What is Chinese?
The Chinese language sometimes referred to as Mandarin, is a group of languages used by the Chinese in China and other parts of the world. The Chinese language is a member of the language family named the Sino-Tibetan family of languages.
Traditional Chinese vs simplified Chinese
In the world we live in today, Simplified Chinese is officially used in mainland China, Singapore, and the Chinese community in Malaysia uses Simplified Chinese as well. On the other hand, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan use traditional Chinese as their main form of communication.
Chinese characters’ appearances
The difference between traditional Chinese and simplified Chinese that stands out the most at first glance would be the appearance of the Chinese characters. As the name suggests, simplified Chinese have few strokes and is generally more simple to read and write. As for traditional Chinese, their characters tend to have more strokes and are more complicated to read and write as compared to simplified Chinese. However, there are some Chinese characters that remain the same in both traditional Chinese and simplified Chinese.
Some Chinese tuition in Singapore to consider:
Tuition |
Family Tutor |
| Type | 1-1 Home Tuition
PSLE/N, O, A Levels/IB/IGCSE/Adults |
| Pricing |
|
| Website | https://familytutor.sg/chinese-tuition/ |
| Address | 17 Petir Road Singapore 678278 |
| Contact | Telephone: +65 8777 2168
Email: contactus@familytutor.sg |
| Operating Hours | Daily: 9 am to 10 pm |
| Reviews | https://familytutor.sg/ |
Tuition |
Miss Long Chinese Tuition |
| Type | 1-1 tuition
PSLE/O level Chinese, Higher Chinese |
| Pricing | Call for pricing |
| Website | https://misslong.sg/ |
| Address | 273A Compassvale Link, Singapore 541273 |
| Contact | Telephone: +65 9127 3020
Email: longhl@hotmail.com |
| Operating Hours | Daily: 8 am to 10:30 pm |
Tuition |
Chinese Distinctions by Ms SY Wang |
| Type | Group tuition and 1-1 tuition
O level Higher Chinese and Chinese |
| Pricing | Call for pricing |
| Website | https://www.chinesedistinctions.sg/ |
| Address | Dhoby Ghaut |
| Contact | Telephone: +65 8686 1338
Email: CHINESEDISTINCTIONS@GMAIL.COM |
| Review 1 | Ms Wang has been teaching me since Secondary one. She is definitely one of the most dedicated, resourceful and effective teachers that I have ever met. Under her guidance, my proficiency in the Chinese language has improved tremendously. She has played an instrumental role in my learning of the language and preparations for the Higher Chinese O-level Examination. Personally, my favourite part of her lessons was our discussions about current affairs in Chinese. This not only improved my oral skills but also helped to raise my awareness about social issues. As a result, I achieved an overall A1 grade for the GCE O level HCL examination as well as a distinction grade for the O level HCL oral examination. Learning under Ms Wang was certainly enjoyable and I would highly recommend her!
By Renee Pak, Nanyang Girls’ High School |
| Review 2 | I came under the coaching of Miss Wang around mid-2019 after failing my school’s Chinese examination. Prior to this, I had been faring badly in my Chinese results. Initially, I was worried that I would be unable to brush up my skills in time for my O levels. After attending Miss Wang’s lessons, it is prevalent that Miss Wang is an experienced tutor who is in touched with the syllabus. Miss Wang spotted my weakness and helped me patch up the gaps I had by giving me exercises and relevant reading materials. She had also taught me handy techniques to tackle oral, just in time for my O Level examination. Eventually, I managed to achieve an overall A2 grade for my O levels, after just attending 5 months of lessons with Miss Wang. The results I achieved far exceeded my expectation! Without Miss Wang’s help, I definitely wouldn’t be able to achieve such a result. Miss Wang is definitely an epitome of a great teacher! Thank you Miss Wang!
By Tricia Koh, River Valley High School |
| Review 3 | I used to struggle with my Chinese exams, with my grades regularly being Cs. In order to stop my grades from falling, and hopefully improve my command of the Chinese language, I decided to have Chinese tuition with Ms Wang since Secondary two. Her systematic way of organising her lessons allowed me to keep track of my progress and identify where I needed help most. She made use of many resources such as newspaper articles, videos on current affairs and relevant worksheets to ensure that while improving my Chinese proficiency, my horizons would also broaden. She also held me accountable for the homework assigned to me and motivated me to aim for better results. In the end, I managed to score an A2 in the O-Level Higher Chinese Examination, a huge improvement from where I started.
