I decided to learn Chinese in preparation for a trip to China for the World Expo, but mostly because I'm interested in being able to better understand and work with the most important growth economy in the world. Before the class, everyone I know told me how Mandarin is SOOoOoOOOoo hard and I TOOOOoooOootally shouldn't bother. Whatever, doodz! I, for one, welcome our new ant overlords. Dina Shen is the instructor and progenitor of Fast Learning Chinese, and I love her like I loved my first grade teacher. She's so smart! And pretty! She's one of those rare teachers who clearly LOVES teaching, and she's incredibly professional. But, as a professional, she makes her class--with her own curriculum and CD--fun, clear, engaging, and (like it says on the box) very very fast. You won't have time to doodle in her class. Not only that, but Dina encourages you to come to the first class before you pay so you can decide for yourself whether or not you think you can learn from her. A month in, and I haven't noticed any dropouts (and my friends told me horror stories about packed college Chinese classes with four lonely students left by the time midterms rolled around). There's no machismo to the course. The vibe is welcoming and inclusive. And if you have trouble and need to repeat the course, her repeat fee is something like half the original cost, which I think shows genuine generosity and dedication. She also holds the same class on different days of the week, so if you have to miss class one week, you can make it up on another day. A huge, huge plus. I leave every class inspired and excited to be learning Chinese, and I'm proud to be learning from such a wonderful teacher. I can already show off to my Chinese clients, and while I know I've got a long way to go, it tells me a lot about Dina's class that after a month they already understand me. That's a big deal with a tonal language! I plan to go on to Level II after this one, which was not in my original plan... It's just that much fun. I cannot recommend Fast Learning Chinese highly enough. Go learn something from Dina. read more

Fast Learning Chinese - Dina with students FAST LEARNING CHINESE - Language Schools Near Me - New York, New York

I've tried learning Chinese in the past and took classes here & there. Unfortunately, I am not good at memorization and after a while, tends to forget what I've learned. Deciding to give it another try, I've completed Dina's Level 1 class in June 2013. She's the best Chinese teacher i've ever had compared to other courses. Her program focuses on pronunciation, sentence structure and learning how to build sentences. Her classes are interesting and engaging, with lots of funny stories to help you remember the words & how to write them. She makes it fun to learn the language and listening to her CD helps with practicing my pronunciation. Unlike traditional Chinese classes, which rely heavily on memorization, her program is unique and definitely worth taking. I'm currently in her Level 3 class and am able to write letters or notes to my Chinese friends. You do have to work at it but if you make the effort, it's very rewarding to be able to understand and speak basic Chinese. I highly recommend her program. read more

Fast Learning Chinese - Lvl 2 class - Language Schools Near Me - New York, New York

Having taken a number of adult language classes (in Japanese, German, and French), I find Dina Shen's Chinese program uniquely enjoyable, professionally run, and effective. Starting with zero Chinese language knowledge, by the end of Level 1 I had ordered my favorite drink in Chinese (bubble tea with no sugar, less milk, and less ice), understood enough characters to kind of sing along a Mandarin-subtitled DVD of a Lee Hom concert, and with the help of google translate had text/SMS conversations with Chinese friends using only Chinese characters. I'm in Level 2 right now and am able to carry on basic conversations hanging out with Chinese friends, ordering at a restaurant, and getting a massage in Chinatown. I've picked up a few new words from these conversations but the classes have served as the core of my learning. Having Dina as an instructor is quite an experience. She wrote the books, she designed the curriculum, and it's her voice you hear on the CD's. She even handles the scheduling for viewing DVD's for missed lessons. You get the kind of energy and devotion only the creator of a program can give and she truly cares about how each student progresses. I visit Asia once or twice a year. On my next trip I'll be spending 2 weeks in Shanghai, Beijing, and Taipei and I'm really looking forward to seeing how much more fun it will be this time knowing a bit of Chinese! read more

I'm currently at the end of Level 2 of Dina's class, and I'm really surprised by how much I've learned in 6 months. This class is very fast paced, and Dina is a teacher that expects as much out of you as she puts in. If you're just expecting to breeze through Mandarin (one of the hardest languages for a native English speaker), this isn't for you. But if you take these courses and put in an hour a day of dedicated study time, you WILL get good fast. read more

