AP Mandarin Course Description
AP Mandarin Course Description​
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AP Chinese Prep Course (Oct 2025 – May 2026)
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This coaching-style AP Chinese course prepares students for the May 2026 AP Chinese Exam, aiming for a top score of 5. Meeting once per week for two hours (24 sessions), the course provides a systematic review of the ~2000-word AP-level vocabulary range and develops the deep cultural understanding required across the exam’s six themes: Families & Communities, Personal & Public Identities, Science & Technology, Beauty & Aesthetics, Contemporary Life, and Global Challenges.
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Students will practice all four skills—listening, speaking, reading, and writing—through weekly quizzes, monthly tests, and two full-length mock exams. Every activity mirrors real AP exam tasks (interpersonal speaking, presentational speaking, cultural comparison, persuasive essays, authentic listening and reading). With a strong focus on both language mastery and cultural fluency, students build the accuracy, confidence, and critical thinking skills necessary to succeed on exam day.
1. Vocabulary Growth (2000+ Words)
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Weekly Target: 20–25 new words, thematically grouped.
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Cumulative Goal: ~450–500 new/reviewed words during the course, added to students’ existing base (~1500+).
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Integration: All new vocab is immediately applied in speaking, writing, and cultural comparison tasks.
2. Cultural Fluency
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Each theme (Families, Identities, Tech, Aesthetics, Contemporary Life, Global Challenges) taught with authentic cultural materials (articles, videos, proverbs, idioms).
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Students practice cultural comparisons in nearly every class — a key AP speaking task.
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Monthly tests and mock exams include at least one culture-focused prompt.
3. Weekly Quizzes (Short-Term Wins)
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Vocabulary + one AP mini task at the start of class.
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Keeps students accountable for steady growth.
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Builds “test warm-up” habits — just like exam conditions.
4. Monthly Tests (Medium Checkpoints)
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Rotate skills: listening, reading, writing, speaking.
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By February, students will have practiced every section of the AP exam multiple times under timed conditions.
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Coaching feedback is tied to the AP rubric for clarity.
5. Mock Exams (Final Push)
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March: Full-length AP mock exam, scored with AP rubrics.
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April: Final AP mock exam, including full feedback + personalized improvement plan.
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Builds exam stamina, time management, and confidence.
6. Coaching & Feedback Loop
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Immediate corrections after each quiz/test.
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Individual tracking of vocab mastery, grammar accuracy, and skill performance.
Students receive personalized strategies to close gaps and push performance toward a score of 5.
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Minimum Student Level Requirements for AP Course
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At least 3-4 years of formal Chinese study (middle / high school) Or
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Equivalent to Intermediate Mid-High on the ACTFL scale Or
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Roughly aligned to HSK 3-4
Testimonials
I am taking an Adult Beginner Mandarin class at Manhattan Mandarin. I have had the pleasure of studying Chinese with Harry for several months now, and I am consistently impressed with his teaching skills and dedication to his students' success.
Harry is incredibly knowledgeable about the language and culture, and he is always willing to go the extra mile to help me improve my skills. One thing I really appreciate about Harry is his ability to make each lesson engaging and interactive. He uses a variety of teaching techniques to keep things interesting and challenge me to improve. He is also very patient and understanding, which has helped me feel more confident in my ability to learn Chinese.
Overall, I highly recommend Harry to anyone looking to learn Chinese. He is a fantastic teacher who truly cares about his students' progress and success. Thank you, Harry, for all of your hard work and dedication :)
Arwa - HSK 1 Beginner Class
Currently learning with Harry for the Mandarin Adult Beginner Class and he is a great Chinese tutor who makes the lessons a lot of fun. Couldn't recommend the course more to others wanting to learn Mandarin in London. I've loved each week so far!
Jake - HSK 2 Mandarin Class
Harry is the best. He is patient, encouraging, understanding and fun.
He speaks clearly and seems to intuitively know what I am stammering about in my terrible Chinese.
Kevin - HSK 1 Beginner Mandarin Class
Manhattan Mandarin has been an excellent experience - the classes have been fun yet challenging. Has far exceeded my expectations. Jump in and try it for yourself.
Roo - HSK 1 Mandarin Class