By Alyssa Chia, Raffles Girls’ School |
Tuition |
Eduz Tuition |
| Type | Group tuition
O level Chinese and Higher Chinese |
| Pricing | SGD 150 to SGD 200 per 4 lessons |
| Website | https://www.eduztuition.com/ |
| Address |
306 Woodlands Street 31 #02-35 Singapore 730306 223 Choa Chu Kang Central #01-237B Singapore 680223 |
| Contact | Woodlands
Choa Chu Kang
Email: contact@eduztuition.com |
| Operating Hours |
|
| Results | https://www.eduztuition.com/our-results |
Tuition |
Jocelyn Chinese Tuition |
| Type | Group tuition
O/A level/IP Higher Chinese and Chinese |
| Pricing | Call for pricing |
| Website | https://jocelynchinese.com/ |
| Address | 587 Bukit Timah Road #03-36 Coronation Shopping Plaza, Singapore 269707
Blk 320 Clementi Ave 4, #01-33 Singapore 120320 |
| Contact | Telephone: +65 9775 6854
Email: admin@jocelynchinese.com |
| Operating Hours | Bukit Timah
Clementi
|
| Review 1 | I personally feel that Teacher Jocelyn is a very dedicated teacher. Each lesson is creatively crafted to cater to the needs of different students. Other than being enjoyable, her lessons are extremely fruitful. In the short span of a month, I have been exposed to different topics and received a lot of helpful notes to summarise my learning. Additionally, all of her lesson materials be it online or hardcopy includes effective techniques on exactly how to do well in every component of Chinese examination. As her student, I am grateful to have such a teacher. She is patient and gives her students a comfortable and conducive environment to learn. I look forward to her lessons and I am sure that under her guidance, every student will be able to achieve more than they believe they actually could.
By Abella Ang, O level HCL, Cresent Girls’ School |
| Review 2 | Although I have not been with Ms Tan for very long, she has helped me improve my Chinese by leaps and bounds. I used to be afraid of Chinese since I was in primary school and my results were very low because I couldn’t speak fluently and write well. And because my school places so much emphasis on Chinese, I was struggling even more. But Ms Tan has helped me to become much more comfortable with speaking and writing in Chinese and I am now able to keep up with Chinese lessons in school much more. I have tried many types of Chinese tuition and lessons before, but none of them has helped me like Ms Tan’s lessons. My Chinese has improved greatly ever since I started attending Ms Tan’s lessons and I feel that I have become much more comfortable with Chinese with Ms Tan’s lessons.
By Larisse Kok, O level HCL, River Valley High |
| Review 3 | As a student of Jocelyn Tan and many other Chinese tuition teachers, I personally think Jocelyn Tan has been the best Chinese teacher I’ve seen. She has very easy and effective techniques on exactly how to do well in every component of Chinese paper 1 and 2. I have been struggling since I was in secondary school and I’ve always thought Chinese was hard, but after attending her tuition, it made the Chinese language look easy. Jocelyn Tan has helped me improve my Chinese vastly in a short period of time, which made me regret not having her teach me earlier.
By Anderson Lim, O level HCL, Chung Cheng High |
Tuition |
YouLe Mandarin |
| Type | Group tuition
Pre-school and Primary School Chinese |
| Pricing | Call for pricing
Free trial lesson available |
| Website | https://www.youle.com.sg/ |
| Address | Tanglin Shopping Centre 19 Tanglin Road #03-15/16/38 (S247909)
203 Hougang St 21 #01-49 S530203 |
| Contact |
Tanglin
Email: enquiry@youle.com.sg
Kovan
Email: kovan@youle.com.sg |
| Operating Hours | Kovan
Tanglin
|
| Review 1 | Our family has been with Youle Mandarin for coming up to three years. Camille began at 17 months old and after seeing the amazing results, we enrolled her younger brother Peter to start at an even younger age. We have been utterly impressed by their progression and development into confident Chinese speakers, readers and writers. Most importantly, the children (as well as mummy and daddy) have enjoyed every minute of learning Mandarin with Youle.
