Children’s Group Classes
Which class is right for your child?
Children Group Classes
By school term basis
- Focus on listening, speaking, and writing *pinyin (romanised Chinese).
- Classroom instructions are in English; content is taught in Mandarin pinyin.
- Lessons cover everyday conversational topics to build confidence in communication.
- Each term also follows a theme, such as sports, hobbies, nationality, or drinks, which may continue for two terms.
- Students celebrate Chinese, Western, and New Zealand festivals, including Chinese New Year, Dragon Boat Festival, Mother’s Day, and Christmas.
- Homework is emailed to parents, who are encouraged to guide their children. Completed work is pasted into an exercise book and returned for checking.
- Children earn points for homework and participation, which can be redeemed for small rewards.
- Progress is reviewed regularly, and parents receive feedback along with suggestions to support learning at home.
*Pinyin is the official Romanised spelling system for Mandarin. It uses the English alphabet to show how Chinese words are pronounced, with tone marks to guide with speaking and listening. Our courses focus on listening, speaking and pinyin writing, with Chinese characters introduced gradually at higher levels
Meet Shane
Shane’s daughter is in one of our children’s group classes on Saturdays. He grew up learning Chinese himself and reckons her classes look nothing like his did. Have a watch to hear why.
Want to hear from more of our students and parents? Read their stories →
2026 Term Dates – Saturday Children’s Classes
Location: Kohia Terrace School
Terms |
Start |
Finish |
Weeks |
Notes |
| Term 1 | 31 Jan 2026 | 28 Mar 2026 | 8 | No class: 7 Feb (Waitangi weekend) |
| Term 2 | 2 May 2026 | 27 Jun 2026 | 8 | No class: 1 Jun (King’s Birthday) |
| Term 3 | 25 Jul 2026 | 19 Sep 2026 | 9 | – |
| Term 4 | 17 Oct 2026 | 12 Dec 2026 | 8 | No class: 24 Oct (Labour weekend) |
The Company* reserves the right to change these dates
*Company – Pistachio Mandarin Language Centre
Class Details
Beginners Foundation
10:15am – 11:15am Saturdays
“Beginners Foundation introduces young learners to Mandarin through fun, interactive activities that spark curiosity and encourage early participation.”
- Suitable for students aged 5+ with little to no prior knowledge of Mandarin.
- Topics: numbers, greetings, introducing name and age, polite expressions, classroom expressions, tone listening and recognition.
- Activities: songs, videos, games, drawing, word searches, and short writing activities.
Beginners 1
11:30am – 12:30pm Saturdays
“Beginners 1 builds on the Foundation level supporting students in becoming more comfortable in speaking in simple sentences.”
- Suitable for students aged around 7–11 with some basic background in Mandarin.
- Builds on Beginners Foundation by introducing more daily conversations, phrases and writing pinyin.
- Topics include numbers, greetings, polite expressions, classroom expressions, tone listening and recognition, days, dates, and theme topic.
- Students learn to express likes, dislikes, favourites, and use connecting words such as “and”, and “but” to form longer sentences.
- Activities: songs, videos, games, quizzes, drawing, word searches, and writing activities.
- Focus remains on listening, speaking, and writing pinyin.
Beginners 2
9:00am – 10:00am Saturdays
“Beginners 2 strengthens communication skills by guiding students to speak and write longer sentences with growing confidence.”
- Suitable for students aged around 7–11 who have basic background in Mandarin.
- Builds on Beginners 1 with longer sentences and more structured speaking and increased in writing pinyin.
- Topics: numbers, greetings, polite expressions, classroom expressions, tone listening and recognition, days, dates, weather and theme topic.
- Students learn to express likes, dislikes, favourites, and use connecting words such as “and”, “but”, and “or” to form longer sentences.
- Activities: songs, videos, games, quizzes, drawing, word searches, and writing activities.
- Focus remains on listening, speaking and writing pinyin.
Beginners 3
10:15am – 11:15am Saturdays
“Beginners 3 develops practical conversational skills through real-life topics while gently introducing Chinese characters alongside pinyin.”
- Suitable for students aged around 8 to young teens with some background in Mandarin.
- Building on Beginners 2 with more complex sentences, extended speaking and writing in pinyin.
- Greater focus on practical communication: days, dates, weather, time, everyday expressions e.g. “where is the toilet?” and usage of dialogues and Q&A’s.
- Lightly incorporates a textbook and workbook featuring a European couple’s journey in China to provide real-life context.
- Students learn to use connecting words (“and”, “but”, “or”, “because”) and time phrases e.g. “last week”, “every day” to form longer sentences.
- Activities: videos, games, quizzes, drawing, word searches, quizzes and writing activities.
- Introduces basic Chinese characters (recognition and stroke order).
- Focus remains on listening, speaking and writing pinyin.
Beginners 4
9:00am – 10:00am Saturdays
“Beginners 4 focuses on building confidence and enjoyment in using Mandarin through practical conversation and interactive learning.”
- Suitable for students aged around 9 to young teens.
- Building onto Beginners 3 or have an equivalent background.
- Focuses on practical communication through dialogues, Q&A, and role play.
- Students learn to hold basic conversations in everyday situations. Builds confidence in forming longer, natural sentences using words such as “and”, “but”, “because”, and simple time phrases.
- Uses a light textbook/workbook for real-life context.
- Continues gradual introduction to Chinese characters, including stroke order and recognition of commonly used characters.
- Activities include videos, games, quizzes, role play, drawing, word searches, quizzes, and writing tasks.
- Focus remains on listening, speaking and writing pinyin.
Children's Group Classes (Face-to-Face)
Prices effective from 16 Feb 2026 | Prices listed below are GST inclusive- Total fee per term includes tuition fee ($419.87) and materials fee ($17.25)
- 8 lessons per term
- 1-hour lesson each week
- Face-to-face group class
- Full payment due one week before classes commence
Important Information
- A 10% sibling discount applies to the third child onwards within the same family when enrolled for a full term
- Group classes run 7–9 lessons per term. Pricing above is based on a typical 8-lesson term and will be adjusted if the number of lessons varies
- Textbooks/workbooks are not included and may be required for higher-level students (parents will be advised in advance)
Additional Cost (if required)
- Textbook & workbook: $51.75
Enrolment is confirmed once:
- The enrolment form is submitted
- Terms & Conditions is submitted
- Full payment is received one week before the class start date
Objectives & Outcomes
Optimize effective use of non-linguistic technique to enhance all learning experiences.
Understand the sound system of Mandarin Chinese (pinyin and tones)
Help students realize their potential through creative repetition and word meaning application.
Demonstrate an improved vocabulary and pronunciation related to daily activities
Demonstrate a cultural understanding on the Chinese history and also the customs.
Innovate thinking and leverage understanding & engagement through creative ideas.
Experience a free trial lesson!
Discover why our Auckland-based Mandarin Chinese classes are fun, engaging, and welcoming. Our courses are designed for Kiwi learners, with interactive activities and practical resources that make Mandarin come alive. Our passionate tutors create a supportive environment where students feel confident, motivated, and excited to learn.