The people behind the lessons
Our team of
native teachers.
We are a small team of native Mandarin speakers who genuinely love teaching. Every lesson is personal, practical, and built around you.
We are a small team of native Mandarin speakers who genuinely love teaching. Every lesson is personal, practical, and built around you.
Beijing Duck Chinese was built on a simple idea: adult learners deserve lessons that respect their time and intelligence. No children's methods, no generic curricula. Just focused, personalized Mandarin teaching that gets you speaking.
Our teachers are all native Mandarin speakers with extensive experience working with adult students online. We know what works, and what doesn't, when it comes to learning Chinese as a grown-up with a busy life.
All lessons take place via Zoom, from anywhere in the world. After every session, you receive a personalized PDF with all the key content from your lesson, characters, Pinyin, vocabulary, and notes. Over time it becomes your own custom study guide.
Every teacher at Beijing Duck Chinese is a native Mandarin speaker with real experience helping adults reach their language goals.
Marina is the founder of Beijing Duck Chinese and has been teaching Mandarin to adults online for over 15 years. Originally from China, she moved to the Netherlands and built her teaching practice around the specific challenges adult learners face, time constraints, irregular schedules, and the need for practical, usable language rather than textbook theory.
Her lessons are structured and efficient without ever feeling dry. She has a gift for making complex grammar feel intuitive, and for keeping students motivated even when progress feels slow. Marina is patient, encouraging, and relentlessly focused on what actually works.
Tina brings warmth and energy to every lesson. She has a natural ability to put students at ease, which makes her especially effective for beginners who are nervous about speaking for the first time. Her approach is relaxed and encouraging, mistakes are welcomed as part of the process.
Tina specializes in conversational Mandarin and is skilled at building real fluency from scratch. She is particularly good at helping students break through the "I can study but I can't speak" barrier by creating a safe, low-pressure environment where speaking becomes natural.
Hong teaches with precision and clarity. He has a structured, methodical approach that works especially well for students who like to understand the logic behind the language, grammar patterns, sentence structure, and how Chinese actually works under the surface.
He is particularly effective with intermediate and advanced learners who want to consolidate their knowledge and push toward fluency. His HSK preparation lessons are thorough and well-paced, and he has helped many students pass their exams with confidence.
We only teach adults. That means no children's methods, no slow-paced programs designed for younger learners. Our lessons respect your intelligence and your time.
Every lesson involves real speaking practice. We don't spend weeks on theory before you open your mouth, you start communicating from your very first session.
We type everything directly into a shared document during the lesson. You receive a personalized PDF afterwards with all the key vocabulary, characters, and notes.
Book your first lesson today and we'll match you with the right teacher for your level and goals.
