Online Chinese Classes for Kids, Taught Live 1-on-1

1Which Chinese skills does WuKong's course build?

WuKong's online Chinese course teaches five core skills: pinyin, speaking, Chinese characters, reading and writing. Every lesson is live and 1-on-1 with a certified native teacher, and every teacher passes a rigorous interview and has more than five years of teaching experience on average.

Because one teacher works with one child, the balance between the five skills follows that child's level and interests. Questions about the free trial, pricing, scheduling and what happens after booking are answered on the parent FAQ page.

• Pinyin: the Latin-letter system that spells out Mandarin pronunciation, including tone marks.
• Speaking: using spoken Chinese in real-time conversation with the teacher.
• Characters: learning to recognise and use Chinese characters (汉字).
• Reading and writing: understanding written Chinese and expressing ideas in it.
• YCT / HSK preparation: available for overseas learners who want a recognised test goal.

2What is pinyin, and how do the tones work?

Pinyin (Hanyu Pinyin) is the official system for writing the pronunciation of Mandarin Chinese in Latin letters. It uses four tone marks for the four tones of Mandarin, and the neutral tone is left unmarked.

Tones change meaning: in pinyin, 妈 (mother) is written mā and 马 (horse) is written mǎ. Because pinyin records how each syllable is pronounced, it gives children a written guide to sounds and tones that sits alongside characters, which carry the meaning.

In WuKong's course, the teacher decides how much time pinyin needs, and when to move on to characters and reading, after assessing your child's level.

3How is the YCT structured?

The YCT (Youth Chinese Test) is an international standardised test of how well primary and secondary school students use Chinese as a second language. Its written test has four levels, YCT 1 to YCT 4, and a separate YCT speaking test has two levels: elementary and intermediate.

The written levels step up gradually. YCT 1, for example, has a listening part and a reading part and checks whether a learner can understand and use very common words and sentences in everyday situations. Chinese Testing International (CTI) publishes the official details for every level at chinesetest.cn.

4How is the HSK structured, and what is the HSKK?

The HSK (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) is an international standardised test of how well people learning Chinese as a second language can communicate in Chinese in daily life, study and work. Chinese Testing International lists HSK levels 1 to 6 plus an advanced band, HSK 7–9.

The official HSK competency profile describes the levels as a ladder. HSK 1 means simple communication in everyday situations, HSK 4 means complete and coherent communication across daily life, study and work, and HSK 7–9 reach professional and academic Chinese.

In the current HSK, speaking is tested separately in the HSKK (HSK Speaking Test), which has three levels, elementary, intermediate and advanced, and is conducted as an audio recording. In its trial sessions, HSK 3.0 paired speaking tests with individual levels (HSK 3–6 had to be taken together with the matching speaking test), so check how speaking is arranged for the session your child will sit.

5What are the 2021 Chinese Proficiency Grading Standards, and how do they relate to the HSK?

The Chinese Proficiency Grading Standards for International Chinese Language Education (GF 0025-2021) were issued in March 2021 by China's Ministry of Education and the National Language Commission, and took effect on 1 July 2021. They describe learners' Chinese in “three stages, nine levels”: elementary, intermediate and advanced, each divided into three levels.

The standards measure proficiency through four language elements and five skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing and translation. Across all nine levels they cover 1,110 syllables, 3,000 characters, 11,092 words and 572 grammar points.

The standards are the reference for the HSK. Chinese Testing International describes the new HSK as guided by them, moving from the six-level system to the three-stage, nine-level framework; the new HSK syllabus, published in November 2025, gives July 2026 as its implementation date, and Chinese Testing International has announced that the HSK 3.0 exam officially launches worldwide on 13 December 2026, following trial sessions (the second was held on 20 September 2026). Which version a given test session uses can differ, so check the current arrangements on chinesetest.cn before registering.

6YCT or HSK: which test suits my child?

The YCT and HSK are designed for different learners. The YCT is built for primary and secondary school students learning Chinese as a second language, while the HSK describes Chinese for daily life, study and work, with its upper levels reaching professional and academic use.

• Younger, school-age learners: the YCT is designed for them, and its four written levels give a clear sequence of milestones.
• Older students with study or work goals in Chinese: the HSK levels are written around life, study and work, and HSK 7–9 extend to academic and professional Chinese.
• Speaking goals: add the YCT speaking test; for the HSK, speaking is the separate HSKK in the current version and is paired with each level in HSK 3.0, so check the version.
• No test goal yet: test preparation is optional, and the five core skills come first.

7What does “aligned to YCT / AP / IB” mean?

WuKong's curriculum is structured and aligned to YCT / AP / IB, with a clear learning path and visible progress. The YCT is explained above; AP and IB are the other two reference points.

AP Chinese Language and Culture is a College Board course that the College Board describes as approximately equivalent to an intermediate college-level course in Mandarin Chinese. It develops interpersonal, interpretive and presentational communication, together with cultural understanding.

In the IB Diploma Programme, Language ab initio courses are for beginners with little or no previous experience of the language and are offered only at standard level, while Language B courses are for students with some previous experience and can be taken at standard or higher level. The IB lists a Mandarin ab initio course among its online courses.

Being aligned to these programmes does not make a WuKong lesson an AP or IB course: AP courses and exams are run by the College Board, and IB courses by the International Baccalaureate.

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