writing & Pronunciation Practice

You have to pay for 2 years in advance

The prices we've shared are the standard ones, yet nearly every time we've checked out this language site, there's been some sort of deal going on. The latest offer we saw gave a 40% discount. However, be mindful of the little asterisk pointing to the details in small print: the prices apply to paying for two years upfront. (That works out to a $96 charge for the Basic plan, $240 for Premium, and $552 for Premium Plus.) The good news is that each plan at Chinese Class 101 includes a 60-day money-back guarantee, and they won't ask you why you want a refund.

Advertisements for paid plans are annoying

On a minor note, we didn't love how busy the homepage was, with flashing banners advertising discounts for Premium and Premium Plus, chat alerts from Chinese teachers (who you can only learn with if you're a Premium Plus member), and a "Latest News” tab that displays... you guessed it, more advertisements for the paid plans. We would hope that these ads go away when you're locked into a paid plan, but we didn't see confirmation of this anywhere. Some users have also complained about getting too many promotional emails, and some have felt like the service relies on "used car salesman tactics”.

Great for serious learners

Overall, we think Chinese Class 101 takes a very thorough approach to teaching Chinese. You won't be lacking for explanations of grammar or cultural context behind the characters you're learning to write. We like that their lessons cover beginners to advanced learners. However, the paid plans require a commitment of two years at a time for best pricing, which will probably deter more casual learners. But, if you're committed and enthusiastic about learning Chinese (and you're not easily put off by their gimmicky sales tactics), Chinese Class 101 could be the right choice for you.

Duolingo

• Free to use
• Useful for building good study habits and acquiring basic vocabulary
• Step-by-step learning path with progress tracking
• Gamified learning that's addictive and encourages daily practice
• Competitive leaderboard
• Easy to switch between learning different languages
• Lessons for learning Pinyin (Chinese phonetics) and Chinese characters
• Practice lessons to improve pronunciation and understand tones
• Provides stroke order practice for writing Hanzi (Chinese characters)

In 2009, a professor Luis von Ahn from Carnegie Mellon University and his student, Severin Hacker, came up with the idea for Duolingo. After selling his second company, reCAPTCHA, to Google, Von Ahn wanted to do something related to education. He grew up in Guatemala, where it was costly for people to learn English. Hacker, who is now the CTO of Duolingo, wanted to offer free education to change the world. For his work in language learning and tech, Von Ahn is honored in the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Today, everyone knows the platform affectionately referred to as "the Bird App,” and memes about it abound.

Over 2,500 word exercises

Duolingo promises that you can learn to speak confidently with their 2,500+ fun exercises. It also says it can give you a vocabulary of 1,900+ useful words and phrases. It uses reminders and challenges to help you develop good habits. You can start learning from the beginning or answer some questions to skip ahead if you know some basics. But is Duolingo the most effective way to learn Chinese? Let's find out.

Get to know Duolingo characters

One of the defining features of Duolingo is its fun and engaging characters. As you progress through stories and lessons, you get to know these characters, each with a unique personality, voice, and cartoon depiction. Take Lily, for example; she's a main character known for her introverted, unenthused, and deadpan goth teen demeanor, yet she secretly cares a lot. An official bio on Duolingo's wiki page describes Lily's emotional level (a -4) and an unamused expression that seems to tell people to stay away. Her bio even hints at her music taste, possibly featuring Girl in Red on her playlist, alongside a quip about hair dye being her chosen alternative to therapy. Unfortunately, there are no Duolingo Stories for Chinese yet, so you won't see as much of these characters as learners of other languages might.

Use the Guidebook to get your bearings

Duolingo's home screen is set up as a step-by-step path. Each circle on the path represents a level. When you click on a level, you start a lesson. Each level consists of about five lessons, and a ring around the circle shows your lesson progress. Your learning journey is divided into units that introduce new concepts. At the beginning of each unit, there's a Guidebook filled with grammar tips and useful phrases that can be accessed anytime. For example, the Guidebook for the first lesson includes an explanation of how "ne” is used to form questions.

Addictive gamified language learning

Duolingo falls into the gamified language learning app category, and it's addictive - some of its most committed users have built up a streak of hundreds or even thousands of days. As you go through your lessons, you earn XP for every activity you complete. You start off with five hearts, and every time you make a mistake in a lesson, you lose one. But don't worry, if you get something wrong, you'll have a chance to try again at the end of your session. This way, you learn from your mistakes and get better as you go.

