Professor Lee (Lee laoshi) was a great teacher for me and other adult Chinese language learners. Thanks to her, I was able to communicate effectively with my wife's relatives and properly participate in funerals for extended family in China. Previously when working with her, I learned enough to travel on my own in Beijing and surroundings. I highly recommend working with her if you want an intensive, focused program of learning spoken or written Chinese. read more

My children age 9and 10 had been going to this establishment for over two years . I originally was pleased with the place and their teaching . As time has gone on my kids had not picked up as much of the language as I thought they should , so I had contemplated moving else where ... but the class is super close to there elementary school so we stayed . Then the worst thing I could have imagined was made clear to me. My kids let me know that The owner Celine who instructed my kids had been SWATTING the back of their heads with her hand to get them to pay attention!! I was and am in SHOCK , no body touches my kids. IT was hard enough to frighten them Both and this is why I strongly feel other parents need to know this happened . Please do not be fooled by her kindness this will eventually be to your child's disservice . Also I have emails and voice messages with Celine the teacher apologizing! She even went so far as to have a mutual friend try to get me to forgive and forget! Probably knowing I'd write this very sad true information. Be warned .. read more

Teacher Fanny is a wonderful Cantonese instructor. I work in the healthcare field and have a Mandarin speaking background with some elementary school Chinese reading skills, but was looking to pick up Cantonese as most of my patients are Cantonese speakers. I had taken lessons on weekdays after work for one year at CCLC and my coworkers (who haven't heard me speak to patients often) have been shocked at my progress and ability to communicate with monolingual Cantonese speakers. I can confidently communicate conversational Cantonese, and am constantly learning new vocabulary through conversations. I of course still consider myself a beginner/intermediate Cantonese student. For the Cantonese classes, I found that I have had mostly one on one or 1 teacher to 2 student ratios for most of my lessons, allowing me to maximize my learning. Fanny is very flexible and adapts to her students' learning styles and is able to adjust lessons based on your learning goals. She is also good at balancing textbook lessons with a good dose of Cantonese conversations so that you have the opportunity to practice and learn sentences and vocabulary based on natural conversation topics! Aside from the quality learning, times were also very flexible and I could easily schedule later/earlier or different days for lessons, so it was more like private tutoring really. The only caveat is that most of the texts used are Chinese character based with Jyutyin pin yin for learning Cantonese, and so the Cantonese lessons are more geared to current Mandarin speakers or those with the ability to read Chinese characters. Of course, Mandarin language or Chinese reading is not a requirement, but it does make the learning process easier. Fanny is able to supplement her texts, wit helpful apps for Cantonese translations. Finally I have to also add that the school principal, Celine, is an overall wonderful person and a pleasure to work with as well. She is someone who is very passionate about teaching language and culture, as well as agreat person to have general life lesson conversations with. She is also very welcoming and very accommodating. For an adult learner, CCLC is a great place to learn Cantonese and get some one on time with instructors. I have not partaken or seen the Mandarin lessons, but I do know there are children groups during the day time and I have seen other instructors plan for song/dance lessons, meal prep lessons, and other creative ways to engage younger child learners. This is a great overall language and cultural teaching facility and I highly recommend them. read more

Ms. Kao (Kao Laoshi) is a great Mandarin Chinese tutor. Her 14+ years of teaching experience in the United States comes through in her method and abilities. For adult students, she tailors her teaching based on your needs and availability. For me, I focus primarily on Mandarin conversation. However, she also teaches writing and reading. She also has a full slate of programs for children, but obviously I don't have any experience with those classes. read more

Finding high-quality Chinese instruction for adults is not easy. Fortunately, I discovered CCCLS and its wonderful teacher/owner, Ms. Rain. What makes this place special is that the teacher sincerely loves what she's doing. She goes above and beyond to provide a friendly yet challenging experience for all CCCLS's students. The school creates its own curriculum, tailors their worksheets and handouts to each student's level, and even celebrates birthdays at nearby restaurants (they are, after all, in the heart of the Richmond). Sessions are not only intimate but also affordable. It's no mystery why this school continues to thrive - both for kids and adults. If you are up to the challenge, just make sure you have extra time to do homework :) read more

