I used to teach English at a university in the People's Republic of China, so I have no problem communicating in English. My Mandarin test score was 90 (total 100). I had worked for the school studio

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• When did your passion for teaching languages begin?

  It began as long as over twenty years ago when I wanted to be an English teacher to teach English as a foreign language like my teachers in my university. When I visited other countries I found it also important and meaningful to teach foreigners Chinese. This will help Chinese people to understand foreigners and their cultures better and also help foreigners understand Chinese people and culture better to reduce misunderstandings and cultural shocks.

• In your opinion, what does it take to be a successful Mandarin speaker?

  To be a successful Mandarin speaker, one must keep practising, either with native speakers or with other Mandarin learners. One can also learn from watching movies or TV dramas in Mandarin and it might be better to have Chinese subtitles.

• What do you think is the most peculiar thing about the Mandarin language?

  The five tones, the first, second, third, fourth and zero tones. Learners might feel difficult to pronounce the third and fourth tones.

• What would you say to a student who says learning another language is useless or boring?

  I would like to say that this student lacks interest in that language and its culture. Once a student is interested in the people, the culture, the history of a language, he/she will find it useful and interesting to learn. Interest is the best teacher.

• Finally, what piece of Chinese literature would you say is an absolute must-read for all people learning to speak Mandarin?

  I would suggest Romance of the Three Kingdoms. People who are learning Mandarin can read this book while watching the TV drama based on this novel. It will not only help learners to understand Chinese history and culture, but also traditional Chinese ideology.