Testimonials

“If it wasn’t for Ning and her constant support and patience, I would have probably given up on learning Chinese at university!

I have gone from not being able to string a Chinese sentence together to achieving a 2:1 on my final exam, all in the space of 6 months.

Ning goes above and beyond to ensure that learning material is tailored to individual needs of the student, suiting all abilities. Her supporting and encouraging nature makes learning much more enjoyable and I highly recommend her to anyone.”

- Aishia Diment (18 years old)

“Our daughter is studying Chinese at degree level and we were concerned about how unhappy she felt, her confidence had been battered and she was on the brink of leaving the course and dismayed at the thought of sitting her January exams.

I found a selection of 4 tutors who were available to support our daughter and her learning via Skype, Ning immediately stood out by her interested and enthusiastic approach to my enquiry, she was the only tutor that researched the particular University course, the modules and the learning requirements.

It was immediately apparent how Ning goes above and beyond as she is genuinely passionate about her students and their learning.

Ning was originally asked to support our daughter through her revision period to her exams (5 weeks) however the change in my daughter and her thoughts about learning Chinese was incredible.

I could see that Ning’s approach was patient, restoring some of her confidence, helping her understand what she was learning and helping her achieve the grades she was happy with.

Over the last 6 months I have seen that Ning is very flexible, committed, reliable and ensures that all lessons are specific to our daughter and her stage and style of learning.

She spends time preparing work in between lessons and sets work that is relevant and applicable to the direct course. Ning is quick and efficient in reviewing work, sets homework and learning materials, she provides accurate, supportive and encouraging feedback and even increases her time with my daughter around her exams (even when she is on holiday!).

Because of Ning and her support she made our daughter believe she could do it and her end of year exams were graded as a 2:1. She is looking forward to moving to Taiwan for her year study in August, Ning continues to provide lessons helping her to prepare to move and further increase her confidence to face her new course and life in Taiwan.

As parents I am extremely grateful to Ning, impressed by her commitment and enthusiasm and would highly recommend her to support students at any level and look forward to her continuing to support our daughter through the rest of her degree. Thank you Ning!”

- Mr & Mrs Diment (Parents)

“Ning rekindled my love of learning Chinese and she was friendly and really easy to chat to, and I really enjoyed my lessons with her.

She never made me feel stupid if I found something difficult. She was always really well prepared for my lessons and told me what I needed to do and to bring, and she always had everything that she needed.

She had loads of good ideas to help me learn. She worked really hard to help me do well.

I got an A in my GCSE Chinese after I'd been learning with Ning for only six months; a year later I got 266/300 in HSK3 and 77/100 in HSKK.”

- Delilah Ferry-Swainson

“Ning has been brilliant at taking my daughter through GCSE Mandarin.

She made a careful plan to take my daughter through the syllabus, taught her really well and thoroughly, and is very supportive and encouraging. I could trust her completely.

My daughter so much enjoyed learning Mandarin with Ning that she has decided to continue lessons with her to take a higher qualification in Mandarin.”

- Kate Ferry-Swainson (Parent)

“Holding the attention of my eight-year-old son for any length of time is a feat of Herculean proportion.

How Ning manages to keep him focused for an hour is astonishing and highlights her remarkable gift for teaching.

The lessons strike the perfect balance between being factual and fun, meaning my son happily sits down for his weekly session. I would highly recommend Ning.”

- Lucia Blash (Parent)

“I got an A* on my reading and listening, an A on my writing and a B on my speaking. So overall, I got an A!!! Thank you so much for your time and patience, Ning. I’m over the moon with my results!”

- Caitlin Morris

“When arriving into the UK from Hong Kong in 2015, our daughter took the decision to progress her Mandarin studies through to GCSE level. She had not been on a GCSE curriculum in Hong Kong, so this was a difficult task for her.

The school was unable to provide a Mandarin tutor for the two year programme. We located and contacted Ning, who provided one hour, one-to-one tutelage per week over the two years. She struck a good relationship with our daughter right from the start, being very patient though also setting challenging but realistic tasks for completion between lessons.

Ning also helped with the arrangements for sitting the GCSE, as the school needed some reminding in this area.

Throughout the two years, Ning did not miss a single appointment. She always arrived on time, but often stayed longer.

Our daughter gained A grade overall in GCSE Chinese. She would not have been able to do this without Ning.

Thanks Ning!!”

- Andy Morris (Parent)

“Ning, I got an A!! Thank you so much for all that you helped me with (it was more than just Chinese in the end). I really couldn’t have done it without you.”

- Niamh Birse

“You are an absolute super-star tutor, Ning – thank you so much. You have helped Niamh more than we could have imagined in (GCSE) Chinese, her confidence and learning in general.”

