Testimonials
"My three year old daughter looks forward to each lesson with Yang Yang. These fun filled sessions are both engaging and entertaining. Yang Yang has a dynamic personality and is very creative. She uses music, art and play-acting to keep a child interested. This is crucial when the attention span of a child is so short.
When using words in context, repeated several times, my daughter has the opportunity to learn to listen to the tone and music of the words as well as absorb the meaning and usage to the extent that is comprehensible for a young child. We are delighted with the results we have seen."
When using words in context, repeated several times, my daughter has the opportunity to learn to listen to the tone and music of the words as well as absorb the meaning and usage to the extent that is comprehensible for a young child. We are delighted with the results we have seen."
--Angela Pih
Mother of Lucy (3 years old)
Mother of Lucy (3 years old)
"I highly recommend the Mandarin language tutoring services of Yangyang Cheng! She not only is a patient and skilled teacher but her strong command of English makes it easy for her to explain key concepts. Yangyang is detail-oriented, insightful and is always very punctual. On top of that, she customizes the content of her classes to the needs of her students.
Yangyang is also very creative when it comes to teaching Mandarin and she clearly has a unique gift for tutoring Mandarin! Accordingly, it is without reservation that I recommend Yangyang to anyone who wants to learn Mandarin."
Yangyang is also very creative when it comes to teaching Mandarin and she clearly has a unique gift for tutoring Mandarin! Accordingly, it is without reservation that I recommend Yangyang to anyone who wants to learn Mandarin."
--Bill C
Big Four Accounting Firm Partner
Big Four Accounting Firm Partner
"After searching all over Los Angeles for a qualified course in Chinese, I came across Yang Yang’s website. Her enthusiasm is infectious and her desire for students to learn the language goes beyond the typical Chinese classes.
At first we studied from a workbook and I learned the basic grammatical structure. Then, Yangyang and I spent several sessions walking around LA, talking in a mix of English and Chinese. Experiencing daily life in a foreign language gave me a visual and kinesthetic reference for the language. This training successfully helped me prepare for real life situations during my trips to China. Yangyang’s passion was evident throughout, as she created new and exciting opportunities for me to learn. She offered various websites and radio stations for continuing education.
I have already recommended Yangyang to other people wanting to learn Chinese and they too have had a wonderful experience. She is an excellent, passionate voice in the educational world and I am pleased to call her my Lao shi."
At first we studied from a workbook and I learned the basic grammatical structure. Then, Yangyang and I spent several sessions walking around LA, talking in a mix of English and Chinese. Experiencing daily life in a foreign language gave me a visual and kinesthetic reference for the language. This training successfully helped me prepare for real life situations during my trips to China. Yangyang’s passion was evident throughout, as she created new and exciting opportunities for me to learn. She offered various websites and radio stations for continuing education.
I have already recommended Yangyang to other people wanting to learn Chinese and they too have had a wonderful experience. She is an excellent, passionate voice in the educational world and I am pleased to call her my Lao shi."
--Craig Cignarelli
Entrepreneur, Renowned National Tennis Coach
Entrepreneur, Renowned National Tennis Coach
"Learning Mandarin is a priority for me as it will reduce the communication challenges I have with our engineers in China. I experimented with many Mandarin learning programs - books, audio CDs, and computer software. Unfortunately, self-study programs are severely limited in helping learners with pronunciation, cultural slang, and everyday dialogue. Despite the mountain of study materials I had accumulated in the past year, I reached a plateau, and, in the process, lost the joy and motivation in learning the language. Hoping to get out of my slump, I started private tutoring with YangYang - a native Mandarin speaker from Beijing. The lessons have been coarsely structured around common scenarios and dialogue, however, YangYang excels in explaining the English/Mandarin grammatical and sentence structure differences clearly and concisely. One of her best strengths is reinforcing and supplementing lessons learned through conversational exercises.
The best way to learn is to speak the language! With YangYang, you will definitely speak a lot of Mandarin during the lesson. It may be overwhelming initially, but it is the right approach to overcome the steep learning curve. Not to worry, lessons are enjoyable and captivating - she brings a lot of energy, humor, and focus. Best of all, my Mandarin has improved significantly which is a testament to her approach. She has surpassed all my expectations!"
