Ambleside Mandarin Tutors and Ambleside Mandarin Tuition

Personal Description:
My name is Phoebe. I'm a native Chinese speaker who moved to England 22 years ago. I am now a British Citizen and have lived in Chesham for 20 years. I gained my MBA at the University of Leicester in 2002. I have two daughters, and both speak Mandarin fluently. I used to work for an insurance company as an auditor, and now I am a full-time Chinese Tutor.

I have gained two teaching certificates: "Teaching Chinese to Young Learners" and "Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language". I have been working as a Chinese tutor since 2009.

I have also tutored several students who went on to achieve top grades in their GCSE Chinese exams, and I currently teach at a private school in the Chalfont area. Teaching is truly my passion, and I'm committed to helping every learner reach their full potential.
If you or your child feel you could benefit from extra support, I'd be delighted to help.
Please don't hesitate to get in touch.

*****Congrats to my student Azaan M, who gained an 8 in GCSE in 2026*****
*****Congrats to my student Chokhmah J, who gained a 9 in GCSE in 2025*****
*****Congrats to my student: Loarn L, who gained an A in IGCSE in 2025*****
*****Congrats to my student Mungo L, who passed HSK Level 4 in 2024*****
*****Congrats to my student Nathaniel P, who passed HSK Level 2 in 2024*****
*****Congrats to my student Nathaniel P, who passed HSK Level 2 in 2024*****
*****Congrats to my student Mungo L, who gained an A* in IGCSE in 2023*****
*****Congrats to my student Sophie A, who gained an 8 in GCSE in 2022*****
*****Congrats to my student Eleanor P, who passed HSK Level 3 in 2021*****
*****Congrats to my student Charis P, who passed HSK Level 3 in 2020*****
*****Congrats to my student Jocelyn S, who gained a 9 in GCSE in 2019*****
*****Congrats to my student Jo-Emma B, who gained an A in GCSE in 2015*****

Teaching Experience:
I have extensive experience teaching children, teenagers, and adults, and I offer both group lessons and one‑to‑one sessions. Each format has its own strengths:
• In group classes, you benefit from interacting with other learners, which helps build confidence and conversational skills.
• In one‑to‑one lessons, the content is fully tailored to your personal goals, pace, and interests.
Whichever option you choose, you'll find that both are excellent ways to learn Chinese effectively and enjoyably.
Over the years, I've taught students from a wide range of nationalities, including learners from the UK, America, Canada, Russia, Germany, and South Africa. It has been a joy helping them progress, and we've shared many memorable moments along the way.
If you'd like to read some of their references, I'm happy to provide them upon request.

Tutoring Approach:
🌟Give Your Child the Gift of Mandarin! 🌟
This is a fantastic opportunity for your child to learn Chinese Mandarin in a small, supportive group of just six students. I'm an experienced Mandarin tutor and have been teaching since 2009. My lessons are interactive, engaging, and designed to help children learn quickly while genuinely enjoying the process.
✨ Why join?
• Small group size for personalised attention
• Fun, dynamic lessons that keep children motivated
• Suitable for complete beginners through to advanced learners
• A warm, encouraging learning environment
📚 Levels: Beginner to Advanced
⏳ Only four places left - book now to secure a spot!

Subjects

Personal Description:
I am a qualified Mandarin teacher who is experienced teaching Mandarin across the age groups and at different levels, from beginner to A Level. I enjoy teaching Chinese and get great satisfaction from achieving excellent results with my pupils. I have taught Mandarin in independent and state schools. I tutor pupils of 4-18 years old at my home in Weybridge, in one to one, one to two, or small group settings. A Chinese graduate with degrees in the UK, I have lived here for 20 years and have great understanding of both cultures. I am also a GCSE/IGCSE/A Level examiner who is familiar with GCSE/IGCSE/A Level specifications.

Teaching Experience:
I am fluent in English, Mandarin and Cantonese. I tutor according to students' requirements: either gaining exposure as a complete beginner from this up or coming language, learning basic daily conversations prior to travel, or preparing for GCSE and A Level examinations.

