Fenlan

I am a professional native Mandarin teacher with many years of teaching experience in the UK. I have a PhD degree in Applied Linguistics and a certificate in teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language. I am currently a part-time Mandarin tutor at Newcastle City Council and The Language Centre in Newcastle upon Tyne. I also offer private tutoring in person or online. I teach all ages and levels and can help whether you need to prepare for exams (GCSE, IGCSE, A-Level, IB, HSK), work, travel, or just for pleasure. I am very reliable, friendly, and extremely patient. I am fully DBS checked. I am passionate about teaching Mandarin, and I am sure you will enjoy my tutoring.
I am a mother of two boys who keep me very busy but happy every day. In my spare time, I love jogging and walking. I also enjoy travelling and reading.

Tutoring Experience

I was a full-time English teacher for eight years at a secondary school in Taiwan prior to coming to England. Whilst studying for my PhD degree in the UK, I started my Mandarin teaching career at the Centre for Lifelong Learning at Sunderland University. Since then, I have taught learners of various ages and levels, in groups or one-to-one tutoring. I have taught a wide range of lessons, from general Mandarin lessons covering grammar, pronunciation, conversations, reading, listening, writing, and speaking, to specific topics or skills, such as business Chinese, Chinese for travelling or character reading and writing. I am also very confident tutoring learners who want to obtain their Mandarin language qualifications, including GCSE, IGCSE, A-level, IB, and HSK. I have also taught younger learners privately and in after school Chinese clubs.

Tutoring Approach

My lessons are well-structured with a mixture of engaging activities. I want to help my students to make progress as easily and quickly as possible. All lessons are tailor-made, depending on individual needs. Apart from each tutoring, you will also be given appropriate, tailor-made homework to help you consolidate your learning in class. For younger learners, I provide fun classes with games, songs, interesting topics and stories to keep them engaged. For exam preparation, I provide the most up to date knowledge of the exam, a customised study plan, as well as useful tips and strategies to help the students achieve high scores. Please feel free to ask if you have any questions about my teaching.