Finding a good Chinese teacher can seem pretty easy as there are many Chinese speaking people around the world, but finding a good Chinese teacher can be pretty difficult. There can be quite a few reasons for this, teaching Chinese was not considered as a professional skill until 1981. It was only in 1981 that the Beijing Language and Culture University started to enroll college students who majored in teaching Chinese as a second language, known as Duiwai Hanyu across the world. The first thing to check for in a Chinese teacher is her academic background of Duiwai Hanyu.

Below are some tips which you can keep in mind while looking for a good Chinese teacher.

Somebody who really knows the language and teaching

It can be argued that everybody who has grown up in mainland China or Taiwan and trained at a Chinese speech and drama class will speak Mandarin, but not everyone who knows Chinese would have detailed knowledge of how the language works. Most importantly not everyone can teach and impart the knowledge to people who would like to learn. A good teacher needs to be more than a native speaker to teach it to people, it is a skill which not many can master. A good Chinese teacher should be experienced in working with Chinese learners. The teacher should be able to understand the difficulties faced by a student. Moreover the teacher should be able to make cross-references and give you plenty of examples to learn and understand.

Someone who knows the why and can explain things clearly

According to reports there many native speakers in China who have got teaching jobs but they sometimes struggle to answer questions from learners. These questions can be pretty technical in nature and would require skill, training and experience to explain to a student. It is important for you to find a teacher who would explain exactly how it works with the language. If you always hear your teacher say that s the way it is, that s how Chinese works or I don t know either, then its time you look for a qualified and experienced teacher who can explain things to you more clearly. Your teacher should also be well be well versed in English to explain to you the nitty gritties of the language.

Somebody who can make Chinese lessons interesting

Like all other languages, Chinese is a fascinating language. It is also considered a difficult language and a learner can get de-motivated and frustrated if he does not make good progress. It is very important for a good Chinese teacher to make lessons engaging, make the lessons engaging and bring the language to life. If the teaching methodology is boring and melancholy learning the language can be very boring. Hence the teacher needs to make the lessons interesting and full of life.

A good Chinese teacher needs to have a lot of patience

Since learning Chinese can be pretty daunting, all Chinese learners make a lot of mistakes. It s just part of the process and students tend to make hundreds of mistakes with the tones until you remember them clearly. A teacher needs to be very patient in dealing with so many mistakes and correct you every time you are wrong.

Someone who gets along well with you

It is very important to get on well with the teacher, as it makes things much easier and simple. Sometimes a teacher might be patient, hardworking, et all but if you don t get along well with the teacher everything might seem to go hay wire.

These are some of the things to keep in mind while looking for a good Chinese teacher.