Meet Your Teacher: Xi Chen 老师 lǎo shī

I’m Xi Chen, a native Chinese speaker from China and a current PhD student who also teaches Chinese part-time. I like to keep my classes fun and relaxed, using stories, music, and bits of Chinese culture to bring the language to life. My goal is to help you feel confident speaking Chinese—and maybe even fall in love with it along the way. Looking forward to meeting you!

The main reason I want to become a Mandarin teacher is to better understand the local culture and lifestyle in London, and to connect more with people here. At the same time, I hope to teach Mandarin to children who are interested in learning the language, and to share the richness of Chinese culture with them.

My favorite fairy tale is The Little Prince, and I’d love to share it with every child. It’s a touching story about the Little Prince, his rose, and the fox, full of gentle lessons and reflections about love. It’s a book that helps kids understand what love means in a simple but powerful way.

Outside of teaching, I enjoy writing in Chinese—it's one of my favorite ways to express myself. I have a deep love for language and enjoy reading beautiful works from different cultures, whether it’s poetry, novels, or essays. I also love music and always enjoy relaxing with a good book or song.