I am seeking an experienced, engaging, and patient Mandarin tutor for my son, Julian, who is turning 13 soon. We are looking for a structured but dynamic instructor who can make language learning interactive and practical, keeping a young teen motivated and excited to progress. He began taking Mandarin in school this past school year and is excited to keep learning.
What We Are Looking For
Experience with Middle Schoolers / Teens: You understand how to keep a 13-year-old focused and engaged. You bring energy, patience, and a sense of humor to your lessons.
Interactive & Gamified Teaching Style: Rather than just lecturing from a textbook, you use interactive tools, multimedia, or conversational games to build confidence in speaking, tones, and character writing.
Clear Accent & Strong Pedagogy: Native or near-native fluency in clear, standard modern Mandarin (Putonghua), with the ability to explain grammar and pronunciation simply.
High Student-Talking Time: A teaching style that gets him speaking and actively participating for the majority of the session.
Linguistic Empathy: Someone who understands the hurdles of learning a language and knows how to give constructive, encouraging feedback without creating frustration.
Logistics & Commitment
Schedule: 2-3 sessions per week, 45 minutes per session
Location: In-person in the Palo Alto area
Compensation: $40–$65/session, depending on experience.
Trial: We will start with a paid 30-minute trial session to see if the chemistry and teaching style are a good fit.
How to Apply
If interested, please send a brief message including:
Your experience teaching pre-teens or teenagers.
A quick example of a game, activity, or method you use to keep a student this age engaged.
Your current availability.
Please do not message this poster about other commercial services.