Fight your way to the top

The leaderboard is where the competition heats up. You earn XP to climb up ranks in your league, from Bronze all the way to Diamond. Every week, the leaderboard resets, and if you're one of the top performers, you'll move up to a higher league. If you're at the bottom, you might move down. Keeping up with your lessons every day increases your streak - shown by a little flame icon. The longer your streak, the more you'll want to keep it going.

Silly sentences won't help you in real life

But will maintaining a really long streak on Duolingo translate to fluency in Chinese? Duolingo's critics say no. They acknowledge that Duolingo makes learning fun and can help you build a daily study habit, but argue that the phrases it teaches are often silly and not very useful for real-life conversations. Duolingo defends these quirky sentences as being intentionally memorable, serving as "grammatical anchors” to help you remember grammar rules. However, critics counter that immersing yourself in meaningful content and engaging in regular conversations are far more effective ways to grasp those grammar patterns than repeating odd, out-of-context sentences. For instance, imagine you're meeting a native speaker and need to ask for directions to the nearest subway station. But all you have memorized is something like "The duck enjoys reading detective novels." In that moment, you're not going to be thankful for memorizing that grammar pattern. Instead, you'll be wishing you had learned something practical, such as "Qingwen, zuijin de ditiezhan zai nali?" (Excuse me, where is the nearest subway station?).

A free springboard for good study habits

Even with its drawbacks, Duolingo can be a great starting point for your Chinese learning journey. It's fun, game-like features can grab your attention and keep you coming back, which is especially good if you're not usually into learning languages or if you find it hard to stay focused. We think it's a great way to start building the habit of daily study and acquiring a basic vocabulary, which you can then use as a springboard into more rigorous Chinese study methods. One of the best things about Duolingo is that it's free. You can learn Chinese, and even jump between this and other languages, without spending a dime. It's super easy to switch from learning Chinese to picking up another language or using your second language as a base to learn a third.

Learn Pinyin and tone differentiation

Duolingo recently added exercises for learning Pinyin and Chinese characters. The Pinyin section is laid out similar to a glossary, with sections for Tones, Initials (sounds at the beginnings of syllables), and Finals (sounds at the ends of syllables). You can come back to reference these at any time, and you can also run through Pinyin practice lessons. For example, the first lesson will teach you how to differentiate between the first tone, mā, and the second tone, ma, by playing two clips, then asking you if they're the same sound or different. You'll be able to see your progress on each tone, initial, and final on that glossary page.

Learn stroke order of Hanzi

It's pretty much the same deal for Hanzi practice, except that characters are divided up into sections and units like "Shop for clothes, discuss birthday plans”. Clicking a character on the glossary shows its animation in proper stroke order, and Hanzi practice includes tracing exercises. Nice!

AI speech doesn't perfectly replicate native speaker pronunciation

Before you get started with Duolingo for Chinese, there are just a few more bugs you should be aware of. A minor issue some learners encounter is the choppiness of the AI voices, particularly when characters (like Lily) are speaking. An AI voice model trained on the speech sounds of a speaker of a language other than Chinese won't be able to replicate a native Chinese speaker's pronunciation, which may be a bit of a setback when you're trying to grasp the nuanced tones of Chinese.

Some accuracy issues

One user of Duolingo to learn Chinese has reported frustrating mistakes in pronunciation, saying that the app sometimes matches Chinese characters with the wrong sounds. For example, the Chinese word pronounced like "le", is voiced as "liao" instead. The Chinese word typically said as "mei", is pronounced "mo". These mistakes can make learning harder, especially when you're translating or building sentences.

We're not jumping on the hate-train

So, to sum up, we think Duolingo is a decent option for learners new to Chinese. While the criticisms from those who love to hate the Bird App are valid, we think there are still benefits to using it - especially since it's totally free. Our recommendation would be to use Duolingo to establish a daily study habit, build up a basic Chinese vocabulary and get familiar with tones and stroke order, and then switch to one of our higher-rated Chinese learning websites or apps for more advanced study - might we recommend one-on-one lessons with a tutor?

