FAQ

To guarantee a smooth application process and secure your spot in a program of your choice, we recommend students to apply at least 3 months before their camp start date. This is also to ensure there is enough time for them to apply for the necessary visa to enter and stay in China.

Students who need accommodation should apply at least 6 weeks in advance as availability is limited.

All our classes are designed to be fun, engaging and, above all, educational. Chinese classes are for 3 hours every day and include a Topic Chinese Class, Cartoon Class and Reading & Writing Class.

All of our classes are taught in Chinese to give students a fully immersive Chinese atmosphere. Even for absolute beginners, our teachers will only use a little English in the class. Instead, they will use pictures, videos and body language to help you understand. As your Chinese level progresses, less and less English will be used in your classes and you will be able to understand more and more every day.

Our teachers give each child around 20-30 minutes worth of homework every day to revise what has been studied in class and to prepare them for the next day’s lessons.

Our teachers are all native Chinese speakers and are university graduates with majors in Chinese language education or Chinese literature. They have also previously obtained a “teaching Mandarin as a second language” certificate before they joined us and successfully completed That’s Mandarin’s mandatory Teachers Training Course (TTC).

Teachers are selected based on their caring personality and they are highly experienced in taking care of kids and teens.

On average every year That’s Mandarin welcomes more than 3000 students from all over the world. Since 2008, we’ve welcomed over 300 students annually to join our Summer Chinese Camp. Most students come from America, Europe, and Asia.

The main difference between Full Camp and Homestay Camp is the accommodation. Full Campers stay in our hotel accommodation, whereas Homestay students stay with a Chinese host family.

Both camps include cultural activities and excursions on weekdays and weekends. Evening activities at Full Camp will be with other Full Camp participants. Evening activities as part of Homestay Camp will be with host families.

Campers will be provided with 3 healthy meals per day. In a homestay, breakfast and dinner would be Chinese and prepared by the host family.

We offer a wide range of cultural activities and excursions to give campers a well-rounded insight into Chinese culture and history. Find out more about the Chinese cultural activities and excursions we offer.

If you attend Morning Camp, it is possible to attend the cultural activities and excursions however, they will be an extra cost for each event. For more information, please contact us.

We recommend campers have between 100-200 RMB per day for pocket money. This is more than enough for them to buy souvenirs, snacks, etc.

That’s Mandarin requires each student to organize her/his own health insurance, which must be valid for the duration of the program.

We recommend you buy insurance from an internationally-recognized provider to avoid any possible problems when using your insurance in China.

We advise you to visit your doctor prior to traveling to check with them which vaccinations they recommend. Be aware that for some vaccinations, you may need to go over several weeks, so make sure you check with your doctor far enough in advance.

In the event of illness, a representative from That’s Mandarin will take you to the hospital if required and will help you to acquire any medicine you need.

If first aid is required, we have staff trained in first aid who will be able to assist.

For Home-stay and Full Camp students, we offer airport pick-up and drop-off, to ensure everyone gets to their accommodation safely.

We provide a hotel accommodation for our students, and one of our teachers will be around to make sure you are well looked after. You will be provided with breakfast, lunch and dinner each day and will have the opportunity to attend evening and weekend activities and field trips.

If you are in a homestay, you will be provided with breakfast, lunch and dinner and will be invited to join evening and weekend activities and field trips.

Yes, we can provide both airport pick-up and drop-off services. Just let us know your departure or arrival information at least 2 weeks in advance and we will promptly get back to you with pricing information.

For Day Camp, Full Camp, Family Camp and Home-stay Camp, a healthy lunch is provided for kids. We order the meals from restaurants that use on green and safe products.

We also provide a healthy snack during the morning break between Chinese classes.

If you have any special dietary requirements, kindly let us know before the Summer Camp starts so we can make special arrangements.

There is always at least 1 teacher for every 3-6 students. The number of teachers depends on the age of the children. For younger children, we have more teachers supervising.

While it is possible for you to accompany your child on excursions, we don’t recommend it as the aim is for your child to be speaking Chinese. With parents around, children lose the incentive to speak Chinese.

We have a curfew in place for all students. It is possible to go out in the evenings, but only if accompanied by a member of staff or parent. It is also possible for you to give written permission to us allowing your child to go out at night if you wish.

Full Camp and Homestay Camp students have accommodation arranged for them. Full Camp students will stay in a modern hotel accommodation shared with other students, while Homestay Camp students will stay with a local host family and have their own bedroom.

If you’re enrolled in another camp program and need an accommodation, please contact us.

Our hotel accommodation is modern and comfortable. All rooms have air-conditioning, access to WIFI, satellite television and 24/7 hot water. Towels and bedding are provided and rooms are cleaned regularly.

Our homestay families have all been carefully selected and checked out! Most of them have hosted home-stay students before, so they can speak some or fairly simple English. Generally, they offer one bedroom for one student, including free Wifi, 24-hr hot water, air conditioning and a shared bathroom.

Distance varies depending on whether you are in homestay or hotel accommodation. The accommodation is no more than 30 minutes from the school by public transport.

A member of staff will accompany younger campers from their accommodation to the school each day. Whether it be by bus, metro or walking; they will make sure your child gets safely to school in the morning and back to the accommodation in the evening.