1^st lesson free

Todd

5 (2 reviews)

Rate $38
Response 1h

5 (2 reviews)

$38/h

1^st lesson free

Chinese
Mandarin
Chinese speaking
Chinese listening
Chinese accent reduction

40+ Years Speaking Mandarin | 20+ Years in China — A Clear Approach to Learning Mandarin. Free 45-Minute Intro Lesson.

Chinese
Mandarin
Chinese speaking
Chinese listening
Chinese accent reduction

Lesson location

- online

About Todd

I’m a lifelong language learner and Mandarin specialist with over 20 years of experience living and working in China and Taiwan. I hold a BA in Mongolian Language and Literature from Inner Mongolia University and spent more than a decade in China working in international business and cross-cultural negotiation.

Chinese language and culture have long fascinated me. My studies have included classical texts such as the Yi Jing and Dao De Jing, deepening my understanding of how the Chinese language reflects its culture and philosophy — almost forming its own universe of thought.

Beyond teaching, I write and create Mandarin learning materials, designing systems that help students embody Chinese — not simply translate it. My approach moves learners beyond vocabulary and grammar through careful pronunciation refinement and clear explanations, leading to deeper cultural understanding and the ability to think and communicate naturally in Mandarin. (Read student reviews below)

I’ve taught 900+ lessons and received over 320 five-star reviews, helping students grow from hesitant speakers into confident communicators. Whether you’re just beginning or working toward professional-level fluency, I’ll help you build clarity, confidence, and cultural insight.

Feedback from former students:

Student feedback:

“If you’re looking for a best-in-class Mandarin teacher with a deep understanding of the language, look no further.”
— Alexander, 103 lessons

Student feedback:

“Todd has exceptionally high standards for pronunciation. Unlike many teachers who accept ‘good enough,’ he carefully identifies pronunciation issues and provides clear, practical ways to fix them.”

Student feedback:

“After just a month of lessons with Todd, I was already seeing noticeable improvements in my Mandarin pronunciation.”

Student feedback:

“Because Todd lived in China for many years, he brings deep cultural understanding to his lessons along with strong language instruction.”

Student feedback:

“I went from zero knowledge of Mandarin to reading elementary stories and holding basic conversations in less than six months.”

Student feedback:

“As a native English speaker, it helped that Todd had gone through the same learning journey himself and understands the challenges learners face.”
— Brent, 40 lessons with Todd

Student feedback:

“Todd begins with careful pronunciation training and clear feedback, helping students build strong vocal muscle memory from the start.”

Student feedback:

“His explanations are clear and constructive, which helped me progress much faster than I expected.”

Student feedback:

“Todd was the exact teacher I needed to push my Mandarin to the next level. He speaks clearly and at the right pace for learners, which helped me build a strong foundation…”
— Dan, 21 lessons with Todd

Student feedback:

“Lessons with Todd are engaging, enjoyable, and intellectually stimulating.”

About the lesson

My lessons focus on spoken fluency, tone precision, and learning to think naturally in Mandarin.

I use authentic materials, guided Q&A, and structured conversational practice to help students build real-world communication skills. Rather than relying heavily on generic textbooks, I design each lesson around your interests, goals, and professional needs. I bring in targeted materials and texts that directly support what you want to achieve.

Pronunciation and tone accuracy are a core part of my teaching. I provide clear, constructive feedback so your Mandarin becomes both natural and precise.

Whether you are strengthening fundamentals or working toward advanced fluency, my aim is to help you speak with clarity, confidence, and cultural understanding.

Recommendations

Recommendations come from relatives, friends and acquaintances of the teacher

J

Jordan

Todd's a great teacher. His lessons are all informed by his experiences traveling and living in China and Taiwan for many years. He's an attentive conversation partner, always aware of what I'm trying to say and helping me reinforce words and their meanings within the rich cultural context of how they're actually used, and he's always ready to dive into the nuances of how ideas are expressed differently from what I'm used to.
Read more

J
Jordan
Todd's a great teacher. His lessons are all informed by his experiences traveling and living in China and Taiwan for many years. He's an attentive conversation partner, always aware of what I'm trying to say and helping me reinforce words and their meanings within the rich cultural context of how they're actually used, and he's always ready to dive into the nuances of how ideas are expressed differently from what I'm used to.
A

Alessia

Todd has been my Mandarin tutor for about a year now and I have been incredibly happy with my progress. He has incredible insight into the language and culture! I’ve been to China twice - one time pre- and another post- beginning lessons with him, and I noticed a significant difference in my ability to communicate clearly. Just recently, we had a lesson on Lunar New Year phrases and the culture surrounding the holidays. He and I focus a lot on tones, which tend to be buried in traditional education, but is crucial for non-native speakers to learn and focus on. I would really recommend Todd to anyone wanting to learn or refine their Mandarin skills. I’ve had many mandarin professors and Todd is by far the best. Makes me excited to keep progressing
Read more

A
Alessia
Todd has been my Mandarin tutor for about a year now and I have been incredibly happy with my progress. He has incredible insight into the language and culture! I’ve been to China twice - one time pre- and another post- beginning lessons with him, and I noticed a significant difference in my ability to communicate clearly. Just recently, we had a lesson on Lunar New Year phrases and the culture surrounding the holidays. He and I focus a lot on tones, which tend to be buried in traditional education, but is crucial for non-native speakers to learn and focus on. I would really recommend Todd to anyone wanting to learn or refine their Mandarin skills. I’ve had many mandarin professors and Todd is by far the best. Makes me excited to keep progressing
View more recommendations

Rates

Rate

Pack rates

5h: $175
10h: $330

free lessons

This first lesson offered with Todd will allow you to get to know each other and clearly specify your needs for your next lessons.

online

$38/h

Details

Numbers in Chinese carry cultural meaning beyond simple mathematics. The number eight (八) is especially beloved. You may have seen combinations like 888, 668, or 168 — each has its own tone and resonance within the Chinese mindset.