The best way to learn is to speak the language! With YangYang, you will definitely speak a lot of Mandarin during the lesson. It may be overwhelming initially, but it is the right approach to overcome the steep learning curve. Not to worry, lessons are enjoyable and captivating - she brings a lot of energy, humor, and focus. Best of all, my Mandarin has improved significantly which is a testament to her approach. She has surpassed all my expectations!"
--Duc Hang
Principal, Solutions Delivery
Aaxis Group, Inc.
Principal, Solutions Delivery
Aaxis Group, Inc.
"When I searched Google for Chinese tutors in the Los Angeles area, Yangyang's page popped up and I was immediately drawn to her cheerful site and colorful presentation. Chinese has always seemed intimidating to me, but Yangyang makes it seem fun and approachable.
I decided to take her up on her free initial meeting, and the first thing I noticed is that she's exactly like she is on her website. She's super friendly, always greets you with a smile, and most importantly, a consummate professional. The first thing she asked me is why I wanted to learn Chinese, because she custom-tailors each lesson to each person she tutors. You won't get a cookie-cutter lesson here. I wanted to learn business Chinese so I could make myself more competitive on the job front (I love traveling and my company has Chinese distributors, so until now I haven't been able to be of much use going overseas). She asked me if I was interested in learning more written or spoken, and I chose spoken (but you can do both). I signed up for 20 lessons and have been very happy with my progress.
If I have to give any cons, it's that she's located on the west side and I'm in Hollywood, closer to Silver Lake. But the drive isn't too bad (never more than 30 minutes), and she's pretty flexible with her schedule, so it's not a problem. I've had about 10 lessons with her so far and I never feel like I want to give up or bored like I do with Chinese DVDs. She really makes learning fun and engaging, but she also listens and pays close attention to make sure you get the pronunciation of words correct before letting you move on. I wholeheartedly recommend Yangyang."
I decided to take her up on her free initial meeting, and the first thing I noticed is that she's exactly like she is on her website. She's super friendly, always greets you with a smile, and most importantly, a consummate professional. The first thing she asked me is why I wanted to learn Chinese, because she custom-tailors each lesson to each person she tutors. You won't get a cookie-cutter lesson here. I wanted to learn business Chinese so I could make myself more competitive on the job front (I love traveling and my company has Chinese distributors, so until now I haven't been able to be of much use going overseas). She asked me if I was interested in learning more written or spoken, and I chose spoken (but you can do both). I signed up for 20 lessons and have been very happy with my progress.
If I have to give any cons, it's that she's located on the west side and I'm in Hollywood, closer to Silver Lake. But the drive isn't too bad (never more than 30 minutes), and she's pretty flexible with her schedule, so it's not a problem. I've had about 10 lessons with her so far and I never feel like I want to give up or bored like I do with Chinese DVDs. She really makes learning fun and engaging, but she also listens and pays close attention to make sure you get the pronunciation of words correct before letting you move on. I wholeheartedly recommend Yangyang."
--Jenny M
National Retail Company
National Retail Company
My first year of college was a huge eye-opener for me; I interacted with students from all over the world including Tanzania, Hong Kong, Ethiopia, and etc. Because my school is rather international and contains a prestigious business school, the importance of learning other cultures and languages was duly impressed upon me. My roommate tried to teach me some Mandarin, and succeeded in getting me curious about the language. As a result, upon arriving home to Southern California from college, I immediately searched for a place where I could learn Mandarin.
At first I had difficulty finding a place that fit into my budget and schedule as a college student. Finally giving up my search, I decided I had no option but to attempt to teach myself with the help of my Mandarin-speaking friends. I began looking at YouTube videos, and came across Yangyang’s Learn Chinese 001. I was immediately impressed by the way Yangyang’s video presented the material clearly and in a way easy to understand and remember. Hoping that she lived nearby, I clicked on her website and discovered she was located in Los Angeles. In addition, she had a flexible schedule that I could fit around my summer internship.
I signed up for a group lesson class, and was pleasantly surprised with Yangyang’s teaching style. During my first lesson, a wildfire caused a blackout, but Yangyang took it in stride and used the incident to benefit the lesson. During the nearly two months I learned Mandarin from Yangyang, I learned enough to small talk in Mandarin and understand the Chinese culture. Yangyang truly thinks outside the box to make sure her students understand and remember everything she’s saying. She would have a mini-review session before we began new material to ensure we weren’t forgetting anything as we progressed. She has a natural ability as a teacher.
I’ve already told my friends about Yangyang and will sign up for further lessons next summer should I find myself back in Southern California.
