Student Feedback

1. 4.86Well-prepared
2. 4.54Explains clearly
3. 4.92Helps student(s) to speak the majority of class-time
4. 4.59Precisely answers questions
5. 4.59Inspires confidence and encourages studying hard
6. 4.92Corrects pronunciation and grammar mistakes
7. 4.57Teaches according to the student's level
8. 4.54Effective use of class time

Testimonials

• "I could not say or understand anything before starting with the lessons. Now I can recognize and pronounce the different tones as well as Chinese consonant sounds that were foreign to me. I have learned some of the basics (such as greetings, numbers, times of the day, family, food,...) . Within the boundaries of my limited vocabulary, in the last lessons I was able to have (more or less scripted) conversations with the teacher."

  — Pablo Ruiz-Verdu

• "I was very impressed with my GuavaTalk experience. I feel confident that I have a much better understanding of basic pronunciation and have learned some vocabulary that will help me on my upcoming vacation to Taiwan. The customer service and teacher were awesome and the GuavaTalk interface is not only reliable and very easy to use, it is modern and works great for online learning. One of the things I really liked about this class is the PDF and mp3 files that are emailed afterward - I will be able go back to these as many times as I need to for clarification. Thanks GuavaTalk!"

  — Jennifer Moss

• "As a full-time medical student, I don't have a lot of time to practice Chinese outside of class. GuavaTalk has done a great job of providing me opportunities to develop my Chinese language skills while being very flexible with my schedule. I knew almost no Chinese before starting classes, but after less than a year, Chinese friends compliment my Chinese, saying it is clear and 'very standard.'"

  — Rachel Wattier

• "I found that GuavaTalk has helped me with my overall understanding of Chinese. I have learned a lot about Chinese culture, while learning Chinese as well. I really like how GuavaTalk is different from Chinese class during school. GuavaTalk is more personalized towards the individual student, and I think it is really helpful. Sometimes, it is difficult to speak Chinese at school, especially since we prefer the speak the language that we know the best over one that we are attempting to learn, but GuavaTalk gives me the opportunity to do so. I am really glad that we had GuavaTalk this year because I think that it gave me a lot of the extra practice that I needed in Mandarin."

  — Rosanna Chaoanw

• "I feel that after using GuavaTalk, I've been able to learn more efficiently because I have an environment that I can practice what I learn in. Also, GuavaTalk makes studying easier, because the teachers explain to me what I don't understand. I think it is a great program, and I'm disappointed CCS didn't start it sooner, or else I might be really good in Mandarin."

  — Liane Yee

• "I would like for my teacher to continue with her hard work. She is very organized, and I like her teaching style. She definitely challenges me, and it is this characteristic that I like in a teacher. Both my spoken and written Chinese have improved a lot compared to before I started taking the class. I'm happy that GuavaTalk has made it possible for me to continue studying Chinese. It is difficult to find good and affordable teachers close to where I live at the level that I am speaking at. My experience with Molly has been excellent. She is truly a gifted teacher, and I enjoy my classes with her a great deal. She challenges me and I believe that this has definitely helped to improve my spoken Chinese. Although taking classes here might not be as effective as living in China, I do believe that I can achieve a higher level of speaking through taking these classes."

  — Jessica Taylor

• "When I started with GuavaTalk, I did not speak Mandarin well: my tones were sloppy and my grammar was weak. By working with GuavaTalk's teachers one-on-one over the course of a year my tones have improved dramatically and I have been able to master ever more complex sentence structures. For me the true test of Mandarin ability is whether I can approach a stranger and hold a substantive conversation. Before GuavaTalk, I had a great deal of difficulty in being understood; now I have no problem at all. I recommend it wholeheartedly to anyone serious about learning Mandarin."

  — John Challis

• "In my opinion, most of my progress was in the practical usage of Chinese. For example, engaging us in conversation by asking us questions and giving us the assignment of writing dialogues allowed us the opportunity to practice using Chinese in everyday life. GuavaTalk also helped to expand my vocabulary and solidify my understanding of material that we learned in school. Lastly, having a teacher from Beijing really helps us to study beyond the textbook and to have a peek into modern Chinese culture."

  — Alan Cham

• "GuavaTalk has allowed me to have more chances to actually use Mandarin, rather than keep everything in book-knowledge terms."

  — Elton Wong

• "My Chinese has improved a lot since GuavaTalk. I had a lot of trouble forming coherent Chinese sentences; my responses were very blunt and simplistic in the beginning of GuavaTalk. I found that my Chinese sentences have grown more complex..."

  — Melissa Yam

• "I came to Taiwan not knowing a single word of Chinese. GuavaTalk helped me feel more confident, more settled - from ordering food to buying everyday needs at the supermarket. Not only is it helping me, but it's saving my life here in Taiwan! I love GuavaTalk!"

  — English Teacher in Taiwan

• "When I searched the Internet for language companies offering online lessons in Chinese I came across a number of different providers, one of which was GuavaTalk. After having weighed the pros and cons of the various offers, I decided to go for GuavaTalk and I never regretted my decision. Brian, who provided me with background information on the company policy and explained to me the structure of the course once I had told him what I wanted to do, was not only extremely professional in his approach but also very friendly and forthcoming. The great thing about GuavaTalk is that they make you and your needs the centre of their attention. You tell them what your goals are, and they will work out a plan to make sure you reach them. They take care of everything (even sending you sound recordings after each lesson, accompanied with meticulously prepared PDF files) so you can concentrate on studying, and believe me you need that time to succeed.
  
  I took a trial lesson with a teacher called Sophie. She was an excellent teacher. Due to my rather specific time schedule (I work as a freelance interpreter and translator for some international organizations) Sophie was replaced by Jessica who was just as fantastic as Sophie. As a matter of fact, she managed to make my classes not only highly instructive but also very entertaining. Not an easy task considering the challenge at hand. We shared quite a few laughs, working hard at the same time.
  
  Based on my own personal experience I can wholeheartedly recommend GuavaTalk to anybody who is serious about studying Chinese. Even if you just want to get a taste of this beautiful language it is worth getting in touch with GuavaTalk - I'm sure you won't regret it."

  — Robert Bigler, translator and interpreter for major international organizations

• "I would recommend GuavaTalk to others seeking online Mandarin instruction for two reasons: quality of teaching and quality of customer support. The learning is individualized and supportive; both my wife and I feel that our teachers respond to our own individual needs. Customer support has consistently exceeded my expectations. In particular, the ease of rescheduling classes has been critical for my busy schedule. If you are serious about learning Mandarin, GuavaTalk is a very cost-effective way to proceed."

  — Graduate student in New Haven, CT

• "I've bought lots of books in the past, and have asked lots of Chinese-speaking friends to help me, but GuavaTalk is the only thing that has lasted more than a couple weeks (almost four months now! I have two classes a week that I can't put off, and I actually really look forward to them. GuavaTalk's teachers really helped me with the tones, and people no longer stare at me blankly when I attempt to speak Chinese."

  — Graduate student in Berkeley, CA

• "I've been very happy with GuavaTalk's service and in working with my instructor. The instructor even adjusted the lesson content after I indicated that it seemed too focused on traditional classroom topics. Since I'm an executive in Silicon Valley, and have been out of school for many years, the instructor quickly switched from classroom-based topics to social and leisure topics more relevant to me."

  — Venture Capitalist in Palo Alto, CA