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HSK 1 Mandarin Course (Elementary)
The Confucius Institute at ¾«¶«´«Ã½ offers an online HSK 1 Mandarin course via Zoom, designed for complete beginners.

The course is divided into two parts (A and B), each lasting 10 weeks. You may enrol in one part or complete both.

Full course fee (Part A & B): £100

HSK 1 Part A

• Dates: 6 October – 8 December 2026
• Time: Tuesdays, 6.00–7.00 pm (10 sessions)
• Fee: £50  
• Pre-requisite: None 

HSK 1 Part B

• Dates: 12 January – 16 March 2027
• Time: Tuesdays, 6.00–7.00 pm (10 sessions)
• Fee: £50
• Pre-requisite: Completion of HSK 1 Part A 

What you will learn

• Develop the foundations of listening and speaking in Mandarin for everyday communication.
• Learn around 300 essential vocabulary items and recognise simple Chinese characters.
• Read and write basic Chinese characters and short expressions.
• Build confidence using Mandarin in everyday situations such as greetings, introductions, shopping, ordering food, travelling, and talking about daily routines.
• Develop the communication skills required for the HSK 1 (version 3.0) examination.  

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, you will be able to understand and use simple Mandarin in familiar everyday situations, recognise and write basic Chinese characters, and communicate using short sentences with increasing confidence. You will have developed the listening, reading and introductory writing skills required for the HSK 1 (version 3.0) examination and be well prepared to continue to HSK 2.
We recommend around 3 hours of independent study per week.

Materials & Access

• Learning materials are provided by the tutor (except for recommended textbooks).
• Lessons take place on Zoom (free account required)
• The tutor will send your Zoom link after registration 

Our courses follow the latest HSK 3.0 syllabus, which places greater emphasis on practical communication and the integrated development of listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. Lessons are designed to help learners use Mandarin confidently in real-life situations while preparing for the HSK examination.

Important information

Additional Support

An intensive revision course (May–June 2027) will be available for those preparing for the HSK 1 exam.

Important information

Course fees are non-refundable once the course has started.

HSK 4 Mandarin Course (Intermediate)

The Confucius Institute at ¾«¶«´«Ã½ offers an online HSK 4 Mandarin course via Zoom, designed for learners who have completed HSK 3 (version 3.0).

Please note that HSK 3 version 2.0 followed an older curriculum with fewer requirements. Learners who completed HSK 3 under this earlier system are still welcome to enrol; however, the learning curve may be slightly steeper due to the expanded vocabulary and language expectations in the updated HSK framework.

The course is divided into two parts (A and B), each lasting 10 weeks. You may enrol in one part or complete both.

Full course fee (Part A & B): £240

HSK 4 Part A

• Dates: 6 October – 17 December 2026
• Time: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 6.00–8.00 pm (2 hours, including a short break)
• Fee: £120
• Pre-requisite: HSK 3 (3.0)

HSK 4 Part B

• Dates: 12 January – 25 March 2027
• Time: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 6.00–8.00 pm (2 hours, including a short break)
• Fee: £120
• Pre-requisite: Completion of HSK 4 Part A 

What you will learn

• Develop lower-intermediate listening, speaking, reading and writing skills.
• Learn around 1,000 new commonly used words, reaching a cumulative total of approximately 2,000 words by the end of HSK Level 4.
• Recognise approximately 1,096 Chinese characters and write approximately 400 characters.
• Strengthen grammar and sentence patterns to communicate more accurately and naturally.
• Read longer texts and authentic materials with greater confidence.
• Write connected paragraphs, describe events, summarise information, and express opinions clearly.
• Communicate effectively across a wide range of practical, academic, and social situations.
• Develop the language skills required for the HSK 4 (version 3.0) examination. 

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, you will be able to communicate confidently in spoken and written Mandarin across a wide variety of real-life situations, especially in work and study contexts. You will be able to understand more complex texts, organise your ideas in writing, express opinions clearly, and participate in longer conversations. You will have developed the skills required for the HSK 4 (version 3.0) examination and be ready to progress to HSK 5.
We recommend around 8 hours of independent study per week.

Materials & Access

• Learning materials are provided by the tutor (except for recommended textbooks).
• Lessons take place on Zoom (free account required)
• The tutor will send your Zoom link after registration 

Our courses follow the latest HSK 3.0 syllabus, which places greater emphasis on practical communication and the integrated development of listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. Lessons are designed to help learners use Mandarin confidently in real-life situations while preparing for the HSK examination.

Additional Support

An intensive revision course (May–June 2027) will be available for those preparing for the HSK 4 exam.

Important information

Course fees are non-refundable once the course has started.

