Shenzhen is the Best Place to Learn Mandarin in China


David Ho   |   July 27, 2015

Introduction to Mandarin in Shenzhen

Normally when you think of South China you think that everyone speaks Cantonese but Shenzhen is the exception that makes it a tropical heaven for learning Chinese.

Shenzhen Mandarin Speakers are Abundant

When an place starts as a fishing village and explodes to a population of over 12 million these people have to come from somewhere and they have come from all over China. Many Shenzhen immigrants are from the neighboring provinces but they also arrive from as far flung cities as harbin. Since Chinese are taught Putonghua in school they all end up using Mandarin as the lingua franca to communicate with each other when they arrive in Shenzhen.

Tropical Mandarin Immersion Paradise

Shenzhen is also a very comfortable place to live. It is on the cleaner side as far as Chinese cities go and has a very well thought out metro system. The Shenzhen weather is generally nice all year round unless you can’t get used to the hot and sticky rainy summers. Still the city offers tropical beaches with Hong Kong right next door so you can escape the city and grab any kind of thing you miss from home.

The combination of a great climate and a huge Mandarin speaking population makes Shenzhen the perfect destination for those that want to come to China and study the Chinese language. Immerse yourself with Chinese speaking friends and colleagues while finding private tutors, language schools or full time Mandarin programs.

Types of Mandarin Courses in Shenzhen

Take a class as a group or hire a private tutor Some Mandarin language schools offer nighttime and weekend Chinese language courses. After basic Mandarin out of the way you can consider a full immersion half day Mandarin course for multiple semesters to become fluent in Chinese. There are programs from many providers that will meet your needs so you don’t have an excuse to keep up on your Mandarin language skills.

Suggested Mandarin Language Schools

Shenzhen University is the best option for intense Mandarin language study where you basically go back to becoming a full time student attending class in the morning and using your afternoons to study.

Mandarin language centres such as Jiahua Mandarin Language School and New Concept Mandarin offer the night and evening classes mentioned above. You can even probably find weekend classes if you want to study Mandarin and stay away from Coco Park.

ShenzhenParty.com has a full list of Shenzhen based Mandarin language schools in the education section of the site.

HSK (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) Test Centers in Shenzhen

Shenzhen University offers a HSK examination center when you reach an advanced Chinese level. After obtaining a high proficiency in Mandarin Chinese you can take the HSK to prove to future employers your Chinese speaking ability.

Learn Mandarin Online from Home

Finally if you are time starved because your boss is keeping you late at work, most of the language schools offer online Mandarin tutoring over skype or other apps. Skilled Mandarin language tutors will practice with you over video or audio conferencing.

Conclusion

Though Beijing is the capital and many good Mandarin language universities exist there you are going to want to come study Chinese where it is warm all year round and you can pick up a neutral accent as opposed to the heavy thick accent of most Beijinger’s. Choose Shenzhen as your first destination to start your Mandarin studies and you won’t regret it.