They have Mandarin and Cantonese classes for students of all ages. I took several Cantonese speaking classes with Ms. Fanny. She's a great teacher! She's very positive and encouraging. The location is easy to get to and I was able to find parking within a few minutes every time. read more

For the sake of disclaimer, I have to tell you my mother owns the business. She built it from the ground up, starting in our in-law apartment fourteen years ago to her current storefront in the Richmond District. She (Pauline, or Gao Lao Shi) teaches Chinese Mandarin, both traditional and simplified forms, both pinyin and zhuyin. She teaches both kids and adults, but won't teach kids who haven't started kindergarten. She says it's harder for the ones who haven't been in kindergarten; they have problems gripping the pencil correctly and writing the characters. Even in a class of five students, she doesn't have the time to train them for proper pencil usage. I've yet to hear any serious complaints about my mother's teaching. Some kids complain she gives too much homework --- but these are the kids who'd rather burn out their brains on shoot-'em-ups than read a book. Some adults have problems understanding her accent. Of course, being that she came from Taiwan, she has a Chinese accent affecting her English. It isn't too bad though. You just need to get used to it. Her teaching style is relaxed but discplined. She will give you homework even if you have a full-time job. You can't learn without practicing or reading your characters, you just can't. But if you really can't handle her workload, just tell her. She's understanding. She'll reduce some of it and make up for your lack of practice in class. What else do you need to know? Computers are involved in the teaching. When you get to the point, you'll start learning how to type Chinese on a PC. She has videos and DVDs and Chinese comic books. Class schedules depend mainly on you. Private classes for adults are $25 an hour; three or more adults a class is about $18-20 each. She does have set after-school and Sunday classes for kids. If I remember right, kids are less than $18 an hour. She also has an immersion program for kids during the summer; you have to check with her for the dates and fees. When you call or email her (cccls2007@gmail.com), she will ask you your experience with Chinese, why you want to learn it, and ask you to come in so you can meet face to face and see if you like each other. That meeting lasts about an hour and is always free. She does the same with kids, too, ask their parents to come in and bring the kid. All in all, my mother is a good Chinese teacher. You have the right to say I'm biased but I grew up watching her teach and watched her teaching style evolve. She's gotten much better, and she always cares about her students above all else. Money is nice but that's not the point. She genuinely wants you to learn Chinese as well and as quickly as you can. read more

I took Chinese as a child, during college and even in private sessions with a tutor in another city years ago. Sadly, for lack of regular use, my literacy in Chinese withered away until I found Kao Laoshi (technically "Gao" in Mandarin). Teacher Kao's curriculum does not revolve around textbooks or a rigid list of vocabulary words. She tailors the program to each student's strengths. Based on my experience with many Chinese programs (and teachers) here is what distinguishes Teacher Kao as an expert Chinese language scholar and teacher: * She speaks Mandarin and Cantonese fluently so when I need extra help translating my Cantonese Chinese into proper Mandarin Chinese (in order to understand a concept better in Mandarin), she knows just how to do that. * She can explain the derivation of radicals and characters from their historical evolution as a pictogram to the modern-day character. These explanations have not only been very entertaining (like a mini-history lesson), but they have been essential in helping me recall how to write particular characters. * Don't be fooled by her Chinese accent when speaking English, Teacher Kao has a very clear understanding of how to translate Chinese grammar structures into English for students and to explain the differences. * She is a true Chinese language scholar. When I miss a stroke in a character, or my strokes are curved incorrectly, or I've replaced one radical for another, she knows exactly how to correct it. She knows when I've translated an English sentence into a grammatically incorrect Chinese sentence. (She calls this English-Chinese.) * She is an expert Mandarin speaker and knows how to correct tones. This is especially great for non-native speakers (whom I've had many as classmates) and even adults like me, who speak another dialect as their native tongue and confuse tones sometimes. * She has a great sense of humor and is very personable. This makes learning in her class very enjoyable. I've been (re)learning how to read/write/speak Mandarin now with Teacher Kao for the last few months and I'm having a blast. It is not easy to fit in regular meetings and doing homework lessons with my full-time work schedule but the classes are totally worthwhile. Because there are other adults in my class that I see regularly, it makes learning very fun. I would highly recommend Teacher Kao as a Chinese teacher, especially for adults eager to master the language. read more