Tutoring Approach:
With excellent knowledge of cultural differences between China and UK, my approach to tutoring is practical and encouraging with a sense of humour. I can help my students in a flexible, adaptive and tailored way, as I understand that each student is an individual with individual needs. I enjoy good relationships with them and take great pleasure to obtain excellent results.

Subjects

Personal Description:
'Talented', 'inspiring', 'fun', 'a wealth of knowledge'...Majority of people enjoyed my lessons and fell in love with Chinese language. I am a smart Mandarin video creator and have composed 9 Mandarin learning books.

I have been teaching and training since 2009 and gained excellent testimonials. I have taught and trained over a thousand people from all backgrounds, including Defence Academy of UK, BP Technology Centre, Logicalis, The Said Business School, The European School at Culham and much more.

My specialisation in the teaching of Mandarin is designing structured and logical material and various activities in order to make learning enjoyable and achievable. I have developed inspiring and motivational teaching strategies. Some learners could be able to grasp Mandarin skills in 30 hours.

I enjoy teaching all levels, including GCSE, A Level, IB, university level and business Chinese.

I have good communication, organisation, planning and management skills with a sense of humour.

Thank you and enjoy learning Mandarin.

Teaching Experience:
Career Summary

June 2011 to present
Managing Director at MOLAES (Modern Oriental Language, Academic and Enterprise Services)
Clients including BP, Logicalis, P2i, Academy of Defence of UK, LPA Channel Electric, Said Business School, The
Taylor & Francis Group, European School at Culham, St. Hugh's Prep School and St Edward School in Oxford etc.

February 2012 to Present
Part-time Mandarin Teacher The Downe House

February 2011 to August 2011
Temporary Part-time Mandarin Teacher St. Bartholomew's School, Newbury

September 2009 to present
Permanent Part time Language Tutor Oxfordshire Adult Learning, Oxfordshire

February 2010 to Present
Contract Part-time Mandarin Tutor St. George International Foreign Languages
Directors Languages, Buckinghamshire
Professional Language Solutions
Simon & Simon Language School

I have been delivering Mandarin course to all levels and ages. My specialisation is designing
structured and logical material and wide ranges of activities to making learning enjoyable and achievable.

Each of my courses is tailored to needs of the students, beginning with developing their Individual Learning Plan and defining their Personal Learning Style. I also encourage my student to provide feedback and assessment of each lesson so that I can monitor my teaching style as I am always looking for ways to improve.

My goal is always to deliver teaching in a style which engages my students and makes learning interesting and fun.

Tutoring Approach:
Various approaches to meet the different learning styles.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I am qualified in Mandarin Chinese language teaching both in China and in the UK and have successfully delivered lessons to learners at all levels in the UK in the past 18 years. Recently I also began to teach Guzheng music for beginners.

Except for face-to-face teaching, I also offer online lessons via Skype for international students from distant side of the world.

With plenty of thoughtful design, I will make sure each individual students' lessons with me are unique and tailor-made, every lesson is enjoyable, creative and effective.

In my spare time I enjoy Chinese calligraphy & Chinese tea art, playing Guzheng, Guqin & bamboo flute( three traditional Chinese classical music instruments), and study Chinese & English literature.

Teaching Experience:
Years of Mandarin teaching experience both in China and in the UK to students at all levels and age groups; experience in designing and delivering bespoke learning material (including audio lessons) tailored to individual needs.

I have successfully delivered Mandarin teaching in the following areas:
• Academic discussions on Chinese culture and history
• Business and business negotiation
• Vocational / exam study
• Casual (Incl. Conversational Chinese, Chinese calligraphy, etc.)

I also have experience in:
• Interpreting &translation both in China and in the UK, broadcasting work in China
• Teaching private Guzheng lesson and Playing Guzheng & Guqin music for public Performances
• Teaching private Yoga lesson

Tutoring Approach:
I believe that a successful lesson should be able to engage students in a fun and active study relevant to real life situations, so I use a wide range of teaching methods, materials and activities.
My teaching activities are carefully designed to encourage students' interests and stimulate their creativity.
I guide students to make best use of their imagination to help their each individual lesson fun and effective.
I tailor my lessons based on every individual's needs, capabilities and personality.
I understand and convey linguistic and cultural nuances, based on my affinity with languages.

