
Chinese: Making a First Impression Course
Make a powerful first impression in Mandarin Chinese — in the boardroom, at the dinner table, or on a video call. This course takes you from zero to confident, covering pronunciation, essential greetings, professional vocabulary, and the cultural protocols that Chinese business contacts actually notice. You'll leave ready to introduce yourself, sustain small talk, and build real relationships from the very first exchange.
What your team will master:
Master Mandarin tones, Pinyin, and sentence structure to speak with confidence from day one.
Build a 300+ word professional vocabulary covering job titles, industries, and workplace actions.
Apply authentic Chinese greeting rituals, gift-giving norms, and business card exchange protocols.
Compose professional emails and WeChat messages using correct register and politeness markers.
Navigate small talk, sensitive topics, and conversation exits with cultural awareness and fluency.
Perform in real-world scenarios including client meetings, networking events, and video calls.
How your team learns in practice Chinese: Making a First Impression Course
How your team practises Chinese: Making a First Impression Course
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Course content
8 Chapters • 32 LessonsDuration between 4 and 360 hours (you decide)
Chapter 1HideHide detailsSee detailsFoundations of Mandarin Chinese
Foundations of Mandarin Chinese
Lesson 1 • Introduction to Chinese Characters
Characters are the written backbone of Chinese; recognising high-frequency ones accelerates reading. Students identify stroke order and basic radicals.
Lesson 2 • The Pinyin Romanisation System
Pinyin maps Mandarin sounds to Latin letters, enabling accurate pronunciation from the start. Mastery here underpins every spoken skill in the course.
Lesson 3 • The Four Tones and Neutral Tone
Tones are phonemic in Mandarin; identical syllables carry different meanings across tones. Accurate tone production prevents critical miscommunication.
Lesson 4 • Basic Sentence Structure
Mandarin follows Subject-Verb-Object order with key structural differences from English. Understanding this framework prevents early grammatical errors.
Chapter 2HideHide detailsSee detailsEssential Greetings and Introductions
Essential Greetings and Introductions
Lesson 1 • Numbers, Age, and Contact Details
Numbers 0–100 enable age exchange and phone number sharing, both common in first meetings. Students practise digit strings and age questions.
Lesson 2 • Asking About Others Politely
Polite inquiry phrases let learners ask names, origins, and roles without causing offence. Question words 什么, 哪, and 谁 are introduced here.
Lesson 3 • Introducing Yourself in Chinese
Self-introduction covers name, nationality, and occupation using 我叫, 我是, and 我来自. These phrases form the core of any first impression.
Lesson 4 • Standard Greeting Expressions
Core greetings such as 你好, 您好, and 早上好 establish rapport immediately. Students practise time-of-day and formality variations.
Chapter 3HideHide detailsSee detailsCultural Protocols for First Meetings
Cultural Protocols for First Meetings
Lesson 1 • Face, Hierarchy, and Respect
The concept of mianzi governs social interactions; missteps cause lasting damage to relationships. Students learn to show deference through language and behaviour.
Lesson 2 • Gift-Giving in First Encounters
Small gifts are common in Chinese professional introductions and carry symbolic meaning. Students learn appropriate choices, presentation, and refusal etiquette.
Lesson 3 • Business Card Exchange Rituals
Card exchange follows strict two-handed protocols and signals professional respect. Correct handling and reading of cards is practised here.
Lesson 4 • Appropriate Physical Greetings
Handshakes, bows, and personal space norms differ from Western defaults. Students calibrate physical greetings to context and relationship level.
Chapter 4HideHide detailsSee detailsCore Vocabulary for Professional Contexts
Core Vocabulary for Professional Contexts
Lesson 1 • Industry and Sector Vocabulary
Sector-specific terms allow learners to describe their field accurately during introductions. Coverage spans technology, finance, manufacturing, and services.
Lesson 2 • Workplace Action Verbs
High-frequency verbs like 负责, 管理, and 合作 enable learners to describe their responsibilities. Verb-object pairings are drilled for fluency.
Lesson 3 • Company and Organisation Descriptions
Phrases for describing company size, type, and location are essential for professional small talk. Students practise 公司, 机构, and related descriptors.
