Today was our first day of language learning as we enrolled in the Chinese Language Education (www.chinaledu.com) of Beijing. It is a top-rated Mandarin language institute that has taught diplomats, business professionals, and educators and their families for several years. It is a results-oriented program. Instruction includes reading, writing, speaking, communicating, and grammar.

This was our first day, but already, we are impressed with the quality of both our instructors and the program. In just four hours, we covered the Pinyin system and its 21 initials, 36 finals, and 4 tones (plus neutral). We spent a good deal of time of correct pronunciation of a selection of basic initials (syllables) and simple finals (vowels) with correction tones (inflections). We also learned the 6 basic stories and 22 compound strokes, their names, and the correct order to make them (L-R, Top-Bottom). We were introduced to a set of useful vocabulary words, both in pinyin and in Chinese simplified character, along with basic dialogue structures to practice for homework.

The website has plenty of information on the institute, but we were first introduced to the owner/founder two years ago and were impressed. We also learned of people who gave very positive testimonials of the staff and program. We are glad to be part of it.