Mondly

• Affordable lifetime access offer to all Mondly languages at $99.99
• Offers a 7-day trial of the Premium features
• Offers over 40 languages to learn
• Geared towards beginners, teaching languages from novice to advanced intermediate (A1 to B2) level
• Uses voice recognition, conversation-based learning, and daily lessons
• Allows for practice in speaking, reading, and writing
• You can learn your target language from 31 different languages
• Features categories, lessons, statistics, and leaderboard
• Provides grammar insights by tapping words in the app
• Includes an Augmented Reality (AR) feature for interactive learning

Mondly was designed to make language learning accessible and engaging for everyone, regardless of their previous experience. With Mondly, users can choose from over 40 languages to learn, from commonly spoken ones like Spanish and Chinese to less common ones like Afrikaans.

Combination of language tools

The app uses a combination of voice recognition, conversation-based learning, and quick daily lessons to keep you encouraged and moving forward. Users can practice speaking, reading, and writing in their chosen language, all while tracking their progress and achievements. Whether you're planning a trip abroad, looking to boost your resume, or simply curious about another culture, Mondly offers a flexible and fun way to expand your linguistic horizons.

Learn from your first language

Something we appreciate about Mondly is how many languages you can learn your target language from. For example, if Spanish is your first language and you'd find it more comfortable to engage with Chinese lessons that way, you can do that. We counted 31 languages other than English that you can learn Chinese from.

Categories, Lessons, Statistics, and a Leaderboard

In the Mondly app, you'll find four main sections: Categories, Lessons, Statistics, and Leaderboard. In the "Categories" section, you navigate through a map of learning categories, where mastering more categories allows you to progress on the map. The "Lessons" section provides overviews of each lesson, including time spent, completion percentage, stars earned, and remaining lessons in the category. If you're curious about your learning progress, the "Statistics" section displays the number of words and phrases you mastered, time spent learning, and your consecutive days accessing the app. Colored nodes on a brain diagram represent different types of lessons, and tapping them lets you review learned words and phrases. Lastly, the "Leaderboard" section shows your ranking on national and international charts, and you can add friends to compete with.

Tap Chinese words for grammar insights

Using the Mondly app, you'll appreciate features such as tapping on a verb to see more conjugations without having to switch tabs, like in other apps. You can also toggle between pinyin and Chinese characters. After each lesson, you'll hear the vocabulary and phrases you've learned played back to you, reinforcing your understanding. You can also engage in conversation practice, which lets you hone your reading, speaking, and pronunciation skills in context. However, we thought that the homepage layout could use some simplification - it's a little overwhelming at first glance.

Best for absolute beginners

Mondly is primarily geared towards beginners. The platform claims to teach languages at various levels, from novice to advanced intermediate (A1 to B2). The topics you'll encounter start with basic greetings like "Hello" and advance to more complex subjects such as "Business". Each topic introduces roughly 120 new words and 30 phrases. Your learning journey starts with simple activities, like matching images with words, and gradually evolves into more complicated phrases. However, Mondly doesn't focus heavily on grammar instruction, which might leave you seeking additional guidance on sentence construction.

Explore in Augmented Reality

Mondly's Augmented Reality (AR) feature, available with a Premium subscription, makes your learning experience interactive and engaging. By downloading and launching the separate app, you can start an AR mode to immerse yourself in a lesson or conversation. You scan your surroundings with your phone's camera to place a virtual assistant, who guides you through the lesson. You interact with the assistant and the virtual items they generate, practicing and repeating phrases when prompted. The Mondly AR app emphasizes "learning through play," an education method that encourages learning by doing. This approach makes language learning fun and playful, inviting you to explore and engage with your environment, no matter your age.

Subscribe monthly, annually, or for a lifetime

Every time you visit Mondly, chances are high you'll stumble upon an "exclusive sale" for their subscriptions. On our latest visit, we were excited to find a lifetime access offer to all Mondly languages at an astonishing 95% off, just $99.99. Typically, you might see a monthly subscription for Mondly's Chinese lessons at $9.99 or an annual subscription for $49.99. It's important to note, though, that Mondly enforces a strict no-refund policy, regardless of your reasons for dissatisfaction with their Chinese lessons - harsh! Also, you should know that the monthly subscription option only lets you practice one language, while the annual subscription unlocks all of them.

So what do you get with Premium?

As a premium subscriber to Mondly, you'll have access to over 250 lessons divided into 40 practical topics. You'll be able to build your vocabulary with 36 vocabulary builders, and engage in over 50 real and simulated conversations with fluent Chinese speakers. You'll have access to grammar features, conjugation tables, and more than 2600 daily lessons. Plus, you'll be challenged with 320 weekly quizzes and 60 monthly challenges. There are also 108 English language progress tests created by Pearson and 300 specialized lessons for business training. Additionally, you'll get free access to the Mondly Kids and Mondly AR apps, and you can choose from over 40 different language courses, giving you a total of 1320 language combinations to explore.

