Mandarin tutor with 10 years of experience, offering lessons in Edinburgh and online.

Find out more about Ying

• 1) Do you speak this language fluently because of your origins or because a teacher inspired you to learn?

  Chinese is my native language, so I grew up speaking it naturally. However, my understanding of Chinese as a language became much deeper through my academic background. I studied Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language during my undergraduate degree, which gave me professional knowledge of Chinese grammar, pronunciation, culture, and teaching methods.
  
  Because of this, I do not only speak Chinese fluently, I also understand how to explain it clearly to learners from different language backgrounds.

• 2) Can you name a living, historical or fictional character that you think is the emblematic representative of the language's culture?

  It is difficult to choose only one representative figure, because Chinese culture has such a long and rich history. However, I would choose Li Bai, the famous poet from the Tang dynasty.
  
  Li Bai’s poetry represents many qualities that I love about the Chinese language: imagination, rhythm, elegance, freedom, and deep emotion expressed through very concise words. In Chinese poetry, a few characters can create a whole landscape, a feeling, or even a philosophy of life. I think Li Bai is a beautiful example of how powerful and expressive the Chinese language can be.

• 3) Is there a typical word, phrase, tradition or behavior in the language that you particularly like?

  One phrase I particularly like is “顺其自然” (shùn qí zì rán), which can be translated as “let things follow their natural course.”
  
  This phrase is connected to the idea of 道法自然 (dào fǎ zì rán) from Daoist philosophy, that everything has its own nature and rhythm. To me, it means that we should do our best, but if something still does not happen, we do not need to force it too much. This attitude helps people live with more peace, balance, and acceptance.
  
  I like this phrase because it shows how Chinese language and philosophy are often deeply connected.

• 4) Why does speaking this language matter to you?

  Chinese matters to me because it is my mother tongue and an important part of my identity. It carries the culture, history, literature, humour, emotions, and values that shaped me.
  
  For me, teaching Chinese is not only about teaching vocabulary or grammar. It is also about sharing a way of thinking, a cultural perspective, and a beautiful connection between language and life.

• 5) What is the main difficulty in learning this language and what can help the process of learning?

  Many learners think Chinese grammar is very difficult, but actually Chinese grammar can be quite logical compared with many European languages. In my opinion, the biggest challenges are usually pronunciation, tones, and recognising Chinese characters.
  
  For adult learners, I normally do not require them to write every character by hand, because in real life many people type Chinese using pinyin on phones and computers. However, I do think it is important for students to recognise common characters and understand how pinyin works.
  
  To help the learning process, I often give my students translation and typing exercises. For example, they may translate simple sentences and type their answers in Chinese. This helps them practise vocabulary, sentence structure, character recognition, and practical communication at the same time.

• 6) Provide a valuable anecdote related to your language learning or your days at school.

  When I was studying Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language, I realised that being a native speaker does not automatically mean you know how to teach the language. Sometimes, the most basic things for native speakers are actually the hardest for learners.
  
  For example, tones are natural to Chinese speakers, but for many students they can completely change the meaning of a word. This made me understand the importance of patience, clear explanation, and seeing the language from the student’s perspective.
  
  That experience shaped my teaching style. I always try to explain Chinese in a simple and practical way, rather than assuming students should “just feel it” like native speakers do.

• 7) How has travel or a specific trip helped you to increase your skill and knowledge of the language?

  Living and travelling abroad has helped me understand my own language more deeply. When I moved to the UK and met people from many different cultural backgrounds, I became more aware of how unique Chinese is.
  
  I often found myself explaining Chinese words, customs, food, festivals, and ways of thinking to people who were curious about Chinese culture. Through these conversations, I learned how to translate not only the language, but also the meaning and cultural context behind it.
  
  This experience made me a better teacher because I became more sensitive to the differences between Chinese and other languages, especially English.

• 8) What makes you a Superprof in language?

  I believe what makes me a good language tutor is that I combine professional training, native fluency, and a genuine love for communication.
  
  My teaching philosophy is: write more, use the language more, and communicate more. A language becomes alive when students actually use it. I encourage my students to speak, type, translate, ask questions, and make mistakes without fear.
  
  At the same time, teaching is also a learning process for me. Through my students’ questions, I often gain a deeper understanding of Chinese myself. This idea of 教学相长 (jiào xué xiāng zhǎng): teaching and learning improving each other, is very important to me.
  
  I want my students not only to learn Chinese, but also to enjoy the culture, the logic, and the beauty behind the language.