Total Beginner (Level 0)
Students attending these classes have never learned Mandarin Chinese.

Beginner (Level 1)
Students attending these classes know more than 300 Chinese expressions, and should have learned Chinese phonetics. Classes focus on teaching basic Chinese vocabulary, sentence structures and grammar using everyday topics. Phonetics, tone exercises and drills allow students to learn the correct pronunciation and intonation from the beginning. Students are introduced to the radical system (Chinese character composition), stroke orders and basic characters.

Upon completion of a short term program, students should be capable of engaging in simple daily conversation. Programs lasting 12 weeks or longer enable students to complete the beginner level and progress to the elementary level. At the end of the academic year, students should have completed the elementary level, and be ready to begin the intermediate level.

Elementary (Level 2)
Students attending these classes know more than 800 Chinese expressions, have a grasp of major sentence structures and have systematically learned Chinese grammar. Classes focus on vocabulary, sentence structures, listening, reading, and conversational skills. Phonetics, tone exercises and drills ensure that participants learn the correct pronunciation and intonation.

Upon completions of a short term program, students should be capable of conversing on daily topics and expressing themselves using elementary sentence structures. Programs lasting 12 weeks or longer enable students to complete the elementary level and progress to the lower intermediate level. At the end of the academic year, students should be ready to tackle the intermediate level.

Intermediate (Level 3)
Students attending these classes know more than 1,500 Chinese expressions and have an understanding of elementary Chinese grammar. Conversational exercises teach students to recount articles in a comparatively fluent and complete manner. Students are able to converse on general topics and express themselves using more complicated sentence structures. Classes focus on increasing the level of grammar and vocabulary with the aim of enabling students to express themselves functionally in different contexts. Practical situational texts are used to provide a deeper understanding of Chinese culture and society.

Upon completion of a short term program, students should be capable of expressing themselves in different contexts using intermediate sentence structures. Programs lasting 12 weeks or longer enable students to complete the intermediate level. At the end of the academic year, students should be ready to tackle the advanced levels.

Advanced (Level 4)
Students attending these classes know more than 2,500 Chinese expressions. They can discuss general topics, raise complex questions, and express their opinions clearly using correct intonation. Classes focus on vocabulary, reading, listening comprehension, and conversational skills. Class work includes reading newspapers and listening to news broadcasts. Students are taught advanced spoken and written Chinese.

Proficient (Level 5)
Participants attending these classes know more than 3,500 Chinese expressions. They are able to read and understand newspapers, periodicals, radio broadcasts, and television. They can express themselves systematically using appropriate expressions and language norms. The curriculum includes listening to and commenting on news reports, television, and radio broadcasts, and discussions and debates of current affairs.