Chinese is a logical language and systematically builds on every step, so grasping the concepts is easier than ever as you move forward. This will make every following step easier than the last. It also implies that after you take the best online course to learn Chinese, you will recognize Chinese to the very best.
More so, when you take up the Chinese language classes online, you will acquire valuable insight into the culture, history, people, and language of China.
The internet has a plethora of courses. So, how do you pick the best course of the many available Chinese language courses online? Well, fret not. We did the research and have shortlisted some of the best courses for you.
Best Courses & Classes to Learn Chinese
- Learn Chinese | Level 1 – [Udemy]
- Chinese language for beginners: Mandarin Chinese HSK1-HSK3 – [Udemy]
- Core Chinese 1: Build Up Chinese Foundations By Practice – [Udemy]
- Chinese for Beginners – Offered by Peking University – [Coursera]
- Learn Chinese: An Introduction to Mandarin – [FutureLearn]
- Chinese Courses – [GoEast Mandarin]
- Mandarin Chinese Courses – [edX]
- Learn Chinese with Busuu – [Busuu]
- Learn Chinese – [Duolingo]
8 Best Chinese Language Course Online
1. Learn Chinese | Level 1 – [Udemy]
| Rating | 4.4 |
| Enrolled | 34,179 students |
| Duration | 11.5 hours on-demand video |
| Instructor | Ann Zhu and Felix Lättman |
| Certification | Yes |
| Paid | Yes |
| Return or refund policy | 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee |
| Cons | The instructor talks a little too fast. |
Wish to learn Chinese effectively, quickly, and enjoyably? Then, these are the best Chinese language classes for you. Once you are through with the course, you will be able to understand and write short dialogue. The course will also give you adequate knowledge to build further on.
This course will teach you what Domino Chinese is. It is a unique approach developed by the learners and for the learners. So, in this course, you will learn Chinese via hundreds of hours of video content. The whole content is divided into concise tutorials, making them easy to understand.
The instructor will demonstrate how you must use Mandarin Chinese in your daily life. When you enroll in these Chinese language classes online, you will learn to speak, write, read, and communicate fluently.
With the progression of the course, the student’s language will improve, and it will become easier for them to connect, apply, and build on the acquired language skills.
So, once you develop the skills further, you can take intermediate-level courses, slang courses, pronunciation courses, HSK courses, and even advanced-level courses.
Hence, regardless of whether you wish to learn Chinese for study, business, travel, work or communicate with your friends in China, this course can come in handy.
Learning Outcomes
A few things you can expect to learn in this course are:
- Conversing in Chinese about almost everything
- Reading and writing sample books, articles, or stories in Chinese
Prerequisites
For this Chinese language training online, you will need:
- Time to practice your Chinese language
- Supplementary material to practice
- Computer with download facility
However, there is no need to have any prior subject knowledge to take this course.
Who should take this course?
Whether you are new to Chinese or wish to bridge your understanding of the language, you can take this Chinese language certification online. So, students, regardless of their existing knowledge of the language, will find the course beneficial.
Review Luis H.
Excellent course! What i really enjoyed is the pace of it and how it uses clear examples to help remember key concepts to learn the language.
2. Chinese language for beginners: Mandarin Chinese HSK1-HSK3 – [Udemy]
| Rating | 4.6 |
| Enrolled | 13,250 students |
| Duration | 25.5 hours on-demand video |
| Instructor | Yuanli Xiao and Kamil Domanski |
| Certification | Yes |
| Paid | Yes |
| Return or refund policy | 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee |
| Cons | For beginners, the course may seem a little challenging. |
Next, we have a bestseller Chinese language course online. These best Chinese language classes are suitable for anyone taking the HSK (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) test.
Also known as the Chinese Proficiency Test, it is a standardized examination that assesses non-native Chinese speakers’ proficiency. With this course, you will be familiarized with some of the most prevalent sentences and words in Mandarin Chinese.
Upon taking this course, you will gain confidence in some of the most prevalent Chinese language phrases and words.
- HSK1 Course includes 150 words, Around 200 sentences, 19 conversations, and one HSK1 test.
- HSK2 Course comprises 150 words, Around 300 sentences, 17 long discussions, and one HSK2 test.
- HSK3 Course includes 300 words, Around 900 sentences, 25 stories, and one HSK3 test.
There are flashcards included in the course, which can help you practice and review the sentences and words from the lesson in the most fun and engaging manner. In addition, there is a provision to download the audio of every class. It will make it easier for you to learn on the go.
The entire Chinese language certification online course is divided into three parts.
In Part 1 – You will learn new Chinese sentences and words
In Part 2 – You will know a story or a conversation
In Part 3 – There will be homework and review
Learning Outcomes
In this Chinese language training online course, you will learn to:
- Practice both listening and speaking
- Communicate in Mandarin Chinese
- Familiarity with the most used Chinese grammar rules
- Knowledge of the prevalent phrases and words
- Common words and sentences in Chinese
- Speaking the language at home and working with confidence
- Gaining confidence to talk to Chinese
- Reading Mandarin Chinese characters
- Understanding the tone in the Chinese language
- Familiarity with Chinese characters
Who should take this course?
