Chinese tuition from Primary 1 to H1 Chinese
For many families in Singapore, Chinese is the subject taught at school but not spoken at home, and the gap shows up first in composition and oral. Our Chinese tutors, two of whom have more than twenty years of teaching experience, run lessons in Mandarin so students hear and use the language for the whole 1.5 hours, with English explanations only when a concept needs it.
At primary level we cover Hanyu Pinyin and character recognition in the lower years, then composition (看图作文 and 完成文章), comprehension, oral reading and conversation, and listening for the PSLE. At secondary level the focus is on the O Level papers: essay writing in the required text types, comprehension and summary, and oral. At JC level we teach H1 Chinese for students continuing the language in JC1.
Each level below lists what our lessons cover. Classes are small groups at Woodlands, Admiralty, Choa Chu Kang and Yishun; Higher Chinese students are taught the additional demands of their papers within the same classes.
- Levels
- Primary 1 to Secondary 4; H1 Chinese at JC
- Exams
- PSLE Chinese and Higher Chinese, O Level Chinese and Higher Chinese, A Level H1 Chinese
- Fee
- Primary $150 to $180, Secondary $220 to $250, JC $320 per 4 lessons (fees)
- Class size
- Small groups, conducted in Mandarin
- Centres
- Woodlands, Admiralty, Choa Chu Kang and Yishun
Chinese lessons by level
P1 Chinese focuses on building a foundation in Hanyu Pinyin, practise writing more Chinese characters and recognising and differentiating the various Chinese pronunciation.
Students have the opportunity to speak Chinese with on-the-spot guidance by tutors.
Primary 1P2 Chinese exposure to composition and reading comprehension which expand their Chinese word bank.
Basic composition writing skills, oral test components are taught. Furthermore, students will have additional practice to read and write Chinese text as they learn identify, learn and apply sentence structures.
Primary 2P3 Chinese teaches students to identify tones and emotions in text and apply them to their own speech. A better understanding of what is being conversed is expected.
Students’ vocabulary bank is expanded as a more diverse range of topics are touched upon. Sentence structures for writing and speaking Chinese are refined and more composition skills are taught.
Primary 3Fluency in reading and speaking is expected while students prepare for oral exams. Chinese idioms are also introduced to enhance their vocabulary bank.
Building onto their foundation, description of actions and emotions are expected in their written composition. Students are also exposed to a wider range of question type in their reading comprehension.
Primary 4Chinese proverbs are introduced to enhance students’ vocabulary. The skill to identify when and how to use more advanced phrases is also crucial to make their oral and writing skills stand out.
The main focus is on honing exam techniques for each examinable components, which includes sharpening students’ vocabulary for their description writing, encouraging appropriate reasoning and expression for their oral examinations and brushing up inference skills for their comprehension paper.
Primary 5Advanced phrases, proverbs and idioms are introduced for more advanced students while more (social) topics are touched upon for a more well-rounded Chinese education.
Students are tasked with practice questions and personalised feedback are provided to address each student’s individual weakness. Cheat sheets with important and useful phases, proverbs and idioms are provided to improve composition and oral skills.
In P6 Chinese, revision will be focused on mastering the individual Chinese paper requirements and honing time management skills. It is crucial to continue students’ exposure and usage of Chinese characters to build familiarisation.
Primary 6Students will be taught the format of writing an email as required in their paper 1. Students are also encouraged to do more reading of Chinese passages to build their Chinese word bank.
The email writing skills taught allows students to build their bilingual skills as they explore more overlaps between Chinese and English.
Secondary 1Continued exposure to Chinese characters in textbooks, passages and practices allows students to recognise, read and apply. Students are expected to be capable of reading text and passages smoothly.
Students’ oral and listening skills will be tested as students prepare for their Secondary 2 exams while continued practices in the various composition and comprehension question types will build concise answering skills.
Secondary 2In-class discussion are held to expose students to a wide range of current affairs topics to help students develop a global perspective, build their Chinese vocabulary and build content for use in their essay.
Numerous practice questions are given to build students’ familiarity in the answering techniques for the different question types in their composition and comprehension papers.
Secondary 3Even more complex written passages and more recent current affairs in-class discussion continues to make the bulk of lesson time to help students prepare for their final exams. Students continue to attempt papers of diverse topics to apply discussed ideas.
Students are taught to master their critical evaluation, summarising and comprehension skills on a wide range of topics, while also organising and supporting arguments in a coherent and logical manner to substantiate arguments.
Revision will be focused on mastering the individual ‘O’ Level paper requirements and honing time management skills through practice tests in simulated exam conditions. Discussion on key topics will be held to build students’ repository of general knowledge and current affairs.
Secondary 4H1 Chinese
Students will be taught more about the difference in exam format with focus on the Mid-Year A Level paper. Additional lessons can also be tailored for students who wishes to retake their Chinese in the year end examination.
Specific skills to master the individual ‘A’ Level paper requirements will be taught and personalised feedback and lesson plan will be provided to students.
Revision will be focused on mastering the individual ‘A’ Level paper requirements and honing time management skills through practice tests in simulated exam conditions.
Junior College 1Questions parents ask about Chinese
Yes, and that is the most common situation in our Chinese classes. Lessons are conducted in Mandarin at a level the class can follow, so students get the listening and speaking exposure they miss at home. The tutor adds English explanations where a grammar point or idiom needs it, and parents get a note after each lesson on what to revise.
Yes. Higher Chinese students at primary and secondary level join our Chinese classes and are given the additional composition, comprehension and vocabulary demands of their papers. Tell us which paper your child is taking when you enquire.
With regular practice in class: reading aloud for pronunciation and fluency, and conversation on the video or picture stimulus with the tutor prompting the way the examiner does. Students build a set of phrases and sentence patterns they can rely on, which takes the fear out of the exam.
Weekday afternoons and evenings (2pm to 10pm) and weekends (9am to 7pm). The timetable differs by centre and changes as classes fill, so we do not publish it. Message the centre with the level and subject and we will send the current slots.
Yes. A free trial lesson is available to new students who book one in advance. Book the trial online or message the centre on WhatsApp with the level and subject, and we will place your child in a suitable class.
Try a lesson before you decide
Chinese classes run at all four centres for Primary 1 to Secondary 4 and JC1. Tell us the level, whether your child takes Chinese or Higher Chinese, and the paper that worries you most, or book a free trial lesson.