- Bonnie Birse (Parent)

"Ning is an exceptional tutor, I have made more progress in a few months than I had in years before she took me under her tutorage. She is methodical, yet flexible in her approach providing me with exactly what I need. There is always additional effort prior and after the lesson to produce specific materials and focus on areas of weakness which results in tangible, and speedy, improvement which excels any expectations I had going in. Add to this the fact Ning is very friendly and (importantly in my case) patient I am finding my lessons an absolute delight!"

- Christopher Pitt

“I have been studying mandarin with Ning for the past year. I am an advanced mandarin speaker having studied since 2007 - both in China and in the UK.

I rate Ning's teaching extremely highly and would be delighted to recommend her to other fellow students. Here are some of the reasons...

1. Her professionalism is fantastic. She arrives at my house every week with a prepared lesson and materials. She puts so much thought into my learning needs and really pushes me to improve.

2. Her understanding of the English language is superb and really helps when it comes to trying to communicate one's meaning. She is able to understand and interpret what I am trying to say, thereby helping me learn how to communicate the same meaning in a very different language and culture.

3. She is a great teacher. It's not something one can learn, it's innate...and she has it.

4. She's flexible. She does her utmost to accommodate her students and is always amenable.

As I've said before, I've had approximately 10 mandarin tutors since I started learning mandarin and I rank Ning as one of the very best. If you're looking to learn about the Chinese language and culture, then you couldn't go far wrong.”

- Eleanor Adams

“Ning is a brilliant teacher!

If you get something wrong, she will explain it again. And she is very patient.

I have so much fun during Ning’s lessons, I love the flash cards and Ning helps me make my own sentences in Chinese.

She emails me homework every week, this helps me a lot. Because of it, and the fun way she teaches me, is why I am so good at it!”

- Joe Jacomb (9 years old)

“From a parent's point of view, our son looks forward to his lessons with Ning and is totally engaged during them.

Ning has given him the confidence to communicate with Chinese speakers, when the opportunity arises.

We are so proud of him, due to the fact that in a short period of time, Joe has been able to hold brief conversations in Chinese.”

- Mr & Mrs Jacomb (Parents)

“We feel lucky to have found Ning through a tutorial website.

First, we had a trial lesson and our daughters instantly liked her style.

She engages with them in a way that makes them feel she genuinely cares and adjusts her pace according to their needs.

Ning is supportive, knows her subject very well and also explains to us, the parents, what needs to be done to support our daughters in their Mandarin learning.

Ning has also been very helpful in adjusting the timing of lessons when necessary to accommodate our schedule.

We and our daughters are very happy with Ning and we would certainly recommend her to other students.”

- Stephen & Susan Edwards (Parents)

“Ning provide a fun learning environment and engaging for our kids.

They really enjoy having Mandarin lesson with Ning and they have made a good progress in terms of speaking and writing in a short period time.

I highly recommend Ning.”

- Miki Tjung (Parent)

“I think Chen Ning provides excellent Mandarin tutoring for three reasons:

Firstly, her lessons provide high teaching in all areas of Chinese: writing, reading, speaking and listening.

Secondly, lessons are well prepared and grammar is clearly explained.

Finally, her lessons are always interesting and she gives relevant homework to help a student progress with their Chinese. She is also helpful with any Chinese language related questions.

I would strongly recommend Chen Ning as a Mandarin tutor. She is kind, patient and

excellent at teaching the subject. She is also very passionate about the Chinese language and makes you feel the same.”

- Tony Liggett

“We have had Ning come to our home and tutor our son( 4 years ) for three weeks now.

We have only praise for Ning who is very polite and turns up on time for all sessions.

Our son really gets along well with her and he is learning at an appropriate speed.

We hope that Ning will continue to tutor him for as long as possible as she is a real gem.”

- Arlene Lee (Parent)

“I've been having lessons with Ning to prepare myself for moving to China for a job. As a complete beginner I felt totally overwhelmed by the prospect of beginning to learn such a notorious language! However, Ning's lessons have helped me to feel comfortable (and even enjoy) tackling pronunciation as well as basic vocabulary and sentence structuring.

Ning is friendly and helpful in her teaching style which makes for a comfortable learning environment. It is clear that she is aware of my individual progression as lessons are individually tailored to my learning preferences, difficulties and interests.

From my experience, I would 100% recommend Ning as a Chinese tutor for anyone looking for helpful and professional tuition.”

- Chris James

“Ning has been teaching my sons Seb (aged 7) and Ben (aged 5) Mandarin for over a year. She is professional, punctual and reliable. She is an excellent teacher and has somehow managed to keep my two very active boys engaged during lessons. She is always well prepared and is creative in her teaching methods to ensure the lessons are both educational and fun. I would highly recommend Ning.”

