Excellent teacher!

Todd is very patient and kind in his teaching. He also includes cultural references to clarify the language and it's proper usage. I would highly recommend him.

Debra, 13 lessons with Todd

Knowledgeable and Excellent Teacher

I found Todd for my daughter, a sophomore in college. Her classes are getting difficult and she needed support. She is in 3rd level Mandarin and is very happy with Todd. We feel so fortunate to have him. Thank you so much.

Nancy, 15 lessons with Todd

Highly qualified tutor.

Todd is an excellent tutor. He is not a native Chinese speaker, but unlike most native speakers, he has very high standards when it comes to teaching pronunciation -- in my experience, most native teachers will accept your pronunciation as valid far too early, even going so far as to say that your pronunciation is “標準” ("standard")...even if people can barely understand you. He will not only point out issues in your pronunciation, but give you very concrete measures that you can take to address these issues. After just a month or so with him, I have already started to see improvements in my own pronunciation. Not only this, but Todd also previously lived in China for many years and is intimately familiar with Chinese culture, so he can teach you about this as well. Comes highly recommended overall.

Brent, 31 lessons with Todd

Deep knowledge of the language and the culture!

Todd has been my Mandarin teacher for about three years. I began at zero having no knowledge of pinyin, tones, pronunciation, grammar, or characters. I am now working through a Chinese science-fiction young adult novel, I feel my pronunciation and tones are often much better than others I've practiced speaking/listening with, and my command of the grammar, characters, and vocabulary continues to grow at an accelerated rate. I'm extremely happy with my progress and have more desire to learn than when I started. There are a few points I really value from Todd's teaching style and expertise. One, I signed up to learn Mandarin but I'm also learning Chinese culture. It's really helped to keep me engaged and I feel like I'm garnering a better understanding of how the language is used and how to communicate more effectively. Two, Todd understands the challenges I face in learning Mandarin with English as my first language. He's able to explain and bridge gaps in my understanding because of his intimate awareness of the learning process. And three, I'm learning to speak Mandarin without translating. My material has no English and is the same as a Chinese student would use. I feel like I'm getting a lot of cultural insight and learning more colloquial language. My roommate is Chinese and I have a number of other Chinese friends and many of them have had the opportunity to meet and spend time with Todd. Two things always jump out from these interactions. One, they are impressed with the quality of his Mandarin. And two, his extensive knowledge of Chinese culture is exceptional and typically far beyond what they are aware of -- they get very engaged when Todd is able to share with them more about their own culture. I can't recommend Todd enough. I attribute my continued desire to learn Mandarin and Chinese culture to having him as a teacher.

Austin, 47 lessons with Todd

a great start

I wanted a teacher who could draw the kids into the lesson, while making them comfortable. I thought that perhaps a teacher who is a native English speaker could help my girls understand the learning process better. The first lesson went very well, with both girls at ease, and with a better understanding of enunciation. We are looking forward to the road to fluency

ERIN, 47 lessons with Todd