Yiwen’s Chinese School

Yiwen’s Chinese School, based in Amsterdam West, provides customized Mandarin Chinese lessons in Amsterdam to adults and children.

Yiwen’s Chinese School biedt op maat gemaakte Mandarijn Chinese les aan volwassenen en kinderen.

Who am I?

I am Yiwen (Cici) Zou, the founder of Yiwen’s Chinese School. I always have a passion for Chinese culture and language. During the first year of Bachelor degree in Beijing, I have encountered a lot of westerners who were curious about China and Chinese culture. The best way to know about China is via the study of its language, which is the window to Chinese culture. Then I thought, why couldn’t I be someone who helped others to understand Mandarin language and Chinese culture? As a result, I started to give private Chinese lessons in the summer of 2012, and I immediately fell in love with this job. Not only does this job allow me to help people to understand China and the Chinese language, but it also allows me to understand my culture better.

To further enhance my understanding of Mandarin Chinese and to understand the process of second language learning scientifically, I came to Amsterdam for a Research Master degree in Linguistics. During the two-year study, I have been giving Mandarin Chinese lessons in Amsterdam with the theoretical knowledge I have acquired in my study. And now after graduating in September 2017, I decided to set up my own Chinese school to offer affordable Chinese lessons in Amsterdam. That is why you are reading this.

Why should you choose Yiwen’s Chinese School?

I guarantee that you will speak Mandarin Chinese in the very first class

Many of my current pupils have taken Mandarin Chinese lessons in Amsterdam in other language schools or institutes for a while but are still unable to speak the language, even in simple daily situations. Traditional Mandarin Chinese second language education has serious drawbacks. It is examination-orientated. It focuses too much on recognizing characters but too little on speaking. The lesson is usually organized in a group, which makes it impossible for learners to get enough attention from the teacher. My tailor-made private Mandarin Chinese lessons in Amsterdam come to change the status quo. I promise you will have adequate time to talk in every session, even in the very first one. You are always welcome to come for a FREE TRIAL to test my words.

Updated tailor-made learning materials in your Mandarin Chinese lessons in Amsterdam

Most of the existing institutes strictly follow published materials. These materials can be outdated, failing to follow up with how Chinese people talk nowadays. For example, some Chinese books tell you to greet people with “Nǐ hǎo ma?” (How are you?) or “nǐ chīle ma?” (Did you eat?). In fact, Chinese people use the phrase “Nǐ zěnme yang?” (How are you?) instead. As a linguist, I know how fast languages evolve with time. New words, fashionable expressions, and modern language etiquette arose. Few books can keep up with such language innovations, but a living person can! All the learning materials are freshly made by me after each lesson (included in the price!), so you will always be in trend.

Another problem following a book is that the content might not be relevant to your life or your individual needs. Most of the books developed for adult beginners focus on university life and studying in China. Just imagine, if you are a fashion designer who has business in China. You might want to learn color and fabric more than student life. However, most of the books in the market will not cover these topics anytime soon. On the other hand, in my tailor-made classroom, this is not a problem. I will communicate with you and design a learning plan that combines your interests and your needs.

• Grammar? As easy as building Legos.

Many Mandarin Chinese learners have the same struggle: I know a lot of words, but I don’t know how to form sentences. Mandarin Chinese grammar is not that difficult if appropriately explained. However, many Mandarin Chinese teachers did not receive proper training in grammar, thus failing to explain it thoroughly. With a solid linguistic background and more than four years of teaching experience, I can explain grammar in a comprehensible way both to children and to adults. Words are just like classic Lego blocks, and I offer you building instructions. You will continuously be trained to build Mandarin sentences on your own.

• Say goodbye to boring classroom atmosphere!

Interest is the engine for learning a second language. I understand the pain if you do not enjoy your language lessons. That is why I try to make every lesson as fun and enjoyable as it can be. For example, children can lose their focus or interest very quickly, and to avoid that my Chinese classroom is a combination of learning Chinese, playing games related to the language and singing Mandarin Chinese songs. The rich content and various activities keep children concentrated for the whole lesson.

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