Andreas Laimböck 周浩辰

Founder

Where are you from?
I’m from Austria and Germany.

How long have you been with LTL?
Since day one! I founded LTL in a little coffee shop in the CBD of Beijing.

We asked everyone to bring their favourite item, what item did you bring and why?
A football, I’m a huge football fan and regularly watch the Beijing Guo’an games.

Favourite colour?
Blue and yellow, as you probably could have guessed from the school logo.

Favourite Chinese dish?
Málà xiāng guō 麻辣香锅. It is based on the Mongolian horsemen diet. They gathered vegetables during the day and in the evening stir fry them all together in their helmets. It’s a bit more hygienic today, but the taste is still amazing.

Where is your favourite place to go in Singapore?
I love exploring Gardens by the Bay. It’s a wonderful place to get lost in. There are some incredible gems like cloud forest with an indoor waterfall and Supertree grove which plays spectacular light shows every night.

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
Singapore of course! So I did.

If you could have dinner with anyone in the world, who would it be and why?
Sidney Rittenberg. He came to China as a US soldier in the 1940s and stayed until the 80s. He would have incredible stories to tell.

What is your top tip for people learning Chinese?
Get your tones right at the beginning. Once you pick up bad pronunciation habits it is very difficult to change them later.

Tell me something about you that would surprise me!
I had the lowest Mandarin scores in my class at university! Today I am a HSK examiner. Moral of the story anyone can learn Mandarin!

Irene Magnosi 艾琳

Program Manager

Where are you from?
Italy 意大利

What are your qualifications?
Program Manager and Senior Student Advisor

When did you start working at LTL?
Since 2018.

We asked everyone to bring their favorite item, what item did you bring and why?
A scratch world map. I love travelling and exploring new places… next stop Kenya!

Favourite Chinese dish?
地三鲜 potato-eggplants and peppers. I love the Chinese way of cooking eggplants!

If you could have dinner with anyone in the world, who would it be and why?
Tiziano Terzani, an Italian journalist, traveller and writer who chronicled Asia’s race toward modernity with the curiosity of a travel writer and a deep cultural sensitivity of a political journalist.

In China, he and his family lived the experience, as pioneering Westerners in post-Cultural Revolution China, to the full: his children attended the local Chinese-only school, and for excursions, they would put their bicycles on a train, travel to a far-flung destination then pedal off into the sunset. In 1984 the Chinese government expelled him for counter-revolutionary activities. I would ask him everything about China in the early 80s and how Beijing looked like at that time… and I would listen for hours!

Where is your favourite place to go in Beijing?
Jingshan park, from the top of the hill you can see all the Forbidden city, it’s beautiful!

If you could be any animal, what would you be and why?
I would love to be a dragonfly on a Thai island. Maybe you don’t know that seeing swarms of dragonflies means rain is on the way. In some cultures, dragonflies represent good luck and prosperity. So make a wish when you see a dragonfly and it’ll come true!

What is your top tip for people learning Chinese?
Immerse yourself, experience the language with locals, and don’t be afraid of speaking!

Tell me something about you that would surprise me!
If I like a movie or a book, I don’t watch the end.

What is your favorite place in China and why?
Zhangye Danxia Landform: it is a unique and beautiful landscape in Gansu Province (north-west of China) Danxia landforms are sandstone formations, known for being very dramatic and colourful. The landform near Zhangye City has colourful and magnificent cliffs in a hilly and mountainous land. It’s stunning!

Lily 李黎

Teacher

Position at LTL
Teacher

Where are you from? 
Hubei province. The city is called Yichang.

What are your teaching qualifications?
I graduated with a BSc in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language from Chinese Three Gorges University in Hubei and got my CTCSOL Certificate (Certificate for Teachers of Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages) in 2018. I am currently also studying a Masters in Teaching Chinese as an International Language at NTU Singapore.

Where have you taught Chinese before?
I taught Mandarin in Shanghai for almost two years and also in Beijing for one year.

Favourite Chinese dish? 
I love eating Hotpot 火锅 and Malatang 麻辣烫.

Where is your favourite place to go in Singapore? 
The beach at West Coast Park.

If you could be an animal what would you be and why? 
A bird because I could fly!

