Teaching Chinese in America: My Journey as a Mandarin Teacher

By Yali Feng

Back in 2011, when I was still a graduate student majoring in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language, I had the chance to volunteer at an immersion Chinese elementary school in the United States. Later, after graduation in 2014, I worked at a Confucius Institute in the South of the U.S., teaching Chinese at a local university.

Looking back, I’ve spent several years in the U.S. teaching Mandarin. During this journey, I experienced the initial cultural shock, the joy of seeing students progress, and the bittersweet moments of saying goodbye. I’d like to share some of my teaching and life experiences in America.

First Impressions of America

Like many people, my knowledge of the U.S. came from Disney movies, Hollywood films, pop music, and the NBA. My first stop, however, was not New York or Los Angeles, but Columbia, South Carolina—a small city with only 130,000 people. There weren’t many skyscrapers or Chinese communities, just endless trees.

I joined the very first year of a Chinese immersion program there. Parents and teachers were welcoming, even helping us with rides to school or inviting us to celebrate holidays together. For someone who had just left home for the first time, their kindness was unforgettable.

Later, I moved to Atlanta, teaching at a large, diverse public university. Here I quickly learned how important respect for identity, race, and gender is in the classroom. For instance, every student was allowed to choose their preferred pronouns, and as teachers, we had to respect that. It was a new but valuable lesson for me.

Life Outside the Classroom

Life in the U.S. required adjustments. Streets were quiet, stores closed early, and without a car, it was hard to get around. Most of my free time was spent lesson-planning, cooking, or watching shows.

Food was perhaps the biggest challenge. Eating out was expensive, and hamburgers and fries every day were hard for a “Chinese stomach.” Many of us became amateur chefs, and sometimes I even used Chinese cooking as part of cultural lessons—inviting students and parents to try dumplings or stir-fry. Food, I found, was one of the best ways to spark interest in Chinese culture.

Teaching Kids vs. Teaching College Students

Friends often ask me: Is it easier to teach Chinese in elementary school or at university?

There’s no clear answer—each requires different skills.

• Elementary school: Young learners have short attention spans, so lessons must be full of songs, games, crafts, and movement. Every 7–8 minutes, I had to switch activities to keep them engaged. Parents also wanted frequent updates since they didn’t understand Chinese. But it was rewarding—sometimes parents sent me videos of their kids singing Chinese songs at home or chatting with waiters in Chinese restaurants.
• University: Here, teaching is more formal. Professors must prepare a detailed syllabus that acts like a “contract” with students, outlining goals, assignments, and exams. Since Chinese is usually an elective, I had to emphasize its practical value—how Mandarin could benefit careers and future opportunities. 

Funny Classroom Moments

Teaching pronunciation was both fun and challenging. For example, the vowel “ü” doesn’t exist in English, so I exaggerated my lip movements until students could copy me. They joked that practicing it daily might give them wrinkles!

Writing Chinese characters was another adventure. Students often mixed up strokes, writing “大” (big) as “太” (too) or “日” (sun) as “目” (eye). Typing mistakes were even funnier—once a student emailed me starting with:

“Hello, Teacher Mouse!” (they had typed 老师 laoshi as 老鼠 laoshu, which means “mouse”).

These small mistakes made the classroom lively and memorable.

Cultural Lessons: Beyond the Textbook

In U.S. universities, students wanted more than traditional culture like paper-cutting or knot-making. They were curious about modern Chinese life—from online shopping with WeChat and Alipay to debates about the Gaokao (college entrance exam).

Sometimes they even explored Chinese pop culture:

• Watching Chinese dance shows and K-pop-inspired performances.
• Role-playing movie scenes from Dying to Survive.
• Discussing YouTubers like Li Ziqi and why livestreaming is so popular in China.

By tailoring lessons to their interests, I saw students become more motivated to learn both the language and the culture of contemporary China.

Reflections

My years teaching in the U.S. were full of challenges, laughter, and growth. Like my students, I learned and adapted.

One American student once told me:

“The more I learn about China, the more I realize that we share much more in common than I thought.”

That, to me, captures the heart of teaching Chinese abroad. Yes, there are cultural differences, but through language and education, the distance between us becomes smaller.

I feel truly grateful for this journey. Teaching Chinese is not just my profession—it’s a passion I will carry forward.

Author Bio:

Yali Feng is a PhD student in Applied Linguistics at Georgia State University. She holds a Master’s degree from Beijing Language and Culture University and has taught at Georgia State University and East Point Elementary School in the U.S.