YING ZHANG , MANDARIN INSTRUCTOR
My name is Ying Zhang, and my English name is Tina. I am a Chinese language teacher and previously worked as an English teacher for over 20 years in China.
I was born in Beijing and later lived in Shenyang, in northeast China, where winters can be very cold. One of the things I enjoy most about living in Charleston is the beautiful, warm weather.
I came to the United States in 2018, after my husband Sam and I married in 2016 and spent a year living in Shanghai in 2017. Since moving to Charleston, I have been teaching Mandarin Chinese for more than six years, both online and in person.
I truly enjoy working with my American students and sharing the beauty of the Chinese language and culture. It brings me great joy to introduce families to the traditions, history, and daily life of my home country.
My teaching approach is fun, dynamic, and interactive, focusing on conversation and real-life language use. I design lessons that encourage students to actively participate, build confidence, and develop practical communication skills. I have experience teaching both children and adults, and I adapt my lessons to match each student’s learning style and goals. Through engaging activities, cultural exploration, and conversational practice, students learn Mandarin in a natural and enjoyable way.
JAMES “JAKE; GERMAN INSTRUCTOR
My name is James “Jake” Keim, and I am 27 years old. I graduated from the College of Charleston, where I earned a Bachelor of Arts in English with a concentration in Creative Writing and a major in German.
During my time at the College of Charleston, I was actively involved in CisternYard Media, serving as Managing Editor and later Editor-in-Chief of Miscellany, the college’s undergraduate literary and arts journal. In this role, I helped oversee the organization, editing, and publication of the university’s annual literary magazine.
For the past four years, I have been teaching German to both children and adults. Teaching has been a very rewarding experience for me because it allows me to share my passion for language while continuing to learn and grow as an educator.
I believe that every student learns differently, and I enjoy adapting my teaching approach to support different learning styles. My goal is to create engaging and supportive lessons that help students build confidence as they learn German.
During my studies, I also had the opportunity to live in Germany for a year, which allowed me to deepen my understanding of the language and culture.
Outside of teaching, I enjoy reading and traveling, and I love exploring new cultures through language and literature. I am excited to share the German language and culture with my students and help them develop curiosity and confidence in learning.