At first I had difficulty finding a place that fit into my budget and schedule as a college student. Finally giving up my search, I decided I had no option but to attempt to teach myself with the help of my Mandarin-speaking friends. I began looking at YouTube videos, and came across Yangyang’s Learn Chinese 001. I was immediately impressed by the way Yangyang’s video presented the material clearly and in a way easy to understand and remember. Hoping that she lived nearby, I clicked on her website and discovered she was located in Los Angeles. In addition, she had a flexible schedule that I could fit around my summer internship.
I signed up for a group lesson class, and was pleasantly surprised with Yangyang’s teaching style. During my first lesson, a wildfire caused a blackout, but Yangyang took it in stride and used the incident to benefit the lesson. During the nearly two months I learned Mandarin from Yangyang, I learned enough to small talk in Mandarin and understand the Chinese culture. Yangyang truly thinks outside the box to make sure her students understand and remember everything she’s saying. She would have a mini-review session before we began new material to ensure we weren’t forgetting anything as we progressed. She has a natural ability as a teacher.
I’ve already told my friends about Yangyang and will sign up for further lessons next summer should I find myself back in Southern California.
--Jessica Kim
University of Pennsylvania 2012
University of Pennsylvania 2012
"My 8-year-old son and I have been taking Mandarin with Yang Yang Cheng for 5 months. She is one of the best, most energetic and effective teachers I have ever encountered. She manages to make every lesson interesting and fun for both of us. While taking lessons twice weekly, we are now beginning to be conversational in Chinese, and have learned some written characters as well. My son looks forward to the lessons, even though they are just after his long, regular school day.
Her teaching methodology is very logical, and places an emphasis on building vocabulary, and then transitions to sentence structure. We plan to continue these lessons well into the future, and are convinced that she is the best instructor we could possibly have."
Her teaching methodology is very logical, and places an emphasis on building vocabulary, and then transitions to sentence structure. We plan to continue these lessons well into the future, and are convinced that she is the best instructor we could possibly have."
--Gary H. Rabin and Harry Rabin (8 years old)
"My daughter and husband are taking Chinese with Yangyang as a way to communicate with my Chinese family. They are so excited to take classes with her each week as she makes learning for them fun through song, theater and games! Her bubbly personality and positive encouragement makes learning this very difficult language a breeze. I highly recomment Yangyang, although I don't want her to become too busy! We want her all to ourselves :)"
--Jen W, Lily and Christain
"During my Chinese business trips over the past two years, I've always had either a personal bilingual assistant or an interpreter with me everywhere I went in China. Even though I know I will always need a translator for important legal documents or essential business negotiations, I want to be able to get around China and handle conversations over a dinner meeting by myself, which is an indispensable part of doing business in China. Putting in the extra effort shows my clients good will.
I'm glad I gave Chinese--this supposedly difficult language--a chance with the guidance of Yangyang. Within the first month (two lessons per week), I already started conversing with her in Chinese. Yangyang has a very unique way of teaching the language. She focused on the practicality of the language, aiming to help her students achieve the language fluency in the shortest amount of time. The way she approached this is that she will spend 3-4 sessions on the Chinese phonetic system, which is the very foundation of the Chinese language learning, and afterwards, she will jump into common questions words, such as who, what, when, where, how and why. The purpose is that you are able to start asking questions and have a meaningful conversation with the Chinese immediately. I found her method very helpful and now I am already able to schedule an appointment with my clients in Chinese.
In addition, her outstanding bilingual ability enables her to explain key Chinese grammar points and concepts in a thorough and clear fashion. Yangyang has a deep understanding of the Chinese culture and the subtle mentality of the Chinese people. She really helped me a great deal clearing up some of my confusion regarding why the Chinese act the way they do. Her insight and advice helped me tremendously during my negotiations with my Chinese business clients.
I highly recommend her and will refer her to all of my friends and colleagues."
I'm glad I gave Chinese--this supposedly difficult language--a chance with the guidance of Yangyang. Within the first month (two lessons per week), I already started conversing with her in Chinese. Yangyang has a very unique way of teaching the language. She focused on the practicality of the language, aiming to help her students achieve the language fluency in the shortest amount of time. The way she approached this is that she will spend 3-4 sessions on the Chinese phonetic system, which is the very foundation of the Chinese language learning, and afterwards, she will jump into common questions words, such as who, what, when, where, how and why. The purpose is that you are able to start asking questions and have a meaningful conversation with the Chinese immediately. I found her method very helpful and now I am already able to schedule an appointment with my clients in Chinese.
