Herne Hill Mandarin Tutors and Herne Hill Mandarin Tuition

Personal Description:
I am a PGCE-qualified teacher with two Master's degrees, and I also serve as a Cambridge International examiner. My teaching expertise covers Mandarin GCSE (9-1), IGCSE, GCE (A level), HSK, Japanese GCSE (9-1), and JLPT qualifications. I teach my students both on-site and via Zoom for private students.

Teaching Experience:
I teach both Mandarin and Japanese at local independent schools and universities, and I am also an experienced private tutor. I instruct both simplified and traditional Chinese, as well as Japanese, to both native and non-native students, including professionals. Over the past decade, my students have consistently achieved outstanding results in Edexcel Chinese (9-1) and Japanese GCSEs (9-1), earning A* and Grade 9. Additionally, they have excelled with As in A-level Chinese.

I've successfully tutored numerous students who pursued further 'Oriental studies' at Oxford University, completed an MPhil in Chinese studies at Oxford, and Japanese at Leeds University and Cardiff University.

In addition, I possess a strong working knowledge of the national curriculum and am very familiar with the demands and expectations of both state and independent schooling.

Tutoring Approach:
Encouraging, effective, student-centered approach, and developing a love for learning.

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 a tutor of both Chinese Mandarin and Cantonese. I am an enthusiastic, dedicated and focused professional with exceptional organisational skills. I am from China, but have lived in England for over 20 years. I am fluent in English.

I worked for Barclays in UK for six year but I much prefer teaching. I find it very rewarding when I see my students learn and grow with my help. This is why I now work full-time as a private tutor.

I am currently teaching several students. They give me great feedback and are very satisfied with the service I offer.

I have worked as an interpreter and translator. I have a UK masters degree in International Business Communication. While working at Barclays I worked in Correspondence and often interpreted

Teaching Experience:
I have been teaching for over 13 years. I have taught both grown-ups and kids, one-to-one and in a group. I have helped students pass Chinese HSK exams.

If you are going to or doing business with Chinese:
I have experience of teaching groups of senior business people in the office. I have been giving great feedback. For example, "I have gained lots of confidence to speak Chinese when I travel to China for business. Liwen is a really encouraging tutor and I have made great progress in a short space of time."

"I studied Mandarin with Liwen's classes for 6 years to help with my career progression. The lessons were engaging and I highly recommend Liwen's classes for anyone interested in learning."

I also have one-to-one lessons with students who are doing business with Chinese or travelling to China frequently.

If you are planning to travel to China for a holiday:
Few of my students learned Chinese before they went to China for holiday. They were very satisfied after my lessons. "Liwen is professional, organised, and patient. I would definitely recommend her to anyone who would like to learn or improve their Chinese. "

If you are parents and wanted your children to learn Chinese:
I have students between 3-7 years old. They really enjoy my lessons. As a mum myself, I understand the need of children.
I am also teaching in the secondary school. There are many enthusiastic students in the class.

More:
I have both Cantonese and Mandarin adult students.

I am very warm, patient, understanding and a great listener.

I have invested in my teaching materials and have some great stuff to help you learn.

I am flexible and can offer lessons on subject matters of interest to the student.

I have taught students who have very different reasons for wanting to learn Mandarin or Cantonese. Some because they have Chinese relations, some because they have a general interest in China. In all cases I have been able to meet my student's needs and they have been very satisfied with what my lessons.

Tutoring Approach:
I think everyone has different learning styles. My aim is to understand the different needs of my students and provide the best teaching methods for them, so they will get the most from my lessons. As I have been in England for over 11 years, I have a deep understanding of the cultural differences between west and east.

I like to share my own personal experiences with my students in order to illuminate a subject.

I make lessons enjoyable and have designed some games and exercises.

I am very passionate about teaching Chinese and love to see my students progress.