We choose to stay with Youle Mandarin for the following reasons: (1) Quality of the teaching staff (2) Materials and teaching methodology (3) Value for money Start your children on their learning journey with Youle as soon as possible to give them a strong Chinese language foundation. Persevere and be rewarded with happy and confident language learners. We wholeheartedly recommend Youle Mandarin’s programmes to every parent. By Winny & Brad (Peter’s Parents) |
| Review 2 | Youle is an awesome language school! We were desperate and looking to enrol my elder girl (3.5 years old back then!) as she was completely clueless in Mandarin and even abhorred it! Accompanied her for the trial class and she fell in love with the teachers and requested to enrol in classes! Gosh, that was a lifesaver. No turning back since then! She’s now 4.5 years old and speaks both English and Mandarin fluently! She enjoys her classes and the language, and also serves as an inspiration to her younger sister, who equally loves the teachers despite only going for a couple of holiday programmes. My girls are full of praises for the classes and look forward to learning Mandarin! I highly recommend this centre, and would always be so grateful for the patient, passionate and loving teachers!
By Amy Leong (Carina’s Mum) |
| Review 3 |
Since we moved to Singapore one of the things we wanted for our son Oskar was to be fluent in Mandarin. Youle is helping Oskar achieve this by combining very efficient teaching methods which combine work and play. This experience allows Oskar to stay focused and truly enjoy the process of learning Mandarin. Thank you Youle very much for taking Oskar to the next level and for enabling his (non-mandarin speaking) parents play a fun and interactive part in this journey! By Adam Lindstrom (Oskar’s Dad) |
Tuition |
Chinese Tuition by Mdm Zhu |
| Type | Group tuition and 1-1 tuition
Primary/Secondary school Higher Chinese and Chinese |
| Pricing |
|
| Website | http://chinesetuition.com.sg/ |
| Address |
|
| Contact | Telephone: +65 9800 8926
Email: admin@chinesetuition.com.sg |
| Operating Hours |
|
| Review 1 | Mdm Zhu’s Chinese tuition is very good and fun to go to. She helped me learn all the words and phrases that I did not know how to read/write at the start. She is very kind and gave me extra lessons before my exam. My Chinese results also improved a lot after going for her tuition lessons.
By Jerry Wee, Primary 2 Group tuition |
| Review 2 | I benefitted tremendously from Mdm Zhu’s Chinese lessons. I come from an English speaking family hence did not have enough exposure to Chinese. Mdm Zhu encouraged me to read widely and listen to Chinese news and songs. My interest in Chinese grew together with my grades and confidence in the subject. I would like to thank her for her great teaching!
By Ching Kiat, Secondary 3 Group tuition |
| Review 3 | Her Chinese lessons were engaging, effective and useful. She helps me frequently with my homework which I often struggle with. The class size is small so I got a lot of attention and help from her. I learnt study tips and exam tips to do well in Chinese exam papers.
