We’re offering 9 levels of Mandarin language courses for both second language learners and functional bilinguals/heritage learners.

Please note that we can only accept learners who are 18 years old and above.

Prices:

• Sliding scale of what you can afford: 350~475 USD

• If attending only weekly seminars: 180 ~275 USD for 20 seminars

• If you require further financial accommodation, please email us contact.us@orangeblossomeducation.ca
  

Each course includes:

• 20 hours of language classes

• 20 hours of weekly seminars

• 20 hours of weekly help sessions

• Homework and feedback

During the first two weeks, you’re welcome to switch to another course, if you feel the course level is not right for you.

The net proceeds from this round of Mandarin courses will be donated to:

• Verified Palestinian families in Gaza listed with OBE

• RASHD 拉希德公益, an aid network run by Chinese Muslims in Egypt.

• Sadaqah: Gaza Aid Initiative, a mutual aid network run by Palestinian students in China.
  

Please reach out to contact.us@orangeblossomeducation.ca if you have any questions that have not been answered in Frequently Asked Questions.

To receive information about our future course offerings, sign up for our newsletter at the bottom of our website or follow our Instagram account. 

These courses are for students who are new to Mandarin and are learning Mandarin as a 2nd or foreign language.

MDN101: Mandarin for Absolute Beginners (A1)

• Description: Intended for students with no background in Mandarin or any other Chinese language, this course provides an introduction to Mandarin as a second/foreign language. Students will study the most commonly used Chinese characters and their building blocks in Simplified and/or Traditional Chinese.

• Day/time: 3:00 - 5:00 PM (EST), Saturdays, Jan. 24th - Mar. 28th, 2026

• Instructor: cherrie

MDN102: Mandarin for High Beginners (A1 ~ A2)

• Description: The course prepares students to handle simple, routine tasks and engage in basic conversations in Mandarin. Students will learn to understand and use simple, frequently used sentence structures and phrases related to familiar topics. Students will work towards recognizing more Chinese characters in either Simplified or Traditional Chinese.

• Day/time: 3:00 - 5:00 PM (EST), Sundays,  Jan. 25th - Mar. 29th, 2026

• Instructor: cherrie

MDN201: Mandarin for Elementary Learners [Part 1] (A2 ~ B1)

• Description: The course is intended for students who wish to understand short, simple texts containing high-frequency vocabulary, expressions and sentence structures. Students will be able to design and find specific, predictable information in simple communication, such as a fundraising event poster. Students will also be able to understand and write short and simple texts for everyday communication, working towards recognizing more Chinese characters in either Simplified and/or Traditional Chinese.

• Day/time: 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM (EST), Sundays, Jan. 25th - Mar. 29th, 2026

• Instructor: cherrie

MDN202: Mandarin for Elementary Learners [Part 2]  (A2 ~ B1)

• Description: The course is intended for students who wish to understand authentic speech and texts that consist mainly of high frequency language. Students will learn to make statements, form personal opinions and facilitate conversations. Students will also work on connecting phrases in a simple way to describe experiences and events, briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans on familiar topics or topics of personal interests.

• Day/time: 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM (EST), Saturdays, Jan. 24th - Mar. 28th, 2026

• Instructor: Sayeh (思伊 Sīyī)

These courses are for students who are already conversational in Mandarin, but wish to improve overall fluency and literacy.

• MDN700A: Introduction to Reading and Writing for Functional Bilinguals / Heritage Speakers [Part 1]

  • Description: Intended for students who are conversational in Mandarin but have no knowledge in reading or writing. This literacy course provides an introduction to the Chinese orthography system, the most common radicals and characters (in Simplified and Traditional), punctuation systems and stylistic conventions. Students will aim to comprehend short texts and write simple sentences.

  • Day/time: 7:30 - 9:30 PM (EST), Tuesdays, Jan. 20th - Mar. 24th, 2026

  • Instructor: Sayeh (思伊 Sīyī)

• MDN700B: Introduction to Reading and Writing for Functional Bilinguals / Heritage Speakers [Part 2]

  • Description: Intended for students who are conversational in Mandarin but have limited knowledge on Chinese characters, can already read simple texts and write short sentences. This literacy course will focus on improving reading comprehension of everyday language, such as description of events, feelings and wishes. Students will also work on their writing skills by connecting sentences and composing short paragraphs.

  • Day/time: 7:30 - 9:30 PM (EST), Thursdays, Jan. 22nd - Mar. 26th, 2026

  • Instructor: Sayeh (思伊 Sīyī)

• MDN710: Mandarin for Functional Bilinguals / Heritage Speakers (Novice)

  • Description: This course is for students who are conversational in Mandarin and have basic reading skills but want to improve their fluency. Students will engage in in-depth discussions on familiar topics, such as hobbies, travel, work, and health. Example learning activities include articulating thoughts, describing emotions, and proposing questions to facilitate conversation. Students will read short to medium-length texts, such as stories and social media posts, and practice writing coherent messages. Listening exercises will help with understanding fast speech and nuanced language, while speaking practice will focus on improving pronunciation and developing complex sentence structures to navigate more challenging interactions confidently.

  • Day/time: 3:00 - 5:00 PM (EST), Saturdays, Jan. 24th - Mar.28th, 2026

  • Instructor: Luna

• MDN720: Mandarin for Functional Bilinguals / Heritage Speakers (Intermediate)

  • Description: This course is intended for students who are already conversational in Mandarin and possess functional reading abilities, but wish to develop stronger language skills. We will focus on discussing moderately complex topics and acquiring new information in Mandarin. Example learning activities will include analyzing medium-length opinion pieces and argumentative essays, as well as composing coherent arguments. Listening exercises will enhance understanding of complex topics presented in natural speech, while speaking practices will focus on articulating personal stances and carrying a meaningful conversation.

