Mandarin Chinese: Beginners Level 1
Begin your journey into Mandarin Chinese language and culture with this supportive online beginners course. Designed for complete beginners, this class introduces practical, everyday Mandarin in a clear and structured way — no prior experience required.
Mandarin is often more logical than many expect, with no verb conjugations, plurals or grammatical gender. You’ll learn how the language works through Pinyin (the phonetic system used to represent pronunciation) while gradually building recognition of commonly used Chinese characters.
As a tonal language, Mandarin places strong emphasis on listening and pronunciation. With guidance from an experienced tutor, you’ll practise tones, develop accurate pronunciation, and build confidence forming simple sentences for real-life communication. Along the way, you’ll also gain insight into Chinese culture to help you communicate more naturally and effectively.
Course Content
- Greetings, introductions, names and nationalities
- Pinyin, pronunciation and Mandarin tones
- Numbers, dates, time, family and everyday vocabulary
- Basic sentence structures, simple questions and negative forms
- Introduction to measure words and basic Chinese characters
Schedule & Pricing
- Delivered online via Zoom
- 6:30pm–8:30pm (10 sessions)
- Course fee: $429
Textbook Requirement
- Integrated Chinese Level 1, Part 1 (4th Edition) ISBN: 9781622911356
- or Easy Peasy Chinese: Mandarin Chinese for Beginners ISBN: 9780241513279
- Textbook not included in enrolment fee
Certificate
Students who attend at least 80% of the course will receive a Certificate of Attendance from Sydney Community College.
Details
You will learn
- Pronounce Mandarin tones accurately using Pinyin
- Hold simple conversations with greetings and questions
- Recognise basic Chinese characters and sentence structures
You will get
- 10-session live online course
- Guidance from an experienced Mandarin tutor
- Certificate of Attendance (80% attendance required)
Appropriate for
Complete beginners with no prior Mandarin experience, travellers, culturally curious learners, and anyone wanting practical everyday communication skills.
Preparation
What to bring
- Notebook and pen
- Required course textbook
- Device with stable internet connection
What to wear
Your Teacher
Sydney Community College
38 reviewsSydney Community College is a registered charity with a voluntary Board of Directors.
The College has a mission to offer innovative continuing adult education and training programmes that support individual efforts and facilitate sustainable social change.
We do this by:
- Providing quality continuing adult education opportunities for people to build practical and theoretical skills and develop knowledge;
- Leveraging from and developing community capacity and inclusivity;
- Developing innovative affordable and accessible skills training programmes;
- Partnering with like organisations to deliver learning opportunities for disadvantaged individuals and communities;
- Partnering with all levels of government to deliver education policy objectives.
Cancellations & Refunds
If the organiser cancels the class:
You are entitled to a full refund.
If you can't attend the class:
You’re welcome to send someone in your place.
OR
- A refund can be requested 10 days before class starts. An admin fee of AU$45.00 applies.
Terms & Conditions
At Sydney Community College, we know that plans can change unexpectedly. Whether it’s a shift in your schedule, a family emergency, or just a change of heart, we want to support you in the fairest way possible.
At the same time, we’re a not-for-profit organisation that commits resources to running each class—so last-minute cancellations can significantly impact our ability to offer quality, affordable programs.
That’s why we’ve created a simple, transparent policy that balances your need for flexibility with our need to plan and deliver courses sustainably. Our cancellation policy offers two clear options, depending on when you notify us:
Cancel More Than 10 Days Before the Course Starts – You can choose to receive a full refund, minus a $45 administration fee OR a non-refundable credit note valid for 12 months for the full value you paid for the course. This credit can be used towards any future course at the College.
Option 2: Cancel Within 10 Days of the Course Starting - You’ll receive a credit note valid for 12 months for 50% of the course fee you paid for the course. This credit can be used towards any future course at the College.
Please note that both refund and credit options are only available before the course begins. Once the course has started—or if you decide to withdraw after it has commenced—no refunds or credits can be issued. If you need to cancel your enrolment, just email us and we’ll take care of it based on the timelines above.
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Mandarin Chinese: Beginners Level 1
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