I'm currently in level 3 and really enjoy this program, because it's intensive and comprehensive. This is the kind of a language course which produces results. Dina pays attention to every aspect of learning Mandarin - pronunciation (which is very important), grammatical constructions and vocabulary, as well as writing the characters properly. She is a native speaker and has designed the program herself. The classes are always engaging and fun. Dina is very passionate about her work and it's inspiring to us, her students. She explains all the new characters in class and finds ways to make them easier to remember by breaking them down, she incorporates translation and listening exercises into the class structure, as well as provides a lot of information in cultural context. I would recommend this program to anyone who wants to learn Mandarin. You will enjoy it! read more

It's been a little more than a year since I started taking Chinese with Dina, and I just completed the 4th level of her classes. From the start, she has taken the time to get to know each of her students, and work with us on our individual weaknesses. She's very encouraging, and always reminds us to email or talk to her before and after class if we have any questions. My progress, I feel, has been much faster than friends learning Chinese in college or through other programs. I started not knowing any Chinese at all, and quickly caught up to friends who had been studying longer. Lately, I like writing letters and emails in Chinese, and I've had a few native speakers compliment my choice of words and the natural flow of my writing. I credit no one but Dina for that. Even though I'm no longer enrolled in any of Dina's courses, she encouraged my classmates and I to keep in touch, practice our Chinese together, and email her if we have any questions, which shows me how much her students' success means to her. read more

If you need to learn Mandarin for work or just want to take a fun language class, look no further than Fast Learning Chinese. I recently completed the level one classes and the instructor, Dina is one of the best instructors I've ever learned from. Her lessons are well planned and packed with content from the time you arrive to the time you leave. She is very engaging and the class is interactive without putting you on the spot or forcing participation. From time to time she will relate personal stories which really help to put ideas into context. Dina ALWAYS made herself available for help or questions, even beyond the class time. If you take the time to study the material she provides you can create and speak in complete sentences by the end of level one. Great classes! read more

Considering I did not know a word of Chinese six months ago, I have done well...Thanks a lot, of course to Ms. Dina. She does emphasize that you have to review a lot after the courses. Understandably so, as we coversed a lot in each course. Now, I am at Level 2 and much more confident with pronunciation. I can write and read Chinese a little. I can converse in basic Chinese...all in 6 months. Shen xiaojie shi hen hao de lao shi. Duoxie le! read more

I am currently in the Level 1 class. There are two aspects I want to review..Dina as a teacher and Dina as a person. Dina is a fantastic teacher. She cares if you learn the material. She works very hard to make it where you can understand the material and is patient in helping the students. She is incredibly well versed on both English and Chinese languages, both from a speaking and also grammar point of view. She is passionate and very engaging. She is also very funny when she is teaching. After only a few lessons I feel much more confident about speaking Chinese (what little I know so far). I looked around at a lot of options before I took her class and I couldn't be more happy. I was leaning towards taking classes at a college/university, but opted for Fast Learning Chinese instead and am 100% confident that Dina's program is both better and cheaper. I took 2 years of German in college and can already tell that I will be more fluent in Chinese in less time. Second is Dina as a person. I originally signed up earlier in the year and unfortunately had only attended one meeting when there was a death in my family which was going to make going impossible. Dina was fantastic and let me shift to a session later in the year and has just been one of the nicest caring people. She has really gone well above and beyond to help me during this difficult time and making way more accommodations than I expected or would consider reasonable. I am moving soon such that the commute will be too far, but I fully intend to sign up for Level 2 and Level 3 and do them remotely with the video and audio. I fully expect that even remotely and not in person that her class will be better than the vast majority of options. if you have any interest or need to learn Chinese, there isn't a finer program or teacher than Dina. read more

