Q2 with ExcelMandarin was an excellent experience. The team continuously works to improve the curriculum and the effort really shows. Although the grammar concepts were more challenging, and some simplified characters were included in course materials, the pace of the course was designed so that none of it became entirely overwhelming.EMs community and staff are extremely supportive, and the learning environment is entirely positive. There is a built-in understanding that people are going to get busier at different points throughout the quarter, which helps to keep the motivation going when the class schedule doesnt align with other responsibilities.Looking forward to Q3!

Just finished the Q2 course and it was just as great as Q1. Things I loved about this quarter:- Teachers continued to challenge us but in a warm/encouraging manner.- The in class games/conversation practice were really fun and engaging.- We built on top of the fundamentals from Q1 and were able to start debating and expressing our opinions. I noticed I was able to understand and participate in a lot more conversations with native speakers.

Enrolling in Excel Mandarin has been such a good choice for me!Going into the first quarter I was wary of adding a high-pressure learning experience to my (already busy) day. But the schools approach could not be further from that: the exercises are carefully designed, the instructors lean into the fun of learning and making mistakes, and my cohort of classmates have made it feel like I’m part of a team.I just wrapped up the second quarter, where we added new grammar structures and useful sets of vocabulary (e.g., weather, travel, food, etc.). The school paid for a subscription to a flash card app called Hack Chinese and it is easily the best one I have tried yet! I appreciate the way the Excel Mandarin continually enhances its curriculum—whether it’s new tech, different course structure, or just being responsive to student feedback.If you are looking for a way to open the door to Mandarin, this course is a great place to start!

The best way to learn Chinese!!When I first began looking for Mandarin learning courses, I was purely doing it to win the appeal of my boyfriends Chinese-Canadian family. Upon finding ExcelMandarin, I had no idea what to expect, and I definitely did not expect to have these classes be some of the best highlights of each week! These guys arent messing around, I honestly cant thank them enough for all Ive learned so far!Everything is so so wonderfully planned out for each semester according to everyones levels, not to mention the teachers really do foster an amazing sense of community with everyone in class. I never feel like any question I ask is a dumb question -- everything is answered timely and with so much attention/care. I couldnt have asked for a better way to learn my fourth language. Honestly, I wish I had found them sooner! My boyfriends family is so impressed with my progress already, and I also cant believe how fast Ive been learning. Its all thanks to this wonderful EM family.

Great program, with friendly and accessible teachers. They offer plenty of input and feedback, but with learning any language, you get out what you put in as well.They pace the quarters out well and over time you will be surprised at how much you have learned. It feels more natural, and when you finally take the time to look back at all you have learned, youll be in for a treat.

ExcelMandarin is an amazing school to learn Mandarin. What really stood out to me was the structure of the Q1 course and all of the fantastic teachers. Just like anything else, you get out of it what you put in. As long as you can make that commitment, you can quickly pick up the building blocks to get you on your way to holding conversations in Mandarin. The Excel Mandarin way of learning was different from other foreign language courses Ive taken before in high school and college, in a good way. You can tell theyve put in the effort to building a way to learn Mandarin remotely, that can be worked into your everyday life.However, the teachers are where you get the greatest learning value. Theyre passionate about YOU. They do everything they can to help you learn, adjust to your needs, be as available as possible, care about you as a student AND care about you as a person. They build a community from day one, not just a transactional class.Did I mention the many Mandarin learning resources you get access to? All accessible from your computer or phone? You can quite literally keep learning and practicing from anywhere you are.I fully intend on continuing my learning with them in their Q2 course.

Consider yourself lucky if you are reading these reviews because you have just found the greatest language learning experience out there.Prior to the course, I had never attempted to learn a foreign language outside of a traditional classroom setting and especially had never tried to learn Mandarin.I decided to enroll in ExcelMandarin on a whim with little background knowledge about the program and I am glad I did.After 2 quarters of ExcelMandarin, I am able to hold basic conversations about a variety of topics, listen to Mandarin audio and even read books with Chinese characters! I am truly baffled by the amount of progress that has been made in such a short amount of time.What makes this program a success is the meticulous effort that has gone into creating and updating it. There is the perfect amount of speaking, listening and writing practice to keep you making tremendous progress every week. The teachers truly care about your progress and make every class fun and exciting.This class will be a lot of work and you will probably feel overwhelmed at times. But if you stick with it, I can guarantee you will truly be shocked by the progress you made in such a short period of time.