In addition, her outstanding bilingual ability enables her to explain key Chinese grammar points and concepts in a thorough and clear fashion. Yangyang has a deep understanding of the Chinese culture and the subtle mentality of the Chinese people. She really helped me a great deal clearing up some of my confusion regarding why the Chinese act the way they do. Her insight and advice helped me tremendously during my negotiations with my Chinese business clients.
I highly recommend her and will refer her to all of my friends and colleagues."
--Jeff T
Managing Director, Global Equity
Investment Firm
Managing Director, Global Equity
Investment Firm
"Yang Yang is very patient, enthusiastic and encouraging when teaching her students Mandarin. She is dedicated to having her students learn the tones and pronunciation of the language. My daughter and I are learning so much and it has been such a pleasure having Yang Yang teach us Mandarin. I look forward to every class as it is so much fun working with her. I would recommend Yang Yang to anyone who wants to learn how to speak Mandarin."
--Kelly W. Meade
Mother of Salem (2.5 years old)
Mother of Salem (2.5 years old)
"I am writing to highly recommend YangYang Cheng as a Mandarin Chinese language teacher to everyone interested in learning Mandarin Chinese. After studying with YangYang my Mandarin dramatically improved. She helped me create a solid foundation of reading, writing and conversational skills. As a result, all facets of my Mandarin Chinese are now flourishing. I now frequently use my new Mandarin skills to conduct business in Asia.
YangYang is an absolutely fantastic teacher. She communicates wonderfully, is thoughtful of her students' needs and extremely creative. Her enthusiasm and ebullient character allow her to easily connect with a student and bring out the best in them.
While teaching me Chinese characters she would explain the concept behind each character's evolution, from its historical origin to its current form. This enabled me to create a logical framework in my mind and facilitated my learning because I now understood the rationale behind each character. Past teachers I studied under required me to learn the Chinese characters through rote memorization. I was essentially learning in a vacuum, void of structure and reason. It was especially difficult and my learning suffered. I must praise YangYang for making the learning process simple and effortless.
Another invaluable trait of YangYang's is her mastery of the English language. Her exceptional proficiency in English allows her to view learning from a native English speaking student's perspective. As such, she is able to formulate an easy solution when a student encounters any difficulty while learning Mandarin Chinese.
In addition, YangYang supplements each lesson with CDs, books, charts and various reference websites for her students. These resources complemented my studies and fostered an easy learning process. Learning Mandarin Chinese with YangYang is not merely learning a language, it is an immersion in the Chinese language, culture and history.
It has been my great pleasure to study under YangYang and I encourage everyone who wishes to learn Mandarin Chinese to come under her tutelage."
YangYang is an absolutely fantastic teacher. She communicates wonderfully, is thoughtful of her students' needs and extremely creative. Her enthusiasm and ebullient character allow her to easily connect with a student and bring out the best in them.
While teaching me Chinese characters she would explain the concept behind each character's evolution, from its historical origin to its current form. This enabled me to create a logical framework in my mind and facilitated my learning because I now understood the rationale behind each character. Past teachers I studied under required me to learn the Chinese characters through rote memorization. I was essentially learning in a vacuum, void of structure and reason. It was especially difficult and my learning suffered. I must praise YangYang for making the learning process simple and effortless.
Another invaluable trait of YangYang's is her mastery of the English language. Her exceptional proficiency in English allows her to view learning from a native English speaking student's perspective. As such, she is able to formulate an easy solution when a student encounters any difficulty while learning Mandarin Chinese.
In addition, YangYang supplements each lesson with CDs, books, charts and various reference websites for her students. These resources complemented my studies and fostered an easy learning process. Learning Mandarin Chinese with YangYang is not merely learning a language, it is an immersion in the Chinese language, culture and history.
It has been my great pleasure to study under YangYang and I encourage everyone who wishes to learn Mandarin Chinese to come under her tutelage."
--Ken Hwang
Attorney
Hyphenate Entertainment
Attorney
Hyphenate Entertainment
"I was initially introduced to Yangyang through an interpreter I am using to speak with my potential partners in China. I have always known that in China, a successful business relationship is first a successful personal relationship. I wanted to impress my future Chinese partners and have them feel I respect their culture and customs by speaking their language. To this end, I started my lessons with Yangyang. So far, I have taken only 8 out of the 20 lessons and am already able to communicate with my future partners over the phone in Chinese to some degree.