I took Level 1 of this class in late spring 2014. The class covers spoken and written Mandarin, and you will get plenty of opportunity to practice both. In level 1, you cover pronunciation with a big focus on getting the tones right for different words. Dina is careful to make sure you practice the tones, and helps identify common errors so you can avoid them as you move to more advanced coursework. The vocabulary comes fast, and you will definitely need to review between classes to keep up. You also learn how to read and write Chinese characters. Each class introduces between a half dozen and dozen new characters. You'll learn the order of the strokes and practice them a couple of times with Dina providing individual corrections, and then you'll practice the characters on your own. Dina reviews each student's work individually so you get plenty of customized feedback on your work. This was an outstanding introduction to Mandarin Chinese. It is more difficult for English speakers than romance languages like Spanish or French, but there is a clear logic to the language and Dina will not hesitate to point out all the ways it's easier to learn Chinese than English! It's hard for me to think of a better way to be introduced to Chinese, and this class was money very well spent. Highly recommended! read more

First, the instructor (Dina) is amazing, she has excellent experience teaching, a great person and very funny. I completed level 1 and 2 of her very unique program (yes, she created the program herself). The courses are fast paced, but she takes the time to help you especially with the pronunciation of tones and creating sentences. The books are supplemented with a CD having all the pronunciations, which is a great practice and perfect when in the train. In the courses you will find people of all ages learning Chinese, including people from China and Taiwan learning Chinese. YES, I was surprise too. Here, you are not only going to learn Chinese but also some of the Chinese culture and behavior (THIS IS IMPORTANT). Her classroom is very clean and organized; you will feel very comfortable in the space. I strongly recommend trying it out; I think the first lecture is a free-try. I guarantee that you will stay. read more

Thank every god in every heaven for Dina Shen!! I found Dina's Fast Learning Chinese from Yelp and was skeptical that the glowing reviews were for real, but now I'm joining the ranks firsthand!! I'm "good with languages" but had zero experience with Mandarin other than a general fascination, and admit to being a little daunted by what I perceived as an almost impossible task: learning Mandarin without any prior experience or opportunity for immersion. Dina takes this daunting situation and makes it approachable, understandable and addictive!! She is such a kind and patient teacher. She's incredibly nurturing and supportive, but doesn't just nod and smile and tell you that you're doing great when you're not -- she takes the time and care to gently correct my pronunciation to make sure that I'm mastering the Mandarin tones. As her student, I feel that she genuinely cares about my progress and is personally invested in it. Dina's Level 1 course is all about giving us a foundation to understand how the mechanics of how Mandarin works rather than just having us memorize rote phrases or characters. She teaches us grammatical patterns and explains the nuances of how Mandarin differs from English in a way that turns those differences into assets to learn the new language rather than impediments to it. I've just completed her Level 1 one-on-one tutoring and will definitely be continuing on to Level 2. I work nearby in the area and take my sessions during my lunch break -- I work in a very stressful job and half of the time when I'm heading to my session, I'm anxious about some crazy thing at work and tired, but EVERY TIME, I leave feeling rejuvenated and inspired and excited to continue learning Mandarin. And now, thanks to Dina, I have confidence that I have a decent beginner's foundation in speaking, reading and writing Mandarin and have a brilliant, kind teacher who can help turn that foundation into something even stronger. If you want to learn Mandarin and live near NYC, I can't recommend Dina enough!! read more

I have taken about 50 one-on-one lessons with Dina, who is the sole proprietor of Fast Learning Chinese. Dina is probably the best teacher I have ever had, in this or any other subject. After all these lessons, Mandarin seems like it should be a very difficult language to learn, but the structure of Dina's lessons, and the system she uses, have completely demystified the language and made it (almost!) easy. After five or six lessons the penny will drop and you will suddenly understand her simple (but effective) methodology, which will help you to quickly remember large amounts of vocabulary and quite intricate characters. Dina is also very personable, friendly, and patient. She clearly loves to teach Mandarin, and cares about your personal progress. Granted I'm taking 1:1 lessons (group lessons are also available), but I have never felt rushed, and Dina readily responds to emails I send seeking after-class clarifications. She also contextualises the language by telling interesting, sometimes funny stories about Chinese culture and customs. Like any language, Mandarin requires effort outside of class, so plan to set aside a few hours per week to practice at home. Unfortunately, Dina's after-class materials are not very substantial and (where they exist) are not as well-structured as her lessons. However, Dina is extremely responsive if you are proactive enough to (for example) write letters or emails in Mandarin. Given her big workload, this is really impressive and another sign of how dedicated she is. A few remarks about the language itself: to anyone who has any experience of Romance languages, Mandarin is astonishingly simplistic in grammar and sentence structure. There are no genders, conjugations or declensions, and (almost) no tenses. It's also very modular (something that Dina has cleverly incorporated into her lesson structure), so (for example) knowing two simple characters will help you to guess the meaning of a third, more complex character. Dina is really, really, really good. If you're serious about learning Chinese, don't waste your time elsewhere; this is the place to come. Good luck! read more

