Are you aware that the Language Centre offers a wide range of Mandarin courses which allow you to maintain and develop this highly-valued language skill?
Why learn Mandarin?
If you’re thinking of working in an international organisation or business, the ability to speak Chinese would be a particularly valuable asset. Mandarin is not only spoken in mainland China and Taiwan, but also in Chinese communities in Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Mongolia. The benefits of effective communication across multiple languages have long been known by the international business community as an indispensable tool for relationship building and financial success. By learning a language like Mandarin, employers will value you as a candidate who is willing to challenge yourself. They will also recognise that you are career-focused and a candidate who is able to adapt to a changing world.
Or perhaps you are thinking of travelling to East Asia in the not too distant future. Being able to communicate with natives, if even at a basic level, will most definitely improve your day to day experiences!
Learning Mandarin at LSE
At LSE, Mandarin can be taken as either a degree course or an extra-curricular ‘certificate’ course. If you are a student and considering studying beginners Mandarin as a degree course, please take a look at the course guide for LN104. The degree option offers two to six contact hours per week with teaching staff and enables you to develop your linguistic skills at a fast rate. The degree course options are capped, and students enrol on a first-come, first-served basis. Beginner classes are also capped at twelve students per group, so we encourage you to register for Mandarin courses on LSE for You (accessible via LSE’s intranet) as soon as possible.
The certificate courses are available to both students and staff, irrespective of ability. Both students and staff receive a discount on course fees. Certificate courses, both standard and fast-track, are offered at levels 1 to 5. With this wide range of courses, LSE students and staff are sure to find one appropriate for their learning needs.
At the LSE Language Centre, we recognise that learning a language from scratch can be intimidating. Here are Co-ordinating Language Teacher Fang Pan’s top tips on learning Mandarin:
- Don’t be afraid of making mistakes
- Have confidence
- Enjoy it!
Find out more
Our dedicated team of language teachers and support staff are here to help you. We are happy to answer your questions related to our Mandarin courses – for degree courses, please contact Dr Xiang (h.xiang@lse.ac.uk) and for certificate courses, please contact Dr Shi (l.shi3@lse.ac.uk).