Subjects

Personal Description:
A Maths graduate professional tutor and a qualified maths teacher who is specialised in preparing students for the common entrance exams 11+ and 13+ with high success in securing their places at their first choice schools; preparing and improving grades in GCSE, iGCSE and A-level Maths exams. She is passionate about giving young people the best possible education in life, and relish the challenge of managing a diverse workload. Her goal is to ensure they are supported and encourage them to achieve their full potential.

Teaching Experience:
She has 12 years tutoring experiences. Her students are from both independent schools and maintained state schools. She has particularly taught those who came from the top tier independent schools, such as the Colet Court School, the St Paul`s Boy School, the St Paul's Girls School, the Westminster School, the Godolphin and Latimer School, the Latimer Upper School, the Frances Holland school, the James Allen Girls School etc. She is specialised in preparing children for the common entrance exams 11+, 13+ with high success in securing their places at their first-choice schools. She has extensive experience in preparing and improving grades in iGCSE and A-level Maths exams. She has a valid DBS check and is teaching Maths in the Central London Academy. She has taught Lady Margaret School and etc.

Tutoring Approach:
She believes that every child is different and she adjusts her teaching style to enhance the student`s style of learning. It has been worked very well in the past and she helped many students to reach their goals. It is a priority for her to make sure that tutees have a firm grasp of the core skills needed to satisfy the requirements of the examination boards at different levels of the national curriculum. She provides depth knowledges to those who love Maths, and gives dedicating support to those who find it more challenging. She tailors every session to the student`s demands and builds up the strategies and frameworks to adapt his or her individual skills. She has her own teaching materials. She monitors each pupil's progress and ensures their successes.

Subjects

Personal Description:
Post doctoral researcher at University of Sheffield, working to improve mathematical computer models which predict onset of heart disease.

I recently completed a PhD in Bioengineering at Imperial College London, carrying out mathematical research on heart disease. My first degree was in Maths at the same university, and I took a Masters in Biomedical Research in between.

I attended both a state school and a top boarding school and am comfortable to cover topics on and off the standard syllabus.

I am a very fun, friendly person with a wide range of activities and hobbies from inline skating to singing and playing the violin.

Teaching Experience:
I have tutored A-level maths privately for a few years, and also spent several weeks as a teaching assistant in a secondary school during my undergraduate degree as part of the Student Associates Scheme. Many of my contemporaries from university are science and mathematics teachers across England and overseas, and I periodically discuss teaching methods and curriculum changes with them.

During my PhD, I led undergraduate tutorials and problems classes in the Mathematics and several Engineering departments, teaching undergraduates from 1st year to 4th year. The courses include Mathematical Methods, Matlab, Fluid Mechanics, PDEs, Modelling in Biology, Heat and Mass Transfer. I also carried out 1-1 tuition for undergraduates at departmental request. I have supervised a number of undergraduate and masters research projects and summer students.

Tutoring Approach:
I am a very approachable person and I prefer interactive sessions, although I can tailor the tuition style to the individual.

A first meeting would involve an informal chat for the student and I to get more familiar with his/her needs and style of working, and everything follows from there.

Subjects

Personal Description:
ONLINE OR Face to face LESSONS AVAILABLE .

Qualified teacher for over 20 years, including GCSE A Level KS3 Also delivering the oral part of exams.

As a speaker of four languages I know what it feels like to be a student as well as a teacher, so I like to ensure my lessons are not boring but also not just fun and no learning development happens.

I have a purpose designed classroom in my house, with whiteboards etc and a wealth of teaching material, a real teaching environment encourages good learning.

Teaching Experience:
From 2017 to date I have had many students pass GCSE and A-Levels.

Since 2015 I have also been teaching Mandarin at a local private school.

In August 2015 I travelled to Beijing to undertake further teacher training at the Beijing Language & Culture University, as I feel it is important to not become complacent and look to learn new methods and techniques.

2006-date Having moved to the UK I have taught at BBC Worldwide, London Conversation Piece, Basingstoke Queen Mary College, as well as numerous one to one classes for adults and children of all levels from holiday conversations, academic like GCSE & A Levels and professional usage such as legal, museums etc.