By Brendan Lim, Secondary 3 Group tuition |
Tuition |
Edu First Learning Centre |
| Type | Primary and secondary school Chinese and Higher Chinese |
| Pricing |
|
| Website | https://www.edufirst.com.sg/ |
| Address |
|
| Contact | Telephone: +65 9106 7716
Email: enquiry@edufirst.com.sg |
| Operating Hours | Northpoint
Khatib Central
Sengkang
Hougang
Ang Mo Kio
JCube
Woodlands
Canberra
|
| Reviews | https://www.edufirst.com.sg/testimonials.html |
Tuition |
Hua Language Centre |
| Type |
|
| Pricing | Call for pricing |
| Website | https://hua.com.sg/ |
| Address | United Square 101 Thomson Road, #03-25/26, Singapore 307591Greenwich V 1 Seletar Road, #02-09, Singapore 807011 Causeway Point Parkway Parade Shopping Centre |
| Contact | United Square
Greenwich
Causeway
Parkway Parade
|
| Operating Hours | United Square
Greenwich
Causeway point
Parkway Parade
|
Tuition |
Edu Grove |
| Type | Group tuition
Playgroup, Pre-school, Primary, Secondary Chinese |
| Pricing | Call for pricing |
| Website | https://www.edugrove.com.sg/ |
| Address |
|
| Contact | Pasir Ris
East Coast Road
Our Tampines Hub
Email: enquiries@edugrove.com.sg |
| Operating Hours | Pasir Ris
East Coast Road
Tampines
|
| Reviews | https://www.edugrove.com.sg/testimonials/ |
Tuition |
Etern Education |
| Type | Group tuition
Pre-school, Primary, Secondary Higher Chinese and Chinese |
| Pricing | https://www.eterneducation.com/course-fees |
| Website | https://www.eterneducation.com/ |
| Address |
|
| Contact |
Email: admin@eternducation.com |
| Operating Hours |
|
Tuition |
Han Language Centre |
| Type | Group tuition
Pre-primary, primary and secondary Chinese |
| Pricing | Call for pricing |
| Website | https://www.hceg.com.sg/hlc/ |
| Address |
|
| Contact | Telephone: +65 9661 8692
Email: ask@hanlanguage.edu.sg |
| Operating Hours | Kovan
Ang Mo Kio
Seletar Mall
Toa Payoh
Khatib
Queenstown
Jurong East
|
| Reviews | https://www.hceg.com.sg/hlc/about-3/ |
Tuition |
Xuelin Learning Hub |
| Type | Group tuition
Pre-school, Primary, and Secondary Chinese |
| Pricing | Call for pricing |
| Website | https://www.xuelinlearninghub.com.sg/ |
| Address |
|
| Contact | Bukit Timah Plaza
Jurong Gateway
Marine Parade
Tampines Central
|
| Operating Hours | Bukit Timah
Jurong gateway
Marine Parade
Tampines Central
|
| Reviews | https://www.xuelinlearninghub.com.sg/customer-reviews/ |
Tuition |
Zhang Lao Shi Chinese Tuition |
| Type | 1-1 tuition/ small group tuition
PSLE Chinese |
| Pricing | https://www.happychinesetuition.com/fee |
| Website | https://www.happychinesetuition.com/ |
| Address | NA |
| Contact | +65 9787 0281 |
| Operating Hours | NA |
| Reviews | https://www.happychinesetuition.com/ |
Tuition |
Xin Zhong Wen |
| Type | Group tuition
Kindergarten and Primary school Chinese |
| Pricing | https://www.xinzhongwen.com.sg/en/programmes/fees/ |
| Website | https://www.xinzhongwen.com.sg/en/ |
| Address |
|
| Contact | Great World City
NEX
Westgate
|
| Operating Hours | Great World City
NEX
Westgate
|
| Review 1 | I commend this Chinese tuition center because they are effective and helped my daughter to deepen her knowledge and application of Chinese Language. Plus the place is well-maintained and suited for a fruitful interaction in every learning sessions. Good job, XZW!
By Bern Berry |
| Review 2 | I am happy for my sister for trusting Xin Zhong Wen for her kids to learn and enhance what they have learn in school. Their Chinese composition and speaking skills were improved and we are grateful because we are not native Chinese speakers and my sister is having a hard time teaching them at first. The teacher that was assigned to her kids is so patient and she’s beautiful too. Thank s XZW for the big contribution for my nephew’s improvement.
By Glueck Bermudeza |
| Review 3 | It is hard for non-Chinese speaking parents to teaching the Chinese language to our child. My kid is pressured to do well in school but he is really struggling with this foreign language. Good thing, my mother-in-law suggest to visit Xin Zhong Wen for help. The director that welcomed use is professional and she detailed to us the benefits that my child could get when we enroll to their tuition center. And yes, she is true to her words. The teacher that was assigned to my child is so patient. It’s been a year since we enrolled him to Xin Zhong Wen and there is definitely a big difference in his ability to speak in Chinese.
By Epi Ogden |
For other recommended tutors, you can click here.
Chinese dialects
Hakka
Hakka is a Chinese language dialect which is mainly spoken in southern parts of China by the Hakka people and their descendants who live in Asia and Southeast Asia.
Teochew
Teochew is a Chinese dialect that is spoken in Singapore, Swatow, Chaozhou, Jieyang, and parts of Meizhou and Shanwei in China.