I have completed one quarter with ExcelMandarin. I had no Mandarin language experience at all. I wanted a challenge, and I wanted that challenge to broaden me out as a person. The SF Bay Area is a great venue for utilizing Mandarin. I am enthralled with ExcelMandarin. I’m almost 69 years of age so I knew I represented my own biggest barrier...a lifetime without exposure. What helped me? The staff is quintessential. From the founder to each instructor I feel the same dynamic: support, encouragement, and the path toward competence. They live up to their mission. I’m continuing my studies, and I am even more interested in the culture behind this amazing language. I highly recommend ExcelMandarin.

I was sold on the innovative approach that gives you the feel and advantage of immersive without taking all of your time, and EM has delivered. EM has a unique combination of great student teacher ratio and interesting/challenging homework. If you like a challenge, can commit the 1.5h per day, and your goal is rapid Mandarin proficiency, EM is the best/only way as far as I can tell.

I just started my second quarter with Excel Mandarin and have learned so much. Chinese is hard, and I’d studied about 6 months before starting with Excel Mandarin, but couldn’t make myself understood to my Chinese students. Now, after 3 months we can share short conversations and I can understand what they are talking about with their friends. As a teacher I really appreciate the work that goes into all of the lessons, individualized feedback on tones during class and in the homework. The class is challenging and I can feel my brain stretching, but it is worth it..Just the translation and Chinese language resources they provide are priceless. 谢谢 Excel 中文老师！

I just finished up my first quarter and Im super impressed. I learned way more than I thought I would in just 7 short weeks. The homework is a little heavy in the beginning but they warn you ahead of time so you can plan accordingly. Taking the classes online has been super easy, and honestly has made it possible for us to join. I wouldnt have been able to make in-person classes work with my schedule. The teachers are warm and kind, knowledgeable, always available for questions, and Ive felt truly supported. Ill be continuing on with the next quarter in the spring and cant wait to keep learning.

I cannot say enough about good things about my experience with ExcelMandarin. Evan and his team are exceptional teachers and the curriculum they have set up far surpasses any of my previous experiences learning Chinese in more formal, academic institutions.The course is brilliantly constructed. The information prioritizes the necessary foundation of speaking and listening, while introducing characters once that baseline is established. I am not a natural language learner, but Ive found the classes and homework allow me to strengthen my skills in a way that not only works, but feels incredibly natural.The only thing better than the course itself are the individuals who run it. Evan hosts a fun and engaging class, quickly defying any of my fears about online learning. We get the opportunity to work individually, in pairs, and in small groups, utilizing a wide array of tools and methods to ensure learning is possible for everyone. Every teacher is kind, professional, and encouraging. They all genuinely care about each students progress and go out of their way to provide additional resources and help for those that want it.I am blown away by my time with ExcelMandarin, making it one of the best educational experiences I have ever had. Im always looking forward to the next class, the next week, and the next quarter. This truly has been worth every penny and minute Ive spent with the EM team!Thank you to all of the incredible staff there that has made such a challenging language accessible and fun to learn for all of us!

My experience with Excel Mandarin has been very positive. I entered with no skill in Mandarin and 7 weeks of classes later I have a decent, if simplistic, vocabulary, a working understanding of pinyin, and can communicate in relatively simple sentences. The program focuses on speaking and listening and using natural language patterns which is very practical. Im not interested in an academic study of the language--I just want to be able to be conversational, to order off the Chinese menu at a restaurant, and travel in China. If you have similar goals, I highly recommend this program. Ive already enrolled in the 2nd quarter. Teachers are caring and patient. Homework can be a little taxing, but theres no grades--theyll provide corrections/suggestions only.Note: If youre intimidated by Chinese characters, this is a great program for you b/c they eschew the characters in the first quarter and were told learning the characters is optional for the remaining quarters.

