I've had a wonderful experience with CLA Chinese Learning Academy. I first learned with Rachel and am currently studying with Tiana, and both have been fantastic teachers. I genuinely look forward to Sundays because of class. Over the past year, my Chinese has improved so much that I've been able to make more Chinese friends and feel much more confident traveling to China. I was also able to travel to Beijing with CLA last year, and this year I'll be going to Nanjing with them. I really appreciate these opportunities to practice Chinese and experience the culture firsthand. read more

Learning through the CLA has been an excellent experience. Professor Chen is an outstanding teacher whose lessons are both comprehensive and engaging. I highly recommend this program to anyone interested in learning Mandarin. 5/5! read more

I just completed the third section (C) of their "survival Mandarin" / the first book. Our teacher, Barbara Wen, was fantastic for all three sections. She covered the course material and was always great at answering questions and after realizing many of us in the third section were learning for a specific region, she even made a point to let us know some crucial variations for that region (which was not required, but a much appreciated touch.) All three classes were the perfect pace to be challenging, but not overwhelming. If you're on the fence about enrolling in their course, I'd highly encourage you to give them a try! read more

I took Contemporary-level sections from CLA and have noticed big improvements in my speaking, reading and listening abilities within ~5 months. As a non-native experienced learner, I found the course appropriately challenging while staying conversational and interactive. They are open to feedback and consistently seeking to improve their curriculum. Very professional. Highly recommended for all learners, especially working professionals. read more

Chinese Language Academy has been extremely helpful in my learning, and I couldn't recommend them more. The teachers are very experienced at understanding where each student is at in their proficiency, pacing the class appropriately, and explaining difficult concepts in a simple to understand way. I started with Barbara Wen in the Elementary C class just to see how I liked it, but I thought the structure was great so I decided to continue and eventually studied with Si Chen in the Intermediate B class. Both teachers were excellent and made the classes both fun and interesting. Thanks again CLA! read more

I took the CLA16 class for beginners because I wanted to have a better grounding and understanding of the Chinese language, and I can't be happier about it. The course really gives you a strong foundation for your future learning and comprehension. One of the things that I enjoyed the most about this course was having miss Junli Ma as an instructor; She was a passionate, young and well-versed person who will not only convey the technical aspects of the Chinese language, she also immersed us in the Chinese culture as a whole by sharing songs, videos and cultural experiences which enriched the learning process. The classes weren't intimidating at all, the other students were at the same level as me, and the homework didn't take more than an hour per week to complete (you should dedicate as much time as you can to self-studying). I recommend it one hundred percent. read more

Chinese Language Academy - One of the homework and class material they provide. - Language Schools Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Just finished the third elementary section for Mandarin and learned a great deal. The professor, Barbara Wen, was very good and made sure that we understood all the materials by answering our questions and providing useful insights that the text and online homework did not provide. The course was taught over Zoom but it seemed like we were almost in the same room. Overall, it was a very good experience and Professor Wen is a great teacher. read more

Was doing business in China and needed a crash course in Mandarin for our business trips so signed up my husband and myself for their 16 hour crash course. 4 classes for 4 hours. I had doubts, having studied French for years. After one class, due to their teaching method and structure, we had a strong foundation to get around in Shanghai the next week. Due to business travel, we had to reschedule our 2nd class and they were fantastic about setting up a private lesson. My only complaint is that the only location our lessons were available were on the west side. After so much travel, the last thing I feel like doing is spending time in the car. Highly recommend. We walked away with the foundation we needed. read more

I've been taking the CLA online courses since Aug 2021 and haven't stopped because they're SO fun and I've learned a lot. Barbara is the best mandarin teacher I've ever had (long gone are the days I use to sneak out of Saturday Chinese School because I was bored to death), she's super engaging, has great energy, and most importantly has helped lay a strong foundation that her students can continue to build on as they progress in levels. Love that the class is also remote because it makes it very convenient to balance with work. 5 stars :) a read more

I had the best time learning Chinese, it was the highlight of my week, every week! Our teacher BING was amazing! She was so fun and so patient. She taught us so much and really empowered us! Chinese is such an awesome language! You will never regret taking this class! I can't wait to start the next level! Becky read more

