Eat and Learn Chinese: the Language Secrets of Chinese
Cuisine Revealed
The one evening course that features a delicious dinner combined with a
lesson by Yao Zhang, the founder of the Yao Mandarin school
and the learnchinesepod.com podcast.
Next session:
Time: Friday
March 28th 2008, 7pm
Location: Toronto Chinatown
The exact address in Toronto Chinatown will be sent to you once we receive your reservation.
Do you love Chinese food?
Do you love Chinese food? Well, we do too. Really,
who doesn’t like Chinese food? Chinese restaurants,
from the most humble corner takeout to an elegant banquet hall, are a
feature of the landscape, not just in Toronto, but in just about every
major city on the planet. Yet, as much as you enjoy Chinese cuisine,
wouldn’t you like a chance to bring your appreciation of
Chinese dining up to a whole new level?
That’s why we’re so pleased to be able to bring you
this new introductory one evening course entitled Eat and Learn Chinese: the
Language Secrets of Chinese Cuisine Revealed, a revolutionary concept
being offered for the first time through Yao Mandarin School, a respected
Chinese language school in Toronto. This
course will not take place in one of Yao Mandarin School’s
classrooms, however. Rather, it will be held where a food
course should be held – in the friendly and relaxed
atmosphere of a restaurant – where your instructor, Yao
Zhang, the founder of Yao Mandarin School, will lead you through a unique
class that combines language instruction and
eating.
You love Chinese food, but…
As much as you may enjoy Chinese food, haven’t there been
times when you felt that there was more to know? Face it,
ignorance is not always bliss, and knowledge can enhance appreciation.
Have any of these ever happened to you?
• You’re at a
restaurant, hoping to enjoy an authentic experience, when you notice
that other diners are eating with chopsticks while the waiter has
brought you a knife and fork?
• You can’t avoid
feeling that the English-language menu in front of you has been edited
somehow, and that the really interesting stuff is on the
“other” menu, the one written in Chinese characters?
• You walk by one of those
really, really authentic-looking Chinese places, the type of "find"
that
seems it might have been teleported straight from Beijing, and even
though you consider yourself an adventurous diner and an open-minded
Torontonian, you end up shying away from walking inside because you
weren’t sure you could navigate the system.
• Perhaps you even pride
yourself on your sophisticated knowledge of Chinese food –
its subtleties and variety, its inspired use of natural ingredients
– yet for all your appreciation of the cooking itself, when
you go to a restaurant, you can’t even say
“please” or “thank you” or
“could you please bring some more tea” in the
language of the cuisine.
Wouldn’t it be great if….
Look, many of us dream that we had the time and resources to take
courses and become fluent in many languages. We’re
Torontonian, though – we’re busy people with things
to do and places to go. We don’t deal in dreams, we
deal in results. That’s why Yao Zhang, founder of
the Yao Mandarin school, has created this unique one-evening
course. Eat and Learn Chinese: the Language Secrets of Chinese
Cuisine Revealed is designed to yield practical and carefully targeted
results in about 2 hours and 45 minutes, including a delicious meal.
Wouldn’t it be great if you could:
read the basics of a Chinese
menu, including identifying the Chinese characters for your favorite
dishes? ask for chopsticks, tea,
water, or the house specialty – understandably, politely and
– in Chinese? learn basic Chinese and the fundamentals of
politeness and greetings, those little things that help bring comfort
and good feelings between people in any culture? feel the confidence that comes
with being able to walk into a Chinese restaurant anywhere in the world
and use your new skills? learn all of this in a relaxed
and friendly atmosphere without spending months of training and
investing a fortune?
In fact, wouldn’t it be ideal if you could be introduced to
the basic
language skills necessary to navigate a Chinese restaurant in just one
evening, while spending only $42.99 -- and enjoying a delicious
meal?
The first step is
as simple as
clicking here and making your
reservation for the Eat and Learn Chinese: the Language Secrets of
Chinese Food Revealed introductory one evening course. This
course is designed to provide a basic grounding in key food vocabulary;
survival sentences, including polite phrases; and recognition of the
Chinese characters most commonly found on restaurant menus.
Whether you’re a real culinary explorer who knows about that
obscure new congee place in Toronto Chinatown even before it’s spotted
by the foodees on chowhound.com, or you’re just a down to
earth Torontonian who wants to take those first few steps beyond spare
ribs and egg rolls at the local takeout, this course offers something
for you.
The class opens with an interactive lesson led by Yao Zhang, a
respected teacher who has taught the Chinese language on three
continents. No dry textbook stuff here. Yao
believes in putting his students at ease and getting them
involved. Within ten minutes of the start of class, you will
already be forming your first basic Chinese sentences.
