Toddler Chinese
Mandarin Chinese offers an exciting window into ancient wisdom and a thriving cosmopolitan society. As business and society look East, Americans are finding a new opportunity for their children to shine in learning Mandarin Chinese. Having your toddler learn Chinese can help build the building blocks of language learning at a key moment in their language development. Chinese is unique in having four tones that provide as single syllable with up to four meanings. Many adult learners struggle to master these tones, but babies and toddlers can quickly pick up the intonation, as their hearing is open to new variants of sound production. Starting a child out in Chinese at a young age helps him or her grow interested in the language and train their ears. Lionheart Tutoring offers a fun and educational approach to Chinese language learning for toddlers that utilizes songs, games, and videos. Toddlers love the fascinating sounds of Chinese and the energy of our learning environment. Parents are encouraged to stay and participate with their toddlers as they engage in learning activities. Yuanyuan has developed our Toddler Chinese program from the ground up, using the best materials and approaches, informed from her time at the University of Pennsylvania as a TESOL master’s student.
K-12 Chinese
Across the United States, public and private schools are exploring programs in Chinese language instruction as a way to open up opportunities for their students. In the Main Line area, many private schools have already established Chinese as a foreign language and have seen increased interest as parents discover these new resources. Yuanyuan is well versed in the Integrated Chinese curriculum that most private schools utilize. Learning Mandarin Chinese in K-12 can be an exciting and challenging experience for many students. It is crucial that students have a strong foundation in the sounds and structure of the language as they move on to more advanced topics. Lionheart Tutoring provides systematic, direct instruction in the proper pronunciation and writing of Mandarin Chinese for all levels of language learners. We can help students who are just starting out in the language to those who are finding it difficult to keep up with the pace of their school classes. Plus, we can help advanced learners who wish to reach new heights of mastery. In crafting our Chinese K-12 program, Yuanyuan made sure to include interactive apps and electronic resources for students to maximize their learning with the tutor and at home. Moreover, she designed the program with American-style education in mind, so as to balance the traditional Chinese language approach with a more dynamic American learning model. Students respond well to the upbeat atmosphere and attention to detail that Lionheart Tutoring offers in Mandarin Chinese tutoring.
Business Chinese
Many American professionals are interested in developing their language skills to include Mandarin Chinese in order to reach the thriving Chinese marketplace. Learning foundational Chinese and above often mean possible career advancement and international opportunities. Yet there is an unfortunate lack of business Chinese classes available for these professionals. Here at Lionheart Tutoring, we work around professionals’ busy schedules to provide excellent, targeted tutoring or group instruction in business Mandarin Chinese. We can work in person or online with interactive shared whiteboards. Our tutors can take novices or advanced learners through whichever subject or field they need to master for their businesses. Conversational skills are emphasized to help learners feel at home speaking Chinese before embarking on trips or business projects. Don’t let Mandarin Chinese become a barrier for your business success but rather make it a vital asset to you and your business team.
Meet Our Tutors
Dan Chinburg
Dan Chinburg
Founder
Inspired by what he saw in South Korea as a Fulbright Teaching Fellow, Dan Chinburg began tutoring students on the Main Line in 2009. He graduated with a M.S.Ed. in Reading/Writing/Literacy from the University of Pennsylvania with a K-12 reading specialist certification and has a B.A. in English & World Literature from Pitzer College. Since his return to the states, he has taught over 110 students through word-of-mouth. He loves working with struggling students and advanced students alike. Always striving to get the best results, he has tutored Singapore Math at a charter school and has explored many different approaches to higher mathematics. Over the years, he has designed his own grammar, writing, and standardized test program to meet the demands of his students. He particularly enjoys the challenge of giving crash-courses in subjects before last-minute finals for new students.
Yuanyuan (Elizabeth) Zhang
Chinese Director / Tutor
Fluent in English and a native-speaker of Mandarin Chinese, Yuanyuan brings an incredible breadth of language training and linguistic expertise to her Chinese and ESL sessions. She graduated with a M.S.Ed. in TESOL from the University of Pennsylvania and has a B.A. in Business English. While in China, she taught classes of Chinese students of all levels in English at the prestigious private tutoring firm in Shanghai. She has developed the Chinese program of Lionheart Tutoring through her self-designed learning programs for students in grades PreK-12. She brings an energetic approach to Chinese instruction while incorporating games, iPad apps, songs, poems, and multimedia with her students. Parents have been delighted to find her as many private schools have embraced Chinese as a foreign language across the Main Line. Always dear to her heart, she loves working and developing her toddler program for young Chinese learners who are training their ears for the novel tones of Chinese.
