So you want to learn Chinese? We commend your decision! Mandarin Chinese is the world’s most widely spoken language and gives you tremendous advantages in business. And even if it’s not career-motivated, becoming fluent in Chinese has amazing cognitive benefits. But regardless of your motivations, having the right Chinese tutor is key. The good news is that you’ve found an amazing resource. T
his page gives you a precise breakdown of what you need to look for in terms of the best Chinese teacher for your needs, as well as the benefits versus drawbacks of in person versus online instruction.
How to select Chinese Tutors
When selecting Chinese tutors, begin with your “must-haves” in terms of your specific situation and learning style. As we’ve taught thousands of students to become fluent in Chinese, we’ve found the following things to be invaluable criteria:
- Availability: Does your teacher’s schedule mesh with yours?
- Qualifications: Has your teacher demonstrated success? Is this verifiable in reviews?
- Personality: How does your teacher’s personality / teaching style complement your learning style? Are they proactive?
- Empathy: An extension of your teacher’s personality: Is he or she capable of challenging you while ensuring you feel empowered and encouraged. In other words, does your teacher have your back?
Chinese Teachers Online VS. In-Person
Now that we’ve looked at key criteria, let’s talk about whether in-person or online is instruction works better for you. better. It’s important to look at all the pros and cons with each scenario before deciding.
In-person Chinese teachers
Pros:
- Real life interaction in an intimate setting can make the lessons feel more meaningful.
- In person instruction allows you to carefully model body language and facial expressions.
- No issues with connectivity or wifi.
Cons:
- Generally a bigger time and resource commitment, which includes commuting to lessons.
- Individual lessons may be bigger time commitment per session than you’re comfortable with or have time for.
- Typically in person lessons are more expensive.
- You’re limited to a single teacher which also means:
- You don’t have the option of sampling various teaching styles / personalities.
- You must fit your schedule around a single teacher’s availability.
- Your local area may lack teachers who are truly qualified.
Online Chinese tutors and teachers
Pros:
- Much more convenient: Zero commuting – a time savings of 30-60 minutes per session.
- Shorter individual sessions – as short as half an hour at Rype.
- More affordable.
- Better diversity of teachers / access to worldwide pool of instructors.
- Online resources and tools for expediting and augmenting you learning experience (for example: document sharing, online project management)
- Easily verified ratings and reviews of teachers.
Cons:
- Potential for dropped calls on lessons due to connectivity issues or low internet bandwidth.
- Prerequisite of needing a baseline level of tech savvy / navigating a computer.
- There’s not the same intimacy as in person, real-life conversation.
Obviously with the ideal match of teacher and student, in-person teaching can be amazing. But given all the factors that need to line up perfectly (availability, teaching style, chemistry with student) in order to succeed, we believe the overall best option for the majority of learners is an online Chinese tutor.
How we hire our Chinese Tutors
Now let’s review how we hire our Chinese tutors here at Rype. If you notice, each step aligns with our recommended criteria for selecting a teacher.
Step #1. Initial application
In our initial application filter, we cull the serious applicants from the thousands of applications we receive. We first look at each candidate’s background, experience, and availability. From here only the top candidates move on.
Step #2. Rype University training
Rype University is next, a demanding training program where potential Rype tutors work on strategies and tactics. During this program we also ensure tutors have the right resources available, and spend time getting to know their teaching goals and professionalism. We want to make sure they’re the most effective at language teaching for all types of learners
Step #3. Live 1-on-1 interview (with our Teacher Lead)
Successful Rype University graduates then take part in a live one on one interviews with lead teachers. In these interviews we assess their qualifications, professionalism, and personality – our three main criteria. In this way Rype differs from all other platforms. Our teaching community is rock solid.
Step #4. 60-Day Trial
Teachers who pass the interview begin a 60-day trial phase as teachers. For these first two months we carefully monitor student feedback and help ensure the new teachers are excelling.
Step #5. Continued success (4.5/5 or higher)
Teachers who successfully complete the trial period are officially welcomed as Rype teachers. From here they still must maintain an average of 4.5 out of 5 on reviews to remain, ensuring a gold standard of excellence for our platform.
How to Start Learning Chinese With Rype
As with all learning journeys, learning Chinese takes time and patience. This is especially true in the early stages. With this in mind, we hope you now have a better idea of what to look for in your Chinese teacher and how to take the next steps.
Ready to begin learning Chinese right now? We strongly recommend Rype’s free trial offer, a completely risk-free trial where you can experience our platform and try working with different teachers. We know you’ll be amazed with the quality and look forward to working with you.
See you there!
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