The CLA16 class here was a good opportunity to hear, get corrected by, and submit questions to a native speaker with an education degree. I think all the tones in Chinese and the pinyin system of writing in Latin letters not using English sounds for all the letters makes this particularly helpful when learning Chinese compared to some other languages. Our teacher was good about covering the material, giving us extra words that were related, answering questions outside of class, and adding extra conversation practice at the end when a more advanced student asked for it. She also emailed extra material with our homework like songs with good subtitles for learning. We also got free snacks she brought in for Chinese New Year's, and again when we were learning how to say things like, "the green tea one" picking a cream puff. That felt above and beyond the call of duty. I hope the teacher was reimbursed for that. :) read more

I took CLA 16 with Bing in June-July 2018. We had a great time. No issues with 'long breaks' mentioned below -- breaks were quick and we got back to it. To me the class was very fast paced -- we weren't quite nailed down on one area when we moved onto the next. Your home time between sessions will be when you get things nailed down. However, this is just the 'crash course', so that's to be expected. Thanks Bing! read more

I took a one month crash course at the Chinese Language Academy and it was a very good experience. The instructor Ysabella was funny, patient, but energetic. She taught us the foundation and broke down the language to make it a lot easier to learn. I never spoke Mandarin before but the way she taught the class, it made the experience easier and far more enjoyable. read more

I took the Beginner Chinese class from CLA online. It was so much fun and I can't believe how much I learned in six weeks! Our instructor, Pedy, was really excellent. She made the classes very fun and she is so knowledgeable. She gave us lots of information about the history behind certain characters, explained how certain words were constructed, gave examples of how people in China really use certain words and phrases, and explained the nuances in meaning between different words. She also told us great stories to help us see how the language is used. I will definitely be taking further classes - I am learning so much and having so much fun along the way! read more

Our teacher Bing was the best! She was very patient, knowledgeable, and kind. Her teaching style is easy to follow, especially when she acts out the meaning of different words and phrases. I highly recommend taking a class with her! I took the CLA 16 hour intro course which was a good starter class to learn the basics. You don't need any kind of previous exposure to Mandarin, although you will need to be self-disciplined to study on your own. There is not much homework, so you cannot expect the class to guide your learning the whole way. I am not sure how homework intensive the advanced classes at CLA are though... My classes were two weeknights for two hours each, which was a good amount and frequency. The 4 hour weekend class sounded overwhelming for me in one sitting so I did not consider it. Parking outside is easy. The only annoying thing is that the front door to the office building is locked so it's a bit complicated entering each class, especially on the first day until you figure it out. My requests for CLA would be to give more written homework assignments, and to add a Cantonese course. Also please start an office in Austin, TX where I will be moving soon! 谢谢Bing老师！ read more

CLA provides a personal touch to language learning, with lesson plans tailored to individual student needs. They are an ideal partner for anyone considering continuing or first-time language study. Yuanjing Zhao is a fantastic and well prepared teacher, who was really responsive to my particular learning style. She puts genuine care into her lesson planning, and it results in faster language acquisition for her students. If you are interested in learning to read and write Standard Mandarin, or even if you just want to acquire a basic command of phrases and questions, CLA should be your first choice. read more

I came across CLA via Yelp while searching for local Mandarin/Chinese lessons in a group setting, and I wasn't disappointed. I would absolutely recommend it to anyone interested in learning Mandarin. My boyfriend and I just recently completed the introductory crash course in Mandarin with CLA. Lulu is an exceptional teacher; she's willing to answer any questions you may have while going through the material. The pacing is a good mix of fast enough to cover a lot, but not so fast that you feel like you can't absorb everything. We had a really great time in the class and I feel like I've learned a lot in 4 short weeks. However, I would recommend that anyone who takes this course be prepared to spend time outside of class on the homework that is doled out after each session. (Imho, it helps to have something to do between classes to refresh what you've just learned.) Both my BF and I are looking forward to starting the Elementary course(s) in the near future! read more

I have been taking Mandarin classes at CLA for a few months now and I love it. The teachers are fun, helpful, and give great additional content and insights in class (something that you would only get from a native Chinese). Word of caution: Be ready to do some homework! :) read more

I just finished the intro class with Lulu as a teacher. Learning a new language is a huge undertaking and I personally made the decision that if I wanted to do it then I was going to give it my all by signing up to an in-person class and going for it. I picked CLA because it's very close to where I live and the schedule worked for me. I am very motivated by people who are passionate about what they do and I found that the teacher Lulu and the school's founder Ysabella both seemed very passionate about their work and happy to be a part of the process. They also both have an education from Harvard, which speaks to the school's background and quality. If you put in the effort, show up on time, pay attention, and do the homework, then CLA will help to get you where you want to be. read more