Yao’s method is interactive – pointing, gesturing,
pantomiming are all encouraged. After about an hour of
instruction, it will be time to start putting your language where your
mouth is – with real food in an
authentic restaurant in Chinatown. Be
warned though! Whether ordering soup, rice, noodles,
dumplings, pork, chicken or beef, you
won’t be allowed to eat without putting your new language
skills to use – by asking for each dish politely and by
name. Don’t worry, as this task will seem easy by
this point in your lesson.
The class continues throughout the meal, where you will use all of your
senses to engage and absorb your new language skills.
Yao Zhang has taught Mandarin (the standard form of spoken Chinese
throughout both mainland China and Taiwan) to non-Chinese in Shanghai,
Paris, Lyon, New York and Toronto; He is the founder of Yao Mandarin School,
a Chinese language school. Yao Mandarin School offers services ranging from its
signature 30 hour Mandarin Quick Learn program for complete beginners,
to intermediate and advanced courses, private tutoring and
translation.
Yao believes that people learn best when they’re having fun
and are interested in the subject matter. What meets those
criteria better than dinner? We Torontonian love to eat and
love to learn – so why not bring these two passions
together. That’s why Yao has created this new
program, Eat and Learn Chinese: the Language Secrets of Chinese Cuisine
Revealed, a fun and interactive one-evening course designed for busy
people with no background in Chinese language to meet this exciting
language in a friendly zero-pressure environment.
During the course of the evening, Yao will introduce you to spoken
vocabulary for many food items; teach you how to construct basic
sentences using key verbs such as “eat”,
“drink”, “want”, and
“bring”; the “magic words” of
polite spoken Chinese -- "hello", "please", "thank you" -- that make
for a more pleasant experience for both
the diner and staff; and teach you how to recognize the key Chinese
characters for common restaurant dishes and for numbers.
Yao realizes that this is a lot to absorb in one evening, even with the
invigorating atmosphere of this interactive course. That is
why the course includes several handouts to take home for your
reference. These include printed notes summarizing the class,
a table reproducing the Chinese characters discussed in the class (as
well as bonus characters!). For those of you
technologically inclined, we can also email you an MP3 file containing
a summary of the audio content of the class, allowing you to review on
your ipod or other player at your convenience. Yao will also
provide you with an email address in case you have any follow up
questions after the class.
How much does the one evening Eat and Learn Chinese: the Language Secrets of
Chinese Cuisine Revealed course cost? Frankly, not that much
more than you might pay for a decent meal on its own. Since
this is a new program, it is being offered for the special introductory
price of $42.99.
That includes your lesson with one of Toronto's top Chinese language teachers; food; tax; tip AND all
of Yao’s specially
designed handouts. In order to make this opportunity even
more appealing, we are also offering:
a 10%
discount to any group of two
or more
a voucher good for a $5 credit
for any of your friends
who take a later session (or for yourself, if
you’d like
to enjoy the class again)
a second, very special, voucher for $100 off
the signature Quick Mandarin: 30 hours
program, a course that teaches the fundamentals
of spoken Mandarin in
just 30
hours. Quick Mandarin: 30 Hours is an ideal choice if you or
someone you know is interested in continuing beyond the restaurant and
learning to speak this important language. Ask about our
additional discount for groups of two or more!
50%
off a one hour Mandarin tutoring session with a top Yao
Mandarin instructor
Chinese has more native speakers than any other language and
the
Chinese economy is one of the largest and fastest-growing in the
world. It is spoken by more than twice as many people as
French, German, Italian and Japanese combined! If there is
one foreign language to learn for the 21st Century, then that language
is Mandarin Chinese. Putting aside, however, all
considerations of world economics, international relations, and
cultural globalism, there is a much closer-to-home reason to meet this
beautiful and fascinating language. Simply put, the food is
delicious.
Chinese restaurants can be found in almost any city in the
world. How do we know this? Actually, we
can’t speak with 100% certainty, but answer this –
have you ever been in a city anywhere that didn’t have at
least one Chinese restaurant somewhere? Well, neither have
we, nor has anyone we know. After taking our one-evening Eat
and Learn: the Language Secrets of Chinese Cuisine Revealed class,
you’ll be able to walk into a Chinese restaurant from
Brooklyn to Berlin and know the basics of communications that will set
you apart from so many other customers.
