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Mandarin Chinese · CELTA / DELTA certified

Li Wei

Native Mandarin teacher — tones, characters and confident conversation, made approachable.

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About

Meet Li

Li Wei grew up in Beijing and has spent eleven years making Mandarin far less intimidating than newcomers expect. He has a knack for teaching tones and characters in a way that finally sticks.

At Lingua Nova he teaches Mandarin from absolute beginner through to advanced, and prepares students for the HSK proficiency exams. Calm, methodical and endlessly patient, he builds your ear and your confidence at the same time.

Mandarin · all levels
11 yrs experience
4.9 (168 reviews)
What Li Teaches

Courses & specialities

Small groups of 8, on campus in Santa Monica or live online.

Spoken Mandarin

Speaking-first groups that train your ear for tones and get you into real conversation quickly.

HSK Exam Prep

Structured preparation for HSK levels 1–5, covering listening, reading and character writing.

Chinese Characters

A clear, memorable approach to reading and writing hanzi, built on radicals and patterns.

Teaching Approach

How Li teaches

Li Wei separates the mountain into steps: first the sounds and tones, then the characters, then real dialogue. He drills gently, uses lots of visuals, and celebrates every small win.

  • Tones trained by ear from the very first lesson
  • Characters taught through logical building blocks
  • Practical, high-frequency vocabulary first
  • Regular feedback on pronunciation and progress
Qualifications

Credentials & training

  • Native Mandarin speaker (Beijing)
  • BA in Chinese Language & Literature, Peking University
  • Certified Teacher of Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages (CTCSOL)
  • 11 years teaching Mandarin to Western learners
  • HSK exam preparation specialist
Student Says

In their words

“I was terrified of tones. Li Wei's ear-training made them click within weeks, and I passed HSK 3 with a smile. Best teacher I've had.”

Rachel, HSK 3
FAQ

Good to know

Are Mandarin tones as hard as they sound?
Li Wei's ear-first method makes them far more manageable. Most students hear and reproduce the four tones within a few weeks.
Do I have to learn characters?
You can focus on speaking first, but Li Wei teaches characters through logical building blocks so reading feels achievable too.
Can Li Wei prepare me for the HSK exam?
Yes — he offers structured HSK preparation from level 1 through level 5.

Book a Free Trial with Li

Take a free trial lesson and see if Li is the right fit. Ask the assistant for a slot.

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Free trial lesson Groups of 8 On campus & online

This is a fictional demonstration page created by SLAtech to showcase the SLAtech Education AI assistant. “Lingua Nova” is not a real academy; the teacher, name, ratings and reviews shown here are illustrative only.