FAQs

What is the timetable for every course?
Class time for each course can vary term by term according to the classroom and teacher’s availabilities. However, we allow student to provide three preferred class times when they enrol online. If there is only one time you can commit to the class then please feel free to provide one only. Your class time will be confirmed and announced one week prior to term commencement. Chance is small that we fail to arrange you in a class to any of your chosen time preferences. If that happens, please accept our apology and we will provide you with full refund.

What is the duration of a course? and how often do I attend lessons?
The duration of a course, or we call it 'module' consists of 20 hours. As general group class student (intensive class students excluded), you will attend one 2-hour lesson per week across ten consecutive weeks (public holiday days excluded).

How many modules does one term cover?
For group class tuition, one term covers one module (20 hours in 10 sessions).

How many terms are there in a year?
There are four terms in a year. Term dates are available on ‘Timetable & Fees’ page.

If I want to study Beginner Module A, do I have to enrol from Term 1 of the year?
No, you don't have to. All courses are open for enrolment every term.

What are the 'Standard Group' and 'Starters Group' options? I am a total beginner, so should I enrol 'Starters Group' tuition?
You can enrol either 'Starters Group' or 'Standard Group' tuition. They are provided as your enrolment options because each option gives different inclusions which are available on 'Enrol Now' page.
Please note that 'Starters Group' tuition is only available in beginner level courses, subject to minimum enrolment of 6 people. If the class size does not meet this minimum, we will be in touch for your option to upgrade to 'Standard Group', defer your enrolment in future terms or receive full refund.

If I cannot attend my lesson for the week, can it be postponed or rescheduled?
Unfortunately, no. Unlike private class, group class is conducted on a fixed timetable, which cannot be postponed or rescheduled.

Is there a make-up class if I miss my weekly session?
There is no typical make-up class, but we will endeavour to arrange you in another class of the same course if available. Please let us know as soon as possible so we can make this arrangement. In general, lower level course has multiple groups held each term. For example, if your weekly class is at Tuesday evening and you have missed/will miss your session this week, we can look into placing you into the Friday evening class for the week.
If there is no alternative class you can join, you can always book one of the complementary tutoring sessions held weekly for potential catch up. Note that the tutoring is not set specifically for catch-up purpose. Please refer ‘Tutoring’ section below for details and booking policy.
If none of the above is suitable, you can book private 1-On-1 class to catch up with your teacher at extra fee.

I want to catch up the missed session myself. Is there a progress note available?
Yes, for now class update will be available on request. Please contact the center if you need it. Automation will be implemented in future so student receives class update post each lesson automatically.

Can I enrol a course after the term has started?
For Beginner A course, generally we would recommend you enrol in the next term if you have/will have missed three sessions. If you have missed two sessions, you may still enrol but will need to attend private 1-On-1 sessions (subject to extra fee) to catch up before your next group session.
For all other level courses, you can enrol anytime during the term subject to your placement assessment.

I have studied Mandarin before, how do I know which course to join?
If you studied purely yourself or from your Chinese friends before, in general we recommend you to study from the first course, Mandarin Beginner Module A to lay solid foundation.
If you studied in schools previously, we offer short complementary assessment to assess your current skills and then we will provide recommendations.

Do I have to enrol two modules at once?
No, you don’t have to.

Is there a trial class available?
Yes, free trial class and information session is held regularly and is available for booking from ‘Event Session Booking’ page. If you would like to attend a trial class at a specific level , please contact the center and we will try to put you in a general group class as a trial.

What is the charge for private class?
Fees for private class are by hours of booking. The hourly rate will depend on a number of elements such as course category (general or business), session length and preferred timeslots etc. Fee will be cheaper if you book more hours. You can request a quote online from the ‘Enrol Now’ page. Some tips will be available so you know how to get a cheaper rate.

Can lessons be delivered at my office or at my preferred place?
Yes. If the requested location is at Sydney/Paramatta CBD the lessons can be delivered onsite with no travel cost applied. For other locations, travel cost will be added on top for travelling to and from MoTai Mandarin.

Can I postpone, reschedule or cancel my lessons?
For private lessons, yes you can as long as we receive your request in writing two days before your next scheduled session. Failing to receive your request within this notice period will result your scheduled session forfeit automatically.

Can I change my weekly lesson frequency once my course has started?
Yes, certainly you can.

Can I change my lesson length once started?
Feel free to increase your lesson length. However, if you decide to reduce your lesson length once started (i.e. change your originally planned 2-hour lesson to 1-hour), extra fee may apply due to the rate difference between 2-hour and 1-hour lesson booking.

Can I increase or decrease the amount of learning throughout the course? Can the teacher add more cultural content into my learning?
For private class, certainly you can. Feel free bring this up with your teacher or with the center anytime.

