There are myriad reasons to improve your Chinese; whether you need to communicate with your mother in law, want to impress your colleagues, or are simply tired of playing menu Russian Roulette every time you go out to dine, taking the time to study the language that you’re immersed in is definitely a worthwhile investment.

And there’s another important reason to study Chinese: with an increasingly competitive job market to face, you may need to step up your game. There was a time when a foreign face, a winning smile and a ‘Ni Hao’ could get you pretty far, but nowadays, with higher standards of education, better English training for local staff and returning Chinese overseas students, token Chinese just won’t cut it any more.

To help you on your linguistic quest, we’ve compiled ten different places to learn Mandarin in Shanghai. They range from university courses to private training schools and there are part-time, full-time and intensive courses to suit every timetable and budget, so grab your books, sharpen your pencils, and prepare to go back to school.

Photo: Prince Roy

1) Donghua University 东华大学 View In Map
Donghua University provides short-term programmes, which last around 3 to 4 months.  Courses available include general Chinese courses, practical Chinese, short term oral Chinese and intensive courses. This university also has scholarship programmes worth between 600-1000 RMB  that could be worth checking out:

Tuition Fees:  960-3600 RMB/month
Visa: Student visa provided
Add: 1882, West Yan’an Road, Changning District, Shanghai
上海市长宁区延安西路1882号
Tel: 021 6237 8595
Website: http://ices.dhu.edu.cn/Item/2009.aspx

2) Shanghai Normal University 上海师范大学 View In Map
Both short-term and long-term Chinese language programs are offered by Shanghai Normal University. The short-term programmes open in July and August each year with duration of 4 to 6 weeks. The long-term programs last one semester from February or September of each year. Scholarships are available to students in long-term programs. But the class size is comparatively larger with more than 30 students in each class. 

Tuition fees: 9000 RMB/semester
Visa: Student visa provided
Add: Room 204, Building 5, Shanghai Normal University, 100 Guilin Road, Changning District, Shanghai
上海市长宁区桂林路100号上海大学5号楼204屋
Tel: 021 6432 8693
Website: http://www.shnu.edu.cn/Default.aspx?alias=www.shnu.edu.cn/shnuen

3) East China Normal University 华东师范大学 View In Map
Standard Chinese language programmes, business Chinese programs and short term intensive Chinese training programmes are all available from East China Normal University. All programs open in February and September each year. The standard Chinese language programme is a long-term course, which lasts 6 to 12 months and there are short term courses as well; the business Chinese course is particularly popular. There are no scholarships available at East China Normal University.

Tuition fees: 9000-15000 RMB/Semester
Visa: Student visa provided
Add: Room 253, Physics building, 3663 North Zhongshan Road, Putuo District, Shanghai
上海市普陀区中山北路3663号物理楼253屋
Tel: 021 6223 2013
Website: http://lxs.ecnu.edu.cn/front/english/yyszs.html

4) Shanghai Yudefang International Education CenterView In Map
Affiliated to Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, Shanghai Yudefang International Education Center is committed to develop international education and cross-cultural communication, and can also arrange internship opportunities for international students. The center opens new classes on 10th of each month and offers student visas for learners. Yudefang offers a wide range of courses including short and long term courses, HSK prep, business Chinese and also runs classes on evenings and weekends. There are also scholarships available.

Tuition Fees:  8,000 RMB/semester, 650 RMB /week
Visa: Student visa provided
Address: 13F, 118 Qinghai Road, Jing’an District, Shanghai (near West Nanjing Road)
上海市静安区青海路118号13层（近南京西路）
Tel: 021 6215 7338
Website: http://www.yccshanghai.com

5) Shanghai University of Engineering Science 上海工程技术大学 View In Map
Shanghai University of Engineering Science provides short-term Chinese courses with the option of staying one semester or more. Classes start in March, July and September each year. There are no scholarships available, but the school will provide student visas.

Tuition Fees: 8,100 RMB/semester
Visa: Student visa provided
Address: 350 Xianxia Road, Changning District, Shanghai
上海市长宁区 仙霞路350号
Tel: 021 6209 6501
Website: http://www.sues.edu.cn/

6) Shanghai Maritime University 上海海事大学 View In Map
Located in Dongming Road in Pudong area, Shanghai Maritime University provides various types of Chinese courses, including General Chinese, Business Chinese, HSK Intensive Training and Short Term Chinese Courses. The University provides student visa to students participating in long-term courses.

However, short-term programs only accept foreigners who have a foundation in Chinese language already and only students who have passed HSK level 3 can apply for the HSK Intensive Training program.

Tuition Fees: 8,000 RMB/semester
Visa: Student visa provided
Address: 1336, Dongming Road, Pudong New District, Shanghai
上海市浦东新区东明路1336号
Tel:  021 5028 0042
Website: http://www.shmtu.edu.cn/

7) Shanghai Mandarin House
The most obvious advantage of Mandarin House is the wide range of campus choice. It has four campuses located at People’s Square, Hongqiao, Xujiahui and Pudong Lujiazui. The class courses include Intensive Chinese Courses, Business Chinese Courses and HSK Intensive Courses. However, the tuition fees are comparatively higher than other organisations.

Tuition Fees: 2,590-3,650 RMB/week
Visa: No
Add: Various locations- see website for details
Tel: 400 633 5538
Website: http://www.mandarinhouse.com/learn-chinese-shanghai

8)  Shanghai Mandarin Morning
Mandarin Morning again has various campuses, located at Jing’an Temple, Pudong and Changning. The center provides students with one-on-one intensive Chinese courses, business Chinese and HSK courses with a professional teaching group. One-on-one courses can be applied for and start at any time.

Tuition Fees: 95-128 RMB/class
Visa: No
Add: Various locations- see website for details
Tel: 021 5228 7809
Website: www.mandarinmorning.com

9) Shanghai Miracle Mandarin
Miracle Mandarin owns three campuses located in Puxi and Pudong area, providing general Chinese language Ccurses and as well as more specialized courses for international students with different levels of Chinese. In addition, the organisation also offers business Chinese language courses for those international students whose Chinese is above HSK level 3.

Tuition: 80-120 RMB/class
Visa: No
Add: Various locations- see website for details
Tel: 021 6247 6388
Website: www.miraclemandarin.com

10) Shanghai Mandarin Garden
With the headquarters located on West Yan’an Road, the Mandarin Garden provides one-on-one, long term and short term Chinese language courses, so students can participate in programs according to their needs. In addition to offering Chinese language courses for international students, the organization also engages in training Chinese language teachers.

Tuition Fees: 2,320-7,000 RMB/semester
Visa: No
Tel: 021 5258 9885
Website: www.mandaringarden.org

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Keywords: Studying Chinese Shanghai Mandarin Courses Shanghai