2001-2005 Qualified as a Mandarin teacher at the Taipei Langauge Insitute and taught people from the UK, USA, Japan and numerous other countries.

Tutoring Approach:
Every student is different so whilst my all classes cover the basics, they all are developed to personally meet your requirements and expectations.

I use various teaching methods, such as role play, newspapers, television episodes, even a trip to Chinese restaurant as well as a variety of text books and mock tests.

I will explain the grammar and how culture effects the language.

I speak with the standard correct Chinese pronunciation and use both simplified and traditional characters and even classical.

It is important to me that you both enjoy the classes but also see your Chinese develop.
Naturally lessons will cover, talking, reading, writing, listening

Subjects

Personal Description:
I'm a master student from China majoring in human nutrition in Glasgow university. Before this, in my undergraduate university in China I have worked as a proofreader of dictated draft from speech records for student union. I'm good at wording and grammar. Recently I learned a little German and Arabic to experience how people speaking varies around the world and also inspired by these teachers as to how to approach to a language from 0.

Teaching Experience:
During this year I have taught a classmate mandarin from 0. He is a Scottish. However, he is keen to learn a wide variety of languages. When he found Korean and Malay easier he gave up mandarin. Such a worldwide culture vulture! Anyway, no matter you learn mandarin for culture, travel, work, yellow-face friends, curiosity, or just Chinese restaurants, you are all warmly welcome! I can teach you from the basic pronunciation which is like singing to beautiful Chinese characters which is like dancing.....

Tutoring Approach:
I'm only available from September to December 2016. I'm friendly and very patient. If you have time for homestudying I can teach more during tutorial; if not, we will practice more together to consolidate memory. Language is for communication, absolutely not for getting a high score!
Honored to be your teacher!

Subjects

Personal Description:
I am a Malaysian who can speak English, Chinese, Cantonese and Malay Language. I have completed my undergraduate degree in Food Science and Nutrition before working as a home tutor for 1 year. Currently, I study Msc in Nutritional Science at University of Nottingham.

Teaching Experience:
1 year teaching experience starting from Sept 2015 to Sept 2016 where I used to teach Biology, Chemistry, Maths and Mandarin.

Tutoring Approach:
I am a friendly tutor and patient in teaching. I guide my student patiently and slowly if they find it hard to understand the topic.

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 an outgoing, patient, and hard-working girl with short hair. I have finished both of my master's degrees at the University of Warwick within the field of Engineering and started to work on my Ph.D. degree from the Nov of 2020 for Autonomous Vehicle also at the University of Warwick.

Outside of my academic work, I have pursued many extracurricular undertakings throughout my life. During my undergraduate study, I served as the University of Liverpool Flash Mob Society President and led huge street performance activities which were broadcast by CCTV13 and several other television channels. Despite attending school in China, I took English A-Levels and I have attained high marks in English language exams. Further, I am a talented musician and, at the age of 11, I obtained a Level 9 certification (UK Grade 8 equivalent) in the electric organ. Also able to join several excellent internship opportunities.

Teaching Experience:
I have been worked in a company which teaches English to under-achieving Chinese children. These experiences have greatly improved my skills in self-assessment, teamwork and communication.

I have taught some friends I met at the University who were interested in Mandarin and after a term, they can do simple conversation with me.

Tutoring Approach:
I prefer to teach Mandarin based on a book with exercises on it. But I also believe that the most effective way to learn a language is freestyle conversation with different theme after several basic lessons. I am very patient and love to teach children during playing small games with them. During the current Covid-19 situations, the online meeting is preferred.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I am an extremely well qualified and experienced teacher of modern languages. I worked in many schools in the UK and for the most part as head of MFL. I also worked in China and Germany teaching English. Since retiring from full time teaching I have been teaching private lessons. I have extensive knowledge of the GCSE and A level courses and I have been very successful with my students. On average their grades have improved by at least two from their mock exams.

