About Us
our team
Yo Wang
Founder
Yo grew up in Waterloo Region and began learning Mandarin as a second language at the University of Waterloo. Within several years, he was fluent. Recently, Yo completed a language teaching certificate and taught in Taiwan. Yo started Mandarin classes in Waterloo Region to share his love for the Chinese language, along with a few language hacks he picked up along his own Mandarin journey, with a new generation of Canadians.
Yuetong (Olivia) Ou
Teacher
Olivia was born and raised in Guangzhou, China, making her bilingual in Mandarin and Cantonese. Since she grew up with these two languages, students not only learn about Mandarin but also about the differences in customs between the southern and northern parts of China. Olivia believes that active learning is one of the most productive means of learning languages, so, in her class, students at any level can practice their skills through different activities.
Ann Gong
Teacher
Ann is from Changchun, China, but has lived in Canada for the past twelve years. During this time, she has fallen in love with learning new cultures and languages. She believes that getting to know different people in the world broadens your perspective, so she dedicates herself to teaching Chinese language and culture to everyone. She is passionate about Chinese food and music, as well as China’s rich history. Be sure to join her class, in which you’ll acquire lots of knowledge and have tons of fun conversations!
Bowen Ma
Teacher
Bowen comes from Anshan, China. He came to Waterloo Region for his master’s degree in 2017. In China, Bowen taught English in his spare time and enjoyed helping others learn languages. Bowen has worked as a broadcaster with the university’s radio station, making him especially effective at teaching students proper pronunciation. Bowen’s love of a diverse range of music and sports makes him a great and fun conversationalist. His experiences and lightheartedness are sure to fill his classes with joy and help his students learn Mandarin!
Shanna Lee
Teacher
Shanna comes from Taipei, Taiwan. She has a TCSOL certificate and has taught Chinese for five years. Shanna’s teaching toolkit includes but is not limited toPinyin and Zhuyin, as well as both traditional and simple characters. In her class, she always encourages students to speak and provides authentic materials to help students to get familiar with using Mandarin in daily life. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn Mandarin in an engaging, supportive, and dynamic environment. Start your journey with Shanna!
Blake Zhang
Teacher
Blake is a passionate Mandarin teacher from Beijing, China with two years of teaching experience. Beyond just language skills, he takes delight in sharing the beauty of the Chinese language with both children and adults, weaving in the rich tapestry of Chinese history and tradition. What sets his teaching apart is his appreciation for Chinese calligraphy, adding a unique and artistic dimension to the exploration of the language.
Today and Tomorrow
Our vision for bringing Mandarin classes to the World.
At First Step Mandarin, we offer beginner Mandarin classes in Waterloo Region for children and adults with no background in Mandarin Chinese. We also offer intermediate and advanced Chinese classes.
First Step Mandarin’s mission is to help you take your first, second, or third steps in learning Mandarin and journey alongside you until you have reached your desired level of fluency.
We currently offer in-person classes in Waterloo Region and Guelph, and online classes for students from Southwest Ontario, Toronto, Montreal, New York City and the rest of the world!