I am traveling to China soon and will have attended all 20 lessons by that time and feel confident that Yangyang’s lessons and method of instruction will enable me to have a much more enjoyable and fruitful trip. I don’t think I even have to hire an interpreter to go everywhere with me while in China as originally planned. I am amazed at her bilingual speaking and teaching ability and wish to continue to study with her after I return from China."
I am traveling to China soon and will have attended all 20 lessons by that time and feel confident that Yangyang’s lessons and method of instruction will enable me to have a much more enjoyable and fruitful trip. I don’t think I even have to hire an interpreter to go everywhere with me while in China as originally planned. I am amazed at her bilingual speaking and teaching ability and wish to continue to study with her after I return from China."
--Mark Marderness
President/CEO
Parishioners Federal Credit Union
President/CEO
Parishioners Federal Credit Union
My husband and I have been taking Chinese lessons from Yangyang Cheng for five months. We highly recommend her.
"She is a pleasure to work with for many reasons. Her English is completely fluent, which is of great assistance in learning Chinese—the language has many complicated features and it is very helpful to work with someone who can explain the nuances clearly. She is very patient, which we also find very important, since learning Chinese (at least for us) has requiring going over things again and again, and it is much easier to do this with someone like Yangyang, who is sincerely interested in your progress. We have also found her flexible in her teaching methods; that is, while she keeps us constantly focused on the lessons we are taking, she manages to modify the presentation to meet our particular needs or questions. Finally, and most importantly, she has a very upbeat and positive personality—learning Chinese can be a frustrating experience and it really makes a difference to work with someone enthusiastic like Yangyang, who constantly encourages you to keep working away, even when progress sometimes seems slow."
"She is a pleasure to work with for many reasons. Her English is completely fluent, which is of great assistance in learning Chinese—the language has many complicated features and it is very helpful to work with someone who can explain the nuances clearly. She is very patient, which we also find very important, since learning Chinese (at least for us) has requiring going over things again and again, and it is much easier to do this with someone like Yangyang, who is sincerely interested in your progress. We have also found her flexible in her teaching methods; that is, while she keeps us constantly focused on the lessons we are taking, she manages to modify the presentation to meet our particular needs or questions. Finally, and most importantly, she has a very upbeat and positive personality—learning Chinese can be a frustrating experience and it really makes a difference to work with someone enthusiastic like Yangyang, who constantly encourages you to keep working away, even when progress sometimes seems slow."
--Mary and David Eliot
"Yangyang's passion and dedication to teaching became obvious the first time I set foot in her classroom for my trial lesson. I am now about halfway through the introductory course and my admiration for Yangyang as a teacher has only grown. Her approach to teaching is thoughtful and patient; she guides her students painlessly through the basics of pinyin (the Chinese phonetic system), the origins of the Chinese writing system, and Chinese syntax and grammar. Before I knew it I was able to carry on basic conversations in Chinese with my classmate.
While I am still a novice, I eagerly look forward to continuing my Chinese language instruction with Yangyang. I enthusiastically recommend anyone who is interested in learning Mandarin to give her a call. She is especially convenient to anyone living or working near Century City or Westwood."
While I am still a novice, I eagerly look forward to continuing my Chinese language instruction with Yangyang. I enthusiastically recommend anyone who is interested in learning Mandarin to give her a call. She is especially convenient to anyone living or working near Century City or Westwood."
--Patrick P
Attorney
A large law firm in Century City
Attorney
A large law firm in Century City
My Basic Info
Age: 28
Location: Los Angeles, California
Hometown: Beijing, China
School: Beijing University, Chinese University of Hong Kong
Language: Fluent in Mandarin, Cantonese and English
Interest: Piano, reading, writing, Yoga, improv acting
Chinese teaching experience: Hong Kong language Institute, Pepperdine University, Westside LA College Extention
Location: Los Angeles, California
Hometown: Beijing, China
School: Beijing University, Chinese University of Hong Kong
Language: Fluent in Mandarin, Cantonese and English
Interest: Piano, reading, writing, Yoga, improv acting
Chinese teaching experience: Hong Kong language Institute, Pepperdine University, Westside LA College Extention