ChinesePod

Summary

ChinesePod is one of the most frequently recommended resources for learning Chinese, and it’s one of the best. There’s no better tool out there when it comes to improving listening comprehension. The lesson library is massive and covers diverse topics and seven difficulty levels. This review will look at both the Basic and Premium Plans.

I Like

• You can find lessons on pretty much any topic imaginable.
• The Premium Plan includes lots of useful expansion exercises that’ll give you more than just listening practice.
• An appropriate amount of English to Chinese is used in each lesson. As you move up to higher levels, they’re taught entirely in Chinese.
• The hosts are great. They add lots of personality to the lessons.

I Don’t Like

• Access to the app is only included with the Premium Plan.
• It’s not a progressive course. You may want to follow a course or textbook to make sure to avoid random gaps in your knowledge.

Price

A subscription to the Basic Plan costs $14/month or $124/year. The Premium Plan costs $29/month or $249/year. The Premium+ Plan includes tutoring and is really overpriced. You should consider using italki instead if you’re looking for a teacher.

USE THE PROMO CODE “ALLLANG50” TO SAVE $50 ON AN ANNUAL PREMIUM PLAN.

Chinese Learn Online

Summary

Chinese Learn Online is an online platform providing progressive Chinese lessons across several levels. The website and app feel very dated and in need of a major upgrade. It’s not necessarily a bad product, but it would be far from my top recommendation for people insterested in learning Chinese independently.

I Like

• The lessons build on each other and can give you some structure.
• The amount of English used in lessons slowly becomes less and less as you move up.
• Lesson notes can provide helpful explanations.

I Don’t Like

• The lesson content is fairly average and forgettable. Lessons aren’t particularly interesting.
• The website and app design are quite bad. You won’t see corrections when you make a mistake on the exercises.
• There are better products priced similarly.

Price

The Self-Study Plan costs $19.95/month, $49.95/3-months, or $149.95/year. There’s also a guided plan with a teacher for $49.95/month, $119/3-months, or $399/year.

eChineseLearning

Summary

eChineseLearning is one of the oldest and most popular websites for finding an online Chinese tutor. It isn’t my first choice because it’s more expensive and less flexible than competitors, such as italki. It requires a longer-term commitment which for some might provide the motivation needed to stick with learning Chinese.

I Like

• The teachers have a lot of experience and background in teaching.
• A commitment to taking weekly classes can prevent some people from abandoning their lessons.
• Lots of unique lesson topics.

I Don’t Like

• With some plans, if you miss a class one week, you lose it and won’t get a refund.
• There are other cheaper options for finding a Chinese tutor.
• It may be hard to schedule lessons only a week or less in advance. A popular teacher’s schedule may fill up quite fast.

Price

Lessons cost between $11-$25 per hour – depending on the number of lessons and length of the plan.

Get one week free if you sign up for a 3-month or longer package

TutorMing

Summary

TutorMing is an online Mandarin school that offers classes 24 hours a day, with qualified teachers, using unique content. I took two classes with them and came away very impressed. I learned new things about Chinese culture, despite having lived in Beijing for a few years. However, it’s not the cheapest option, so those on a tighter budget may want to look elsewhere.

I Like

• Lessons are available 24 hours per day and can be scheduled very quickly.
• The teachers are excellent.
• The curriculum is interesting and includes lots of cultural information.

I Don’t Like

• It’s somewhat expensive with 3-months being the shortest plan.
• The two lesson types are a little confusing (keep reading…!)
• The homework is really short and not all that useful.

Price

While one lesson starts at $45. By purchasing a bundle you can get the cost of each lesson down to $32 a lesson. While this will cost $3200 for 100 lessons, you have 18 months to complete your lessons. It also comes in increments of $400 for 10 lessons to be used in 6 months, $930 for 25 lessons in 1 year, and $1700 for 50 lessons in 1 year.