This is the best Chinese language course online for:
- People who have Chinese friends and want to communicate with them
- People who are planning a trip to China
- Anyone enrolled in a Chinese language school
- People majoring in Chinese at college-level
- Those wishing to learn the Chinese language
- People who work and live in China
- Anyone who aspires to learn Mandarin Chinese engagingly and effectively.
- Beginners who are planning to take the HSK1 and/or HSK2 exams.
Review Pedro C.
Everything quite well and clear explained, lot of material to learn. I highly recommend this course.
3. Core Chinese 1: Build Up Chinese Foundations By Practice – [Udemy]
| Rating | 4.7 |
| Enrolled | 5,313 students |
| Duration | 9 hours on-demand video |
| Instructor | Sookie Jung, Peggy Goh, and Daniel Lin |
| Certification | Yes |
| Paid | Yes |
| Return or refund policy | 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee |
| Cons | More English text could be included to support Chinese pronunciations. |
When you have a foundation in a foreign language, you are able to make basic words and expressions in the language and speak it by yourself. With this Chinese language training online, you can get ample practice, thanks to the systematic and organized approach adopted by the instructor.
Hence, once you are through with these Chinese language classes online, you will be able to converse in the language.
It is a comprehensive course, which comprises 86 practice materials, 52 lectures, and phonics. There are also audio files included to give you ample practice. So, you will be well-versed with the language as the whole course has been designed to streamline the learning process as much as possible.
Through the course, the instructor’s goal is to make you speak and practice the Chinese expressions on your own with just a few selected basic words.
Learning Outcomes
Some things you can expect to learn in this Chinese language certification online course are:
- Chinese at the basic level
- Making your variations of the Chinese expressions
- Understanding the key differences with English
- Getting used to the Chinese sentence, verb, and structure
- Build on your foundation of the language via organized practices
Prerequisites
When taking these Chinese language classes online, all you need is some privacy to give you the time and space to practice speaking aloud.
Who should take this course?
This Chinese language course online is suitable for:
- People who wish to learn Chinese
- English-language speakers who want to understand the key differences in the Chinese language
- People who want to commence their learning of Chinese, sans any frustration
- Anyone who wishes to remember Chinese sentence, verb, and structure
- People who want to put together all that they have learned so far.
Review Chiang Siew Chin.
A good and practical course for beginners who want to learn mandarin.
4. Chinese for Beginners – Offered by Peking University – [Coursera]
| Offered by | Peking University |
| Rating | 4.8 |
| Enrolled | 1,049,455 students |
| Duration | 21 hours to complete |
| Instructor | Xiaoyu Liu |
| Certification | Yes |
| Paid | Yes |
| Return or refund policy | 7-day free trial |
| Cons | The course moves way too fast. |
In the last few years, there has been a burgeoning demand to familiarize themselves with the Chinese language and culture. More so, if you are traveling to China for business, it truly makes sense to be thorough with the language.
There is a lot more than dialogues in this Chinese language certification online course. The instructor’s proper selection of practice activities and the reading material makes the content varied and rich in stimulating learners’ interests.
The course is 100% online. So, across the course, you will learn at your pace. You can reset and set the deadlines at your timeline. More so, upon completion, you will earn a shareable certificate.
Learning Outcomes
In this Chinese language course online, you will develop:
- Basic understanding of Chinese Mandarin
- Making conversations in Chinese, such as discussing the weather, talking about food and arrangements, introducing someone to the city, discussing your hobbies, and routine conversations, more
- Exchanging information with people in Chinese
Who should take this course?
This Chinese language certification online is ideal for beginners.
Prerequisites
This is a beginner-friendly best online course to learn Chinese. So, you need no prior knowledge to take the course.
Learner career outcomes
The learner career outcomes for this Chinese language course online are:
- Twenty percent of students who took the course began a new career post-completion
- Twenty-nine percent students received a tangible career benefit from the course
Review PP.
She teaches very well! Easy to understand, her accent is very clear to understand, the lesson is very useful and you can use it for real. Thank you for the lovely teaching and lovely lesson. Thank you.
5. Learn Chinese: An Introduction to Mandarin – [FutureLearn]
| Rating | 4.7 |
| Offered by | Shanghai International Studies University (SISU) |
| Duration | Approx 13 weeks 2-4 hrs per week |
| Instructor | Yanli Zhang, Zhu Xuan, Li Hui, Yameng Li, and Qianping Li |
| Certification | Yes |
| Paid | Yes |
| Return or refund policy | There is a seven days trial. You can take the trial to see if the course is right for you. Post that, you can pay the monthly subscription fee, which is non-refundable. |
| Cons | There is no refund policy. |
In this Chinese language course online, you will study with the experts at Shanghai International Studies University. The course is interactive, and there are engaging video and audio content to equip you with a better understanding.
