Fast Learning Chinese

I really enjoyed taking Dina’s Level 1 Mandarin Class. She made learning what I expected to be a very difficult language both fun and interesting. Dina created the program and developed all the tools you use (accompanying workbook and CD) making it easier to study on your own. She uses entertaining stories to build your understanding of the language, culture as well as the pinyin tones and sentence structure. I appreciated that she made herself available before and after the session to further explain any questions. She also will check and correct your work if you are interested in learning to write Chinese characters. The classes meet twice a week for 13 weeks and although not inexpensive, is money well spent. You do need to build in study time to prepare for the following lesson as each lesson is jam-​packed with new information. I highly recommend the classes.

I have been searching for a good Beginner Chinese course for over a year. I even downloaded a good free course from youtube and I practiced on that course for one year. But I knew I was still not learning Chinese so I decided to take classes so that I can interact with real people. I searched online for courses in Manhattan and read many reviews on various courses that are offer in Manhattan. The reason I picked Fast Learning Chinese is because Dina gave an outline on what to expect as you progress.
I am a little more than half way through Level 1. There are 22 hours of lesson in Level 1 and we have completed 13 lessons. We do 2 lessons a week. Dina does not waste any time. Each lesson is packed with Chinese idioms, characters, words and phrases. She is very systematic in her teaching method. You learn the pinyin tones and characters within your lesson. This makes it easier to remember, but like any language course; you must spend time between class to work on your vocabulary and sentence structures.
I have made more progress in the last 6 weeks than the 1 year trying to learn on my own. This course is well worth it. I also plan to take Level 2, once I completed Level 1.

Dina is a great teacher. I had tried numerous methods to learn Chinese and I think her’s is probably the most effective for adult learners. I’m not an expert on language pedagogy, but the idea behind other methods, such as Rosetta Stone, is to replicate how a child learns a language. They focus on vocabulary and show you photos to try to help immerse you. Dina’s method focuses on teaching you the fundamental structures of Chinese grammar, and to teach you how to translate sentences from English to Chinese. Her method is probably more effective for most adults, especially those who cannot immerse themselves in the language because, after all, we’re not in China.
On the negative side, I think she exaggerates how quickly you can learn Chinese. Even with her teaching strengths, you are going to have to invest a lot of time independently to even come close to proficiency; much more time than she indicates in advertising her course. And, in Level 2, I think she spends too much time discussing some of the details of Chinese characters, and sometimes rambles a bit telling personal stories. But, overall, she is funny, engaging, and very effective. You’ll still need to invest a lot of time and money to learn Chinese, but her program is probably the best investment you can make.

Dina is a gifted teacher and her course is very intense. It is a must to diligently review each lesson or you will fall behind.
I’ve been searching for good Chinese classes for my children. For the past few years, they attended New York Chinese School, Transfiguration Chinese School, and Shuang Wen School. This course by far is the best even though all the other students are adults.
It is helpful to learn the origin of Chinese characters, pictorial versions, and proper strokes. Each lesson builds upon the previous lesson, and you learn to speak longer and longer sentences that you can use in daily conversations. I like it that Dina asks the students to translate English sentence into Chinese sentence structure in English, prior to translating into Chinese. For example, «What do you want to eat tonight?» «Tonight you want to eat what?» «Jin wan ni yao chi shenme?» This way, it’s easier to not make grammar mistake. At other children Chinese Schools, my kids learned mostly songs, culture, and short stories revolving family, animals and plants etc.
Within 2 months of attending level 1 course, people can no longer speak simple Chinese without our children understanding at least part of their conversation. They can also answer back in short sentences. This was not the case 2 months ago even though they’ve been attending Chinese school since kindergarten.