Eight is considered lucky because its pronunciation (bā) resembles the sound of 发 / 發 (fā), meaning “to prosper” or “to get rich.”

In Chinese, numbers are more than numbers — they are culture expressed through sound and symbolism.

40+ Years Speaking Mandarin | 20+ Years in China — A Clear Approach to Learning Mandarin. Free 45-Minute Intro Lesson.

Lesson location

Recommended

About Todd

About the lesson

Recommendations

Rates

Rate

Pack rates

free lessons

online

Details

Todd's Video

Other tutors in Chinese

A chinese language instructor,who has experience teaching mandarin for over 13years. she teaches with humor and gives excellent examples to engage students and facilitate language learning comprehens

Language expert •chinese/french/portuguese/spanish•+400 students •no need to take notes •aqa/gcse/igcse/hsk •practical: daily dialogues•it's fun!

Experienced chinese teacher (6 years). offer classes to both adult and child (≥8 years old). preparation of exams (hsk, cned etc.). 50% refund (crédit d'impôt) for paris student

Qualified & experienced mandarin teacher gives online mandarin course (kids & adults) - learn mandarin in a super fun and easy way

Chinese teacher at institut catholique de paris at present, graduated from inalco, native speaker, with many years' experience in teaching chinese

Ex-school teacher in taiwan, i am here to help you reach your language goals in chinese.

Learn chinese with tutor of chinese native speaker in france or online

7+ years expert multilingual tutor (chinese, french, english) | exam success & confidence building

Passionate professional multilingual chinese teacher with 10+ years of teaching across china, spain, malaysia, and ireland. specialist in leaving cert chinese and hsk exam preparation, offering tailor

- ipa certified senior chinese language teacher - 6 years chinese teaching in melbourne local - more than 10 years working experience in adult training - native mandarin/cantonese speaker.

Student in 2nd year of international business gives chinese lessons from beginner level (0)

Certified chinese mandarin teacher with an ma in education and 4 years of international school experience

I am a friendly bilingual tutor with master's degrees, specializing in teaching both children and adults, including beginners and those with no prior experience. i also provide translation services.

Voice actor turned mandarin teacher — i'll show you exactly where your tones are slipping, sound by sound.

Translator and interpreter offers chinese courses and english courses for all levels

Graduated chinese teacher, gives mandarin lessons for all levels

Certified tutor with 10 years of experience with journalism background. online via zoom platform.

Trilingual teacher (chinese / english / french) with 6 years experiences teaches chinese, english or french as a foreign language to students of all levels

Over 7 years of experience as a confucius institute certified professional chinese teacher with a master's degree in education. more than 5000 hours of experience teaching mandarin online, and 100% of

Mandarin for adults & business | wbs mba & uk finance | 10+ yrs exp | customised lessons

40+ Years Speaking Mandarin | 20+ Years in China — A Clear Approach to Learning Mandarin. Free 45-Minute Intro Lesson.

Lesson location

Recommended

About Todd

About the lesson

Recommendations

Rates

Rate

Pack rates

free lessons

online

Details

Todd's Video

Other tutors in Chinese

A chinese language instructor,who has experience teaching mandarin for over 13years. she teaches with humor and gives excellent examples to engage students and facilitate language learning comprehens

Language expert •chinese/french/portuguese/spanish•+400 students •no need to take notes •aqa/gcse/igcse/hsk •practical: daily dialogues•it's fun!

Experienced chinese teacher (6 years). offer classes to both adult and child (≥8 years old). preparation of exams (hsk, cned etc.). 50% refund (crédit d'impôt) for paris student

Qualified & experienced mandarin teacher gives online mandarin course (kids & adults) - learn mandarin in a super fun and easy way

Chinese teacher at institut catholique de paris at present, graduated from inalco, native speaker, with many years' experience in teaching chinese

Ex-school teacher in taiwan, i am here to help you reach your language goals in chinese.

Learn chinese with tutor of chinese native speaker in france or online

7+ years expert multilingual tutor (chinese, french, english) | exam success & confidence building

Passionate professional multilingual chinese teacher with 10+ years of teaching across china, spain, malaysia, and ireland. specialist in leaving cert chinese and hsk exam preparation, offering tailor

- ipa certified senior chinese language teacher - 6 years chinese teaching in melbourne local - more than 10 years working experience in adult training - native mandarin/cantonese speaker.

Student in 2nd year of international business gives chinese lessons from beginner level (0)

Certified chinese mandarin teacher with an ma in education and 4 years of international school experience

I am a friendly bilingual tutor with master's degrees, specializing in teaching both children and adults, including beginners and those with no prior experience. i also provide translation services.

Voice actor turned mandarin teacher — i'll show you exactly where your tones are slipping, sound by sound.

Translator and interpreter offers chinese courses and english courses for all levels

Graduated chinese teacher, gives mandarin lessons for all levels

Certified tutor with 10 years of experience with journalism background. online via zoom platform.

Trilingual teacher (chinese / english / french) with 6 years experiences teaches chinese, english or french as a foreign language to students of all levels

Over 7 years of experience as a confucius institute certified professional chinese teacher with a master's degree in education. more than 5000 hours of experience teaching mandarin online, and 100% of

Mandarin for adults & business | wbs mba & uk finance | 10+ yrs exp | customised lessons

Share

Verified degree

levels

All languages in which the lesson is available

Review

Reviews

Recommendations

free lessons

Report this posting