Chinese Evening Courses
Learn Chinese in Leeds with the Business Confucius Institute at the University of Leeds. Our teachers are native speakers of Mandarin Chinese from China, and they are here in the UK to share their language and culture with you.
Join us in class for one or two evenings a week to unlock new opportunities and make new connections through learning Mandarin Chinese.
Our courses are open to members of the public from Leeds and the surrounding areas as well as staff and students at the University of Leeds. Classes cover speaking, listening, reading, and writing, with a focus on communicative language skills.
Whether you’re enhancing your CV, connecting with Chinese-speaking family and friends, preparing for an exciting trip to China, or simply eager to embrace a new challenge, our courses offer a delightful journey into the Chinese language.
2024-25 course details
Courses run for 10 weeks and we have 3 terms throughout each academic year.
Levels 1-3 (Tuesday and Thursday evenings)
Day and time: Tuesday and Thursday evenings, 6:00 - 7:30pm
Course duration: 30 hours over 10 weeks (2 lessons per week)
Cost: £270 per term
Term 1 dates: Tuesday 08/10/2024 until Thursday 12/12/2024
Term 2 dates: Tuesday 04/02/2025 until Thursday 10/04/2025
Term 3 dates: Tuesday 6/5/2024 until Tuesday 15th July (no class on Thursday 27th May due to the Bank Holiday)
Levels 4-6 (Monday and Wednesday evenings)
Day and time: Monday and Wednesday evenings, 6:00 - 7:30pm
Course duration: 30 hours over 10 weeks (2 lessons per week)
Cost: £270 per term
Term 1 dates: Monday 7/10/24 until Wednesday 11/12/24
Term 2 dates: Monday 03/02/2025 until Wednesday 09/04/2025
Term 3 dates: Wednesday 07/05/2025 until Monday 21/07/2025 (no class on Monday 26th May due to bank holiday)
Advanced Spoken Chinese (Wednesday evenings)
Day and time: Wednesday evenings, 6:00 - 7:30pm
Course duration: 15 hours over 10 weeks (1 lesson per week)
Cost: £135 per term
Term 1 dates: Wednesday 09/10/24 until Wednesday 11/12/24
Term 2 dates: Wednesday 05/02/2025 until Wednesday 09/04/2025
Term 3 dates: Wednesday 07/05/2025 until Wednesday 09/07/2025
Course fees, discounts and student numbers
Fees
Comprehensive Chinese courses cost £270 per term, for a total of 30 hours tuition (2 x 1.5hr lessons per week for 10 weeks).
The Advanced Spoken Chinese course costs £135 per term, for a total of 15 hours tuition (1.5 hour per week for 10 weeks).
Sign up by making your payment through the University of Leeds online store.
Discounts
Combine the discounts below to get up to 20% off your course fees!
Early enrolment (one month before the course begins): 10%
Continuing students: 5%
Full time students & staff of University of Leeds: 5%
Discount not requested at the time of the enrolment may not be claimed at a later date.
Student numbers
There is no minimum number for a class to run and classes have up to 16 students.
Register for our Chinese courses
Make your payment via our online store to secure your place
Get in touch
Which level is right for me?
Click on each level to view the resources used and content covered. If you are still unsure about which level to sign up for, please contact us. After the first lesson it is possible to switch class if necessary, subject to availability and after discussion with your teacher.
Level 1
Textbook
New Practical Chinese Reader (3rd edition) Textbook 1
Units
Introduction to phonetics and units 1-3
Topics covered in the course
Introduction to phonetics
Two units introducing key aspects of the Chinese language along with some basic words and phrases.
