What others have said…
Mandarin lessons in London-Meridian Chinese Studies
31 REVIEWS
RECOMMENDATION: TDR Chinese Course What do you do if you have too busy a life and just a few weeks to learn the basics of the Chinese language? That’s a question that I have asked myself over the last few years. As I work a lot with Chinese colleagues, I always feel so embarrassed not to be able to say something in Mandarin. I spent a while checking available courses in different countries that I could take for a fortnight in the summer. I came across Meridian Chinese Studies at random and was quickly seduced by how the methods that were used to teach Chinese were described on their website. When the course started, my Chinese was nearly non-existent. After a week, I was already able to say many things, to read short texts and to write a few sentences. Incredible! The approach is excellent! Very intensive but worth it! My teacher, David Su, has a long experience in teaching Chinese and he knows what works. He also knows how to adapt his teaching to different students and different levels. The book TDR Zoom in Mandarin Everyday Chinese for Beginners is well planned and so much better than the hundreds of textbooks that I have bought in the past. Its progression and coherence are clear and well thought of. Though I used to dislike drills I found the ones included in the books to be very useful. I recommend this course without any hesitation. In two weeks I have gained a strong basis that will allow me to continue to study Chinese on my own during my busy days. Fred Dervin, Professor, PhD, FT, PGCE, FRSA Department Teacher Education at the University of Helsinki, Finland
3 months ago
Whoever intends to learn Chinese in London is confronted with a wide range of schools to choose from. I decided in favour of Meridian Chinese Studies when I started my Chinese studies about four months ago and I could not be happier with my choice. During this comparatively short time, I have learnt more than I expected. By now, I am able to text my Chinese friends in Chinese and I greatly enjoyed the process of learning. This is due to several reasons: Firstly, the school uses a unique concept of teaching the language based on Chinese culture. Thus, students do not only learn how to use the language, but they also understand the underlying ideas and concepts. The latter is incredibly interesting and very helpful at the same time, especially when it comes to learning Chinese characters. Many beginners are concerned about learning the characters as they seem hard to grasp for any Western learner. The school proactively addresses this concern and offers an additional literacy course during the first two terms. I really enjoyed this course and it allowed me to acquire the basic knowledge and skill set necessary to effectively study additional characters on my own. Secondly, teaching takes place in small groups so that individual attention by the teacher as well as fast progress are basically guaranteed. The teachers are very approachable, supportive and highly motivated. Every student can notice that they love what they do, which contributes further to a great study experience.
Finally, the school is very flexible when it comes to the format of learning. Besides the group classes, individual as well as distance learning are supported and students can switch between these formats, which is a great help when you have to move, but want to continue your studies though.
Thus, if you are serious about learning Chinese, want to acquire the required skills fast and efficiently and are interested in Chinese culture at the same time, this is the perfect school for you!
2 months ago
I started from April 2016 with Meridian Chinese and it’s been amazing learning experience. We get to study Chinese grammars, characters, texts and also cultural and social meanings behind them. The class size is small so the teacher has more time to instruct each individual student. The classes made me feel really engaged and appreciate the beauty of this very sophisticated language. Highly recommended!!
a month ago
The classes are small, friendly and fun, very reasonably priced and affordable, covering both the spoken and written language for an overall in-depth understanding of Chinese. Here you don’t just get to learn the language, but also to understand the culture at a deep level. The school is more than a school, more like an extended family of present and past students, teachers and fellow travellers. Su laoshi is more than a teacher, but the centre of this stimulating universe, imparting his extensive linguistic, cultural, philosophical and artistic knowledge and insights with generosity and patience, inspiring all who enter his orbit!
Fully recommended.
4 months ago
Studying at Meridian has been a pivotal step for me. In the space of 3 months I have progressed from no knowledge of characters to feeling confident in well over 300 and moreover now have the right skills to keep improving my vocabulary.
The school is very friendly and passionate about learning. I’m looking forward to continuing my studies with them for the long term.