Dina is very likable and is a very good teacher...however, I'm afraid I beg to differ from all the 5 star reviews. I think the course should be called, "Fast TEACHING Chinese" because the pace is so fast, and so much ground is covered. For level one, there was no time given in class for students to actually practice SPEAKING, which is the way one really learns and absorbs a language. At most, we sometimes repeated some phrases by rote. I think the class session needs to be extended from 60 minutes to 90, or at least 75 minutes. There should be intervals during each class when some basic conversation is practiced, both with the teacher, and between students with the teacher giving feedback. There is a big difference between COVERING material versus actually TEACHING it. read more

I just finished Level 2 and have already built up a great deal of knowledge of Chinese language. Level 1 is mainly focusing on learning how to pronounce words and building up some easy sentence structures. I was amazed how fast I was able to form sentences. My wife who is native Chinese was impressed with some of the structures I demonstrated to her. The workbook Dina provides in class is a valuable source during lessons and to refresh the memory afterwards. Level 2 is a lot about learning to write Chinese characters. While I was first resistant to learn how to write and wanted to focus more on speaking, I recognize now how important knowledge of the characters is if you want to seriously interact in this language. Also, in Level 2 Dina gives you a lot of English sentences to translate in Chinese. That is where you can see how much you already picked up. I'm taking a short break now but will go back for more in Level 3 and 4. Dina is definitely a fast-track teacher. Be ready for some serious challenge! She is certainly not wasting your time! read more

Dina has a system that if followed, will yield excellent results. I have spent the past five months studying with Dina one-to-one and I am surprised by how much I have learned. She takes the time to ensure you understand your sessions but as other reviewers have stated, this is not a program for slackers. Even with a learning disability, I have been able to work with Dina to understand her Level 3 Chinese (which encompasses reading, writing, listening, and conversational Mandarin). I am about to leave for a six month program in China and I believe I have a solid foundation due to Dina's curriculum. If you are looking to understand and learn Mandarin, then Dina Shen's Fast Learning Chinese will set you on the path to success! read more

I am a retired Professor of French, who spent a career directly engaged in supervising language-learning classes. In my long experience, I have never encountered a more brilliant language teacher than Dina Shen, whose school, Fast Learning Chinese, should serve as a model for how to teach the Chinese language. Chinese teachers are notoriously challenged as pedagogues. Dina Shen brings to her classroom (where she is the sole instructor) a dynamic, charismatic presence that compels attention and overcomes resistances. But her enthusiasm is as focused as it is generous. Besides exuberance Dina has a method. She is the author of all the remarkable written texts that are used in the course, coherently and attractively designed to introduce the student into the considerable complications of writing, speaking, and understanding Mandarin. Dina's school offers the maximum flexibility to people who have limited time for classes. She makes use of the most up to date electronic facilities to allow students to make up classes or work on their own. She is even available for tutoring. Dina is a phenomenon. Immensely intelligent, wonderfully expressive and caring, she has been teaching others since an early age. Her talents were already recognized growing up in China. Her classmates preferred her teaching to that of the master in the class. She has infinite patience, is never judgmental, always focused and encouraging. I felt immensely privileged to be able to study with such an inspiring teacher and recommend her as warmly as I can. read more

