With over 1.3 billion native Chinese speakers, it's the world's most-spoken language ahead of both Spanish and English.
There are 7 main languages used in China with Mandarin making up the largest group of Chinese languages with 850 million native speakers.
More and more people are deciding to learn how to read, write and speak Chinese as well as learn more about the culture and history of the country.
The level of English spoken in China isn't great, which means that learning Chinese can also be useful if you're planning on travelling to the country.
One of the best way to learn Mandarin quite quickly is through Chinese lessons with the help of a private tutor.
Are you interested in getting Mandarin Chinese lessons? In this article, we've put together a quick guide of things you should consider when choosing your Chinese tutor.
The Qualities to Look for in Your Chinese Tutor
Before you choose your Mandarin or Cantonese tutor, you need to be clear on what you expect from them. What exactly should you be looking for in a Chinese tutor?
Since anyone can pretty much call themselves a private tutor, you need to be quite discerning of potential Chinese tutors and look carefully at their credentials.
- Are they from a Chinese-speaking country? In addition to China, you could also look for tutors from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, or somebody with Chinese-speaking parents.
- What academic qualifications do they have? An undergraduate or graduate degree in Sinology, teaching certifications, etc.
- Do they have much experience teaching Chinese? If so, how many years have they been teaching Chinese and in what capacity?
- Have they taught many students?
- Have they lived in a Chinese-speaking city or country?
- What levels of Chinese do they teach? Beginner, intermediate, advanced, or university-level Chinese?
- What types of Chinese lessons do they teach? Intensive Mandarin lessons for tourists, evening classes, weekend classes, conversation classes, etc?
- When are they available and how flexible are they with scheduling?
- Which Chinese language do they teach? Mandarin Chinee, Cantonese Chinese, Pinyin, traditional Chinese, simplified Chinese, etc.?
Once you have the answers to these questions, you'll also want to meet up with your potential Chinese tutor to get a good idea of what they're like.
Find out how to learn Chinese quickly.
When it comes to memorising Chinese ideograms and characters, you'll want to actually understand them. A private Chinese tutor can help you to do this in a way you wouldn't get at university. After all, they won't move onto the next topic until they're sure that you understand the current topic.
That's not the only advantage of working with a private Chinese tutor.
A good tutor will:
- Listen to students
- Be patient with their students
- Adapt their sessions to the student and their needs
- Use approaches that are understandable to keep students interested
- Teach without judging their students.
- Be friendly, kind, and understanding of their students' challenges
- Simplify things and illustrate difficult concepts
That probably all sounds great, but how much does a Chinese lesson cost?
Finding Chinese Lessons in New Zealand
It isn't easy learning Chinese. Even native speakers aren't expected to know every Chinese character.
In the same way Arabic has several different forms (Modern Arabic, Classical Arabic, Quran Arabic, etc.), Chinese has several different forms.
Generally, students will learn Standard Mandarin, which is the official language of China, Taiwan, and Singapore.
Standard Mandarin is the most widely understood version of Chinese and countries currently and previously ruled by the Chinese.
But what does this mean for students?
Basically, if you learn standard Mandarin, you'll be able to speak to lots of different people and read Chinese.
Fortunately for you, this is also the kind of Chinese that is taught in New Zealand when you take Chinese lessons or private Chinese tutorials.
There are a number of universities in New Zealand that offer Chinese language degrees, too.
Other Private and Public Institutions Where You Can Learn Chinese
You can learn Chinese with native speakers in one-on-one or group tutorials!
You can also for language schools and language centres, with most being in or near larger cities.
Here are a few examples:
- Pistachio Mandarin Language Centre, Auckland.
- Language Hub Limited, Auckland.
- Waikato Institute of Education, Hamilton.
- Lake Wanaka Language Centre, Wanaka.
- Confucius Institute, Auckland.
Of course, rather than list all the language centres in New Zealand, have a look in your local area and if you can't find anything, don't forget you can also get lessons online from language centres and private tutors.
Don't forget to check out all the great tools you can use to learn Chinese quickly!
Learn Mandarin from Chinese University Students
Still looking for a private Chinese Mandarin teacher? Not interested in learning Chinese in a language class? Are you unable to travel to and from a Chinese school or language centre?
A great way to learn Chinese is through private lessons with Chinese students. Admittedly, these students won't be experienced teachers, which means that their lesson planning and pedagogy won't be as good as the professionals, but there are other advantages they can offer.
Go to your local university and ask for native Chinese speakers who'd like to offer Chinese lessons.
The number of Chinese students in New Zealand has been increasing in recent years, which means finding one who can teach you their language is only going to get easier.
The advantages of working with native Chinese-speaking students include:
- Being able to have real conversations in Mandarin Chinese or whichever Chinese language you choose to learn.
- Enjoying private language lessons with native speakers from China, Hong Kong, Canton, Taiwan, etc.
- Getting lessons at a cheaper price.
- Getting lessons for free by offering an English language exchange in return.
- Meeting new people and make connections with people from Chinese-speaking countries who can teach you about their culture.
- Having more time to practise your pronunciation.
- Studying Mandarin as its spoken by native speakers rather than the formal manner it's taught in classes.
- Improving your Chinese vocabulary.
- Getting better and reading and writing in Chinese.
Here are some of the best ways to find Chinese students who can teach you their language:
- Go to nearby universities and language centres
- Put a note on their noticeboard or bulletin board with your name and contact details.
- Ask your friends and family if they know anybody who'd be interested.
- Search for private Chinese tutors on the Superprof website.
- Join groups on social media sites like Facebook, Reddit, etc.
- Get in touch with local Chinese associations.
The Different Types of Chinese Teachers and Tutors
As there are different types of Chinese language coaches, tutors, and teachers, it's important you find the person who'll actually help you to progress in Chinese.
On the Superprof site, for example, you can compare different private tutors and see which ones would be best for you and your language learning goals.
Have a look at their profiles, making sure to keep an eye out for things like:
- Tutors with qualifications from Chinese Universities (Beijing, Guangzhou, Chengdu, etc.).
- Native Chinese speakers.
- Qualified Chinese teachers that teach Mandarin in schools or universities.
- Certified teachers who are teaching in language centres.
- Teachers offering Chinese lessons for beginners or refresher courses.
- Private tutors offering one-on-0ne lessons.
- Online private tutors offering lessons over Skype or Zoom.
- Tutors that have studied Mandarin or Cantonese at university.
- Students from Chinese-speaking countries currently studying in New Zealand.
- Native English speakers that have lived in a Chinese-speaking country.
- Tutors that are bilingual in both Chinese and English.
- Tutors offering special courses in Chinese for tourists, intensive Chinese courses, etc.
You'll quickly see that there are plenty of different options for people wanting to learn Chiense.
In just a few clicks, you'll start to see Chinese tutors that offer what you're looking for.
From there, you can start learning Chinese with the right tutor.
It's a good idea to immerse yourself in the Chinese language and culture, especially if you have a trip planned.
It's also worth considering the best way to learn Chinese.
Don't forget that there are pros and cons to each type of teaching and tuition, especially in terms of cost. One-on-one tutoring will offer the best tuition and ensure it's tailored to you, but you'll also need to pay a premium for it.
Group tutorials won't be tailored to you, but you'll likely pay less for them as every student contributes to the cost of the tutor. This can be useful if you and a group of friends or family members are planning a trip to China and want to learn together.
Finally, online tutorials offer a happy medium where you can enjoy one-on-one tuition but at a lower cost since the tutor doesn't have to travel.
Work out what works for you and good luck!
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