2 months ago
The teaching quality is excellent and with small classes, you really get exposure to speak and improve your Chinese. The teaching style of Su Laoshi is fun, engaging and you leave the class each week inspired and eager to learn more!
4 months ago
After leaving 2 years with a Chinese American family, being able to understand some of the things they say such as “wash your hands” or “are you full?” and have all the characters in my mind when they say something that I understand, makes me so happy. And this is thanks to Mandarin Chinese Studies.
Thanks to Su Lǎoshī for his patience and dedication.
Looking forward to continue my Chinese learning with Meridian Chinese Studies
10 months ago
I have completed the 3 sections of the beginners course at Meridian Chinese Studies, as well as the course covering the characters in more depth (the literary course of Chinese characters). I found the structure of the courses to be excellent. The combination of covering the cultural and historical progression of the characters, the pictographs and the explanation of the stroke order all help to reinforce the recognition of the different characters.
I also found the small class sizes to be great, as it meant that we all got a chance to practice speaking quite a lot, which helped me to become more able and confident with speaking and listening.
The teachers are all well trained and very helpful. They are always happy to clarify any issues and provide extra support if you missed any sessions.
The location is also great, as it is central and close to several train stations and bus routes. The closest station being Goodge Street.
Helpful?
10 months ago
I’ve tried several Mandarin classes, but this is the best I’ve found so far. The teaching is high quality and delivered by experienced tutors. I like the balance of practical Chinese with insight into the background of Chinese culture and history, this really helps to get a deeper understanding of the language and the country.
One of their strengths is a very flexible attitude to tuition rather than the ‘take it or leave it’ attitude of some of the larger institutions. This results in good student retention and makes it much more likely that a class will continue from term to term.
4 months ago
Studying at Meridian is been an amazing experience ! The methodology they use is really efficient and straight forward, I had never study Mandarin and I is really exciting going around and recognizing the characters !
Everybody is friendly and I’m looking forward to continuous my study at the Meridian.
Roberta Calliari
10 months ago
Signed up last year to give some structure to my Chinese language learning which has mainly been through self-study. I like the small class sizes and our teacher is excellent providing a good mix of speaking practice and reading/writing. I think the class has really helped me to make good progress – highly recommended.
10 months ago
I’ve just completed the beginners course at Meridian and I’ve made great progress in my time here. They focus on areas new speakers struggle with or fail to learn in other institutions such as Chinese characters which I have found invaluable to learning vocabulary, alongside grammar and speaking.
Classes are kept small and teachers give us a great balance of individual and group attention.
10 months ago
Have been learning Mandarin at this school since transferring from a SOAS course in 2013. The teaching staff are excellent – content is paced well, with plenty of support and the opportunity to practice all disciplines (speaking, writing, reading and writing) during class. The smaller class sizes this school uses are also very conducive to learning, typically comprising about 6-8 students. I can highly recommend Meridian as place to learn Mandarin, at any level.
10 months ago
I’ve studied with them for a year and have been very satisfied with the results. In my opinion their method is very effective as it helps you not only simply learning the language itself but also understanding its foundation.
It’s definitely a great school to learn mandarin and especially to understand deeply chinese characters, I highly recommend it!
10 months ago
I have been learning Mandarin Chinese for a couple of years now and can’t recommend enough Meridian Chinese Studies. Meridian classes are in small groups and the focus is on both learning characters and speaking. All the teachers are native speakers and highly professional. School provides many options including one to one, intensive classes and preparation for HSK exams and the levels are from beginner to advanced.
10 months ago
I’m so glad I chose Meridian Chinese Studies to learn Mandarin. It’s given me direction and a great sense of purpose and progress. Classes are demanding in a good way; class sizes are small and everyone can get the attention they need.
10 months ago
I attended the Meridian Centre from August 2014 to June 2015 last year. I had tried and failed at learning Chinese as a teenager but wanted to try again. I just intended to try the one month intensive summer class but the teaching was so amazing I stayed a whole year. Before I couldn’t say a single sentence but the teachers at Meridian really believe in their students and have many tricks up their sleeves to also help you find out how to study Chinese. After less than a year and just under 200 hours of lessons I passed HSK4 in June 2015. If I still lived in London I would definitely continue. Ironically, now that I have moved to Asia my Chinese school is one of the places I miss the most.
