MADS, NORWAY

SIMON, UK

  • I have found Touch Chinese language instruction to be convenient, engaging and very enjoyable. I never thought I would learn Chinese language as quickly as I am through Touch Chinese, and it really helps to have lessons over Skype with a native Chinese instructor based in China. I am even learning some Chinese writing, which I never thought I would be able to do. I strongly recommend Touch Chinese for anyone who wants to learn Mandarin in a convenient and highly professional setting.

    Chris Cherry Singapore
  • Two of our children study with TouchChinese twice a week. Prior to these lessons they had studied a few years in school and I have also studied considerably in the past. So, we can recognize successful instruction in Chinese. Our family has been quite pleased with this service. The staff is professional and friendly. Both of the teachers we have had for our children have adapted the classes specifically to each child’s learning style and engaged them wonderfully. We consider this company a great find.

    The Hall Family GA, US
  • When I started to search good Chinese language courses, it was very difficult to find the good and friendly company. But the TouchChinese give me a free lesson and I find the stuff amicable and professional. It’s amazing how interestingly learn Chinese via Skype! Is a good way to start!

    Denis Lepeskin Moscow,Russia
  • It began as guilt. Last year, after having lived in Hong Kong for fourteen years without being able to speak any Chinese, I finally decided to take a sabbatical and learn the language. With many Chinese friends, I realised it would be a great social tool for me. My son had been using Touch Chinese to complement his Chinese curriculum for a couple of years and I quite liked the approach: one-on-one lessons, flexible timings and customised coursework. Nearly a year later, I am pleased beyond my initial expectations. My working vocabulary is about 1,300 words already, about a third of the way to day-to-day fluency. I can sight-read simple sentences and can use pinyin to type like a pro! Now, I did use a couple of other resources to supplement the Touch Chinese lessons (books, podcasts, Chinese TV programs, Pleco flashcards for Android, Google Translate), but the core of my learning system was regular conversation with my excellent teacher, Amy Zhang. English speakers in particular need to understand that frequent conversation with a native speaker is the most efficient route to learning Chinese because it is a tonal language and correct pronunciation and accurate listening need attention and practice. Besides, straight translation does not always work whereas a good teacher can understand your meaning and not just your words and give more nuance to your learning. The good news is that learning by speaking puts you on a fast track once you master the basics, at least in my experience. And then you begin to appreciate the richness and fullness of the language and of the logic and culture underlying its patterns. I started learning Chinese, as I said, out of guilt. I continue to learn Chinese because it is FUN and now I am doing this as part of my social life. This progression would not have been possible without Touch Chinese. I thank them, I endorse them and I can’t think of a better way to start learning Chinese. Eric and team, thanks and keep up the awesome work!

    Jay Chandrasekharan Hong Kong
  • I have been a student at TouchChinese for about two years. The teachers are enthusiastic, professional, and reliable. The organization is professionally run and maintains its commitment to students. The teachers and managers are flexible with the timing and frequency of lessons. It is very easy to arrange lessons and communicate on line with TouchChinese. I found TouchChinese a great help in learning Mandarin, especially the spoken language.

    Brian T Canada
  • It is with the utmost pleasure that I write this recommendation based on my experience with TouchChinese. I came to Eric with a fairly good background in Chinese having studied at the Beijing Language Institute and living in China for nearly 7 years. In addition, my wife is Chinese and so for the last 10+ years I’ve had exposure to Chinese and do speak it daily. However, what I always wanted was an opportunity to improve my skills to a more advanced level, gaining a deeper understanding of the culture and technical language points, and to improve my reading and writing. Some of you may wonder, why not have my wife teach me? Well for one, she is an accountant not a language teacher. Secondly. while there are some areas she can help with she does not possess the specialized training in teaching Chinese to foreigners. It would be like me teaching English to Chinese (which I have done and feel somewhat sorry for those that suffered through my classes) . For years I researched my options:

    • Private tutor/classes in the US – too expensive and lots of inconvenient travel time
    • University classes – all during the day, not possible to attend with a full time job
    • Community College classes – great price point, but not advanced enough for my needs
    About two years ago I started to research the internet as online Chinese classes were become popular. I found one of the larger companies (that shall remain nameless) and from the advertisement it looked pretty good. After the free trial a sales person tried to “work me” into this very expensive plan with no flexibility and they wanted several thousand dollars upfront. Last year during a business trip to China I stumbled across TouchChinese on an internet search. I was very skeptical but decided to give it a try. I had a trial lesson with Kitty, which went really well. Much to my surprise I was not hounded by a sales person to pay thousands of dollars afterwards. A few months later I discussed my personal plans with Eric and started formal lessons with Kitty. I’ve been studying with Kitty at TouchChinese for a few months now and really love it! For me, with a hectic works schedule, 2 children, and international travel, flexibility was key and TouchChinese has been wonderful in this area. I am not forced to take lessons when its not convenient for me. I can take 1 a week or 3 a week and can schedule a lesson with about 24 hours notice. Flexibility aside, the quality of instruction is superb, which was another concern. My instructor has her Masters in Chinese and knows the challenges that westerners face. She is able to pinpoint certain areas and explain them quite clearly. She also provides supplemental material that helps with the integration and understanding of my lessons. I look forward to each lesson as I know I will really get a lot out of it. I am extremely pleased with my TouchChinese experience and plan on staying with them for quite a while. I told my teacher (Kitty) that I would continue to study Chinese until all areas (reading, writing, speaking and pronunciation) are the same as a native! I was also fortunate enough to meet both Eric and Kitty during my last business trip to China and in addition to being very professional, they are really nice people too! Thank you and keep up the great work! James

    James Seattle WA, US
  • I have been taking lessons at Touch Chinese for over two months now. I was and still am delighted by the service, availability and mostly the competence of the teachers. These are not just native speakers, who try to give you hints of the language. They are competent individuals who are specialized in methodology on how to convey the best redering of Chinese language to foreigners at all levels. You have a free trial and they assess your level and go on from there according to your needs. Touch Chinese are schedule flexible. You can choose the time of your convenience and even if your regular teacher is not available at a particular time, they will immediately provide someone else to fill in. I am a foreign student living in Switzerland and I am writing my MA thesis in sinology. They have been more than helpful in giving advice and correcting some pit falls in my writing. I can assure you that their help, kindness and always prepared to lend a helping hand on the matter is priceless. I can’t meet many Chinese people due to the geographical limitations and my working schedule, which impedes me from finding time or people to take lessons with. Finding Touch Chinese was a blessing. I need not move from my house and I can choose the time of my preference. So, if you still can’t go to China and you are passionate about learning Chinese, Touch Chinese is the next best thing!

    Aoming Switzerland
  • Touchchinese.com – Tai bang le!!!! On my search to find a professional online Mandarin school, I came across <> in Mai 2010 and took a trial lesson. Since then, I have had almost 300 one-to-one lessons and I keep on going. What makes TouchChinese so very special? • I have the same teacher (Kiwi laoshi is fantastic) since day 1!!! We started with “Ni hao” together and are having conversations in Mandarin today. Kiwi knows my weaknesses and strengths and adapts her teaching accordingly. She is friendly and funny and patient and understands how to motivate. She instantly managed to take away the fear that learning Mandarin is complicated. When Kiwi was on vacation (once), I was taught by a substitute teacher who was aware of my progress in detail. • Most importantly, Touchchinese is extremely flexible: I do not need to commit to a fixed schedule and therefore I have utmost flexibility which is fitting my personal life style; hence it is the first time that I am following a language course with discipline and commitment. • The simple software allows me to learn Hanzi (Chinese characters) – which I strongly recommend everyone to do if you want to get serious. • The material provided is up-to-date, interesting and useful – on my trip to China last year; I have been complimented for my pronunciation and vocabulary. • Learning through skype works perfectly. Since May 2010 we only had one session which we had to drop due to problems with the internet – the session was credited instantly. • The management is in regular contact with me asking for feedback and wishes and will make sure of implementing them accordingly To cut a long story short – if you always dreamed about learning Chinese but your busy schedule prevented you from doing it, <> is the place you want to give it a try. I am convinced that you will stick to it and that you will surprise yourself about how easy it is to keep discipline and have fun. Zhu ni hao yun. Zai jian

    Beate Switzerland