After countless attempts at learning another language through classes at school/college & self study, I decided to bite the bullet and look into a more tailored approach in learning Mandarin. During my research, I came across Excel Mandarin. Excel Mandarin ticked all of the boxes I was looking for; small class sizes, learning Mandarin from the absolute beginning, and in person classes (this was pre-COVID19). After reading the reviews on their website and meeting with Evan, I took the plunge and signed up. Then the pandemic happened. As one of the requirements I had was wanting in person classes, I was very skeptical about the online class format. However these fears were quickly quashed as Evan and the ExcelMandarin staff have carefully curated an exceptional online class experience, one that is fun and hands on for all students and still allows for dedicated time between students and teachers.Not only has the online class format exceeded my expectations, but ExcelMandarin as a whole has exceeded my expectations. I started off with zero mandarin knowledge and within weeks I was able to understand and construct multiple sentences. The ExcelMandarin staff are very patient and are always on hand to answer any questions you have (even out of class), help with tones and provide you with meaningful feedback. It is clearly evident in all classes, how much they truly care about your development (just meeting with Evan will show you this). The curriculum is thoughtfully constructed and great for complete beginners, or people who are wanting to get back into Mandarin. ExcelMandarin has also been great at listening to feedback of students and working to always continuously improve upon the learning experience.I have read other reviews for ExcelMandarin and wholeheartedly agree with them. These classes definitely arent for the faint hearted. But if you are serious about learning Mandarin, you wont regret joining the ExcelMandarin family.

I just finished Q1 at Excel Mandarin, and all I can say is Excel Mandarin is an amazing school.Teachers are so inspiring and caring. They are passionate about teaching and they care about your learning progress. I love how they encourage me to use what I’ve learned as much as possible. Great pacing and use of class time. They’re also available outside of class to answer any questions I may have.Excel Mandarin uses a unique approach to learning Mandarin and made it enjoyable to attend every class section. All the content I’ve learned was useful. With the conversation-based teaching method, after I finished Q1, my friend was impressed because I was able to hold a conversation with her in Chinese.Overall, Im glad that I found Excel Mandarin - a community where people are serious about teaching and learning Mandarin.

Im so happy I found Excel Mandarin! I tried learning Mandarin on my own for years and was never able to progress very far. I went searching for schools and settled on Excel Mandarin because they focus on getting you comfortable speaking as quick as possible. This was evident immediately as most of our class time is spent speaking and we get to meet three times a week, so no long layoffs between classes! The teachers are great and the class format is engaging, fun, and practical. Im now on my second quarter and couldnt be happier with my progress!

Learning through ExcelMandarin has been amazing to say the least. This is, by far, the best language learning experience I’ve ever had. The teachers are passionate, enthusiastic and genuinely care about the students and their progress. It’s an accelerated, immersive and challenging course that has brought me unbelievably quickly to a point of understanding and speaking Mandarin, and I’ve only gotten as far as a term and a half. I highly recommend enrolling to anyone who is even the slightest bit interested in language. 我真爱中文！

After a fair amount of independent study, I reached a place that many language learners do. I found myself bumping up against the limits of what I’d be able to accomplish on my own and I began searching for some sort of structure to facilitate deeper learning. There are a lot of options out there and you certainly won’t find a shortage of college courses, tutors, and apps that claim to help you build a fundamental understanding of a language. I spent a lot of time researching my options but I knew I had found the right path for me after previewing a few classes offered by ExcelMandarin.Fast forward about six months and I have nothing but good things to say about my experience! Unlike many courses that prioritize memorization drills and worksheets, ExcelMandarin focuses on helping develop the toolset you’ll need for the lifelong journey that is learning a language. I’ve never felt more engaged, excited, and supported in any education environment I’ve been in previously. The fact that I’ve been able to remain as passionate as I have while maintaining the speed of this intensive course is a true testament to the thought and care that is put into every element of the experience.In addition to that, I can’t speak highly enough about the instructors and classmates that I’ve had the pleasure of sharing this experience with. I was pleasantly surprised by the friendships and community that have organically grown from my time in this course. In a world of video calls, the people I share my evenings with make all the difference in the world.