Concerns over Pearson's acquisition

The global education giant, Pearson, acquired Mondly in May 2022 - but we're not too sure that's a good thing. If you have a college student or professor in your life, you might be aware of its reputation for user experience - for example, their MathLab is so infrequently updated and bugs are so rarely fixed that it's earned the nickname "MethLab”.

Chinese lesson updates might not be a priority

Our confidence really wavers when it comes to expecting Pearson to prioritize updates for Mondly's Chinese lessons. In the press release for their acquisition, Mondly's new owners talk about how great it is that they can now help people improve their English... but no mention of the other 40 languages the platform supported at the time of this review. Also, the awards Mondly flaunts on their website are from 2017 and 2019, prompting us to ask, "Why the gap in your resume, Mondly?”

Mondly has the Pearson Touch (pejorative)

Yes, Mondly has many five-star reviews, especially on the app stores for its mobile version. However, it's hard to know if many of these high ratings are old or more recent. Recent feedback shows quite a few complaints about how the app works, how language mistakes keep happening in several updates (even after users report them to Mondly's team), and more. It seems Mondly may be going the way of MathLab.

Just "meh”

Mondly's offerings are pretty average, and while the AR feature sounds cool, it seems a little like a money-grab. If you do decide to give Mondly a shot, you'll shell out no more than $100. You might not end up liking the Chinese lessons past the free account features, but the good news is there's a 7-day trial that lessens the risk, and you can check out if the Premium features are worth it for you. But remember, if you decide to go for the lifetime access for all of Mondly's languages, there's no way to know if you'll continually enjoy what the platform provides, especially after Pearson's involvement.

Rosetta Stone

• $47.97 for 3 months or $126 for a year
• Offers live-streamed classes (Live Lessons) covering various topics
• Provides immediate pronunciation feedback through TruAccent speech recognition software
• Customizes your learning journey based on your needs with "Your Plan"
• Includes additional features like Stories and offline downloads of the Audio Companion
• Gives 30-day money-back guarantee
• Offers a 3-day free trial

Rosetta Stone has long been leading the way in language learning. Since the '90s, it's been the trusted companion for anyone eager to learn a new language.

Immersive language learning method

Instead of the traditional drill of vocabulary and grammar, Rosetta Stone invites you into an immersive experience. You learn languages almost like your first, connecting words to pictures and sounds, making everything click intuitively. With its voice recognition tech and interactive exercises, it gently guides you through, helping you hit new milestones almost without noticing. But is Rosetta Stone still relevant among so many new competitors, and is it your best option for learning Chinese? We'll get into all of that and more in this review.

$47.97 for 3 months or $126 for a year

Rosetta Stone offers a 3-month plan at $15.99 per month, billed as one $47.97 payment. It also provides a lifetime subscription for unlimited languages at a one-time payment of $199, regularly priced at $399. A 12-month plan is available at $10.50 per month, regularly $13.99, billed as one $126 payment. All the plans include Chinese (Mandarin). If you do sign up and you're underwhelmed with your lessons, you have 30 days to get your money back.

Live Tutoring costs extra

Live Tutoring Sessions are available too, but they're not included in the basic package and need to be purchased separately. Live Lessons, on the other hand, are included. These are 25-minute live-streamed classes covering specific topics with real-world relevance. You can interact and review your knowledge through a live chat feature during these lessons.

Immersive Chinese language learning with immediate pronunciation feedback

With Rosetta Stone, you'll be speaking Chinese right away. You'll begin your lessons by repeating key vocabulary words aloud and the speech recognition software, TruAccent, will give you immediate feedback on your pronunciation. To test your skills at the end of a unit, you'll engage in two-way conversations - called Milestones - with pre-recorded native speakers. During lessons, you'll also improve your listening comprehension by matching spoken words and phrases to corresponding images.

More difficult than latin-based alphabets

As you move through the lessons, you'll start with simple words and phrases, and eventually progress to full sentences and complex ideas. Rosetta Stone claims you'll be reading in your new language from the get-go, without any need for translation or rote memorization. However, we think that's a pretty big promise to make when you're talking about languages that don't utilize the Latin alphabet. We'll let you know how that shakes out later on.