10 months ago
I have been studying at Meridian for over a year and my Chinese has improved so much in that time. The teachers are all excellent and the class sizes are small so each student receives a lot of individual attention. I would highly reccomend it!
10 months ago
I have been studying with Meridian Chinese for more than a year. I recommend this course as the teachers are great and follow up each pupil individually. Plus, the ambiance in small group is good which makes the courses really enjoyable.
11 months ago
Small class size. The classes normally have between 4-6 people. Everyone gets the chance to practice speaking in class. The teacher checks your homework every week to make sure everyone is on top of the material. Highly recommended.
10 months ago
An excellent centre for learning Mandarin Chinese. All lecturers are highly qualified, with years of experience in teaching, and their in-depth knowledge about not just the Chinese language but also Chinese culture has helped me a lot in my career as a journalist and editor.
10 months ago
Have been attending Meridian for many years after leaving SOAS. Excellent school, good teachers and a good atmosphere. Teachers are very diligent about making sure you don’t fall into bad habits in all aspects: Reading, writing and especially speaking.
10 months ago
I have been studying Chinese at Meridian for more than 2 years (I switched from SOAS to Meridian) and would strongly recommend this institution. All teachers are native speakers who are friendly and very enthusiastic about teaching the language. Importantly, I can visibly track the improvement in my Chinese level since I joined here: I started as a higher-beginner student and could hardly communicate in Chinese, now we speak Chinese in class for nearly 90% of the time and only use English for complicated words.
11 months ago
Mecs Meridian was recommended to me by a friend a number of years ago. Since then I have progressed from being a beginner to passing the HSK 3 exam and onto more advanced courses. The class sizes are small and allow for lots of one on one attention. My current class has 4 students. The teachers are also great: mine have been highly knowledgeable and very attentive to the needs of individual students. I have learnt a lot about Chinese language, culture and history as well as making a lot of new friends along the way.
10 months ago
Been studying with this school for many years. I enjoy the classes, and it is still fun despite studying Chinese after a long day at work.
10 months ago
I have been studying Mandarin Chinese for about 4 years at Meridian Dao near Goodge Street station on the northern line. Their teaching methodology and the quality of their classes are astounding, it is always very interesting and interactive to have discussion in chinese about texts describing the chinese culture, way of life and thinking. I would strongly recommend to any one interested In China and and it’s culture to take the initiate and start their evening studies at Meridian Dao NOW. ^^
10 months ago
I began a Chinese course in New York a few years ago and really struggled to make progress: the classes were huge, the teacher barely knew anyone’s name and I learnt nothing over 8 weeks. Roll forward to 2016, and I decided to try again. I signed up for the beginners course at Meridian Chinese and I couldn’t believe the difference in quality. Classes were small (around 5 people), the teacher rapidly learnt everyones name and the the teaching really felt personalised to individual students – best of all, the classes were cheaper than others that I have looked at/tried!
I am making quick progress and that are loads of more advanced classes to keep me progressing unlike some schools I’ve seen where it is possible to “run-out” of courses. I couldn’t believe after 8 weeks that I was already eschewing pinyin and reading characters only! The school particularly focuses on characters and reading and I’ve found it a great help in remembering words (unlike learning the pinyin only as in my previous course).
I’ve now just finished the third beginners class, having done all three classes back to back. I can read paragraphs of Chinese characters, am slowly building up my knowledge of different grammatical structures and best of all I have no doubt the class will continue to push me to improve over the next few years.
If you want a friendly but challenging and exciting introduction to Chinese, this is the course you should take.
10 months ago
Managed to move my Chinese class from SOAS here, excellent teachers and admin staff, very flexible and accommodating. The build/Classrooms ok can be a bit too warm and some lights flash which gets annoying.
10 months ago
I enjoy the classes learning more about Chinese culture and philosophy as well as improving my Chinese.