Extra support: I design tailored extra supporting material for individual needs, offer free flash cards and encourage my students to share coursework with each other. Besides, I also give advices to parents on supporting children to review or make use of what they learnt in their daily life, etc.

About my Fees: Discount available for group bookings.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I'm a Chinese girl who is really hard working and self-disciplined. I am a postgraduate in Translation and Interpreting at University of Essex. I did my bachelor's degree in English in China and I was the top student in my class.

Apart from the high levels of enthusiasm and commitment, as I have been trained intensively to be a Simultaneous Interpreter/ Conference Interpreter, I enjoy the advantage of good presentation and speaking manner. It's proven that I have strong teamwork spirit and multitask skills. I can work under high pressure and am able to schedule priorities and perform/delegate accordingly to effectively accomplish tasks at hand. Living in China for 20 years, I can always look at things in new perspective. Culturally I am strongly adaptive since I can smoothly operate in two entirely different environments.

Teaching Experience:
I have tutored some primary school kids on their English course when I was in China. Their class performance was much better after my tutoring. I managed to get a Teacher's Certificate by taking the national exam when I was in China.

I have a real passion for languages and have been very privileged to have had the opportunities to go and live in the countries where these languages are spoken and experience the diverse culture each country has to offer. Teaching is something that I am very passionate about and want to help others have the same opportunities I have been fortunate to have.

Tutoring Approach:
I work closely with my students to customize the most effective one-on-one tutoring solution. I listen. Before designing a module, I make careful observation and evaluate the student's ability. I teach with the most patience.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I am a native Chinese. My first language is Mandarin. I graduated with Honours Degree in English. I had been an English Teacher in China for 13 years before I moved to Scotland. I have lived in Scotland for 14 years. I am an experienced language teacher, and I am enthusiastic and friendly. I can tutor pupils of different levels.

Teaching Experience:
I had 13 years of experience of teaching English in an university in China. I also taught Mandarin in a Chinese School in Stow College of Glasgow. I have been a private tutor of Mandarin for over 4 years.

Tutoring Approach:
I can make learning a fun and enjoyable process by using different approaches to suit the varied needs of the learners.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I am a native speaker of Mandarin. I am a graduate student who study Radio in University of London. My BA degree is Journalism and I graduated from one of top universities in Mainland China. I am good at Mandarin. I love to talk and communicate.

Teaching Experience:
attend the language exchange group and tech people Mandarin.

Tutoring Approach:
Chinese phonetic alphabet
Chinese characters and pronunciation
useful sentence and dialogue

Subjects

Personal Description:
Pearson LTL Examiner
14 years experience of Chinese teaching in
Academic:
(my this year's(2025) students are in GCSE, IGCSE;, A-level and Pre-u all got their expected results as A*, A and D3 and successfully got the offers from the first choice universities.

Experienced teaching in GCSE, IGCSE( in three different levels),
A level(Edexcel, AQA, Cambridge International esp. Literature in paper4), Pre-u,
IB (A&B), and
HSK1-6.

For university students:
2 years teaching experience in university in the UK
10 years teaching experience in university in Shanghai, China
Experienced Teaching in
HSK1-6;
Chinese Literature;
Translation Studies

For Adults learners:

Business Chinese,
&
Casual Chinese and culture.

25 years of TCFL and TEFL teaching experience in university;
Holding the national certificate of Standard Mandarin Speaking (A*)(issued by China Education Bureau), Native speaker of Mandarin. Over 8 years' supervising experience in MA & PhD Translation Studies, Education Studies.