Your pathway is designed just for you

With Rosetta Stone's "Your Plan," you can tailor your language learning journey to your needs. You tell them the reasons behind your decision to learn a new language and your current level - Beginner, Intermediate, or Proficient. Based on this, they create a unique six-week learning plan specifically for you. You'll receive handpicked content that aligns with your interests and regular reminders to keep you focused and on track towards achieving your language learning goals.

Apparently no character writing practice

We created an account and signed up for the 3-day trial of Mandarin Chinese. Before we started our first lesson, we were asked to check a box indicating whether or not we wanted our lessons to include "extra practice on letters, characters, and sounds,” which we did. However, it wasn't apparent what that actually did. We hoped it would mean we'd see additional lessons on how Chinese characters are constructed and proper stroke order for writing them, but no dice. The only thing we did find was a glossary of characters and their sounds, but that won't get you very far.

"Immersion” might be needlessly frustrating

We didn't love the matching-images-to-words portion of the lessons because it doesn't provide an English translation for anything - only pinyin and audio of the Chinese pronunciation. This meant we were unsure if we were learning the vocabulary for 'men,' 'men playing basketball,' 'women,' or 'old women laughing'. Although we could enable other scripts for Chinese vocabulary, we did not find a way to switch on English translations.

Missing tools help bridge gaps

While it's true that this approach is probably similar to how children learn, we don't think it's detrimental to have tools like translations to English in language learning. Just because kids don't have these tools when they're first picking up language doesn't mean they're harmful. In fact, for adult learners, these tools can bridge crucial gaps in understanding, making the learning process more accessible and less frustrating - and making you more likely to stick with it. We weren't the only ones who were frustrated. One angry Rosetta Stone user wrote in a review, "I'm presented with four pictures of people and it just says ‘Liang ge nu hai zi he ta men fu mu.' I don't know what a fu mu is. This is how I'm being taught? I'm not an infant, I know another language. Just tell me in that.”

Too frustrating for what it costs

There are a handful of other features that Rosetta Stone offers in addition to the lessons (like Stories and offline downloads of the Audio Companion) but we don't think they provide enough additional value to compensate for the shortcomings of the main lesson content. While you're welcome to test out the 3-day free trial and see for yourself, ultimately, we think your time and money would be better spent learning Chinese with one of our higher-rated websites.

Fluenz

• Packages range from $187 to $322
• Over 100 video lessons for Mandarin fluency
• 30-day satisfaction guarantee
• Mimics one-on-one tutoring
• Tutors provide clear explanations based on English grammar
• Three levels of proficiency
• Accessible on all devices

Fluenz is a digital language learning platform co-founded by Sonia Gil, an entrepreneur and travel vlogger. Gil herself went to China to develop the Mandarin Chinese program for English speakers. The Fluenz Mandarin course features over 100 videos, provides a realistic pathway for English speakers to achieve verbal fluency, and connects learning with targeted practice.

No trial and seems outdated, but offers a 30-day satisfaction guarantee

The first thing you'll notice about Fluenz is that it appears quite old-fashioned - it gives the impression that it hasn't seen an update in the last ten years. Out of all the programs we reviewed, Fluenz is the only one that doesn't provide any options for you to test it out first. They don't provide a sample lesson or give you free access to the student dashboard for a week. The best they have to offer is a slideshow with screenshots from the desktop application. Unfortunately, that means that if something is broken (like an image matching game that grades you incorrectly or a recording that won't play) you won't know about it ahead of time, and Fluenz will already have your money. But, if you decide to purchase Fluenz Mandarin without trying it first, they do have a 30-day satisfaction guarantee to protect your investment.

Priced higher than competitors

Fluenz offers their Mandarin courses at rather high prices. The "Fluenz Mandarin 1+2+3” package costs $322, while "Fluenz Mandarin 1+2” and "Fluenz Mandarin 3” are priced at $258 and $187, respectively. (For comparison's sake, you can get lifetime access to all levels of some competing services for around $100.) Their homeschooling options, "Homeschool Basic Fluenz Mandarin 1+2+3” and "Homeschool Pro Fluenz Mandarin 1+2+3”, are available for a whopping $954 and $1,908. If you share your email address with them, you're eligible for a discount, but nothing big enough to make their prices competitive in this review.