In addition, there are also exercises to help you improve your pronunciations. Upon completion, you will be comfortable communicating in the Mandarin language.
Learning Outcomes
Everything about Chinese Culture, Mandarin Chinese, Intercultural Communication, Chinese Characters, Chinese Grammar, Language, and Linguistics is covered in these Chinese language classes online.
Broadly, with this Chinese language certification online, you will:
- Gather insight into the popular and traditional Chinese culture
- Virtually explore China’s most historic sights
- Experience the local Chinese culture
- Be comfortable with communicating in Chinese
- Basic conversation in Mandarin
- New words and phrases to navigate Chinese conversations
- Learn the words in the proper context
- Using Chinese greetings, asking for directions, discussing things with family members, and other routine things
- Well-acquaintance with the pronunciations
- Understanding of syllables, tones, and phonetics
- Learning to use Pinyin
- Understanding of Chinese grammar
- Improving your translation, spoken, and written English
- Pragmatics, Semantics, and Syntax to develop a deeper insight into Mandarin Chinese and communicate better
Prerequisites
You need no prior training to take this course. Everything you learn will be taught step-by-step.
Who should take this course?
This course is ideal for anyone who wishes to learn Chinese culture and language. If you are planning a travel or business in China, then, too, these Chinese language classes online will prove beneficial for you.
Bonus Chinese Language Courses Online
1. Chinese Courses – [GoEast Mandarin]
| Rating | 4.7 |
| Enrolled | 10000+ students |
| Duration | Two weeks to four months |
| Instructor | Professionals from GoEast |
| Certification | Yes |
| Paid | Yes |
| Return or refund policy | You can cancel & get a refund after attending two classes but not after that |
| Cons | You have to purchase a whole course instead of a single lesson |
GoEast Mandarin is an online Chinese language school with a core team in Shanghai. They teach in all time zones and language levels, through private or group classes.
Their courses consist of self-learning combined with live classes. So you’ll preview (or review) materials like grammar & conversation videos, and digital flashcards on your own.
Each course comes with 20 to 40 chapters, and each chapter has exercises, three videos (grammar, vocab & conversation), a cultural article, and digital flashcards. Plus one or two live lessons with a dedicated GoEast teacher.
There’s also a language consultant to help you get onboard and make sure you pick the right course for yourself.
Learning outcomes
- Learn from HSK1 to HSK6 level – Spoken or Business Chinese
- You’ll also learn Chinese vocabulary and grammar and get to use them in conversations during your live class to improve your pronunciation and listening ability.
- There are also Chinese courses for kids (https://goeastmandarin.com/online-chinese-for-children/)
Who should take this course?
For those who really want to learn Chinese, but do not want to totally rely on self-learning, GoEast is the perfect option. There’s a lot of exposure to Mandarin, and you don’t only get to learn new words, but also get to use them.
Review Inna:
I have to say that I am impressed by this school. I registered 6 months ago and just signed again for 6 more months. The quality of the materials is very good. I really appreciate their system (preview a class, then practice with the teachers, and every 5 lessons having a review class), I find this rhythm very effective. Teachers are qualified, and enthusiastic, and we can feel their passion for teaching. I also like their efforts to prepare events where students can meet. The administration team is efficient and super welcoming. I encourage you to visit their page !
2. Mandarin Chinese Courses – [edX]
In edX’s courses, you will learn from the top and recognized universities and schools. There are courses for every level learner. You can check out the various available best Chinese language classes and find one best online course to learn Chinese, which rightly matches your needs.
A few of the courses you can check out are:
- Professional Certificate in Mandarin Communication
- Mandarin Chinese Essentials
- Mandarin Chinese Level 1
- Mandarin Chinese for Business
3. Learn Chinese with Busuu – [Busuu]
Through these Chinese classes, the platform attempts to help you better your understanding of Chinese by working on it for only 10 minutes a day.
They have two programs for you to take the Chinese language training online. You can either enroll in the Complete Chinese course or learn Chinese for travel.
In the former, everything from basic to advanced level is covered. On the other hand, in the latter course, you will learn enough to make communication during the travel convenient, such as asking for directions, food, etc. A great thing about the course is that the instructor will provide you with instant feedback.
4. Learn Chinese – [Duolingo]
Duolingo has one of the top Chinese language classes online. You can start to learn Chinese in just five minutes a day with interactive and game-like lessons through these classes.
So, everything is covered in this course, from speaking, writing, or reading Chinese.
Both Duolingo and Busuu have language learning classes for Chinese, Spanish, French, Russian, and many others.
Related: Hindi Language Classes, Latin Lessons, Japanese Courses,Arabic Lessons Online,Accent Reduction Classes
Conclusion
So, these are the top eight best courses to learn Chinese. We have tried to include all information about these courses in this guide. However, if you need any specific information about any particular course, you can click on the annexed link.
This will help you make a more informed decision. As all of these are great courses, whatever selection you make, it will be the best Chinese language course online. So, go ahead, and make your selection!
