That's Mandarin Chinese School Opens Its Doors To New Students Who Want Full Immersion Experience

That's Mandarin Chinese School opens new campus in Shanghai to a growing number of new students. This school is the third location for the Beijing-based company. The school's owner says that he expanded from two schools in Beijing to the new Shanghai branch because of an opportunity to serve an increasing number of foreigners visiting China to learn Chinese and immerse themselves in the culture. End Quote

New York, NY (1888PressRelease) May 23, 2011 - As business continues to boom in Shanghai and an increasing number of foreigners head to China, experts say that so does the need for high quality Chinese programs. Professional Chinese language school, That's Mandarin, seeks to satisfy that need in Shanghai as they have in Beijing since 2005. The school made its new home in Shanghai and welcomed an onslaught of new students this week, continuously filling almost all 20 spacious classrooms in the process. The Chinese school's owner says that the new growth is a healthy mixture of peak travel season rolling in along with an opening in the market to offer a unique approach to Chinese teaching in the country's largest metropolis.

"After building two extremely successful institutions in Beijing over the past 6 years, I knew we needed to expand from the capital city and head south to the big city," says Guo Xiaochao, founder and owner of That's Mandarin. Having started out as a Chinese teacher himself, he says he knows a thing or two about what foreigners really want out of Chinese courses. During his pursuits, the story of his entrepreneurship has been featured in articles for The New York Times and China Daily, to name a few. Guo says that his aim has been to create a well-rounded learning environment that gives students the opportunity to completely immerse themselves in Chinese culture. "We want to help foreigners learn Chinese at a rapid pace whilst enjoying a unique cultural experience on their travels," says Guo. The new Shanghai campus and both Beijing schools offer full Chinese immersion packages complete with customized intensive Chinese classes along with accommodation, cultural activities, and weekend excursions.

Guo maintains that he has put everything he has into the recent expansion and is proud to offer the same high quality teaching, nationally-renowned service, and competitive pricing in Shanghai as at both That's Mandarin's schools in Beijing. He says that quality is and has always been his number one priority when providing Chinese courses for foreign students. "We understand it's difficult to find good teachers and consistent quality. That's why we hire only experienced, full-time teachers and then train them to use our school's unique teaching methods," says Guo.

According to Guo, these teaching methods are a part of an overall learning plan that focuses very little on a textbook and concentrates mostly on oral practice (especially for beginners). These methods include the link-word method, which uses word association cues to connect Chinese and English sounds and meanings, making the language learning process more immediately accessible. The next main teaching method is story-telling, which encourages students to express themselves using vocabulary and basic grammar structures they've learned in order to create a real-life scenario or story that they might tell a friend or colleague. Guo says that using this method pays off for students from beginner to advanced level.

The modern loft-style school located next door to Wagas Café in the Jing'an District of Shanghai is a six-minute walk from Jing'an Temple metro station. Within the learning space, students can enjoy a casual meet and greet lobby along with a café/lounge area overlooking the bustling city street. School hours are Monday to Friday, 8am to 9pm as well as Saturdays and Sundays, 9am to 6pm. As part of a grand opening promotion, That's Mandarin in Shanghai is now offering a free trial class to all new students.

If you're interested in learning Chinese in China, visit www.thatsmandarin.com for more details. For media and partnership opportunities, please call Georgia Hare at (+86) 189 3986 0472 or email georgia.hare ( @ ) thatsmandarin dot com.

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