Feels like the classroom

With Fluenz, your learning starts with an introduction video that sets the stage for the lesson. Afterward, you practice through exercises, known as "workouts”. Between these workouts, you watch more videos to dig deeper into the material. This alternating format of video and practice is effective, but the videos can seem a bit too formal at times. Unlike many other language programs that feel pretty hands-off, Fluenz feels more like a traditional classroom and aims to mimic a one-on-one tutoring session. But remember, the videos are pre-recorded.

Video lessons led by tutors

If you struggle to stay engaged without face-to-face interaction, like when studying new vocabulary on a screen, you might find Fluenz useful. It's unique among most language learning platforms because it provides clear video explanations in English while you work through the program. For Mandarin Chinese, a teacher named Yi Wei will guide you with easy-to-understand explanations about how sentences are constructed, the order of words, how to pronounce tones, and vocabulary.

Three levels of proficiency

In the first two levels of the Fluenz Mandarin course, you'll start with the basics: introducing yourself, talking about countries, ordering food, shopping, and planning trips. You'll also understand how Mandarin sentences work, ask questions, compare things, count, and learn important Mandarin concepts. This course preps you for real-life Mandarin conversations. In the third level, you'll build on your basics and learn advanced skills. You'll practice in situations like making plans, eating at restaurants, or even visiting a factory and ordering materials. You'll also learn how to talk about the past and future. After finishing this level, Fluenz says you'll be able to handle most conversations in China or keep learning Mandarin if you want to.

They only teach from English

Another thing Fluenz highlights about themselves as a point of pride is that they teach foreign languages from the point of view of an English speaker. They claim to be the only ones who do this, but pretty much every other service in our review of Chinese language classes works this way. Fluenz might be trying to say that they make more direct comparisons to English grammar structures during the lesson than other platforms, but either way, we don't find this super impressive. It might actually be a reason you don't want to choose Fluenz - for example, if Spanish is your first language and you were hoping to use it to learn Mandarin Chinese, Fluenz doesn't have a unique set of video lessons for your needs.

Study on any device

You can use Fluenz's program on any device, including your computer, iPhone, Android phone, and iPad. Whether you're watching videos or doing workouts, you can switch devices anytime and continue learning Mandarin. Don't worry about losing your place because Fluenz remembers where you stopped, so you can pick up from there on any device.

Only Pinyin

From what we can tell, Fluenz Mandarin doesn't teach you to write in either simplified or traditional Chinese characters. It only focuses on Pinyin. If being able to read and write in Chinese is a priority for you (and we think it should be) this program won't be the best fit.

We can't rate it well without more transparency

Even though Fluenz Mandarin is popular and used by some top organizations like the Navy's Special Warfare Command, it needs to do better to compete with other Chinese learning programs. You wouldn't be able to learn Chinese characters, and it only offers three levels of learning. It's not as complete as some other higher-ranked programs, but it is a lot more expensive. To improve its rank in our review, we'd need to see more, like a sample lesson or access to a student dashboard.

Preply

• Affordable pricing with lessons ranging from $1 to $40
• Over 2,500 Chinese tutors, including native speakers
• Easy-to-use website
• Tailored search results for specific language needs and schedules
• Comprehensive tutor profiles with bios, credentials, and videos
• Trial lessons available in 25- or 50-minute lengths
• Specialized learning options for business Chinese, children, and HSK preparation

Preply is an online learning platform that was founded in 2012 with the mission to connect students and tutors from around the world for language learning, including Chinese. It works by allowing you to choose a tutor who meets your learning goals and schedule.

Over 2,000 Chinese language tutors

For Chinese language learners, Preply offers over 2,000 tutors who are native speakers or have high proficiency in the language. You can select a tutor based on their experience, teaching style, and reviews from other students. Once you find a tutor you like, you can book lessons at times that suit you, using Preply's online classroom for video sessions, chat, and to share learning materials.

Search results tailored to your needs

When you sign up for Preply, you specify the language you wish to learn, your proficiency level, and if you're seeking a specific culture or accent, such as Hong Kong or Taiwan, in addition to China. You can also opt for only native Chinese speakers. Next, you indicate your availability for lessons and your budget per lesson, which can range from $1 to $40.