I did not know what to think, when I signed up for 1 on 1 tutoring in Mandarin. I am 49 years old and wanted to shake up my brain a bit. I just completed the 1st student book and feel like I can survive in a Mandarin only environment. Barbara Wen, my instructor, is fabulous. She is attentive, patient and very detail oriented. I would recommend her and the Chinese Language Academy to anyone looking to learn Mandarin. I consider myself very lucky to have found them. read more

I just finished taking their 16 hour introductory course and have enjoyed myself immensely ! Their staff are all very professional and provide you with all the materials and environment to learn a difficult language like Chinese. I will definitely be continuing my journey to learn Chinese with this CLA! read more

This class has been very helpful for me. Professor Lulu is very patient and knowledgeable, and has helped provide a strong foundation in speaking and learning chinese. Her class was interactive and activities engaging, which personally helped me tremendously since we were able to practice the lessons with the rest of the classroom. The book used to follow material along in class can be purchased online or in class for $15, the book & lessons provided by Mrs. Lulu has helped me with a good basic foundation so that I'm not completely lost when it comes to conversations with others, and can comprehend at a good level. Great class, fun, and interactive, 5/5 recommended read more

I completed the CLA 16 class here, and was very impressed with the quality of instruction and the sheer amount of information presented. By the end of the class I was putting together basic sentences in Mandarin, a stronger command of pinyin and tones, and had an excellent foundation to continue learning. Lulu, my teacher, was fantastic about explaining the origin and components of characters and working with the class as we learned tones. Additionally, I missed part of a class due to a misunderstanding and the Academy could not have been nicer about scheduling a makeup taught by Sarah, who was also a great teacher during our time. I can't wait to continue learning Mandarin here! Andrew Roxby read more

I had an exceptional experience here. Sarah and Lulu are fantastic teachers and I've learned so much. I attended the beginner program, Sunday for four hours, and I had a wonderful time. The class size was small, about 3 other students, and since so intimate there was a lot of individual help. I thought the course was very structured and aligned to help us progress as fast as possible. Highly impressed and cannot wait to attend more! read more

I found the course to be one of the best language course I have taken. I have learned a few languages, and this was by far the best method, especially considering the level of difficulty many English-speakers have with learning Mandarin. The class setting was intimate conducive to learning. Not only did I learn a lot, but I also had fun. I looked forward to going to Chinese class after work. My teacher Lulu was very interested in her class's success -- she taught us extra vocabulary that would help us with our Chinese encounters. (I am going to school in China, so she taught me useful college-related words). If you are planning to go to China for either business or pleasure, I highly recommend taking this course before embarking on your journey. I am very thankful that I did. read more

Learning Chinese is awesome with Lulu. I greatly enjoyed attending classes here. Lulu had us working in partners each class and made it a fun learning environment. PROS: -great class to learn Mandarin. -great instruction and textbook/curriculum is top notch. -staff is very helpful. In fact, several instructors gave me their personal cell phone number and responded to texts right away. CONS: -the building is locked and you need to be escorted into the room (without a key fob you cannot go up the elevator). -breaks are very long. We regularly had over a 25min break. I would have preferred a shorter break with more instruction. Overall, I would thoroughly recommend the Chinese Language Academy to anyone looking to learn Mandarin for the first time. read more

The CLA 16 crash course is a great introduction to Mandarin. You are not just memorizing characters. You are learning about the structure of the language and how it works. As someone who had no previous experience with Chinese, I felt it did a good job of giving me a taste of the language, and I look forward to moving on to the next level! read more

CLA offers a great starting program in CLA 16. It is fast paced but well structured with some homework every week to help you study. The group environment keeps things interesting as you struggle together. The best part of CLA is the teacher! Ask which class Bing is teaching. Bing always has a positive attitude and is very enthusiastic every week. She also likes to share interesting facts and sometimes food from her culture! read more