Today dinner, tomorrow the world
Hey, we know that most of the students attending Eat and Learn Chinese: the
Language Secrets of Chinese Cuisine Revealed will primarily be
interested in enjoying and benefiting from our one evening course, and
we couldn’t be happier about that. We also hope
that a few of you may want to move on beyond this introductory class,
and that once you’ve tasted a sample of the Chinese language,
you’ll want to come back for more. If you are
inclined to continue to explore the world’s most spoken
language, then we’d like to help you by extending this very
special bonus offer. Everyone who attends the one night Eat
and Learn: the Language Secrets of Chinese Cuisine Revealed class will
receive a voucher good for $100 off the price of our Mandarin Quick
Learn course, designed to teach functional Mandarin Chinese
conversation in just 30 hours of class time. The Mandarin
Quick Learn course is held at Yao Mandarin School’s Toronto downtown location, convenient to transportation from throughout
GTA (Great Toronto Area) region. This very special voucher can save you more than double the cost of the Eat and Learn Chinese: the Language Secrets of
Chinese Cuisine Revealed class!
Q: Can I really learn Chinese language in just one evening?
A: No one can learn Chinese or any other language in an evening! However, it is
possible to introduce a few key skills. That’s why
Eat
and Learn: the Language Secrets of Chinese Cuisine Revealed targets a
very specific part of the language – vocabulary and key
sentences related to dining in a restaurant.
Q: Is there a separate charge for the food?
A: No, the cost of the food is included in the price. So are
sales tax and all gratuities.
Q: Do I need to bring anything to the class?
A: Just your curiosity and an eagerness to learn.
You are welcome, of course, to take notes, however, there will
be handouts summarizing most of the key
points -- allowing you to concentrate on participating in the lesson.
We are sorry, but sound recording and picture taking
are not permitted.
Q: What if I have a question after the class or forget something that I
learned?
A: Don’t worry; none of us have perfect memories.
Although Yao’s methods are designed to yield quick
understanding and excellent retention in short time, he realizes that
it may be necessary to refresh your memory from time to time.
That’s why you will receive handouts summarizing the key
content of the class. You may also receive, free of charge,
an MP3 file reviewing the key audio content of the class. If
you still have questions, you are free to email Yao even weeks after
the class – he genuinely enjoys helping his former
students.
Q: What is the difference between the Mandarin and Cantonese dialects?
A: Both Mandarin and Cantonese refer to types of
spoken Chinese,
since Chinese characters are the same across China. Mandarin
is the standard dialect taught througout China and Taiwan, while
Cantonese is used locally in the Guangdong
(formerly spelled Canton) area. Because many early immigrants
to the North America and Europe were from the Canton region, Cantonese
is common in overseas Chinese communities.
Q: Can I take the class more than once?
A: Surely you would learn something different each time, we would be
happy to see you back again!
Q: Can I bring my friends?
A: Of course! In fact, in order to make it even easier to
enjoy Eat and Learn Chinese: the Language Secrets of Chinese Cuisine Revealed
with your friends, we offer a 10% discount for any group of two or
more.
Q: I know that the price is great, but are there any discounts
available
A: We love a discount as much as anyone. That’s why
we’re offering a 10% reduction for all parties of two or
more. In addition, each attendee will receive a voucher good
for $5 off a future Eat and Learn Chinese: the Language Secrets of Chinese
Cuisine Revealed class (come again or pass it along to a friend) and
one good for a $100 discount on Yao Mandarin School’s Quick Mandarin: 30 hours Chinese language class for complete beginners.
Q: I’ve heard that Chinese pronunciation uses
tones. That sounds pretty intimidating.
A: A Torontonian shouldn't intimidate so
easily! There are four tones in Chinese, and
three of them can be found
in your daily speech! The tones should not be an obstacle if
you
want to learn to speak Chinese.
Q: I never liked the boring classroom lecture approach to language
instruction back when I was in school. Is Yao’s
method different?
A: Yao believes that learning should be fun, and that the student
should be a full partner in the learning experience.
Q: Will the skills I learn in Eat and Learn Chinese: the Language Secrets of
Chinese Cuisine Revealed be useful if I travel to China for business or
pleasure?
A: Yes they will! These skills will definitely increase your
enjoyment of dining in China or Taiwan.
Q: What if I’m traveling, but I am not going to China?
A: That’s a great question! Whether
you’re thinking of traveling to France, Brazil, Australia or
thousand other places, there will be Chinese restaurants wherever you
go. The skills you learn in Toronto can enhance your
experience and build your confidence just anywhere. In
fact, a few Chinese phrases might go over a long way towards opening a
new friendship, even in a country where Chinese is not the
local language!
Q: Does this course
include lessons in Chinese cooking?
A: No. Eat and Learn Chinese: the Language Secrets of Chinese Cuisine
Revealed is a class in the language of Chinese restaurants, not how to
prepare Chinese food. Whether you are already an experienced
cook with a mastery of Chinese cuisine or a novice who
couldn’t even turn on his own stove, this class can benefit
you.
Q: What if I want to learn more Chinese?
A: We would highly recommend Quick Mandarin's signature 30-hour long learn Chinese program. Please check the Yao Mandarin School Toronto website for
more details about learning Chinese.