Teaching Experience:
When you are looking for a language teacher, you may see the following key points:
1. Native speaker of Mandarin ( I am holding Chinese National Certificate of Standard Mandarin speaking (A*);
2. Majored in Linguistics (Translation Studies);
3. Highest Degree in Linguistics and Social Media Studies;
4. Practical experience as a teacher, an examiner and a marker;
5. Professional teacher (I am holding the Higher Education Teaching Certificate (only 14% university teachers who have the certificate and the PhD degree at the same time in China) .
With solid foundation of literature knowledge, applied writing skills, and cultural awareness, I can not only teach you "what" knowledge but also explain you "why"and "how" knowledge.
current teaching:
Chinese/Mandarin GCSE, IGCSE(0509;0547), ALEVEL, IB, PRE-U, and HSK1-5, Chinese Literature;
Teacher Training Course

CV:
I have experience of being GCSE (Chinese , Mandarin) and IB (Chinese, Mandarin) oral exam Examiner.
I have over 23 years' teaching experience in universities (both in China and the UK). The main jobs I am doing are teaching TEFL courses, TCFL courses (students are adults students and mainly start from 0 level), Translation Studies, and supervising students in MA Education, Translation Studies, and Journalism as their MA supervisor. Since 2017, I also supervise PhD students in Translation Studies as well. I left my beloved working university because I need to move to London with my family. From 2013-2015, during my PhD research study period, I taught in the University of Salford, the main courses I taught were Chinese Language and Culture as well as the MA course of Business Conference Interpretation. Since the university closed the school of Languages, I could not go on teaching there. Luckily, I can teach via Spires now, can go on helping the young people to make their learning target and pursuit their dreams.


About Me
edit
I have a PhD Degree in Translation Studies and MA Degree in TEFL.
I have 22Years' teaching experience as a University language tutor in English and Chinese.
I have 14 years' experience of teaching Mandarin in the UK in all levels.


My Areas of Expertise
edit
Teaching Chinese/Mandarin GCSE, IGCSE,ALEVEL, IB, PRE-U, and HSK1-5
Teaching Chinese Literature (Classical articles in Ming Dynasty, Modern Literature works, famous poems in Ancient times)
Teaching Chinese students in preparing of IELTS, IB, AP Literature and Composition　
Supervising MA dissertation in Education ,Translation Studies.
Teacher Training Course (Theoretical and Practical Teaching skills and strategies) (Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language); (making teaching plan, prepare the teaching materials, get to know the external examinations in the UK (GCSE, A-Level, Pre-U) as well as in other countries (IB, IGCSE), designing after school clubs, etc. )

Tutoring Approach:
textbooks teaching, useful online materials and self designed teaching materials.
According to individual client's learning target, exam target and other study plan, I would like to offer individual teaching materials varied from online resources to self designed ones.

Subjects

Personal Description:
Qualification:(ICA)International Certificate Of Accreditation In Teaching Chinese As A Foreign Language.
I am kind and patient person. I love children and I have passion to teach people Chinese ( Mandarin). Native speak mandarin; excellent written and verbal; Always encourage and always find new way to help children or adults to quickly understand and grasp the Chinese meaning.

I live in UK for more than 13 years, I have family and 2 children.

Teaching Experience:
so far, I work at Milton Keynes Chinese School and private lesson. Also I have many years of experience at school in China, teaching students privately and in school classes ranging from beginner to upper-intermediate/advanced. Experience of working with young children of different cultural backgrounds and designing lessons to suit individual needs. I completed the International Mandarin Teaching qualifications.

Tutoring Approach:
For one on one lesson or online
Age :3 years old - adult
Level: Beginner-Senior

Subjects

Personal Description:
I am a native Chinese speaking fluent standard Chinese Mandarin and English, and have taught Chinese Mandarin for over 18 years in Birmingham, and currently work part time for a local mainstream school in UK.

I am also an experienced English and Maths tutor and a certified 11+ teacher and have a very good success rate with all of my pupils for passing 11+ tests, successfully grabbed places in local grammar schools and private schools, and achieving higher GCSE grades.

Teaching Experience:
I have taught Chinese Mandarin for over 20 years to students from different countries with diverse linguistic backgrounds in UK. I have experience in teaching Chinese at various levels including GCSE, A level and HSK. I currently work part time for a local mainstream school in UK.

I am also an experienced English and Maths tutor and a certified 11+ teacher and have a very good success rate with all of my pupils for passing 11+ tests, successfully grabbed places in local grammar schools and private schools, and achieving higher GCSE grades.

Tutoring Approach:
I am a patient, passionate and dedicated female teacher and have a track record of helping students achieve top grades and dramatically improve their attainment. My lessons are tailored to meet each student's need, interesting and motivating.