How have you been lately? (Greetings)
- Daily greetings
- Asking about one's name
- Greeting others
Which country do you come from? (Introductions)
- Introducing others
- Asking someone’s surname and nationality
- Saying goodbye
- Identifying items
- Asking about one’s likes
How many people are there in your family? (Family)
- Asking about one’s family and profession
- Entertaining guests
- Asking about one’s age (1)
Level 2
Textbook
New Practical Chinese Reader (3rd edition) Textbook 1
Units
4 - 7
Topic covered in the course
What time do you have class tomorrow? (Study)
- Talking about studying (1)
- Making a date (1)
- Asking about time (1)
- Asking about one’s major
Happy Birthday to you (Birthdays)
- Talking about the date
- Expressing an apology
- Expressing regret
- Asking about one’s age (2)
- Congratulating someone on his/her birthday
The library is to the north of the cafeteria (Directions)
- Asking for directions
- Describing locations
- Consoling someone
- Expressing not hearing clearly or understanding
- Asking about words you don’t understand
How much is half a kilo of apples? (Shopping)
- Praise and response
- Asking about the price
- Encountering a language problem and asking for help
- Bargaining
- Paying for something
- Making a request and giving permission
- Choosing clothes
- Settling a bill
Level 3
Textbook
New Practical Chinese Reader (3rd edition) Textbook 1
Units
8 - 10
Topics covered in the course
I'm not feeling well at all (Seeing a doctor)
- Urging someone to do something
- Apologizing
- Asking about someone’s health
- Expressing a need
- Expressing a possibility
- Registering in a hospital
- Taking about one’s health
- Treating an illness
It's getting cool (Seasons and transportation)
- Talking about the seasons and the weather
- Talking about one’s plans
- Suggesting an activity
- Asking about time (2)
- Talking about transportation
Merry Christmas (Festivals)
- Talking about something that has happened
- Talking about someone who has changed
- Talking about a holiday
- Asking about one’s age (3)
- Holiday greetings
- Making a phone call
- Passing on someone’s regards
- Talking about studying (2)
Level 4
Textbook
New Practical Chinese Reader (3rd edition) Textbook 2
Units
11 - 13
Topics covered in the course
I had a great time (Travelling)
- Money exchange in a bank
- Commenting on one’s actions
- Talking about things you have done
- Daily greetings (2)
- Describing a place
Where do you want to send your parcel? (Mailing)
- Mailing a parcel
- Misunderstood what was said
- Asking someone to repeat something
- Consulting someone
- Considering something
- Receiving an express delivery
- Expressing appreciation
Please write your name and cell phone number here (Communication)
- Expressing loss of something
- Verifying one’s ID
- Expressing disagreement
- Buying a train ticket
- Meeting a friend at the station
- Expressing the time ab action lasts
Level 5
Textbook
New Practical Chinese Reader (3rd edition) Textbook 2
Units
14 - 17
Topics covered in the course
Renting is much cheaper than buying (Activities)
- Talking about the weather
- Comparison (1)
- Daily greetings (3)
- Making a suggestion (1)
- Expressing agreement
- Expressing objection
- Explaining further
- Asking for a suggestion
- Discussing something
Chinese paintings and oil paintings are different (Arts)
- Expressing duration of time
- Responding to a compliment
- Talking about one’s interests
- Making a suggestion (2)
- Comparison (2)
- Making additional remarks
It was at age five that I first learned to swim (Sports)
- Daily greetings (4)
- Compliment and response
- Asking a rhetorical question
- Asking about hobbies
- Asking for clarification
- Expressing uncertainty (1)
- Making a phone call (2)
- Talking about a match
- Agreeing to a request
- Declining a request
Have you ever seen Beijing opera? (Drama)
- Talking about past experiences
- Making a date (2)
- Asking for an opinion
- Telling a story
- Making comments (1)
- Making an invitation
Level 6
Textbook
New Practical Chinese Reader (3rd edition) Textbook 2
Units
18 - 20
Topics covered in the course
We have climbed up the Great Wall (Travelling)
- Talking about plans
- Making comments (2)
- Making a suggestion (4)
- Describing actions
- Describing scenery
- Talking about the weather (2)
I crashed into a car (Accidents)
- Asking for help
- Describing what happened
- Asking about a patient
- Expressing a complaint
- Comforting someone
- Saying goodbye
- Wishing a patient well
Please take out your computer (Trips)
- Selecting a seat
- Checking in luggage
- Security check
- Boarding the plane
- Meeting by chance
- Introducing oneself
- Talking about one’s purpose
- Expressing uncertainty (2)
- Praising someone
Advanced Spoken Chinese
This course is suitable for Chinese language learners who have reached HSK 3 or above.
There is no textbook for this course.
Topics
- 称赞（To compliment）
- 估计（To estimate）
- 相信（To believe）
- 告别（To farewell）
- 打算（To plan）
- 厌恶（To dislike）
- 祝愿（To wish）
- 批评（To criticize）
- 同意（To agree）
- 反对（To disagree）
Course levels and HSK exams
Note that the numbered courses do not correspond to levels for Chinese Proficiency Exams (HSK). Students working through levels 1-6 of our courses should be able to complete HSK levels 1-3, if they wish.
We hope that you will choose to take HSK exams to measure your progress but this is not a requirement. Your teacher will offer guidance and additional resources to anyone interested in working towards the test.
Student case studies
Discovering Chinese during lockdown: BCI student Kim McGreal
Kim McGreal's fascination with languages and love of words led her down a Mandarin-learning rabbit hole after a Netflix TV series got her hooked on...
Gary Chambers: an 8-week investment to connect with students
Gary Chambers runs the TESOL Studies MA course at the University of Leeds; a course populated almost entirely by Chinese students. As an investment in...
Creating connections through Mandarin: recent graduate Marina Rupp
Marina Rupp is a student from Austria who came to Leeds to study Geography and Mathematics. She had her eyes on the Business Confucius Institute...
Meet the teachers
Visit our teacher profiles to learn a bit more about them and pick up some tips!