Teaching Experience:
I started teaching after leaving university when I went to China and worked for a United Nations Development Project. I then worked for a private language school in Germany. I became a qualified teacher and worked in several schools in Essex. I quickly worked my way up the ranks and became Head of Modern Languages. My last full time position was as Head of MFL at Medina College on the Isle of Wight. Since then I have been successfully teaching private lessons to students aged 5 to adults.

Tutoring Approach:
I use a variety of techniques adapted to my student's needs. I like to make my lessons fun and interactive. I follow the syllabus closely in the case of exam students and make sure that students are confident in all four skills. I elicit information from the students rather than just teach them how something works. By using this method students are more likely to retain the knowledge. I am happy to teach students individually or in pairs or groups.

Subjects

Personal Description:
Fully qualified teacher of Mandarin (all levels).

I prepare students for GCSE and A-level exams, as well as conduct and assess these exams for schools. I also provide teaching services for higher education establishments, government departments, and corporate entities.
I assist students with all levels of the Chinese Proficiency Test (HSK), and all my students have a very high success rate.

Teaching Experience:
I have been professionally teaching Mandarin for 15 years +.

Tutoring Approach:
I am a passionate teacher and like to keep my lessons interactive and fun.

Subjects

Personal Description:
Hi, I am a Confucious Institute certified professional Chinese Teacher(CTCSOL Certificate). I graduated with a master's degree (Merit) in Education from the University of Glasgow in 2019. I used to be a teacher teach HSK in Mandarin School in Glasgow Kevin Collage to a wide range of students. Since moving to Belfast, I've already accumulated more than 1000 hours online mandarin tutoring experience, along with 5 star reviews from all of my students. I have excellent communication and interpersonal skills which helped me to earn praise from students and students' parents.My goal is to make sure my students love learning Mandarin!:)

Teaching Experience:
I am a Confucious Institute certified professional Chinese Teacher(CTCSOL Certificate). I have recently graduated with a master's degree (Merit) in Education in the University of Glasgow, which is outside my home country. For this reason, I have significant cross-cultural experience. In my home country, I had an internship in a Creative Teaching Program. My position was the teaching assistant for foreign teachers who were teaching children. Children loved me and were fond of playing with me, which helped me to earn praise from my teacher and students' parents.One year ago, I was a teacher, teaching primary/secondary students and adults (HSK) in Kelvin College Mandarin School in Glasgow, I developed excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Now, I've moved to Belfast and become a full-time online Mandarin Tutor. I already have 1000 hours online tutoring experience and gained 5 star reviews from all my students. Across all of these activities, I have managed my time efficiently and been consistently punctual. I am able to turn the classroom into a fun and engaging environment.

Tutoring Approach:
For online lessons, we can use Zoom or Skype. I use HSK textbooks (level 1-6) to custom make each lesson based on my students' needs. HSK is the official standard Mandarin proficiency test used in China for non-native speakers. If students wish to find work or study in China, taking offical HSK tests will allow them to do so. I will also prepare homework for every lesson (if preferred) and give my students feedback on their homework. My Mandarin lessons will help my students develop their Mandarin speaking, listening, reading, writing and thinking skills. By thinking skills, I mean to improve how students structure sentences and how they reply to questions in Mandarin. I will also send the Powerpoints and video recordings to students after each lesson so that they can practice it after every lesson.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I'm a lively and friendly person. I was born and raised in Malaysia. I speak fluent English. My first language is Chinese. I have a passion for teaching as the students are always keen on learning. I feel a sense of achievement every time my students learn something new which led me to wanting to teach Mandarin to all age learners.

Teaching Experience:
I once taught a group of 5 students English for five months. I am also currently teaching Mandarin on different teaching websites.