Lesson 4 • Job Titles and Organisational Roles
Titles like 经理, 总监, and 工程师 appear constantly in professional introductions. Students learn to recognise and use them with correct measure words.
Chapter 5HideHide detailsSee detailsConversational Strategies for Small Talk
Conversational Strategies for Small Talk
Lesson 1 • Topics to Avoid in First Meetings
Politics, income, and sensitive historical events can derail a first impression quickly. Students identify risky topics and practise graceful redirection.
Lesson 2 • Safe Small-Talk Topics in China
Topics like weather, food, travel, and hometowns are universally safe openers in Chinese contexts. Students learn topic-specific vocabulary and transition phrases.
Lesson 3 • Active Listening and Backchanneling
Responses like 是吗, 对对对, and 嗯 signal engagement and keep conversation flowing. Students practise these fillers to sound natural and attentive.
Lesson 4 • Transitioning and Closing Conversations
Smooth exits and topic transitions prevent awkward silences and leave positive impressions. Students practise closing phrases and follow-up commitments.
Chapter 6HideHide detailsSee detailsSpoken Fluency and Pronunciation Refinement
Spoken Fluency and Pronunciation Refinement
Lesson 1 • Connected Speech and Tone Sandhi
Third-tone sandhi and 一/不 tone changes alter pronunciation in connected speech. Students apply these rules automatically in practised phrases.
Lesson 2 • Shadowing and Imitation Techniques
Shadowing native speaker audio trains prosody, speed, and natural phrasing simultaneously. Students use structured shadowing protocols to accelerate fluency.
Lesson 3 • Tone Correction and Minimal Pairs
Minimal pairs like 买/卖 and 问/吻 expose tone errors that change meaning entirely. Targeted drills build automatic tone accuracy under speaking pressure.
Lesson 4 • Rhythm, Stress, and Sentence Melody
Mandarin has a syllable-timed rhythm distinct from English stress patterns. Students align their speech rhythm to sound natural rather than robotic.
Chapter 7HideHide detailsSee detailsWritten First Impressions: Emails and Messages
Written First Impressions: Emails and Messages
Lesson 1 • Email Structure and Formal Register
Chinese professional emails follow distinct opening, body, and closing conventions. Students learn formal salutations, sign-offs, and honorific language.
Lesson 2 • Common Written Politeness Markers
Phrases like 请多关照 and 敬请回复 signal respect and professionalism in writing. Students identify and deploy these markers in context.
Lesson 3 • Introducing Yourself in Writing
Written self-introductions require more detail and formality than spoken ones. Students draft introductory paragraphs covering role, organisation, and purpose.
Lesson 4 • WeChat and Messaging Etiquette
WeChat dominates Chinese professional communication; its norms differ from email. Students learn appropriate message length, timing, and emoji use.
Chapter 8HideHide detailsSee detailsIntegrated Role-Play and Real-World Practice
Integrated Role-Play and Real-World Practice
Lesson 1 • Client Meeting Opening Scenarios
First client meetings demand precise language, correct honorifics, and cultural sensitivity. Students rehearse opening sequences from arrival to seated introductions.
Lesson 2 • Conference and Networking Simulations
Simulated conference settings require rapid switching between greeting, small talk, and self-introduction. Students practise under time pressure with unfamiliar partners.
Lesson 3 • Video Call and Remote Introduction Skills
Remote first meetings require adapted greetings, clearer articulation, and digital etiquette. Students practise video-call-specific opening and closing sequences.
Lesson 4 • Feedback, Assessment, and Iteration
Structured peer and instructor feedback identifies persistent errors and cultural missteps. Students revise performances and track measurable improvement.
Your valid completion certificate
This course is for you:
Business professionals: preparing to work with Chinese-speaking clients or partners soon.
Recent graduates: entering industries with significant trade ties to China.
Entrepreneurs: seeking to expand their market reach into Chinese-speaking regions.
HR and team leads: managing or onboarding colleagues from Chinese-speaking backgrounds.
Diplomats and NGO workers: engaging with Chinese institutions in formal professional settings.
Career changers: moving into roles where cross-cultural communication is a core requirement.
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