Besides English, Mandarin is the second most spoken language in the world. As China has grown in its influence and popularity globally, especially in the trade markets, so has its official language. It is said that there are over one billion Mandarin speakers worldwide at this point in time, and this number continues to grow daily. Although Mandarin is the official language of China, it is not everyone’s native language. It is only spoken as a second language to many within the country itself.
There are four national languages in Singapore, and one of them is Mandarin. Mandarin is an official language in Singapore because a large population is of Chinese ethnicity. Singapore also directly promotes trade links with China by encouraging its people to learn Chinese.
In Singapore, every student needs to study English with an additional language, commonly referred to as MT, which stands for the mother tongue. Students can choose between English, Tamil, or Malay for their MT subject. In general, the subject a student picks tends to be closely related to their ethnicity, but over the years, there has been a trend for parents to pick Chinese for their kids, irrespective of their ethnicity. This is because parents have come to recognise the importance of having their kids learn and master Mandarin for their future.
In this article, we will examine Mandarin lessons in Singapore as a whole and what you can expect in terms of cost.
What is the Price of Mandarin Lessons on Superprof?
Superprof is arguably one of the best places students can go to get a Mandarin tutor. This is a big statement, given that Singapore has a multibillion-dollar tuition industry.
Superprof is an online platform that connects students with tutors from all over the world for many subjects, interests, and topics, including Mandarin.
In 2013, two engineers wanted to provide students with a platform to help them find a tutor, and as a result, Superprof was born. Superprof might have started out in Paris, France, but over the course of a couple of years, it has grown to be a global phenomenon that has helped millions of students all over the globe.
The Superprof website is simple and easy to navigate. All you need to do is head over to our Superprof website, search for Chinese and input your location. From here, the page will list all of the Mandarin tutors that are available near you.
The average Chinese lesson cost is S$28 per hour. You can check out the the tutors rates here. The cost of the tutor depends purely on their qualifications and skills, which you can easily read and review from their profile page.
One of the best things about Superprof is that most of our tutors offer their first lesson for free. In our opinion, this feature is greatly beneficial for both students and tutors. You will get to know each other and discuss goals and what you, as a student, expect and want to achieve from your classes. We believe our platform will help you find someone who meets your checklist while being affordable.
What is the Cost of Learning Mandarin in Singapore?
As you already know, Mandarin is one of Singapore’s official languages, and a lot of Singaporeans opt to use this language as their MT subject. Although there are many options for students to learn Mandarin, there are a few things that students should consider before deciding where they should learn Mandarin. One of the main factors most people, kids as well as adults tend to prioritise is cost. Different language learning centres and tuition centres have different pricing for their Mandarin classes. Some only offer full courses, while others have hourly classes set on a monthly basis. You will first need to identify which of these meets your Mandarin learning needs.
Even universities in Singapore offer Mandarin language courses that can help students in their journey to mastering the Chinese language. On average, a Mandarin language course can cost anything between S$500 all the way above S$1,000. Tuition classes, on the other hand, can cost an average of S$30. You must keep in mind that the prices for these fluctuate based on certain factors. One such factor would be the location of the classes. More higher-end areas will cost more in general. Another important factor that students are advised to pay attention to is skill, knowledge, experience, and qualification. The more qualified, experienced and skilled a Mandarin teacher or tutor is, the more costly their lessons and courses will be.
How Can You Lower the Cost of Mandarin Lessons?
If you are looking to learn Mandarin for work purposes or to enhance your career prospects, having a tutor is the way to go. Mandarin is known to be a difficult and complex language to learn, so what more can you master? As you already know, Singapore is known to have a very high cost of living. In fact, Singapore is known to be one of the top ten most expensive places in the world. It can be challenging to afford Mandarin classes in Singapore on top of the normal living expenses. This does not mean you should give up on your dream of learning Chinese. In fact, if you are a parent, you will definitely want to supplement your kids’ Chinese language skills. So, how do you go about it?
Online vs. Face-to-face
With COVID-19, many countries had to close their borders and have a lockdown to stop the disease from spreading, and that includes Singapore. During this tumultuous time, society, organisations, and companies started to adapt to online. This includes working from home, working remotely, and even taking classes online. One thing that a lot of companies have come to realise is that teaching and such could be done online. It is just as effective, and it saves money.
One way you can reduce the cost of your Mandarin lessons is to opt for online classes. This not only saves you and your tutor the time it will take to travel, but it also saves transportation costs. Since Mandarin is a language you are learning, it can easily be done with Zoom, Google Meet, or even Teams. You can use online resources to supplement your Chinese lessons and pick up the language faster.
Take a Course
Another option to reduce the cost of your online lesson is to take a course instead of having individual lessons. If you want to learn Mandarin from the basics, this option might be the best for you. If you have existing knowledge of Mandarin and specific goals in mind, then you are better off hiring one of our tutors from Superprof, who can give you the individual attention you need. It all depends on your needs. When you have identified your needs and goals, you will have a better picture of what you are looking for and what suits you best. You do not want to rush into signing up for a course for a large sum of money only for you to realise that this is not what you want or expect from your lessons. This would be a costly mistake.
Qualifications
Another good option when it comes to reducing the cost of your Mandarin lesson is to hire someone with less experience and qualifications. As we have mentioned previously, a tutor with more qualifications and experience will tend to cost more. This does not mean that someone with less qualifications and experience will not be able to help you. In fact, someone who is just starting out teaching will be able to empathise, give you relevant tips to improve your Mandarin and have more patience with you as you journey through the complexities of learning Mandarin.
What are the Advantages of Learning Mandarin for Business
Why learn Mandarin for business? Mandarin is a language that is widely spoken and popular all over the world. It is always better and beneficial to know more than one language. In this day and age, where China is a big part of trade and globalisation, communicating in Mandarin will be very helpful for your career and business ventures.
While English is widely spoken in Singapore, if you want to tap into the Chinese market, learning Mandarin is the only way forward. By learning Chinese, you can communicate with a wider range of potential partners and new customers. You will be able to connect with them better and socialise with them comfortably in their mother tongue.
If you do not have Chinese clients, learning Chinese for business gives you the chance to network with Chinese business owners to expand your business. China has a huge population and a booming economy that you can tap into by learning Mandarin Chinese for business.
It also opens up doors for you to move abroad and work. With a working knowledge of this language, you can also go into multiple fields in your career. Examples are international business consultants, translators, educators, and many more. Knowing a language, especially Mandarin, is highly beneficial and should not be passed down.
We have highlighted the benefits of Superprof and how it can help you in your journey of learning Mandarin. If you have the necessary skills, qualifications, and passion for this language, you might want to consider becoming a Superprofs tutor. You not only get to meet people from all walks of life but also contribute to the growth of this language in Singapore. This is also a good way for those of you looking to get into teaching to obtain the necessary experience as you study and work.
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