I have been taking Mandarin lessons with Ms. Kao for three months now. While I still find it very difficult as a subject, I have noticed a huge difference in the quality of the teaching I have received her versus the other locations downtown where I have taken 6 month courses in Mandarin. Here Ms. Kao is teaching the traditional characters along with the spoken conversation in a way that provides deep explanations into the origins and meanings of all of the characters. She is patient and kind as a teacher and understanding of the difficulties in learning a second language which is so steeped in culture different from the West. I think this is the ideal place to learn Chinese and I truly believe that I have found the best possible teacher as I continue to work in the coming years on learning to read, write and speak this language. read more

We highly recommend Teacher Crystal for Cantonese instruction! Our daughters, who are ages 6 and 10, started taking weekly, private, virtual Cantonese lessons with Teacher Crystal Lee in June 2020. At first, we weren't sure how well it would work for our young kids to learn a new language virtually. But they have had a wonderful experience with Teacher Crystal, who does an excellent job of keeping the online lessons fun and interesting. She has also been accommodating in addressing the various learning styles of our kids. Teacher Crystal diversifies the content and uses different tools to help our kids learn. They've sung Cantonese songs, watched videos, read lesson books together online, created flashcards with pictures and words, and written Chinese characters. Content-wise, they've learned about numbers, colors, shapes, sizes, animals, food (including dim sum), musical instruments, countries, nationalities, titles of immediate and extended family members, basic sentence formations to more advanced sentence formations depending on the student's pace, etc. Teacher Crystal tries to make the lessons relevant for the kids by asking each week about what they are doing at school, on vacation, for activities and hobbies, and then teaches them new Cantonese words and phrases related to those experiences. We especially appreciate how Teacher Crystal is open to feedback, suggestions, and customizing the learning experience of each child. She is very patient and great with young children. read more

Gao Laoshi is a dedicated and patient teacher. If you work hard she'll match you. If your schedule is hectic she'll accommodate you. Her course material is rigorous and systematic. Though, like most things in life, you reap what you sow. That is to say, if you complete the assigned homework for every session progress will be quick. However, if you come to class unprepared be prepared to receive a.... Well let's just say it's best to come on time with all of one's homework finished. read more

I am currently learning how to speak and write traditional Mandarin. It's been about 10 months, and I wanted to share how pleased I've been with the method of teaching. Kao lao shi has been extremely patient with keeping me motivated through the troughs in my learning cycles. Her interest in her students (atleast mine) is apparent... she doesn't let you get away with no homework, but keeps a tab on progress and adjusts the pace accordingly. The classroom is bright and airy and has a generally good feel about the place. read more

I've been studying Mandarin with CCCLS for around a year now, and my Mandarin skill have gone from nothing to being able to keep a conversation, write essays, and understand most of people's conversations. The teachers are great(especially Zhu Laoshi). They provide you with proper fundamentals, like grammar, stroke order and more. They gave me many tips and skill on how to improve my Mandarin. For anyone looking to learn Mandarin I definitely recommend CCCLS!! read more

UPDATE: I was able to get a hold of the instructor named Rain at the school and started to take lessons with her. She is a very good teacher, very nice and also patient with adult learners. I have paused my lessons because of time constraints so I cannot vouch for ongoing progress. If you are looking for a nice and capable mandarin teacher in the neighborhood, this is a great choice. I hope to start up with Rain again. PAST: I will update this review if I ever can reach them to try out the lessons. I have emailed and called and 1) no email back ... yet. Its been over a week. 2) no one answers during mid-day, during the week. I am not sure of how to get started with this business if at all. I hope to try them out and update this review. read more

My review before was wrong. Rather than being closed, the school is just extremely busy. Thankfully, everything appears well.

CCCLS is an outstanding organization. Rain Zhu and her staff are truly dedicated to providing quality instruction to both children and adults, often putting in hours beyond what is "expected" or "paid" and going above and beyond. I am a very busy working professional, and they have been very accommodating and understanding of my schedule. The team here is very passionate about teaching and helping students succeed. If you are looking for a great Chinese teacher in the Bay Area, look no further. Highly recommended! read more