I recently completed the CLA 16 beginner online class and would recommend it for anyone who is looking to get a basic foundation in Chinese. Raina has been an excellent teacher; she is a great listener, and is really good at explaining things. Her seamless ability to go back and forth between English and Chinese makes the learning experience very smooth, and you will find yourself able to form sentences within the first few weeks of your classes. By the end of the CLA16 class you will be able to introduce yourself to someone, ask where one another lives, what each other does for work, exchange names and ask simple questions about one another's family, and you will be able to ask a variety of other useful questions in Chinese. The class sizes are very small and intimate so each person has plenty of opportunity to participate and ask questions during class, and the homework isn't overwhelming, but enough to review the previous class's material and vocabulary. The vibe in class is supportive and enthusiastic; everyone is really focused and just trying to be engaged with the material and improve their Chinese. I am currently in the Elementary B course and the sentence structure is getting a bit more difficult but still not overwhelming if you put some work into it. In terms of learning the Chinese characters, I found I was falling behind and couldn't really memorize them from the textbook and online school materials alone, but I found a website called hackchinese.com that is really good for helping me to solidify the characters I learn in the class vocabulary. The combination of the class along with 10-20 minutes of hackchinese drills daily works well for me. If you're feeling hesitant about jumping into Chinese - just take the jump, and do it with Chinese Academy LA, you won't be disappointed. read more

I'm currently taking "Intermediate B" with Sarah on Saturday's. Class is from 2:00 PM to 5:20 PM with a 5-10 minute break near the middle. I highly recommend CLA because it gives you the tools to learn Mandarin efficiently, so learning happens quickly. Keep in mind though that it's a long process to be proficient and you get out what you put in - so if fluency is your goal it will take several semesters and you will need to study at home. I have tried two other schools in LA. The first moved too fast and I couldn't keep up while having a full-time job, the other moved too slow. This class moves at about the same pace as a university level class BUT the classroom will only have 5-10 people instead of 20-30. Small classroom size is important because each student gets enough time to practice speaking in class, and you will get to know each student so you will feel comfortable making mistakes. Also at CLA, it's not required to know how to write characters, which is very time consuming. I personally love that class is on Saturday afternoons. It gives me plenty of time to prepare for class in the morning, take a break, and then arrive at class fresh and energized. Attending class during the week after work didn't work for me because I would be too exhausted after working all day to focus. read more

Phenomenal. Great customer service. Lulu was more than accommodating! I had a last minute audition requiring me to speak Mandarin and these guys went above and beyond to make their time and incredible support available. Where's that 6th star on Yelp?? read more

I am so happy I chose this academy to learn Mandarin. Very effective class and teacher was the best and motivating. Hen Hao Also my classmates were so much fun and very supportive to each other. Highly recommended! read more

It was a long time ago since I studied one Chinese class and dropped out because the class was not quite interesting and I didn't have time back then. Until recently I thought about learning Chinese again then I searched for the Chinese school and found Chinese Language Academy which have good reviews and also on the west side. I started off with the Crash Course and found the class was fun and was not too difficult for someone who had no knowledge about Chinese language. The class was so interesting which made me continue their Elementary level, then Intermediate level which was more challenging. Even though I have a busy schedule, the classes keep me to continue studying here. I'm going to take the Advanced level soon I've studied with 4 teachers in different classes so far and I could say that all of them are knowledgeable and care about student. They will encourage the student to participate in class which I got a chance to think and speak in Chinese. For someone who study outside the class (which is recommended), they could progress a lot (I wish I do more, lol.) At this point I can make a basic Chinese conversation and able to read some characters where ever I visit. Also, not only studying the language, I get to know more about China and their culture. I definitely recommend this school! read more

I enrolled in the CLA 16 program this past summer and have had such a blast learning Mandarin! I love that CLA is very flexible with your schedule as I had a prior planned engagement in the middle of the program. I started at the Downtown location with Sarah and completed the program when I returned at the West LA location with Ysabella. Both of my teachers were amazing, patient, caring, and truly wanted to share their joy and knowledge of learning Mandarin. The 4 sessions of 4 hours ( or 8 sessions of 2 hours in the downtown location) flew by due to the incredible fun they made the class. Completely worth the money and I recommend as the place to to learn Mandarin in SoCal. Thank you Sarah and Ysabella! read more

Great class! We went through a first-year Chinese class in 4 weeks, and I feel like I can understand and use key phrases to impress my Chinese colleagues and boss (laoban!). There's also some great cultural insights, to improve interactions and make sure you don't cause any terrible faux pas (e.g. don't leave your chopsticks sticking out of a bowl - bad luck, it looks like funeral incense). Sarah, the teacher, is very nice and has a great methodology for getting you to quickly learn and retain information. Of course, as with anything, you get what you put in, but it feels like we're getting a disproportionately large amount of knowledge given the relatively small commitment (4 hours of class + 2 hours of homework and review each week). 10/10 recommend! read more