Dina is a gifted teacher and her course is very intense. It is a must to diligently review each lesson or you will fall behind. I've been searching for good Chinese classes for my children. For the past few years, they attended New York Chinese School, Transfiguration Chinese School, and Shuang Wen School. This course by far is the best even though all the other students are adults. It is helpful to learn the origin of Chinese characters, pictorial versions, and proper strokes. Each lesson builds upon the previous lesson, and you learn to speak longer and longer sentences that you can use in daily conversations. I like it that Dina asks the students to translate English sentence into Chinese sentence structure in English, prior to translating into Chinese. For example, "What do you want to eat tonight?" "Tonight you want to eat what?" "Jin wan ni yao chi shenme?" This way, it's easier to not make grammar mistake. At other children Chinese Schools, my kids learned mostly songs, culture, and short stories revolving family, animals and plants etc. Within 2 months of attending level 1 course, people can no longer speak simple Chinese without our children understanding at least part of their conversation. They can also answer back in short sentences. This was not the case 2 months ago even though they've been attending Chinese school since kindergarten. read more

Dina is one of the BEST teachers I've ever met! She truly enjoys what she does and really want her students to UNDERSTAND the language rather than simply memorizing words and characters. She has her unique method of teaching Chinese and makes each lesson so much fun. She puts a lot of emphasis on pronouncing tones correctly and understanding the sentence structure, but at the same time, Dina is telling funny stories and interesting facts about the Chinese culture. If you want to ENJOY learning Chinese and succeed in it, come to Dina. She is a gifted teacher and a kind person, and will not disappoint! read more

This facility has the best customer service ever !! If you are looking for a quality, professional school , this will be the one. Highly recommend !!! read more

The best place where you can learn Chinese. Dina is so eager and sincere when she teaches Chinese. I really recommend this academy!! read more

Dina is a great teacher. I had tried numerous methods to learn Chinese and I think her's is probably the most effective for adult learners. I'm not an expert on language pedagogy, but the idea behind other methods, such as Rosetta Stone, is to replicate how a child learns a language. They focus on vocabulary and show you photos to try to help immerse you. Dina's method focuses on teaching you the fundamental structures of Chinese grammar, and to teach you how to translate sentences from English to Chinese. Her method is probably more effective for most adults, especially those who cannot immerse themselves in the language because, after all, we're not in China. On the negative side, I think she exaggerates how quickly you can learn Chinese. Even with her teaching strengths, you are going to have to invest a lot of time independently to even come close to proficiency; much more time than she indicates in advertising her course. And, in Level 2, I think she spends too much time discussing some of the details of Chinese characters, and sometimes rambles a bit telling personal stories. But, overall, she is funny, engaging, and very effective. You'll still need to invest a lot of time and money to learn Chinese, but her program is probably the best investment you can make. read more

I am a level 3 student at Fast Learning Chinese. I went to 3 different Chinese Language Institutes before finding Fast Learning Chinese. This institute is simply the best. I actually fly in from North Carolina just to come to her classes that is a testament to her amazing teaching skills. You do not have to live in New York to take her classes. She has a great online program for those who are out of the state or in another country. What sets Dina apart from other teachers is she is professional, knowledgeable, and patient with her students. She genuinely takes in interest in her students and ensures that they get the best education possible. When I came to Fast Learning Chinese, my language skills were a mess and I had to start from scratch. Dina worked with me to break bad habits. Dina's program is innovative, creative, and works! Dina, however, has standards and expects that you come prepared to class and do your homework. She prepares hours for her classes so in turn students have a responsibility to come prepared. Students who attend this institute have many reasons why they need to learn including: for work, because they are bored, because they married into a Mandarin speaking family, or for social fun What will you learn here? Culture! Language! Etiquette! Tradition! Reading. Writing. Speaking. I have had so many Heritage speakers comment on my authenticity of how I speak. This is a direct result of Dina's focus on tone and pronunciation. She is always available for her students and will stay late and come in early just to accommodate her student's needs. read more

I found Fast Learning Chinese through Yelp and I'm so glad I gave this place a try. I came to this school with no background in Mandarin and completed all the levels of the program recently. Dina loves teaching Chinese and she has so many good stories to help you understand each character. I am proud to say that thanks to Dina, I can write, read and speak in Mandarin. If you are serious about learning Chinese, I absolutely recommend this place! read more