If you’re looking for an intensive, fast-paced, and engaging Mandarin course, this is the one for you.Some background: I had planned to take the first quarter of ExcelMandarin’s (EM) “Fluency” series in March 2020. But then the pandemic happened, so EM shifted their business model to Zoom classes.I was part of the first online cohort and I’m not gonna lie — I was pretty skeptical at first. Like most second-language learners, I’d only taken in-person classes for other languages, and assumed it’d be too difficult to replicate the same level of interaction here. But the online model came with 2 major benefits: 1) zero commute; 2) with Zoom’s breakout rooms, it’s much easier to engage with other students/teachers whereas you deal with cross-interference in a physical classroom. We often break into 1:1 (student/student) or 4:1 (students/teacher) small groups so minimizing cross-interference is so important.The teachers are fantastic. Our main teacher is Evan (EM’s founder), and he brings an unbelievable amount of energy to each session. His co-teachers are so lovely and bring a breadth of experiences — we have second-language learner teachers (helpful for working through pain points that English speakers face) as well as native speakers from Taiwan and China (helpful for hearing natives speak and for their insight on more esoteric words/phrases). My classmates are awesome. Even though we all have different learning objectives and experiences with Mandarin, everyone’s really friendly, empathetic, and passionate. I’m so thankful to have such a supportive community at EM.In addition to Zoom, we use Canvas for our syllabus and assignments, Google Slides for lecture slides, Slack for communication between classes, and online language resources like DuChinese, Pleco, and Quizlet/Anki. I bring this up to emphasize that the EM experience isn’t just Zoom classes — it’s truly a multi-faceted one that extends beyond the class itself, and relies on several tools to develop your comprehension, speaking, and writing skills in a holistic way.One note about the structure of the “Fluency” series. In the first quarter, students only learn pinyin and don’t learn characters until the second quarter. This wasn’t an issue for me, but something to keep in mind for students who want to learn characters right away. Also, this series focuses primarily on simplified characters. While some resources are provided to learn traditional characters, teachers use and communicate with simplified ones only.I literally did not know how to read a single character or say anything more than “hello,” “thank you,” and “I love you” in Mandarin before taking this class. Now, I’m currently in my second quarter of the “Fluency” series, and while I still have a long road to actual fluency, I can read, write, understand, and communicate in Mandarin in a way that I never could’ve imagined prior to taking these classes.Don’t let the online component deter you from learning something new this year. If you’re looking to dip your toe into Mandarin classes, you can’t go wrong with ExcelMandarin.

What an AMAZING experience! I decided to commit to learning Mandarin because my spouse is from Taiwan and I have always said I wanted to learn. After a recent trip to Taiwan for Lunar New Year, I was introduced to lot of family that could not speak English. I told myself that would commit to learning this year. I did a lot of research and reached out to Evan at ExcelMandarin to schedule a class observation. Also, I should note I’ve taken several years of college level Spanish, and a year of German as well as 6 years of Latin while in Secondary school. This has by far been the best learning experience so far!After the observation, I was hooked! I enrolled in the Spring 2020 Level 1 Fluency course. Due to COVID-19, the classes were transitioned online to Zoom. I was skeptical at first, but the class was even better in a virtual space because it allowed for better break out room conversations and more individualized learning.I am now completing Level 2 and have been all in this semester. It’s incredible how much I’ve learned. I am already translating simple paragraphs as well as having simple conversations about important daily activities. My spouses parents are amazed at how we they can understand me and agree that the progress is incredible.Besides having an amazing team of instructors, the other students are great too and probably 90% of the students from Level 1 continued to Level 2. We have created friendships and connections that go beyond the class. If you are looking for an amazing learning experience, look no further, ExcelMandarin is where it’s at! 🙏🏼

Definitely been having an awesome experience here at ExcelMandarin. It’s a pretty small school so most classes just feel like you’re talking to friends. There’s definitely a big focus on the spoken language in the first two quarters which I’ve been enjoying. Unlike most people, my interest in Chinese was pure intellectual curiosity. I was also intrigued by Evan’s claim that he can get you fluent in 6 months. I have to say that I’m pretty impressed by my progress with the caveat that is a BIG commitment - definitely not a decision I’d take lightly, you can’t really “dabble in the language on the side” at this school. If you’ve made up your mind though, I doubt you can find a better school - if you do, for any language, please reach out to me @ shashank2khanna- at - gmail