This is a beginner-friendly Chinese (Mandarin) course designed for students with little or no prior experience. The class focuses on practical communication skills, including pronunciation (pinyin), basic vocabulary, and essential grammar structures. You will learn how to introduce yourself, hold simple daily conversations, and understand foundational Chinese sentence patterns. The course is interactive and includes speaking practice, listening exercises, and real-life examples to help you build confidence step by step.

I am a physics PhD student based at CERN from China's prestigious Tsinghua University (Beijing), bringing authentic language skills and cultural insights directly to our community. As a native speaker with a strong academic background, I offer structured yet flexible Mandarin lessons tailored to your individual goals – whether you're a complete beginner, looking to improve conversation for collaboration or travel, or seeking deeper cultural understanding. Take advantage of having a dedicated teacher conveniently located on-site. PS: My French is poor, so please make sure you can speak English before taking this course. PPS: I am an experimental physicist and can tutor physics in Chinese if you want 😅 or in English as well.

▸Who I Work With? - Absolute beginners — you don't know a single word of Chinese, and that's perfectly fine. We'll start from the very beginning, with a clear focus on pronunciation and pinyin, so you can build a solid foundation from day one. - Self-learners who've tried and failed — maybe you've downloaded apps or watched videos, but you still can't pronounce words correctly or read a simple sentence. I'll help you fix the basics and rebuild your confidence. - Future travelers and culture lovers — you're planning to visit China someday, or you're simply fascinated by the culture. You want to learn the language properly, but you also want to know what makes Chinese culture tick. - Anyone who wants a structured start, without the boredom — I use textbooks to give us a clear learning path, but I bring the lessons to life with real stories, visuals, and cultural insights from my own experience. ────────────────── ▸What You Can Expect? - Pinyin first, and pinyin done right — the first part of this course focuses on pronunciation. We'll work through pinyin systematically: initials, finals, and tones. I'll use visual aids, tone drills, and plenty of speaking practice to make sure you can pronounce words accurately and read pinyin confidently. - A good textbook gives us structure — we'll use a proven textbook like HSK Standard Course 1 or Integrated Chinese as our foundation. This ensures you're learning in a logical order, with clear grammar explanations and vocabulary building. - Beyond the textbook — once we've got the basics down, I'll bring in materials from my own work: documentary clips, travel photos, real Chinese signs and menus. You'll see how the words and grammar you've learned show up in real life. This is where the culture comes in, not as a separate lesson, but woven into everything we do. - Speak and read from day one — every lesson includes speaking practice. You'll learn to introduce yourself, order food, ask for directions. Practical, useful Chinese that you can actually use. ────────────────── ▸Teaching Methods & Materials - Core textbook: HSK Standard Course 1 or a similar structured textbook for systematic progress - Pinyin tools: visual charts, tone pair drills, audio recordings for pronunciation practice - My own materials: documentary footage, authentic photos, and real-world examples to bridge the gap between the textbook and real life - Custom worksheets: designed specifically for your weak points and interests