Is there a due date for the hours I have booked?
Yes. From 18th September 2018, a tentative due date applies to each private class booking. Due date is applied based on a number of factors with the exclusion of public holidays and any planned event dates requested at the time of booking. Due date is introduced to encourage student to study Chinese on a relatively consistent pace and for us to better support your learning. While there is a due date, you can request to extend it by sending to info@motaimandarin.com.au for consideration (i.e. expected/unexpected business trips and family emergencies etc.) or otherwise agreed.

Is tax invoice provided?
Yes.

Does the fee include or exclude GST?
All fees are GST inclusive.

What payment options are available? Can I pay by American Express?
You can pay by bank transfer or any major credit card including American Express and J.C.B with 1.4% surcharge (if you enrol a group class online, the surcharge is waived).

For group class, can I book and pay per session?
Yes, you can book and pay per session at the individual session booking rate available on ‘Timetable and Fees’ page.

If I enrol a course under group class in the middle of the term, how will the tuition be applied?
You can choose to book and pay per session at the individual session booking rate or enrol the rest of the sessions and pay in proportion to the full tuition.

I am interested in taking private 1-On-1 class, can I book and pay one session each time?
In general, 10 hours is the minimum booking for private class. However, please contact the center should you require alternative booking options.

Can I request refund after enrolment?
80% refund is provided if requested prior to course commencement. No refund is available once the course has commenced. Full refund is only available if the course is cancelled by MoTai Mandarin.
(Why is that? Once receiving your payment, a place in the class will be secured and blocked from other potential enrolments. We may not accept further enrolment because of your enrolment. Likewise, for private class booking, your requested timeslot(s) will be secured and blocked from other bookings once your payment is received. The other students cannot book those timeslot(s) because of your reservation.)
For more details on refund and cancellation, please visit ‘Terms and Conditions’ page.

Do I need to buy textbook myself?
No, textbook is provided and included as part of the tuition for any adult/business Mandarin courses under any tuition. In addition, there are supplementary handouts created by MoTai Mandarin to support your learning.
Children Mandarin textbooks and workbooks are not included in tuition but can be purchased from the bookshop or from MoTai Mandarin at the same retail price.

What is the tutoring session?
Tutoring is the additional complementary session held weekly to support your learning. ‘Standard Group’ and private class students are eligible to attend up to two tutoring sessions weekly and ‘Starters Group’ student can attend one weekly.

What can I learn from tutoring?
Tutoring is not a class but the support session to help your Chinese learning. You can come in to ask questions, seek support for your homework or practise your oral Chinese. Tutoring can be joined by multiple students from different levels.

Can I just show up to the tutoring without booking?
Two days booking in advance is required for attending tutoring sessions. For booking policy and how to book, please refer to your enrolment confirmation email.

What is the teacher’s background and who is qualified to teach Chinese at your center?
Chinese teachers at MoTai are all native speakers with 3+ years experience teaching Chinese to non-Chinese speakers. MoTai Mandarin recruits teachers who are degree qualified in TCSOL (Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages). We also would prefer teachers to hold Chinese National Mandarin Level 2A and above Certificate. Teachers teaching children’s class must hold current Working With Child Check.

Is there a test conduced at the end of each term?
Yes, there will be a small test conducted for all Beginner and Elementary level courses. The test is created by MoTai Mandarin to assess the knowledge you learned in the term, which will also form part of our recommendation for your next enrolment.

Will I not be able to proceed to my next course if I fail the MoTai test?
Not really. Test result is only part of the considerations we look at.

Is there a certificate available from completing the courses at MoTai?
Yes, we are glad to issue your Certificate of Completion post the completion of the last course you enrolled upon your request.

Is it the simplified or traditional characters that are taught in your offered courses?
We only teach simplified characters for now.

Do you teach pinyin?
Yes, Pinyin will be taught in the first course at beginner level and is vital to total beginners.

As a beginner, do I need to learn Chinese characters?
The textbooks we use for beginner and elementary level courses are written in pinyin and Chinese characters and after these two levels all the textbooks only have characters.
For private students, your class can be designed and taught in only pinyin if you would like to skip Chinese characters.
For group class, at beginner level your class is designed and taught in pinyin and Chinese characters but learning characters is optional. Once you progress to elementary level, more and more characters will be introduced but pinyin will still be used a lot in the course. All the adult courses above intermediate level as well as business level courses require you to recognise characters.

How many sessions should I take so I can speak Chinese fluently?
We can never guarantee on fluency as individual situation varies but we suggest that the basic topics in all of our beginner and elementary courses (6 modules in 120 hours in total) completed with enough practice after class. Try to attend weekly complementary tutorial sessions! Practice makes perfect.

What is HSK?
The Hànyǔ Shuǐpíng Kǎoshì (HSK), is China's only standardized test of Standard Chinese language proficiency for non-native speakers such as foreign students and overseas Chinese. If you consider studying in China, this is the first task you will be facing.

What is the HSK sponsorship opportunity like at MoTai?
HSK sponsorship at MoTai means your HSK exam is organised and paid by MoTai Mandarin.