Prior to taking classes from Dina (instructor), I have been struggling to learn Chinese because of my inability to listen and comprehend. Technically, I knew nothing about Chinese coming into the course, and by the end of Level 1, I have learned the basics of pinyin and many sentence structures, such that I can make simple conversations and look up unknown words on the dictionary and properly pronounce them. And in Level 2, I have built up my vocabularies, but more importantly the various grammatically patterns that make Chinese different from English, so that I can translate exactly what I want to say from English to Chinese. I am currently in Level 3, and while it is definitely getting more challenging as it now requires me to listen and comprehend tricky questions in Chinese as well as answer properly in Chinese, that is what makes her classes helpful, and Dina makes the learning experience as manageable and enjoyable as possible. All the textbooks and accompanying lesson CD's are made by Dina herself, so the lessons, textbooks, and CD combined are cohesive and integrative as one complete package. Definitely worth taking her class! read more

I've taken Level 1 and I'm almost finished with Level 2, planning on moving into Level 3. Dina's program is absolutely wonderful. I took Chinese language classes in college and I've learned so much more from Dina. Her program is well-designed, teaching both speaking and writing and she's so patient and thorough. She also explains the etymology of the written characters to help us remember them, but it also results in fascinating lessons on Chinese culture. Dina is funny, warm, and open and the learning environment is very comfortable. Learning Chinese is not easy, but Dina makes it very enjoyable! read more

I have studied Mandarin Chinese with various instructors and private tutors and Dina is by far the best. I have completed all of Dina's structured levels and continued on with Dina for additional private tutoring. Dina has perfected her course materials and finds a way to cover an amazing amount of information without overwhelming her students. Dina's attention to detail is unparalleled and she helped me correct various pronunciation imperfections that went unchecked by other instructors. Dina is a master of her craft and an amazing bargain. I would highly recommend her to anyone looking to learn Mandarin. read more

This Chinese language program is different than any other I have encountered and I think more successful too. I had taken 2-3 traditional Chinese courses from a well regarded school here in NYC about 10 years ago and have found Dina's method to be much better and quite original in approach, especially for adult learners. Dina, the sole teacher and developer of this program (it is like a modern day one room schoolhouse!) focuses heavily at first on pronunciation and learning to differentiate between the consonants and vowels used in Chinese and how they are both similar and different to those we use in English. And also her program constantly reinforces the differentiation between the 4 tones used in Chinese and how that relates to the meaning of words- this is emphasized over and over in the sequencing of the book and recordings. Since this is the foundation for learning Chinese and particularly hard for us English speakers to grasp, it is the best way to learn and quite different than any method I have encountered elsewhere. Also, Dina spends a lot of time teaching sentence pattern and the structure of the Chinese language- this helps tremendously to think how a Chinese speaker thinks, rather than just learning rote dialogue like you usually do in a language class. She also helps you understand Chinese characters in a fun way rather than just hardcore memorization. She is high energy and very sincere- she teaches in a way that never puts you on the spot but keeps you engaged and sometimes laughing quite a bit. It is never easy to learn a new language no matter how excited you are at the beginning...you must be prepared to put in time, but the more you do, the more you will enjoy, and the more fascinating the Chinese language is. It is always a commitment to try to learn a new language and that is not different here, but Dina's methods to me are so much more intuitive that I have already had more success than when I took other courses and I am only in level one. I think I have a chance at learning to really speak, and in former programs I did not feel that way. If you are sincerely interested in learning Chinese, I would give this program a try. read more

I really enjoyed taking Dina's Level 1 Mandarin Class. She made learning what I expected to be a very difficult language both fun and interesting. Dina created the program and developed all the tools you use (accompanying workbook and CD )making it easier to study on your own. She uses entertaining stories to build your understanding of the language, culture as well as the pinyin tones and sentence structure. I appreciated that she made herself available before and after the session to further explain any questions. She also will check and correct your work if you are interested in learning to write Chinese characters. The classes meet twice a week for 13 weeks and although not inexpensive, is money well spent. You do need to build in study time to prepare for the following lesson as each lesson is jam-packed with new information. I highly recommend the classes. read more