Subjects

Personal Description:
Long Distance Running.
• Table Tennis & Basketball Player.
• Piano Player and Ukulele player - currently achieved medium level.
• Continuing with my own education to improve my knowledge and understanding of the educational system materials

Teaching Experience:
Experiences from Primary school to AS level Chinese, up to adult learners; I have been working at Bohunt Secondary school, Liphook, Whitgift independent school, St Gregory's school, Bath and St Alban's primary school, Macclesfield as a Chinese teacher.
Experiences from tutoring maths GCSE (AQA and EDEXCEL Exam Board), a former AQA Maths GCSE examiner.
Also experienced in teaching Chinese on a one-to-one basis, from 4-year-olds to adult age groups; also a GCSE/A-level examiner.
I am also an EPQ (Extended Project Qualification) tutor at one local school in Oxford; a freelance writer at Amazon, Jinbu 1 and 2 diary for beginners to intermediate level via Amazon。

Tutoring Approach:
Teams online or face to face.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I have studied Mandarin Chinese for past four years at university, including one year spent living in Hangzhou, China, and have continued studying in my freetime over the past year since graduating. I have recently decided to continue my education, and have been accepted at SOAS University in London.

Teaching Experience:
During my undergraduate degree I would help classmates to grasp a better understanding of Chinese grammar after class, particularly with features such as BA and BEI structures.

During my year abroad in Hangzhou, China, I briefly tutored children at a school called English Alive, which focused on children from 2-11 years old.

As well as tutoring children, I would often tutor other students who were learning English and Chinese at the same time, and help them with proof reading and spell checking.

At the beginning of 2019 I began tutoring outside of university. One student was a Chinese lady learning English, and the other was an English lady undertaking a Chinese course on the Open University. I can proudly say that both have improved, and on the official course my student earned a 1st.

Tutoring Approach:
My classes will be entirely focused on the needs, goals and capabilities of the student. Before lessons start, I like to correspond with my students to know exactly what they want without using the paid-for lesson time. The main factors I would want to determine would be the number of classes per week, the skillset priorities (speaking and listening, reading and writing, or all equally), and to what level my students would hope to study.

I would provide the textbooks and have plenty of resources to recommend to my students for further study.

My classes are usually an hour long. We tend to start with reviewing the previous lesson's key points and homework, before moving onto vocabulary development, often with flashcards. We then move onto grammar, where two-three grammar points are introduced depending on the level of difficulty. We then review a passage written in Chinese characters, pinyin, and English; any unfamiliar words are highlighted and noted, and the learned grammar points are explained thoroughly in the context of the story/passage. We then practice reading and pronounciation by reading out the passage.
At the end of the lesson we have listening practice in the form of funny, relevant videos spoken in slow, clearly spoken Chinese.

The unfamiliar characters are listed, and given to the student for homework, which is usually something along the lines of "create a sentence using each word. One unfamiliar word per sentence."

Games are included, as are movies, tv shows, cartoons, etc.

Subjects

Personal Description:
Native Mandarin speaker born and raised in China, systematically educated to a high standard (graduated from primary, middle and high schools). Highly educated, successfully graduated with a couple of academic degrees from top British universities including Imperial College London. Currently working in banking in the city of London.

Teaching Experience:
Many years of one to one experiences with private school students from Tonbridge and Sevenoaks as well as younger kids and mature students.

Tutoring Approach:
I have had experience teaching children from a young age as well as mature students, therefore I am more than happy to customize teaching pace and technique according to the requirement of my students.

Subjects

Personal Description:
Hey everyone! This is Jaycee from Hong Kong. I love art and fashion. I relish teaching, playing tennis ,watching movies and making ceramics. I am energetic and passionate in education and I have a sense of humour and like to explore new things.

Teaching Experience:
I am a qualified and accredited English and Mandarin teacher while my mother tongue is Cantonese as I am a Hong Kongese. Having been teaching in secondary school up to the sixth formers for years, I have rich experience in assisting students in mastering the language and identifying their room for improvement to shoot stars and boost their confidence , as well as finding the meaning of learning languages with inspiration and thought-provoking questions. I have received training in SEN in universities in Melbourne and got experience in teaching SEN students.