If you need to learn Mandarin for work or just want to take a fun language class, look no further than Fast Learning Chinese.
I recently completed the level one classes and the instructor, Dina is one of the best instructors I’ve ever learned from. Her lessons are well planned and packed with content from the time you arrive to the time you leave. She is very engaging and the class is interactive without putting you on the spot or forcing participation. From time to time she will relate personal stories which really help to put ideas into context.
Dina ALWAYS made herself available for help or questions, even beyond the class time. If you take the time to study the material she provides you can create and speak in complete sentences by the end of level one.
Great classes!

First, the instructor (Dina) is amazing, she has excellent experience teaching, a great person and very funny. I completed level 1 and 2 of her very unique program (yes, she created the program herself). The courses are fast paced, but she takes the time to help you especially with the pronunciation of tones and creating sentences. The books are supplemented with a CD having all the pronunciations, which is a great practice and perfect when in the train.
In the courses you will find people of all ages learning Chinese, including people from China and Taiwan learning Chinese. YES, I was surprise too. Here, you are not only going to learn Chinese but also some of the Chinese culture and behavior (THIS IS IMPORTANT). Her classroom is very clean and organized; you will feel very comfortable in the space.
I strongly recommend trying it out; I think the first lecture is a free-​try. I guarantee that you will stay.

I took Level 1 of this class in late spring 2014. The class covers spoken and written Mandarin, and you will get plenty of opportunity to practice both.
In level 1, you cover pronunciation with a big focus on getting the tones right for different words. Dina is careful to make sure you practice the tones, and helps identify common errors so you can avoid them as you move to more advanced coursework. The vocabulary comes fast, and you will definitely need to review between classes to keep up.
You also learn how to read and write Chinese characters. Each class introduces between a half dozen and dozen new characters. You’ll learn the order of the strokes and practice them a couple of times with Dina providing individual corrections, and then you’ll practice the characters on your own. Dina reviews each student’s work individually so you get plenty of customized feedback on your work.
This was an outstanding introduction to Mandarin Chinese. It is more difficult for English speakers than romance languages like Spanish or French, but there is a clear logic to the language and Dina will not hesitate to point out all the ways it’s easier to learn Chinese than English!
It’s hard for me to think of a better way to be introduced to Chinese, and this class was money very well spent. Highly recommended!

Before I started the course, it was hard for me to believe that I can actually learn to speak Chinese. Dina proved that it is possible. Her classes are very interesting, fun and now, after level 2, I can actually build sentences and have basic conversations in Mandarin.

I was a level one student in Dina’s class. I was sufficiently pleased with her teaching that I have signed up for the level two class. We studied written and spoken Mandarin. Dina is attentive, thoughtful, well spoken, and a good listener. Her class is very interesting, and she often tells us about Chinese history and traditions. Her classes are a great place for beginners to learn Mandarin.

I’ve tried learning Chinese in the past and took classes here & there. Unfortunately, I am not good at memorization and after a while, tends to forget what I’ve learned.
Deciding to give it another try, I’ve completed Dina’s Level 1 class in June 2013. She’s the best Chinese teacher i’ve ever had compared to other courses. Her program focuses on pronunciation, sentence structure and learning how to build sentences.
Her classes are interesting and engaging, with lots of funny stories to help you remember the words & how to write them. She makes it fun to learn the language and listening to her CD helps with practicing my pronunciation. Unlike traditional Chinese classes, which rely heavily on memorization, her program is unique and definitely worth taking. I’m currently in her Level 3 class and am able to write letters or notes to my Chinese friends. You do have to work at it but if you make the effort, it’s very rewarding to be able to understand and speak basic Chinese. I highly recommend her program.

Dina has a system that if followed, will yield excellent results. I have spent the past five months studying with Dina one-​to-​one and I am surprised by how much I have learned. She takes the time to ensure you understand your sessions but as other reviewers have stated, this is not a program for slackers. Even with a learning disability, I have been able to work with Dina to understand her Level 3 Chinese (which encompasses reading, writing, listening, and conversational Mandarin). I am about to leave for a six month program in China and I believe I have a solid foundation due to Dina’s curriculum. If you are looking to understand and learn Mandarin, then Dina Shen’s Fast Learning Chinese will set you on the path to success!