- Caroline Lown (Parent)

“We used Ning on a personal recommendation from a work colleague. Our son was keen to improve his Mandarin and she was the answer to our prayers. Bright, engaging and with a fabulous attitude towards his development she worked tirelessly, building his confidence and showing him what he was able to achieve. What he learnt from her was so much more than he had at school and I cannot recommend her highly enough.”

- Pete Viney (Parent)

“I began studying with Ning in January 2019 with no prior knowledge of Chinese. Three weeks later I took a Chinese proficiency test and placed at mid-novice level (the test was aimed at people who had 120+ hours learning time, I had eight hours under my belt). She was focused on making sure I got as many marks as possible for that test, emphasizing vocabulary and listening comprehension. I wanted to do well for myself, but I also wanted her to be proud of me.

Ning has been instrumental at helping me understand grammar and syntax through everyday scenarios I am likely to encounter overseas, while at the same time increasing my vocabulary.

Her classes are tailored and goal-specific. Ning puts a lot of thought into her teaching materials, so much consideration that I don't want to disappoint her with my homework. She is patient; my accent is really bad and she gives me language and reading drills to improve my pronunciation, as well as lots of opportunities to revise what I have learned in previous classes through exercises.

I would recommend her to anyone who wants to study Chinese, whether they are starting from scratch or building on what they already know. She is a great teacher.”

- Riazat Butt

“What I like about Teacher Ning –

She helped me do very well in my tests
If I struggle, she helps me
She doesn’t give me tons of homework
She’s funny
She’s a good teacher
If I ask a question, she tries to respond immediately
She’s encouraging
She allows me to leave when I need to go to do something
I did very well in my first tests so I would like her to help me with my GCSE

Thank you, Teacher Ning!”

- Ethan Jenkins (11 years old)

“What I like about Teacher Ning -

She is a good teacher
She tells me I’m able to learn what I want
She is kind and funny
She always helps me in Mandarin
I like her ear rings
She gives me the cards with Chinese words
I wish to learn more with her in the new year and I want to take the Chinese test one day
She makes me feel confident
She lets me do Chinese word cards.”

- Violet Jenkins (6 years old)

“Of all the mandarin tutors our children have had, they believe that Ning has been by far the best.

Ning is a friendly, supportive and responsible tutor. She engages well and creates an excellent relationship with both our 6 & 11 year olds.

She customises work according to their needs and standard. She makes learning fun, particularly with our younger child, whilst ensuring an intellectual direction for our eldest.

She has led our eldest to achieve an excellent standard in his first ever mandarin test (YCT). Helping him achieve an excellent 180/200 after only 1 year of lessons, Ning has shown significant effort in preparing for everything relating to the test.

The children learn many new words in each session; Ning records their speech and sends it to us. This also allows us to share with family and friends abroad; leading to compliments on how well they are doing. It is great to keep everyone updated. We feel proud of them, following the excellent feedback.

Our children show obvious improvement each week. It is clear that they understand more, using more complicated mandarin words and sentence structures. This helps to show us what an amazing job she has done.

Our children have clearly become more confident and understanding in their mandarin over our first year with Ning. We look forward to further improvement moving forward.

We are delighted to have found Ning and most importantly, that our kids are enjoying their time learning with her.

We couldn’t be more satisfied with her professionalism, teaching skill and overall service provided. We truly couldn’t have asked for a better tutor!”

- Niki Jenkins (Parent)

“Ning is a such dedicated, helpful and very flexible tutor. She helped me to achieve high results in my final exams at the University. I got 84% for the written exam. Every lesson was well-organised, matching my personal needs. Now, I feel more confident in using difficult grammar structures, writing characters and distinguishing different tones in Chinese. I would highly recommend Ning, if you wish to start learning Mandarin from scratch or to improve the existing level of the language.”

- Anna Taraskova

“My daughter and I have been taking Chinese lessons with Ning for 18 months and in that time have gone from complete beginners to being able to cope with many simple day to day conversations, some more complex sentences and being able to read and write hundreds of characters. The lessons were always tailored to us and our stage of learning, and were always fun and interesting. This was no easy task as both my daughter and I have different learning styles. I would totally recommend Ning for anyone wanting to learn Chinese.“

- Nina Clarke & Alice Clarke

“I would highly recommend Ning to anyone wishing to learn Mandarin Chinese. I carefully considered a number of different teachers before approaching her, and I can confidently say I made the right choice. I started as an absolute beginner and Ning did a great job of introducing me to the basics in a natural way and helping me build up a wider vocabulary and understanding of grammar, until I could string together some small sentences and we could have basic conversations. As we progressed she tailored the classes to suit my speed and learning style, allowing me to pick up the language at my own pace. Given her mastery of the language and years of experience teaching it, I’m certain that Ning would also be an ideal fit for more advanced students. I look forward to having more classes with Ning in the future.“

- Joshua Rabone