Online Chinese tutors

We've been helping people to learn foreign languages since 2006 and all our tutors are experts in helping both adults and children learn Chinese efficiently and effectively using techniques that build confidence and improve fluency.

Our language tuition services are rated as excellent on Trustpilot and we have private Chinese tutors for people of all ages and abilities.

Web based Chinese tuition can help you quickly improve all the core skills - listening, writing, reading, speaking, pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary. You can also customize your lessons to focus on goals such as vocabulary building, pronunciation practice, business Chinese, conversational skills, accent reduction or passing official Chinese proficiency tests. Whatever your goal we have some amazing Chinese tutors here to help. We've also a friendly customer service team on hand to help with any queries and guarantee an extra trial lesson if you're not completely happy with your Chinese teacher after your first lesson.

1-to-1 tuition with a private Chinese teacher can help you improve core skills in several ways.

1. They can provide personalized lessons tailored to your study style and goals.
2. They can offer feedback on your pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary, helping you to develop better conversational skills.
3. Native Chinese tutors can introduce you to cultural nuances and help you to understand the context behind certain words and phrases.
4. Our Chinese tutors have years of experience and can recommend the best resources, such as books, podcasts, radio channels and movies to help you practice and improve your fluency outside of class.

Overall, a private Chinese tutor can be a valuable resource and can help you to achieve your goals more efficiently and effectively.

According to the Foreign Service Institute (FSI), Chinese is categorized as a Category IV language, indicating it is one of the most difficult languages for English speakers to learn, typically requiring around 2200 hours of study to reach proficiency. The European CEFR guidelines also highlight the complexities involved in mastering Chinese, with a structured path from A1 (beginner) to C2 (proficient). The unique tonal nature of Chinese, combined with its logographic writing system, makes it particularly challenging for learners from non-tonal language backgrounds.

At Verbalplanet, we understand these challenges and offer connections to native online Chinese tutors who can significantly streamline the journey to fluency. A native tutor provides invaluable insights into pronunciation, tone usage, and the cultural context behind vocabulary, making learning more effective and enjoyable. Engaging in Chinese lessons with a native speaker ensures that learners receive personalized feedback and tailored instruction, which are crucial for overcoming the inherent difficulties of the language and achieving fluency.

The most effective approach to learn Chinese is through full immersion by living and working in the community alongside native speakers.

For most people that's not possible so we offer the next best thing which is to practice with a private Chinese tutor.

Your Chinese teacher can manage your development through a personal study plan designed to focus on your goals and areas of difficulty. All you need to do is create a free account, choose your tutor and start building your confidence in speaking in live conversation.

To develop correct pronunciation and an authentic accent, consider these strategies:

1. Listen and Imitate: Regularly listen to native Chinese speakers through movies, songs, podcasts, and news broadcasts. Try to imitate the sounds, rhythms, and intonation.
2. Use Pronunciation Tools: Leverage apps that focus on pronunciation, offering audio comparisons and feedback.
3. Practice with Native Speakers: Engage with fluent Chinese speakers or a tutor who can provide immediate feedback and corrections, helping you adjust your accent gradually.
4. Record and Self-Assess: Record yourself talking and compare it to natural speakers, noting areas for improvement.

These methods, combined with regular practice, will gradually help you adopt an authentic Chinese accent.

A problem many learners face is being embarrassed about talking outloud or making mistakes. Working with a Chinese tutor is a great way to overcome this problem and grown in confidence.

Choosing an online Chinese teacher involves several key considerations to ensure the best experience:

1. Qualifications and Experience: Look for tutors with formal teaching qualifications and check their experience, especially with teaching students at your level. We only accept tutors with significant teaching experience and qualifications and all our tutors detail their past teaching experience on their profile page.
2. Reviews and Feedback: Read reviews from other Verbalplanet students to gauge the tutor's effectiveness, reliability, and teaching style.
3. Teaching Style and Approach: Consider what teaching style suits your needs. Some tutors may focus more on conversation, while others might emphasize grammar or pronunciation. Contact our tutors for free to learn more.
4. Trial Lessons: These are a great way to test your current level of fluency and get to know your Chinese tutor. Use this opportunity to see if the tutor's approach aligns with your personal goals and if you communicate well with each other.
5. Flexibility and Availability: All available lesson times are shown in your time zone so you can ensure your preferred tutor's schedule aligns with yours and that they can commit to the number and frequency of lessons you'd like.
6. Compatibility: Learning a language is a long-term commitment, so it's important that you feel comfortable and motivated by your tutor.

Learning Chinese with a native speaker isn't strictly necessary, but it does offer several important advantages.

Native Chinese speakers provide authentic pronunciation, idiomatic use, and cultural context that can significantly enhance the overall experience. This real-world exposure helps learners understand how Chinese is used in everyday conversations and situations, improving their listening and speaking skills more effectively than with non-native instructors.

Regular conversation with one of our Chinese tutors will significantly boost your confidence in speaking and provide cultural insights enriching the learning process in ways which simply aren't possible through apps or self study programs.

Our courses are conducted over popular video conferencing platforms and you can choose your preferred communication channel when you book. Virtual Chinese classes are a convenient and effective way to learn and are almost the same as 1-on-1 in person lessons, enabling you to learn Chinese from any location and keep using the same Chinese tutor no matter where you are in the world. During the lesson, you will have the opportunity to interact with your tutor in real-time, practice your speaking, and receive immediate feedback and guidance.

You will also have access to our bank of resources to enhance your progress between classes.