If you want to learn Mandarin, this is the best place to do it. I started with Level 1 in June of 2012, finished Level 2 in early December of 2012, and have been in Level 3 for a few weeks. I had no idea that it was possible to learn as much in 6 months as I have. Dina has an amazing pedagogical method. She starts immediately with tones and pronunciation, and is vigilant about accuracy from the minute the first lesson starts. This gets great results because you have no opportunity to develop bad habits that later take a long time to unlearn. She provides CDs with MP3s for each lesson that go through the vocabulary, example sentences, etc. that were discussed in class with careful emphasis on pronunciation. Listening to these everyday is a must, but if you do it, the tones will sink in from the outset. From the beginning, she introduces grammatical concepts and spends a lot of time explaining them and going through examples and translation exercises. As the levels progress, she emphasizes more and more characters and provides memorable explanations of each character you learn and ways to remember the meaning and pronunciation. And, no matter what, she always demands careful attention to accurate pronunciation. Classes are fun and entertaining. Dina often explains how particular words/​characters are used in government and business contexts in China and shares entertaining stories from her childhood and life in China all the time.
To really get comfortable with what you’re learning, daily practice is necessary. It’s fairly easy to work in listening to the MP3s on the train, when I run an errand at lunch, etc., but to really make improvements the writing exercises that she gives you, translations, etc. are essential. It’s much better to do 20 – 30 minutes a day than 2 – 3 hours at once on Sunday. After six months, I can have basic conversations with my Chinese and Taiwanese friends (and some of their parents!) and recognize a surprising number of characters when I see a Chinese language newspaper, subway sign, etc. If I watch a movie in Mandarin, I can pick out a lot of words and phrases. I can’t recommend this highly enough.

I am in level 2 right now. I love Dina, she is a professional teacher also funny. We are not only learning about language, she told story about Chinese culture. Now I am so impress that I can talk in Chinese with the correct tone, I can understand some word if chinese people talk near me. I can texting with Chinese Character also. Thank you, Dina.

I’m currently at the end of Level 2 of Dina’s class, and I’m really surprised by how much I’ve learned in 6 months.
This class is very fast paced, and Dina is a teacher that expects as much out of you as she puts in.
If you’re just expecting to breeze through Mandarin (one of the hardest languages for a native English speaker), this isn’t for you. But if you take these courses and put in an hour a day of dedicated study time, you WILL get good fast.

I definitely recommend taking classes at Fast Learning Chinese. Dina Shen is the founder and teacher of this unique and effective Chinese language school. I have taken 3 classes now (level 1, 2 and 3), and I can say this has been some of the way I’ve spent my time and money.
The two key elements that make Dina’s school so effective are the curriculum and Dina herself. The courses and texts are structured so that you quickly gain command of the foundation, and each class and level build on the previous. It is intense and you get back what you put in. Dina herself is full of energy, patience and compassion to keep you pressed to learn during the two hours you’re in class (and after.)
I’ve also made some great friends from this endeavor. The classes are mostly made up of a self-​selecting student body – language lovers and Chinese culture enthusiasts.
I highly recommend Fast Learning Chinese.
Mia

I am currently in Dina’s level 2 class and can say how quick and effective this program really is. I have been taking the class for about 6 months now and know over 200 characters and can hold a basic conversation. It was really fun to see Chinese natives surprised at me as I ordered my food in Mandarin. On top of learning the language, we get a bit of culture as well, since she tells us stories of her childhood. Her classes are fun and engaging, and I recommend it to anyone who is trying to learn the language fast.

I’m currently in level 3 and really enjoy this program, because it’s intensive and comprehensive. This is the kind of a language course which produces results.
Dina pays attention to every aspect of learning Mandarin — pronunciation (which is very important), grammatical constructions and vocabulary, as well as writing the characters properly. She is a native speaker and has designed the program herself.
The classes are always engaging and fun. Dina is very passionate about her work and it’s inspiring to us, her students. She explains all the new characters in class and finds ways to make them easier to remember by breaking them down, she incorporates translation and listening exercises into the class structure, as well as provides a lot of information in cultural context.
I would recommend this program to anyone who wants to learn Mandarin. You will enjoy it!