Tutoring Approach:
I am very patient and willing to make friends with my students to create a positive environment where my students are welcome to raise any questions and share their ideas. And knowing that there are different types of learners, I desire to create a positive environment to meet the students' unique needs. I always try to use different resources to help achieve the students' potentials.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I am a native Chinese speaker who grew up in a Traditional Chinese environment in Taiwan. I've also studied art, lived and worked in the UK for the last 4 years. Therefore, I have a sufficient understanding of both languages and I've been teaching Chinese to adults and kids for more than 3 years. 

I enjoy helping people express themselves through Chinese, and making the learning process delightful and practical. I also have multiple interests including drawing, yoga, planting, swimming, reading, dancing, going to exhibitions and going camping. I am happy to share things I know with you and learn from your interests. 

Teaching Experience:
In the last three years, I've helped students with different needs, backgrounds,  ages, and different Chinese levels. For example, helping a total beginner to build up a basic knowledge of Chinese, helping intermediates to have daily conversations, and helping the advanced learners to speak precisely in daily and business contexts. 

I can teach in the pin yin or Zhuyin system according to students' needs, and both traditional and simplified Chinese. My previous experiences include preparing a family(aged 6 and aged 35) to move to Chinese speaking country, introducing Chinese to teenagers who are interested in Chinese culture and history, and helping people who want to work bilingually in English and Chinese, as well as support people who had learned Chinese long time ago to pick it up again. 

I am passionate about teaching the Chinese language and culture, and I enjoy seeing my students' joy in achieving and improving.

Tutoring Approach:
We will design the course content together based on your interests, needs, and abilities, and develop it according to your goals. The course can be in full Chinese or half Chinese and half English. 


For beginners, I usually start with building up vocabularies, recognising characters, and speaking, then move on to sentence structures and grammar. I encourage my students to speak and communicate confidently even if it's not perfect, and we will correct the word order and grammar from the conversations. 


I enrich the courses with props, books, games, and videos for students of different ages. My approach is to create an enjoyable and relaxed space for you to speak Chinese and learn from mistakes. I will help you cultivate your confidence with my patient and friendly guidance.

Subjects

Personal Description:
I am from Malaysia, currently studying in Kings College London taking MSc Microbiome in Health and Disease.
I have experience in teaching, and I am passionate about sharing knowledge to students, and encouraging students to learn.
I believe that education takes us to places, even to territories that are yet to be ventured. Even though I have left the formal education field to pursue my interests, I believe that I can serve in the field by tutoring students in need.

Teaching Experience:
BIOLOGY TEACHER (01/2016 - 08/2021)
Sabah Tshung Tsin Secondary School, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.
Worked with Science department Head as special adviser on curriculum development for Biology programme.
Maintained positive, supportive relationships and communication channels with parents and caregivers.
Delivered lab lessons, utilising lab equipment and experiments to further student learning.
Effectively managed classroom behaviour through deescalation and redirection techniques.
Provided interactive and digital learning sessions during COVID in compliance with quality learning standards.
Supervised safe lab work, closely monitoring students adherence to all health and safety policies.
Assessed student performance, behaviour and social development and devised improvement strategies for struggling children.
Established and enforced clear class objectives and requirements to promote consistent education for all students.

TRANSLATOR/INTERPRETER (11/2014 - 12/2015)
Yu Gong Decoration Sdn. Bhd., Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
Translated various documents within tight deadlines, including legal and technical content.
Proofread completed translations to catch and fix punctuation, grammatical and translation errors.
Conducted in-depth research or consulted with specialists to obtain information on technical information translation or scientific phrases.
Translated original text, ensuring perfect spelling, grammar and punctuation.
Offered quick verbal translations of documents for use by legal and business professionals.

Tutoring Approach:
Firstly I will try to understand the student's level of understanding in a particular topic.
I will also compare with the education syllabus to grasp the requirements for the student to pass with certain grade.

Once those are ascertained, I will make use of available teaching materials (such as videos, educational books) to teach the student, and even make use of drawings to illustrate my points.

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