Tutoring Approach:
It depends on the needs, level, strengths and background of students to make adjustments on what sort of teaching mode and materials would be appropriate to help them fulfil their potential and excel, reaching or go beyond their target.

Making learning enjoyable and irresistible is the key to enhance the cognitive reception and performance of learners.
Thus, having a tutor is more for getting support and sharpening skills to lay a solid foundation for building your blocks higher.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I'm passionate about teaching languages and admittedly spend far too much time preparing lessons or so I'm told at home! My greatest motivation comes from the sense of achievement when my students are able to express themselves more in their target language.

I'm a qualified teacher from Hong Kong with 15 years of experience in teaching Mandarin and English, and I have met the professional requirements for language teachers in both subjects.

I studied Linguistics in university, and achieved a score of 90.7 in the Putonghua Proficiency Test. I understanding challenges my students may face when learning a second language, and I am confident in teaching Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese) using English as medium of instruction.

Tell me your expectations and let me tailor lesson plans and teaching materials just for you.

Teaching Experience:
- 3.5 year experience in online teaching (Mandarin, Cantonese and English)
- Invigilating GCSE & A-Level Chinese (Speaking - Mandarin & Cantonese)
- 15 year full time teaching (Mandarin and English) in secondary schools in Hong Kong

Tutoring Approach:
I feel genuinely happy for my student, a new dad in a bilingual English-Cantonese family!!

Congratulations to my student who can now give a short presentation in Cantonese and write a paragraph of over 70 characters! Believe it or not, her handwriting is better than that of many primary school students in Hong Kong -- I'm so proud of her:)

My 11 year old student has also learnt to tell her favourite story, Finding Nemo, in Mandarin while preparing for the musical at school. We both enjoyed talking about the characters and writing the story together -- it was so much fun!

Tell me your learning goals, and I'll tailor lesson plans and teaching materials just for you.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I am graduated from the University of Stirling with a Master's degree in Finance. With over a decade of experience, I have been dedicated to teaching A-Level and GCSE Chinese at a private school. My approach to tutoring is highly effective。

Teaching Experience:
I have been teaching A-Level and GCSE Chinese at a private school for over 10 years. I I have successfully guided numerous students through A-Level and GCSE Chinese courses. Many of my students have achieved outstanding results under my guidance, including a remarkable 90% of students who attained an A grade in A-Level Chinese in 2023.

Tutoring Approach:
During the initial session, I work closely with the student to set clear objectives based on their individual needs. My teaching methodology involves designing tailored assignments that draw from a range of subjects and past papers. This approach not only enhances comprehension but also equips students with the skills to apply their knowledge effectively.

Subjects

Personal Description:
Native Mandarin speaker, UK MBA graduate, UK qualified Mandarin teacher and translator.
As a native Mandarin speaker with over 25 years living and working in the UK, I am confident in providing a high level of Integrated bilingual teaching.

Teaching Experience:
I have more than 15 years experience in teaching Mandarin in UK to all levels, including GCSE, Alevel, HSK, YCT qualifications, and to other causal learners.
I started from running an after-school or lunch club which was an effective initial step to test student interest and build a teaching portfolio. In 2014 I opened a language school where taught Mandarin on Saturdays but closed in 2019 due to pandemic. Now I am focus only on face-to-face teaching individually.

Tutoring Approach:
For casual learners, I tend to start from showing root meanings combine to form new compound words, teaching high-frequency patterns that cover most daily conversations, and explaining the underlying logic of Chinese characters and grammar rather than relying strictly on rote memorization helps students progress faster.

For academic purposes students such as GCSE and ALevel students, I will strictly using frameworks following national curriculum to help structure lessons effectively.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I am a full-time Mandarin Chinese tutor in the UK. I hold a PhD in Applied Linguistics from Newcastle University, as well as a Certificate in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language. I am a positive, reliable and supportive tutor, and I like to create a friendly and encouraging learning environment. I firmly believe that a relaxed atmosphere can lead to more effective learning. I
have a high student retention rate, with many students continuing to learn with me for a long time. I offer a free 20 minutes online initial consultation. Enhanced DBS check, academic qualifications, and references are available upon request.