Over 2,500 Chinese tutors

When we filtered for native Chinese tutors born in China, we found 2,194 results. Simply filtering for Chinese speakers resulted in 2,537 tutors. You can also filter for specialties such as business Chinese, Chinese for children, Cantonese, Chinese literature, and HSK preparation. We appreciated the option to sort by Preply's top picks, popularity, price, number of reviews, and best rating. These features were absent in Preply's closest competitor. Also, we found Preply's interface to be much cleaner compared to its biggest rival on our list. However, Preply doesn't appear to have a way to filter only for tutors who have certifications. Instead, they have something called a "super tutor” designation, which they give to teachers who are highly rated and "experienced”.

Tutor profiles are comprehensive

Similar to its competitor, you can click on profiles to view bios, credentials, and introductory videos. A useful feature is that hovering over a profile brings up the video, so you don't need to click into the profile to watch it. This can help you get an understanding of the teacher's personality and accent, which could be beneficial if you're seeking lessons for your child or have difficulty understanding non-native speakers. Tutor profiles also show you how many lessons have been booked in the last 48 hours, how many students have contacted the tutor in the same time period, and how long it usually takes for the tutor to respond to messages.

Trial lessons are 25 or 50 minutes long

Hetty H., for example, is Preply's most popular Chinese tutor. She has a Certificate in Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages (CTCSOL) and students describe her as attentive, cheerful, and patient. If you wanted to book a trial lesson with her, you'd click the pink "Book Trial Lesson" button, then choose between a 25-minute "Get to Know the Tutor, Discuss Your Goals and Learning Plan" session or a 50-minute "Get Everything That's in a 25 Min Lesson Plus Start Learning" session. You'd then go to the calendar tool and pick your date and time. Remember that a lot of the tutors on this website live in China, so you may need to adjust your schedule to be available for late-night or early morning sessions. Any dates or times that the tutor isn't available just won't show up on the calendar. A 25-minute session with Hetty costs $14, and a 50-minute session costs $28.

Preply underpays their tutors

Preply has some astonishing low per hour rates for their tutors, starting at $3 for a 50 minute lesson. While that's a great deal for learners, we can't help but disapprove of Preply for not making sure their tutors are paid fairly. For reference, $3 is not even minimum wage in China - $3 USD is about 21 Chinese Yuan, and as of the time of this review, Shanghai's (already too low) minimum wage was 26.4 Yuan ($3.70 an hour). To make things worse, your chosen tutor won't get paid at all for a trial lesson with you. For the first lesson with a new student, the entire amount is claimed by Preply. After this, a commission is charged on each lesson taught by the tutor. This commission starts at 33% of the tutor's earnings per lesson and can decrease to as low as 18% the more lessons the tutor teaches. Preply's main competitor in our review, however, lets tutors keep the trial fee and never charges more than a 15% commission fee.

Lessons are not booked individually

Preply has an unusual approach to booking lessons. Unlike other platforms where you can book individual lessons, with Preply you sign up for a subscription. After your trial lesson, you choose how many hours of lessons you want (between 1 and 5) with your chosen tutor each week and pay for the first 28 days upfront. This subscription automatically renews every 28 days until you cancel it. You can schedule or reschedule your lessons anytime, and view all your lesson details on the "My lessons” page. You're never locked in, and can cancel your subscription anytime you want. If you haven't used any of your credits and it's been less than 28 days since you paid, you may even get a refund. Importantly, your tutor gets paid after each lesson, once it's confirmed that the lesson took place.

Subscription model may cost you

We took a look at what Preply's customers had to say about their experiences with the platform, and it doesn't look good. While a decent amount of users had positive experiences, we found a number of complaints that the subscription model is being leveraged by Preply to steal customers' money on a technicality. In one case, a customer's tutor was unavailable for two weeks, which prevented the customer from using his credits before they expired for the month. When he approached customer service about the issue, they denied his request for a refund because he had already used a portion of his credits that month. That meant he had to sign up for lessons with tutors he had not previously learned with just to get some value out of the money he spent. In another concerning review, the customer alleged that Preply is allowing scammers to pose as tutors on their site. Apparently, these "tutors” accept a student's booking of their lessons, but then reschedule the date so that it never takes place, resulting in the customer again losing out on their credits.

Big disappointment

Generally, we're fans of one-on-one tutoring for Chinese language lessons. We think it's really beneficial to be able to ask a tutor your questions directly and that this format makes it easier to stay accountable and focused. Unfortunately, we don't think Preply is the best place to sign up for Chinese language tutoring. Between their greedy commission fees, a shady subscription model, and reports from customers that they allow scammers on their platform, we think you're much safer with Preply's one-on-one tutoring competitor in our review.