About us
Est. since 2012
Recommended by The Straits Times, Singapore Tourism Board, Ministry of Home Affairs
Registered with Ministry of Education Singapore
Ever since Sir Stamford Raffles set foot in Singapore in 1819, it has been at the crossroads of East and West. People from Asia-Pacific, Europe and North America have made Singapore their home.This cultural diversity is what makes Singapore the special place it is today. When people from diverse backgrounds come together, it provides the opportunity to combine the best of everyone.
But the magic can only happen when people know and respect each other. They need to be able to speak the same language.We are proud when a Spanish professional surprises the taxi driver with a few words in Mandarin he learned with us. When the Filipino doctor makes her Chinese patients feel right at ease at a trying moment, because she speaks their language.
And when a Singaporean plays a key role in a U.S. – Chinese business partnership, because of his deep understanding of both cultures and languages. Yi Mandarin’s Indonesian-born co-founder Candy Lee didn’t speak Mandarin when she first came to Singapore. As she mastered the language, she saw the opportunities it opened up for her. Through her work with Yi Mandarin language centre, she hopes to help others achieve the same transformation.
Our curriculum emphasizes topics that are of relevance and interest and can be immediately applied. Our classes take place in small groups or on a one-to-one basis to stimulate maximum interaction, which accelerates learning.
Our beginner conversational Mandarin course aims to get learners with no Mandarin background speaking as early as possible. After the first 24 hours of lessons, they will have learned to exchange greetings, ask for directions, read numbers and hold a simple conversation.
For advanced learners and corporate clients, we tailor lessons that cover industry specific terminology and business culture. This empowers them to take advantage of their newly acquired skills at the first opportunity.
Since our founding in 2011, we have had the privilege of helping hundreds of foreigners feel more at home in Singapore. We have also trained numerous top professionals, both foreign and local, from Fortune 500 companies.
In the years to come, we will keep sharpening the way we teach Mandarin. And we will continue to encourage our Mandarin learners to build positive social and business relationships across cultures.
Do you have a question about Mandarin courses?
Meet our Chinese teachers
Candy Lee
My name is Candy Lee, Centre Manager of Yi Mandarin. You can also call me Ling Nie. Originally from Surabaya, Indonesia, I came to Singapore to learn Mandarin and have been here ever since. Having studied Mandarin myself, I understand that it can be challenging.
That’s why at Yi Mandarin, we have developed a method that will empower even complete beginners to learn Mandarin and understand Chinese culture. And we are never done improving upon ourselves. Learning Mandarin is a very personal journey and we strive to support you in every way we can. If you have any questions, I’m happy to answer them!
Candy Lee
My name is Candy Lee, Centre Manager of Yi Mandarin. You can also call me Ling Nie. Originally from Surabaya, Indonesia, I came to Singapore to learn Mandarin and have been here ever since. Having studied Mandarin myself, I understand that it can be challenging.
That’s why at Yi Mandarin, we have developed a method that will empower even complete beginners to learn Mandarin and understand Chinese culture. And we are never done improving upon ourselves. Learning Mandarin is a very personal journey and we strive to support you in every way we can. If you have any questions, I’m happy to answer them!
Ms. Zheng Min
Zheng Min started teaching Mandarin in China since 1999. She came to Singapore in 2003, and was teaching children for 2 years. From 2005 onwards, she has been training expatriate adults in business and social mandarin. Zheng Min joined Yi Mandarin in 2013 as head of language team.
With over 10 years of experience in adult training, Zheng Min has taught many foreign professionals and senior executives, including but not limited to those from BBC News, Cambridge University Press, Deutsche Bank, National University Hospital (NUH), Philips Electronics, SingTel, Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS).
Zheng Min is an expert in experiential learning who knows how to help the learners gain Mandarin skills though experiential learning. Students always find her lessons fun and engaging. She also obtained ACTA in 2016, which further improves her class delivery for adult training and assessment.
Ms. Song Baoye, Angel
Angel is from Shanghai, China. After graduating, she joined Suzhou Railway Teacher College for 4 years as an associate teacher, teaching Mandarin to International students.
She was also a presenter and editor for Suzhou TV Station ( China ), specializing in English-Chinese translation for the station. Her duties include acting translator/interpreter for foreign visitors and clients. During her time at the TV Station, she spearheaded a Food Programme into the most watched series at the time.
After relocating to Singapore, Angel has been teaching Mandarin as a 2nd foreign language to working adults for over 5 years. Her students range from private professional programs to corporate/public run group classes.
At her leisure, she is a fan of Chinese literature and arts, and she enjoys writing regularly. Angel possesses a remarkably pleasant personality and is well-liked by all her students.
Ms. Song Baoye, Angel
Angel is from Shanghai, China. After graduating, she joined Suzhou Railway Teacher College for 4 years as an associate teacher, teaching Mandarin to International students.
She was also a presenter and editor for Suzhou TV Station ( China ), specializing in English-Chinese translation for the station. Her duties include acting translator/interpreter for foreign visitors and clients. During her time at the TV Station, she spearheaded a Food Programme into the most watched series at the time.
After relocating to Singapore, Angel has been teaching Mandarin as a 2nd foreign language to working adults for over 5 years. Her students range from private professional programs to corporate/public run group classes.
At her leisure, she is a fan of Chinese literature and arts, and she enjoys writing regularly. Angel possesses a remarkably pleasant personality and is well-liked by all her students.
Ms. Chen Jing, Ivy
Ivy was born in Xi’an, China and has relocated to Singapore since year 2000. She worked as an admin and HR executive prior to switching her career as a full time Mandarin teacher.