The Confucius Institute at ¾«¶«´«Ã½ offers an HSK 5 Mandarin course with personalised one-to-one tuition, available in person or online via Zoom.

Weekly lessons provide individual guidance and feedback, with teaching tailored to your learning needs and progress.

Entry requirements

The course is designed for learners who have completed HSK 4 (version 3.0) or have equivalent knowledge. Learners who completed HSK 4 under version 2.0 are also welcome, although additional preparation may be needed to meet the vocabulary and language demands of the course.

If you have not passed the HSK 4 examination, you will need to complete a free formal assessment before the course begins. This will help us confirm that the course is appropriate for your current level of Mandarin.

Course structure

The course runs across four semesters. Each week includes one two-hour, one-to-one taught session, plus a separate 1-hour 30-minute session for conversation, questions and speaking practice, offered free of charge.

Each semester includes 10 weeks of teaching: 20 hours of paid individual tuition plus 15 hours of free conversation, questions, and speaking practice, for a total of 35 hours. Across all four semesters (40 teaching weeks), the complete course provides 140 hours: 80 hours of paid tuition and 60 hours of free conversation, questions and speaking practice.

Lesson and practice class times will be agreed directly between the tutor and the student to suit their availability.

Course fees and enrolment

• Hourly rate for the two-hour taught lesson: £10
• Two-hour taught lesson: £20
• Fee per semester: £200 for 20 hours of tuition, plus 15 hours of practice classes free of charge
• Full course fee across four semesters: £800 for 80 hours of tuition, plus 60 hours of practice classes free of charge — 140 hours in total

To enrol, you must pay £200 in advance for the first 10 weeks of the course. Where an assessment is required, this should be completed before payment.

What you will learn

Through individual tuition, guided practice and regular feedback, you will:

• Develop your Mandarin listening, speaking, reading and writing skills.
• Expand your vocabulary and strengthen your recognition and use of Chinese characters.
• Improve your understanding of complex grammar and sentence structures.
• Read articles, reports and longer texts with increasing independence.
• Practise writing summaries, descriptions and opinion pieces.
• Build confidence in discussing complex topics, explaining ideas and justifying opinions.
• Develop the integrated language skills needed for the HSK 5 examination.

Learning outcomes

• Develop intermediate listening, speaking, reading and writing skills through authentic communication.
• Learn around 1,600 commonly used words, reaching a cumulative total of approximately 3,600 words by the end of HSK Level 5.
• Recognise approximately 1,257 Chinese characters and write approximately 550 characters.
• Strengthen advanced grammar and sentence structures for accurate and fluent communication.
• Read authentic articles, reports, and longer texts with increasing independence.
• Write coherent essays, summaries, descriptions, and opinion pieces using appropriate vocabulary and grammar.
• Develop the confidence to discuss complex topics, explain ideas, justify opinions, and summarise information.
• Build the integrated language skills required for the HSK 5 (version 3.0) examination. 

The course aims to help you communicate more confidently in personal, academic and professional situations. You will develop your ability to understand spoken and written Mandarin, produce well-structured texts, summarise information and express your opinions clearly.

One-to-one teaching allows your tutor to adapt the pace of lessons and give additional attention to areas where you need support. Progress and examination readiness will depend on your starting level, attendance and independent study.

Regular preparation and revision between lessons are essential. Your tutor will recommend activities and an independent study schedule suited to your needs.

Materials and access

• Learning materials are provided by the tutor, except for recommended textbooks.
• Lessons take place online via Zoom; a free account is required.
• Your tutor will send your joining link once registration and payment have been confirmed.

Important information

Please consider whether you can commit to 3 hours 30 minutes of lessons and practice classes each week, alongside regular independent study, before enrolling.

Lesson cancellations: If you need to cancel a lesson, please give at least 24 hours’ notice so that it can be rescheduled. Lessons cancelled with less than 24 hours’ notice, or missed without notice, will be forfeited and cannot be rescheduled.

Course fees are non-refundable once the course has started!

If you are interested in enrolling on the course, please contact us at confuciusinstitute@bangor.ac.uk.

Are you hoping to take the HSK 1 exam but unsure how to prepare? The Confucius Institute at ¾«¶«´«Ã½ is offering a 5-week ONLINE exam preparation course starting May 2027.

Course details:  (five 1-hour classes)

Course dates: TBC 2027

Pre-requisite: HSK 1 course

Fee: TBC

Course Description: This Mandarin course suits students who have completed an HSK 1 course and are now preparing to take the HSK 1 exam. Our Tutor will focus on systematically mastering the 150-word vocabulary by reviewing sentence and question structures and providing feedback and encouragement!

By the end of this course, students should be ready to pass HSK 1.

We recommend at least 1 hour of independent study each week to ensure students can keep up with the pace of the course.

