Level up your Mandarin with the best Chinese tutors in Adelaide

The Australasian Centre of Chinese Studies has been teaching Chinese for over 30 years. They have three different curricula aimed at casual conversations, survival, and business settings. 

Lessons are enjoyable and straightforward, according to former students. Teachers use the “accelerated learning” method, where tutors start with teaching characters, which makes learning full words easier. They also add games and relaxing activities to make learning fun. 

The teachers are fluent in English and Mandarin. In addition, they have diverse academic backgrounds; some have a bachelor’s or an honours degree. 

I found the price reasonable. They can go from $15 to $20 per hour, including books and CDs. This saves me about $60—a huge plus for me! 

However, a former student told me that her summer intensive course was frustrating. She waited for 30 minutes as instructed, but no one showed up, and her emails and calls went unanswered. Thus, she found the whole experience very unprofessional.

Great Chinese learning experience 

“Great place to study Chinese. I really enjoy my classes. Can’t wait to start my next level.” 

Mishka Sh | Facebook Review

Learn Chinese effectively with a fantastic teacher 

“Excellent way to learn Chinese. Great teacher and encouraging environment.” 

John Carrick | Facebook Review

Tutors at Language Trainers Australia develop their lessons around the student’s needs. Lessons can range from general to business Chinese. Expected results include being able to hold conversations and having basic telephone and email skills in Chinese.

All the trainers are native speakers with an internationally recognised teaching certificate. Each of them has a broad teaching experience, ranging from teaching diverse groups to taking on leadership roles in educational settings.

I also love that they provide a free trial online lesson because it helps students get a feel of their teaching method. This way, students can experience a class before committing to enrolment. 

While it’s understandable that private lessons are more expensive because the teacher gives you their full attention, I find the price difference between their private and group classes a bit steep. 

Private lessons start at AU$32.50 (online) and AU$51.00 (face-to-face) per hour. Group classes start at AU$10.50 per hour. The price can increase if you need more hours.  

If you’re on a budget, adjustable pricing can be challenging. With fixed pricing, you know the cost upfront. If you’re thinking about enrolling, be sure to ask for a clear explanation of how costs are calculated so you know what to expect.

Best way to learn a language 

“Language Trainers offers learners the opportunity to have personalised, individual language lessons with a dedicated teacher from the comfort of home! The one-on-one virtual classes with practice speaking and pronunciation feedback have been invaluable. It’s the best way to truly learn to speak the language.” 

Ann Richards| Facebook Review

Excellent office support and student-focused approach 

“I would highly recommend Language Trainers. The support from the office team is great, all the internal processes are easy to follow. The focus on the student is very reassuring, my current student is very motivated and it’s a pleasure to teach him.” 

Paul Kearns | Facebook Review

Listen & Learn Australia offers customised lessons held in-person and online in private classes. Teachers here use materials such as TV series, songs, or novels to supplement their lessons. I find this an enjoyable way to keep the lessons interesting. 

A former student said that her tutor was flexible when she needed to reschedule classes, which is a plus for working adults with busy schedules. 

However, when I looked at their website, I didn’t see any teacher profiles. When looking for a tutor, I want to get to know them and assess their qualifications. It would be helpful to have their qualifications and experience upfront, rather than having to email a request. 

I also tried their 30-minute free taster, which they offer instead of a free trial. However, I thought the call didn’t really do much for me. It was just a conversation, so I couldn’t gauge his teaching style. I still believe that a free-trial lesson is more helpful.

Face-to-face classes begin at AU$54 per hour, while online courses start at AU$35.50.

Effective language learning support 

“It is my first time learning a new language listen and learn has been super helpful highly recommended this company” 

James O Grady | Facebook Review

Excellent tutoring leads to quick language progress 

“Been having lessons with Listen & Learn for a few weeks now and it’s been so good, I’m learning so much and so quick thanks to our incredible Tutor! Would highly recommend using Listen & Learn if you’re thinking of learning a language!” 

Nikki Bishop | Facebook Review

The Vocational Language Learning Centre (VLLC) has provided quality language education for 30 years. All Mandarin Chinese courses offered here aim to develop your reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. Moreover, VLLC provides general, vocational, and advanced lessons in online and face-to-face classes. 

The teachers base their lessons on how natives interact with people who speak the language. They are skilled conversationalists, so they get their students talking from the beginning. I prefer this approach because students learn faster through consistent interaction. 

Tutors in VLLC are Chinese natives. Furthermore, they all have a significant amount of experience in teaching the language. All tutors spent significant time living in China, which has shaped their cultural understanding and teaching approach.

However, since the focus here is on conversations, it’s not bound to be academic. Thus, this arrangement isn’t ideal for people who prefer a more academic type of learning. 

VLLC’s excellent tutors, but outdated software holds it back 

“VLLC was a great jump-start into learning Mandarin. The staff in Adelaide as well as the office staff were extremely helpful and friendly. Over my course, I had two tutors, both of them experts in helping with annunciation and cognition. The fifth star I regrettably must retract from my review as the software for their program is very archaic, and being as most of the study is done via this software, I think it could greatly benefit from being re-written. The tutors and the staff make this program worthwhile, but the software will leave you wondering why you’re paying so much for a “good enough” system.” 

Will Morelli | Google Review

Top-notch teaching with personalised lessons 

“I couldn’t think of a bad thing to say about this place if I wanted to. The staff here are really helpful and friendly and most importantly, great teachers. The private lessons are relaxed and dynamic based on your individual progress, and they have you speaking from day 1. The structured homework is a great way to stay motivated between lessons.” 

Jacqueline Grace Castro | Facebook Review

School of Languages is a government school that proxies high school courses in classrooms across Adelaide. For 37 years, the organisation has been providing after-school language lessons at 25 different schools. 

Although it focuses on secondary education institutions, they also have vocational courses for adults. Depending on the school, they hold a three-hour class once a week. 

They assign homework and conduct assessments, which former students were pleased to find included detailed feedback and personalised support, even in a classroom setting. They also use diverse assessment methods so students can showcase their skills in various ways. 

Unfortunately, a former student told me about rude staff. Now, that’s minus points for customer service. 

A spacious learning environment with kind teachers 

“It’s very nice and big. The teachers are very kind and let you learn a language while having fun” 

Frederick Liew | Google Review

Excellent staff and activities 

“Our children attend language lessons in the afternoons and also attend the holiday days with Languages Alive, cannot speak highly enough of all the staff and the activities, my children love it!” 

Rebecca Anderson | Google Review