  • Day/time: 7:30 - 9:30 PM (EST), Mondays, Jan. 19th - Mar.23rd, 2026

  • Instructor: Luna

• MDN730: Mandarin for Functional Bilinguals / Heritage Speakers (Advanced)

  • Description: This course is designed for Mandarin learners who aim to achieve advanced proficiency. Students will refine their language skills to comprehend complex texts, express nuanced ideas, and engage confidently in formal social contexts. Learning activities will include analyzing intricate texts, writing argumentative essays, and discussing complex topics related to political education, social justice movements, history, and culture.

  • Day/time: 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM (EST), Saturdays, Jan. 24th - Mar. 28th, 2026

Instructor: Luna

If you are learning Mandarin as a second/foreign language learner, you can choose:

• MDN101 if you have no prior experience in Mandarin

• MDN102 if you completed HSK1 or a third of TOCFL’s Band A level 1

• MDN201 if you completed HSK2 or two thirds of TOCFL’s Band A level 1

• MDN202 if you completed HSK3 or TOCFL’s Band A level 1

If you are learning Mandarin as a functional bilingual/heritage learner, you can choose:

• MDN700A if you can carry day-to-day conversations but cannot read at all

• MDN700B if you can carry day-to-day conversations and also:

  • can recognize at least 75% of the characters on the HSK1 list, and at least 50% of the characters on the HSK2 list, in either Simplified or Traditional orthography

  • can recognize at least 75% of the 100 most common radicals and components

  • can type in a Pinyin input system

  • know the general rules of stroke order

  • are more or less familiar with the punctuation system in either Simplified or Traditional orthography and stylistic conventions in Chinese composition

  • can compose short and simple sentences

• MDN710 if you can:

  • describe experiences and events while occasionally looking for expressions and vocabulary

  • understand the content, recognize the purpose and tone of most exchanges of Mandarin speakers (e.g., requests, opinions, casual conversations) but may miss subtleties like sarcasm or implied meaning

  • read short to medium-length texts (e.g. posters, short stories, social media posts) and grasp both main ideas and supporting details

  • produce simple connected text on topics which are familiar or of personal interest

• MDN720 if you can:

  • interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity

  • understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics, including technical discussions in one’s field of specialization

  • understand specialized vocabulary in familiar contexts (e.g., technology, healthcare, culture, business, etc.,), occasionally consulting a dictionary

  • interpret implied tones (e.g., irony, skepticism, criticism, etc.,)

  • produce clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects and explain a viewpoint on a topical issue giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options

• MDN730 if you can:

  • express yourself fluently and spontaneously without frequently searching for expressions

  • grasp implicit meanings (e.g., humor, hesitation, or indirect criticism) in most conversational contexts

  • understand some formal speech (e.g., lectures, interviews) and TV/news reports on familiar topics

  • more or less follow complex arguments and discussions when language is clear

  • understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts while consulting a dictionary, and recognize implicit meaning

  • produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects, showing controlled use of organizational patterns, connectors and cohesive devices

Day/time:

• Luna’s seminars: 6:00 - 7:00 PM (EST), Tuesdays, January 20th - March 24th, 2026

• Geng Chen’s seminars: 1:30 - 2:30 PM (EST), Saturdays, January 24th - March 28th, 2026

Signing up for any Mandarin language course will grant you access to our weekly seminars. The purpose of these seminars is to provide students with background knowledge about the linguistic diversity, history, society, and cultures of Sinophone communities.

Registered participants will receive the seminar schedule and topics via email. Attendance is highly encouraged for Mandarin learners, as essential knowledge will be covered in the introductory seminars during the first few weeks.

Each seminar has a different topic and may be subject to changes. Some of our past seminar topics include:

• Naming the Chinese Language(s): “Dialects”, Scripts, Standardisation and State Policy

• Theatre of Transgression: Cross-Dressing in Chinese Opera

• Policing the Border: Smuggling and State Power in Modern China

• Language and Gender beyond Essentialism

• Language and Food

And more!

• Sayeh ساية (思伊 Sīyī) is a certified language teacher in Mandarin and English, and a healthcare interpreter. She holds a master's degree in Linguistics. Originally from southwest Beijing, with heritage from the Silk Road, Sayeh studied in Jerusalem / Al-Quds before moving to Tkaronto (“Toronto”). Outside of the classroom, Sayeh dedicates her time to supporting Bellis Crafts (@bellis_crafts), an art initiative introducing Palestinian tatreez overseas. Sayeh is currently learning Uyghur and Peskotomuhkati-Wolastoqey language.

• cherrie was born and raised in Shenzhen before coming to Tkaronto (“Toronto”). Though coming from a tech background, they are more passionate about literature, language arts and political education. cherrie’s interest in translating has led them to language teaching, as they believe that language is an important part of building solidarity and community globally. Outside of the classroom, you can find them advocating and fundraising for Palestine in bookish spaces.

• Luna is a bilingual Mandarin and English educator with training in linguistic pedagogy and a master’s degree in History. Born and raised in China, she later relocated to Tkaronto (“Toronto”), where she discovered a passion for community-based education and cross-cultural learning. Outside of teaching, Luna engages with global justice movements focused on Palestinian history and contemporary struggles, grounding her pedagogy in community care, solidarity, and collective liberation.

• Geng Chen is a researcher who specialises in the intersections between language and society and culture, such as popular (mis)conceptions about language and their historical provenance. He has an especial interest in how minority languages and speaker communities can advocate for a more equitable place in the world. Such an interest extends to the historical literary practices of these groups in poetry.