Ivy has been teaching Mandarin in Singapore since 2008 and to fulfill her passion for teaching, shestarted specializing in home tuition for primary and secondary school students for several years, and has accumulated tremendous experience in teaching academic Chinese.
Since 2010, Ivy started training expatriate adults in social and business Mandarin. With her vast knowledge of the Chinese Culture, both locally and in China, our expatriate students had gain valuable insights to living and working in a Chinese society, many of her students who require to travel to China for business trips found her lessons fruitful as well as entertaining.
Ivy is a very responsible person. She is also meticulous in everything she does. She understands that most foreign students found difficulties learning the Mandarin pronunciation due to their native tongue. Ivy is known for her patience for helping her students to learn the proper sounds and tones require for this language. Hence, she has many long standing students learning Mandarin with her for years.
Ms. Chen Jing, Ivy
Ivy was born in Xi’an, China and has relocated to Singapore since year 2000. She worked as an admin and HR executive prior to switching her career as a full time Mandarin teacher.
Ivy has been teaching Mandarin in Singapore since 2008 and to fulfill her passion for teaching, shestarted specializing in home tuition for primary and secondary school students for several years, and has accumulated tremendous experience in teaching academic Chinese.
Since 2010, Ivy started training expatriate adults in social and business Mandarin. With her vast knowledge of the Chinese Culture, both locally and in China, our expatriate students had gain valuable insights to living and working in a Chinese society, many of her students who require to travel to China for business trips found her lessons fruitful as well as entertaining.
Ivy is a very responsible person. She is also meticulous in everything she does. She understands that most foreign students found difficulties learning the Mandarin pronunciation due to their native tongue. Ivy is known for her patience for helping her students to learn the proper sounds and tones require for this language. Hence, she has many long standing students learning Mandarin with her for years.
Ms. Zhang Linlin, Celeste
Celeste started teaching Mandarin since 2012 as a part-time tuition teacher. She moved to Singapore in 2002 to take up a course from NAFA and worked as a marketing executive for several educational institutes. Since graduation, Celeste has found a passion not only for the activity of teaching, but also for the end it serves. She joined our institute in 2014 and has been conducting classes daily for expatriate adults. She completed the ACTA course, a few years ago, as she constantly find ways and new methods to improve her teaching skills.
Celeste’s marketing experience has enabled her to better communicate and connect with students from all professions. She is patient with helping new or shy students to be at ease during lessons. Celeste is highly well-liked and respected by many of her students. Her outstanding methods has also gained her a fanbase and students have constantly requested to renew their classes with her.
Ms. Li Jia
Li Jia a native speaker from China with over 8 years of teaching experience.
She first started working as a translator in Shanghai Zhong Si.
She found her passion when she first started teaching overseas students at the Night School by Beijing Normal University.
Li Jia moved on to teaching Mandarin in Shanghai Chinese Time Language School in small classes, private classes and occasionally online classes.
While with us, Li Jia has experience in teaching Business Chinese and various proficiency levels of Conversational and Written Mandarin. She had recently completed a 40 hrs course for a corporate group banking class covering Business Chinese, KYC, Risk Management & MAS topics.
Students have feedback that Li Jia is a passionate and committed teacher.
Ms. Koh Gek Hiong Vivianne
Vivian graduated from Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU) which is well-known for its ‘Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language’ course with a Bachelor Degree of Journalism. During her course in BLCU, it is compulsory for her to take course modules from their ‘Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language’ program, such as “Introduction to Linguistics’, Contemporary Chinese and Contemporary Chinese Phonetics.
Fully bilingual in Chinese and English Language, Vivian has her professional language training in Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU) where courses are taught in Chinese Language with Chinese local students.
During her studies in Beijing, Vivian was part of the student reporter team for the student newspaper.
She was the producer with Kinetic One, a social media video platform in China with channels focus on youth culture and urban trends such as music, fashion and extreme sports, where she conceptualise, site filming, interviewing and copywriting for video to be post online. She was also in charge of translating interviews and press releases from English to Chinese, and vice versa.
While filming for Funhill Musical Festival in Fangshan, Vivian was invited by Canadian Band ‘Your Favorite Enemies’ to be their interpreter on stage for her bilingual language skill.
Chinese Language is never only a language for Vivian. Her love for the language started when she was learning it as part of her compulsory education in Primary School. She had always excelled in the language throughout her 10 years basic education included a grade A for her O-levels.
Her love for the language didn’t stop there even when she was pursuing her dream in design.
Ms. Koh Gek Hiong Vivianne
Vivian graduated from Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU) which is well-known for its ‘Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language’ course with a Bachelor Degree of Journalism. During her course in BLCU, it is compulsory for her to take course modules from their ‘Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language’ program, such as “Introduction to Linguistics’, Contemporary Chinese and Contemporary Chinese Phonetics.
Fully bilingual in Chinese and English Language, Vivian has her professional language training in Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU) where courses are taught in Chinese Language with Chinese local students.
During her studies in Beijing, Vivian was part of the student reporter team for the student newspaper.
She was the producer with Kinetic One, a social media video platform in China with channels focus on youth culture and urban trends such as music, fashion and extreme sports, where she conceptualise, site filming, interviewing and copywriting for video to be post online. She was also in charge of translating interviews and press releases from English to Chinese, and vice versa.
While filming for Funhill Musical Festival in Fangshan, Vivian was invited by Canadian Band ‘Your Favorite Enemies’ to be their interpreter on stage for her bilingual language skill.
Chinese Language is never only a language for Vivian. Her love for the language started when she was learning it as part of her compulsory education in Primary School. She had always excelled in the language throughout her 10 years basic education included a grade A for her O-levels.
Her love for the language didn’t stop there even when she was pursuing her dream in design.