Learn Mandarin Free with FSI Standard Chinese
普通话
Learn Mandarin by working through FSI Standard Chinese: A Modular Approach. Vento has 35 units, with audio repetition and pronunciation practice, at no cost. The State Department lists this language at 88 weeks (2,200 class hours) to reach ILR 3.
Who this is for
This page is for someone who wants to learn Mandarin and does not know how to start. The method is the one the Foreign Service Institute used with US diplomats: a short dialogue, then repetition and pronunciation, until the lines are automatic. Vento is the same public-domain course, laid out as lessons you can do on a phone. It is free. It is not a game and it is not affiliated with the State Department.
The source course
FSI Standard Chinese: A Modular Approach. Foreign Service Institute Standard Chinese. Early modules cover orientation, biographic information, money, and directions. This catalogue has 35 units.
The first lessons you will actually open:
- Module 1: Orientation
- Module 2: Biographic Information
- Module 3: Money
- Module 4: Directions
- Unit 5: 你是哪国人？
- Unit 6: 你家有几口人？
How a lesson works
- Listen to the dialogue and follow the line that is playing.
- Repeat it aloud. The course is built on that repetition, not on tapping translations.
- Do the drills, then check pronunciation in your browser (Chrome, Edge, Safari).
- Come back to the same unit before you pile on a new one.
A fuller explanation of the drill cycle is on the FSI method page. Hours and categories are on the difficulty ranking.
How long it takes
2,200 class hours (88 weeks) is the State Department figure for full-time class to ILR 3, speaking and listening. Studying alone for an hour a day is a different pace. Use the number to see how large the language is, not as a date you will be fluent.
Figures for categories and class hours are from the U.S. Department of State, “Foreign Language Training” (https://www.state.gov/foreign-language-training), describing full-time classroom study to an ILR 3 in speaking and listening. They are not a promise about self-study. state.gov/foreign-language-training
Questions
Is the Mandarin course really free?
Yes. Vento does not charge for the Mandarin Chinese lessons. The underlying Foreign Service Institute texts are US government works and are generally public domain in the United States. Vento is not affiliated with the State Department.
How long does Mandarin take?
Mandarin Chinese is Category IV on the State Department list: 88 weeks, 2,200 class hours to ILR 3 in speaking and listening. That is a full-time classroom figure, not a self-study promise.
Can I use a lesson without a connection?
You can download that lesson’s text and audio and play them without a connection. Pronunciation feedback runs in your browser (Chrome, Edge, Safari) and needs that browser’s speech service, so it is not an offline check.
At a glance
Class hours
2,200 class hours
Region
East Asia