I started looking for Mandarin classes a year and half ago and couldn't find any serious weekend programs. A dear friend reached out to me at the end of last year to tell me that she found a program. This friend speaks five different languages fluently so I know she wouldn't be wasting my time by asking me to sign up to this class with her. And true to her research, this class rocks!!! Why? The class is four hours long but feels really like a 30 minute session. The instructors are patient, diligent and very supportive. You'll also quickly find out that the other students come from varied backgrounds and all have different reasons for studying Mandarin. Getting to know all these people through their questions, point of views, angles in life, by way of studying Mandarin together is what makes the time in class fly by. If you can imagine it, the class is taught almost in a non linear way which serves two purposes. It keeps you on your feet and it goes back to the previous lessons to reinforce the concepts. It's an awesome way to lock in the information. Lastly, its not just the vocabulary and grammar that's being taught. The instructors have actually arranged extracurricular assignments such as TED Talks and many other interactive multimedia assignments that help you see the contextual side of Mandarin. This is the best program on the market so far. Enjoy!!! read more

I love Chinese Language Academy! When I first moved out to Los Angeles, I did a search for Chinese schools on the west end for adults. I am so grateful I found Chinese Language Academy (CLA). I started with their CLA16 crash course into the Chinese language and culture, which is 4 sessions of 4 hours each, 1 class a week. From there I moved through their Elementary A and Elementary B courses, currently in the Intermediate A course. The teachers are all amazing. The director of the academy, Isabella Chen is an amazingly skilled, supportive, and caring teacher. You can really feel how passionately she cares about your language learning goals and ambitions. She has an incredibly talented staff that work with her. I have had 3 different teachers so far at CLA, and I have nothing but praise for each and every one of them. They are smart, patient, supportive, friendly, and fun to learn from. CLA really tailors the classes towards working professionals with busy schedules, and allows make-up classes for those with hectic travel schedules. I have found CLA to be a great place not just to learn Chinese, but to also network. As an actor myself, I have met producers, actors, directors, all with a specific interest in China or the Chinese film industry. I have met teachers, accountants, business executives, athletes, the list goes on and on, all brought together by our desire to learn more about the Chinese culture and language. Last but not least, CLA feels more like a family than anything else. I look forward to class each week, because I know it will bring not only new language insights, but also A LOT of laughs. We have a fun time in class working through each lesson and making up random Chinese sentences on the fly. For someone who has tried studying Chinese using audio programs in the car for years, trust me when I say CLA makes learning a difficult language like Chinese a lot easier and WAAAY more fun. CLA also hosts optional meet-ups and get-togethers outside of class where we test our new Chinese skills in the real world at restaurants, Chinese night markets, KTV bars, you name it! IF you want to learn Chinese quickly and have fun doing it, look no further than CLA. I promise you won't be disappointed. read more

Our Teacher Bing made learning Mandarin fun and easy to understand, laying a great foundation to pick up and learn more in the future. I highly recommend this program! read more

I just took a wonderful 16-hour "crash course" at CLA and I'm signing up for the next level. My teacher, Lulu, was very attentive and easy to understand. She took care of the many different levels of Chinese experience in my class to make sure everyone learned. We covered a different topic in each class, and thoroughly reviewed it in the homework and in the subsequent classes. There was a very clear vocabulary set for each class, and Chinese grammar is much easier to learn than English grammar. I even learned the characters of the words we studied - I had been intimidated by them before and only learned words phonetically. The teachers showed us how to break down and write out the characters, and gave us a frame work in which to learn them. Working with CLA itself was great. They are pretty attentive and responsive over email. I had to switch to a different class day one week, and was able to do that with no problem. My substitute teacher, Teacher Chen, was also great. I took the weekend class and it is easy to find parking near the building. The class sizes are small and there are discounts when you sign up for multiple classes. read more

The CLA16 Bootcamp is intense, fun, and so useful. I used it as a refresher to relearn my old college taught Chinese skills that had gone rusty. Sixteen hours later, we've almost covered a year of college Chinese. It's fast, intense, and packed. Sarah makes the class fun and engaging. Definitely recommended. read more