Wu
Wu is a group of Chinese language and Chinese dialect that is the main spoken language in Shanghai and Zhejiang province.
Cantonese
Contrary to popular belief, Cantonese is an East Asian language which originated from southern China, Canton, and not Hong Kong. Cantonese is an umbrella term which people use to refer to the dialect of Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Xiguan, Tanka, and Wuzhou.
Southern Min
Southern Min or Minnan, is more commonly referred to as Hokkien, Taiwanese, Hoklo, or Holo. This language is commonly spoken in southern parts of China, Fujian. The Southern Min is also spoken in Singapore, Taiwan, Hainan, and Guangg\dong. The Southern Min language got its name from the Fujian Min River.
Benefits of Chinese tuition
Additional notes and resources
Additional notes and resources are a great source of help when students are preparing for their school or national examinations. More often than not, the additional notes and resources provided by their tuition centre or tutors are extremely helpful and help students get their precious sleep back without having to burn the midnight oil cramming for their upcoming examinations as they are concise and summarised notes.
Tips and tricks for acing examinations
Tuition centres and private tutors are able to provide students with bonus tips and tricks on acing the examinations and sharing certain tactics such as time management and strategies on answering difficult questions, and spotting questions trends.
Interaction with students from other schools
One of the main benefits of attending classes at a tuition centre is the opportunities given to meet and interact with students from other schools. The chances of getting more exposure to questions are higher as the tuition centre are most likely to collect past examinations paper questions from their wide range of students from different schools. Students from neighbourhood schools would also have the opportunity to learn from their peers who are from elite schools as the questions from the elite schools’ papers are generally more difficult than mainstream schools.
Do you need Chinese tuition?
Ultimately, it all depends on your needs and budget. Chinese tuition is not necessary for everyone. However, it can be an additional source of assistance for the student if he or she is struggling to catch up in school. Be sure to compare several tuition centres or private tutors to help you make the most informed choice. A common misunderstanding would be that only weaker students enrol themselves for Chinese tuition. However, in Singapore, even the straight As students attend tuition to get external help to continue performing exceptionally well in school.
How to choose the right Chinese tuition?
Trial lessons
Look out for trial lessons offered by tuition centres and make full use of them to assess the suitability of the particular centre for your child. Pay special attention to the teaching style of the tutor, the pace of the lesson, the class sizes and the classroom environment.
Locations
The location of the tuition centre is another important factor when it comes to choosing the right Chinese tuition. You don’t want to be wasting your precious time on travelling to and fro from tuition classes when you can be using the time to revise or rest.
Affordability
The price of the chosen Chinese tuition should not exceed your budget too much as it is not worth investing too much in Chinese tuition especially in the beginning when you are unsure if it is the right tuition centre or tutor. A general rule of thumb is to stick within your budget when looking for Chinese tuition.
Reviews
Testimonials and results from the students themselves are the most helpful resources you can get your hands on when finding the right Chinese tuition. It would be a wiser choice to choose a tuition centre or tutor who has proven to be effective and recommended by their past students than the ones with not much or completely no reviews.
Facilities
Having great facilities is a must for students attending classes at tuition centres. Not every tuition centre provide a conducive learning environment for their students, so be sure to pay special attention to the facilities of tuition centres.
Should you learn traditional Chinese or simplified Chinese?
Depending on where you intend to use your Chinese speaking skills, traditional Chinese or simplified Chinese can be more useful in certain circumstances. For instance, if you have set your sights on living in mainland China, then learning traditional Chinese would not be as useful and helpful for you. However, if you plan to settle down in Hong Kong or Taiwan, then learning traditional Chinese is definitely a must to communicate effectively with the locals.
Difficulty
The difficulty of traditional Chinese and simplified Chinese should be taken into consideration when deciding which Chinese language to learn. It may seem obvious that simplified Chinese is much easier to learn since it is relatively simpler to write and read. However, traditional Chinese provide helpful links for some of its characters when it comes to figuring out the meaning of those characters.
Editor’s Note:
While every precaution has been made to ensure the accuracy and fairness of this listing, we acknowledge that they may be inaccuracies. Therefore, we urge you to contact the service provider above for the correct information and/or contact us with the correct information.
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