Having taken a number of adult language classes (in Japanese, German, and French), I find Dina Shen’s Chinese program uniquely enjoyable, professionally run, and effective.
Starting with zero Chinese language knowledge, by the end of Level 1 I had ordered my favorite drink in Chinese (bubble tea with no sugar, less milk, and less ice), understood enough characters to kind of sing along a Mandarin-​subtitled DVD of a Lee Hom concert, and with the help of google translate had text/​SMS conversations with Chinese friends using only Chinese characters.
I’m in Level 2 right now and am able to carry on basic conversations hanging out with Chinese friends, ordering at a restaurant, and getting a massage in Chinatown. I’ve picked up a few new words from these conversations but the classes have served as the core of my learning. Having Dina as an instructor is quite an experience. She wrote the books, she designed the curriculum, and it’s her voice you hear on the CD’s. She even handles the scheduling for viewing DVD’s for missed lessons. You get the kind of energy and devotion only the creator of a program can give and she truly cares about how each student progresses.
I visit Asia once or twice a year. On my next trip I’ll be spending 2 weeks in Shanghai, Beijing, and Taipei and I’m really looking forward to seeing how much more fun it will be this time knowing a bit of Chinese!

It’s been a little more than a year since I started taking Chinese with Dina, and I just completed the 4^th level of her classes. From the start, she has taken the time to get to know each of her students, and work with us on our individual weaknesses. She’s very encouraging, and always reminds us to email or talk to her before and after class if we have any questions.
My progress, I feel, has been much faster than friends learning Chinese in college or through other programs. I started not knowing any Chinese at all, and quickly caught up to friends who had been studying longer. Lately, I like writing letters and emails in Chinese, and I’ve had a few native speakers compliment my choice of words and the natural flow of my writing. I credit no one but Dina for that.
Even though I’m no longer enrolled in any of Dina’s courses, she encouraged my classmates and I to keep in touch, practice our Chinese together, and email her if we have any questions, which shows me how much her students’ success means to her.

I decided to learn Chinese in preparation for a trip to China for the World Expo, but mostly because I’m interested in being able to better understand and work with the most important growth economy in the world. Before the class, everyone I know told me how Mandarin is SOOoOoOOOoo hard and I TOOOOoooOootally shouldn’t bother. Whatever, doodz! I, for one, welcome our new ant overlords.
Dina Shen is the instructor and progenitor of Fast Learning Chinese, and I love her like I loved my first grade teacher. She’s so smart! And pretty! She’s one of those rare teachers who clearly LOVES teaching, and she’s incredibly professional. But, as a professional, she makes her class – with her own curriculum and CD – fun, clear, engaging, and (like it says on the box) very very fast. You won’t have time to doodle in her class.
Not only that, but Dina encourages you to come to the first class before you pay so you can decide for yourself whether or not you think you can learn from her. A month in, and I haven’t noticed any dropouts (and my friends told me horror stories about packed college Chinese classes with four lonely students left by the time midterms rolled around). There’s no machismo to the course. The vibe is welcoming and inclusive. And if you have trouble and need to repeat the course, her repeat fee is something like half the original cost, which I think shows genuine generosity and dedication.
She also holds the same class on different days of the week, so if you have to miss class one week, you can make it up on another day. A huge, huge plus.
I leave every class inspired and excited to be learning Chinese, and I’m proud to be learning from such a wonderful teacher. I can already show off to my Chinese clients, and while I know I’ve got a long way to go, it tells me a lot about Dina’s class that after a month they already understand me. That’s a big deal with a tonal language!
I plan to go on to Level II after this one, which was not in my original plan… It’s just that much fun. I cannot recommend Fast Learning Chinese highly enough. Go learn something from Dina.