Learning outcomes:

• familiarity with HSK 1 exam structure and question types
• mastery of HSK 1 grammar and vocabulary
• confidence in self-directed learning

Learning materials: All teaching materials are developed by our teachers using the HSK 1 Course and additional sources. All learning materials provided- apart from recommended textbooks.

Are you hoping to take the HSK 2 exam but unsure how to prepare? The Confucius Institute at ¾«¶«´«Ã½ is offering a 5-week ONLINE exam preparation course starting May 2027.

Course dates: TBC 2027

Pre-requisite: HSK 2 course

Fee: 

Course Description: This is a Mandarin course suitable for students who completed an HSK 2 course and are now preparing to take the HSK 2 exam. Our Tutor will focus on systematically mastering the 349 characters, establishing a vocabulary of 300 Chinese words used in everyday contexts, and providing feedback and encouragement!

By the end of this course, students should be ready to pass HSK 2.

We recommend at least 1 hour of independent study each week to ensure students can keep up with the pace of the course.

Learning outcomes:

• familiarity with HSK 2 exam structure and question types
• mastery of HSK 2 grammar and vocabulary
• confidence in self-directed learning

Learning materials: All teaching materials are developed by our teachers using the HSK 2 Course and additional sources. All learning materials provided- apart from recommended textbooks.

The Confucius Institute at ¾«¶«´«Ã½ is offering an ONLINE exam preparation Mandarin course via Zoom. This course will be available for 5-week sections (one and a half hours a week), course starting May 2027.

Sessions: 

Start date: TBC 2027

Pre-requisite: HSK 1, HSK 2, HSK 3

Fees: 

* Free for enrolled students of the current HSK 3 course and those registered to sit for the HSK 3 exam through our Confucius Institute.

Course Description: This Mandarin course suits students who completed HSK 1, HSK 2, and HSK 3 courses and are now willing to revise and prepare for the HSK 3 exam. Our Tutor will focus on systematically mastering around 600 characters /words to establish a vocabulary of over 600 words, building a stronger knowledge of grammatical points used in the first three HSK book materials, and conducting more complex listening comprehension exercises and conversations in Mandarin.

By the end of this refresher course, students should be ready to pass HSK 3.

We recommend that at least 2 hours of independent study is undertaken each day to ensure students can keep up with the pace of the course.

Learning outcomes: Familiarity with HSK3 exam structure and question types; more in-depth understanding of Chinese grammar and vocabulary; confidence in self-directed Chinese language learning.

Learning materials: All teaching materials are developed by our teachers using the HSK 3 Course and additional sources. All learning materials provided- apart from recommended textbooks.

The Confucius Institute at ¾«¶«´«Ã½ is offering an ONLINE exam preparation Mandarin course via Zoom. This course will be available for 5-weeks starting May 2027.

Sessions: 

Start date: TBC 2027

Pre-requisite: HSK 1, HSK 2, HSK 3, HSK 4

Fees: 

* Free for enrolled students of the current HSK 4 course and those registered to sit for the HSK 4 exam through our Confucius Institute.

Course Description: This Mandarin course suits students who completed an HSK 1, HSK 2, HSK 3, and HSK 4 course and are now willing to revise and prepare for the HSK 4 exam. Our Tutor will focus on systematically mastering around 1200 Chinese characters/words used in everyday contexts, understanding the grammar structures learned before, conducting more complex listening comprehension exercises and conversations, and having broader communication in Mandarin with common sayings or cultural expressions.

By the end of this course, students should be ready to pass HSK 4.

We recommend that at least 2 hours of independent study is undertaken each day to ensure students can keep up with the pace of the course.

Learning outcomes: Familiarity with HSK 4 exam structure and question types; more in-depth understanding of Chinese grammar, vocabulary and everyday expressions; confidence in self-directed Chinese language learning.

Learning materials: All teaching materials are developed by our teachers using the HSK 4 Course and additional sources. All learning materials provided- apart from recommended textbooks.

Enhance Your Chinese Speaking Skills with Chinese Corner!

Join our interactive online sessions on Teams to practice your Chinese verbal skills in a relaxed and informal environment!

Beginners/Low Intermediate Sessions:

• Dates: 13th October 2026
• Day: Tuesdays
• Time: 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm

Intermediate/Advanced Sessions:

• Dates: 15th October 2026
• Day: Thursdays
• Time: 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm

What We Offer:

• Free of Charge: No cost to attend!
• Tailored for Your Level: Whether you're just starting out or looking to refine your skills, we have sessions for beginners to advanced learners.
• Informal Setting: Relax and engage in conversation with fellow learners.
• TEAMS Meeting Links: Registered attendees will receive the meeting links.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to boost your Chinese speaking proficiency!