About us
We’re MasterChinese, an adult Chinese language school founded in 2021 in Melbourne, Australia, by Ashley Liu—a native Chinese speaker with a passion for teaching and exploring cultures.
Our story began with a simple idea: to share the beauty of the Chinese language and culture with learners all over the world.
Ashley, our founder, discovered her love for teaching Chinese while studying at university. At the same time, her solo travels showed her how learning a language is the key to understanding new cultures and connecting with people.
After graduating, she decided to take a gap year, starting her journey in Melbourne—a city full of diversity, where languages, cuisines, and traditions from all corners of the globe come together. It was here that the dream of MasterChinese was born.
While pursuing her Master’s degree, Ashley worked hard to create courses that combined academic with real-world experiences. Her goal was to make learning Chinese fun, practical, and rewarding. Fast forward three years, and we’re proud to have helped over 200 students worldwide fall in love with the Chinese language!
At MasterChinese, we believe that learning a language should be joyful and accessible to everyone. Our team of passionate and experienced educators is here to guide you every step of the way. Whether you’re learning Chinese for travel, work, or simply for fun, we’ll help you achieve your goals with ease and confidence.
Our mission is simple: to become the leading Chinese language school for adults in Australia and New Zealand. But most importantly, we’re here to support you on your Chinese language-learning journey. Whether you join us in person or online, we can’t wait to meet you and share the wonders of Chinese language and culture.
Our experienced native tutors
Peiyi (Ashley) Liu
Ashley Liu is an experienced native tutor, who has been teaching Chinese as a second language for over 5 years. So far, she has taught more than 100 students from all over the world with over 1,000 teaching hours. Her students passed HSK3 (intermediate level) with an average of 294 (out of 300) scores. She has completed the Master Degree of Education at Monash University. Other than Chinese, she is also fluent in English and Russian.
She believes that the trick to learning a new language is spending most of your time in the language, not learning about the language. Practice makes perfect. Just trust the process and have fun!
Xinning (Cynthia) Mao - Supervisior
Xinning (Cynthia) Mao was born in China and is a native Mandarin speaker. She is a professional Chinese teacher with over four years of teaching experience to L2 Chinese learners and over 500 hours in one-on-one Chinese tutoring. She has graduated with a Master of Modern Language Education at the University of Melbourne in 2021, and her undergraduate major was teaching Chinese as a second language.
Xinning has rich experience in teaching both children and adults. In her class, Xinning uses a variety of teaching approaches, such as task-based language teaching and multimodal pedagogies, to help her learners practice oral and written Chinese.
Shirleen Kew
Shirleen is a native Chinese speaker from Malaysia who completed her education in Taiwan and holds certifications in Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages (TCSOL) and Pearson EDI. Currently pursuing a Master's degree in Teaching Chinese as a Second Language, Shirleen has six years of experience teaching Mandarin. She specialises in instructing conversational Mandarin, HSK preparation, business Mandarin, and more, both in traditional classrooms and online settings. Beyond her linguistic expertise, Shirleen's interests extend to culture, travel, and the simple joys of life, including enjoying a good cup of coffee.
She believes that everyone possesses the ability to learn a language, given that we are already fluent in at least one—their mother tongue! We simply need to discover a learning approach that combines enjoyment with meaningful progress.
Yuxin (Rain) Xie
Rain is a passionate Mandarin teacher from China who holds the certification in Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages (TCSOL). She is currently pursuing a Master's in Education at the University of Melbourne. With over two years of teaching experience, Rain specializes in conversational Mandarin, HSK preparation. She emphasises the importance of speaking practice in her lessons, encouraging students to actively apply what they learn in real time.
Rain believes that language learning should not be seen as difficult, but rather a fun and rewarding journey of discovery. Everyone can excel in language learning, as long as they are interested in the language or its culture, dedicate time to practice, and maintain a confident, relaxed attitude.
Mengjie (Jane) Zhang
Jane is a native Chinese speaker from China with a bachelor's degree in Teaching Chinese as a Second Language. She is currently pursuing her master’s degree in Applied Linguistics at the University of Melbourne. With over three years of experience teaching Chinese, including as a teaching assistant during her undergraduate studies, Jane is skilled in conversational instruction and HSK preparation. She has successfully helped many students improve their Chinese language skills.
Language can deeply influence how people think, and as a Chinese tutor, Jane goes beyond teaching just the language. She also introduces her students to the rich cultural heritage of China, providing them with insights that enhance both their linguistic skills and their understanding of Chinese traditions and perspectives.
Zizhu (Josie) Zang
Zizhu (Josie) Zang was born in the north of China and is a native Mandarin speaker. Her major is Master of Education and graduated from Monash University in 2021. Zizhu has been teaching Chinese for more than two years. She specialises in teaching children's courses, especially Chinese Made Easy series. At the same time, Zizhu also teaches adult classes, and her students can already teach in Chinese when they learn HSK 2. Zizhu has helped many students get good grades. Her students went from zero beginner to passing the HSK2 mock exam with almost full scores in just two months.
In a Mandarin classroom Zizhu uses a variety of methods including role-plays, group activities and games, all designed for students to learn and practise oral and written Chinese.
Shiyang (Syon) Zhu
Shiyang (Syon) Zhu is a passionate Mandarin teacher at MasterChinese. He holds a Master's degree in Education from Monash University and is currently on the exciting journey towards a Ph.D. in Media and Communication at RMIT University.
With two years of experience in language instruction, Shiyang brings an authentic touch to his teaching. His teaching philosophy centres around creating an immersive learning environment in an effort to nurture curiosity and build confidence in using Mandarin. When you learn with Shiyang, you're not just mastering a language; you're gaining insights into the vibrant tapestry of Chinese culture and society— Whether you're taking your first step or striving to become a Mandarin master, Shiyang has got you covered.
Xuan (Felicity) Lu
Xuan (Felicity) Lu was born in China and is a native Mandarin speaker. She is a postgraduate st in International Chinese Language Education with a strong background in modern Chinese. She has a Certificate of Mandarin Proficiency and a Certificate for Teachers of Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages. And currently, she is interning in an international organization related to international Chinese language education.
She is willing to explore various teaching methods that benefit students and believes that students and teachers will grow together in teaching.