I can help with
*General Mandarin and more, such as Business Chinese, Chinese for travel, character reading and writing, graded reading etc.
*Exam Support ( GCSE, IGCSE, A Level, HSK).
*Personalised lesson planning
*All ages and levels
*1 to 1 & small group
* Online & in person

Outside of teaching, I am a mum to two teenage boys. Even though they don't need me as much as they used to, they still keep me busy! In my spare time, I love reading, walking and watching movies.

Teaching Experience:
I have been teaching Chinese in the UK for over 15 years and have taught learners of all ages and levels, both in private and group settings. My teaching experience also includes working with local schools and institutions. I also work as a visiting speaking examiner for GCSE and A Level Mandarin, and regularly visit local schools to conduct speaking exams. Before moving to the UK in 2005, I worked as a secondary school English teacher in Taiwan.

Some recent reviews shared by students and parents I have supported.

"I have been working with Fenlan or laoshi for the past 5 months now and am pleased to say I'm very happy with her teaching approach and overall attitude to work. I first met Fenlan through first tutors whom I'm very pleased with also for finding such a fantastic teacher for me but also having a really reasonable finders fee which I was very appreciative of. I was interested in Chinese for a while and I decided I wanted to learn as an interest and hobby I looked one for more information when I came across first tutors. I had a good look at their website and decided to ask if anyone would like to teach me, Fenlan agreed and I have been learning for the past 5 months now making steady progress with which I'm happy with and enjoying. Fenlan has a good nature is easy to get along with and very patient with a great sense of humour that makes you feel relaxed and comfortable. I would recommend her to anyone I can't imagine there is better. Thanks so much to first tutors and thank you Fenlan.
~Dean Allan, Newcastle~

"My son has had an excellent experience so far with Fenlan, his Mandarin tutor. Lessons are engaging, well-structured, and tailored to his level, which has really boosted his confidence. Highly recommended." ~Jill, Newcastle~

"My daughter has had a few weeks of lessons with Fenlan and we have been amazed at the progress she has made in this short time from her teaching. Fenlan is patient, highly organized and talented, and we are extremely glad we found her. We are happy to recommend her without hesitation." ~Ian, London~

Tutoring Approach:
My lessons are highly interactive, with plenty of conversation mixed with grammar and exercises. Although my lessons are fun and enjoyable, I also make sure they are challenging enough to suit different abilities and levels. I also bring Chinese cultural knowledge and culture-related activities into my lessons, so you are not just learning the Chinese language, but also getting to know and appreciate the rich culture behind it.

I tailor my lessons to each student's individual needs. We will discuss your needs and goals together, and I will create a personalised plan for you. We can also make changes to the plan whenever needed as your learning progresses.

Lessons are usually based on a textbook suitable for your level. I will recommend a textbook for you to purchase. I find textbooks useful because they provide a clear structure for learning, with important language points introduced in a logical, step-by-step way. I will also supply extra digital materials whenever they are useful. (If you are doing a short course just for exam prep, a textbook might not even be necessary.)

I encourage students to learn character reading and writing from the beginning. You may find this challenging and it can make the initial stages of learning a little slower, but it will benefit you greatly in the long run. However, I understand that students have different goals and preferences, so we can adjust the balance between speaking, listening, reading and writing according to your needs. If you prefer to focus mainly on speaking and listening, we can do that too.

Once students have learned around 150 words commonly used characters, I will gradually introduce graded reading into their learning. I have found it helps improve reading skills, reinforce vocabulary and character recognition, and give students greater sense of progress and achievement. It can also be a fun and enjoyable way to meet familiar language in a meaningful way.

Homework is given regularly to help consolidate your learning. Throughout my teaching career, I have seen how helpful homework can be, and I always encourage my students to do it when possible. However, I also understand that every student is different, especially adult learners who have to use their time outside work to learn Chinese. So, if you don't have time to complete your homework, I promise you won't be punished! 😀

You may find that Chinese is not as difficult as you think once you give it a go. I firmly believe that, with the help of the right tutor, you can overcome the challenges that may come with learning Chinese.

Good luck with your learning, and I look forward to hearing from you!

Subjects