What is your top tip for our students?
Speak as much as you can with native Chinese teachers. Surround yourself with Mandarin where and whenever you can. Immersion is the key.

Tell me something about you that would surprise me!
I can also speak German.

What is your favourite place in China and why?
Shanghai because it is a magical city. It has unlimited possibilities and you can meet from anywhere in the world. Something new happens in Shanghai every day.

Kristen 吴晶晶

Teacher

Position at LTL
Teacher

Where are you from? 
Wuhan in Hubei Province.

What are your teaching qualifications?
I graduated from Changchun Normal University in 2014 with a Bachelor in Education. I got my CTSOL (Certificate for Teachers of Chinese to Speakers of Other Language) from the Chinese Ministry of Education in 2016 and I am currently studying for my Masters in Teaching Chinese as an International Language.

Where have you taught Chinese before?
I taught Mandarin in Thailand and Azerbaijan for four years and in Singapore now for one year.

Favourite Chinese dish? 
I really like Sour Fish 酸菜鱼 and Malaxianguo 麻辣香锅.

Where is your favourite place to go in Singapore? 
Sentosa island because of the beautiful beach. I highly recommend it to newcomers!

If you could be an animal what would you be and why? 
A panda, because everyone loves pandas!

What is your top tip for our students?
Don’t be shy, just speak. Whatever your level, you are already good enough to speak. Be confident and just go for it.

Tell me something about you that would surprise me!
I can speak four languages: Mandarin, English, Thai and Korean.

What is your favourite place in China and why?
Wuhan because it is my home town and the city is developing and changing all the time.

Alexander Krasnov 朱兆风

Vice CEO

Where are you from?
I’m from the southern part of Israel.

What are your teaching qualifications?
Not teaching, but I have a Masters in Ancient Chinese Literature.

How long have you been working for LTL?
Since 2012

We asked everyone to bring their favourite item, what item did you bring and why?
I brought my phrasebooks because I am obsessed with learning languages.

Favourite Chinese dish?
Hui Guo Rou (Twice Cooked Pork)

Where is your favourite place to go in Taiwan?
I absolutely love the Korean BBQ restaurant near the school!

If you could have dinner with anyone in the world, who would it be and why?
Generally, I enjoy discussing languages with other successful language learners and learn the various methods they use.

If you could be any animal, what would you be and why?
I’d prefer to stay human. I think we live in an amazing world, and being human allows us to enjoy it the most!

What is your top tip for people learning Chinese?
Being consistent! Start studying and don’t stop! Daily study will eventually turn into fluency!

Tell me something about you that would surprise me!
I’m able to communicate in ten languages, and I’m studying 13 others (as of March 2017)

What is your favourite place in China and why?
Beijing and Shanghai, because these are the places where most of my friends are.

Yang 李洋瑒

Teacher

Position at LTL
I’m a teacher at LTL Singapore

What are your teaching qualifications?
My major is Teaching Chinese as an international language which I got from Nanyang Technological University. I have 7 years experience of adult education. I also have a certificate of accreditation in Teaching Chinese as a Second Language (Putonghua Level I Grade B).

Where have you taught Chinese before?
I taught Mandarin for 7 years in Xi’an previously.

Favourite Chinese dish? 
I can’t get enough of 宫保鸡丁 which is basically Kung Pao Chicken (or Gong Bao Ji Ding).

If you could be an animal what would you be and why? 
I would be a Lion because I am a person who likes to fight for everything and have passion.

What is your top tip for our students?
Study hard and play hard. You can make achieve your goals with determination.

Tell me something about you that would surprise me!
I used to work for two days without breaks, so if I’m really passionate about something I love.

Timothy 周蕴涛

Teacher

Where are you from？
I’m from Beijing, but you can’t hear my accent. I used to be a newscaster.

What are your teaching qualifications？
MA in Teaching Chinese from National Institute of Education, NTU

When did you start teaching Chinese？
I started teaching in 2001 and never stopped.

Favourite Chinese dish？
Málà xiāngguō, a dish I was tired of in Beijing, and now it is popular in Singapore, I fell in love with it again

Where is your favourite place to go in Singapore？
Xiǎofàn zhōngxīn （hawker centre）。The mood is vibrant, the dishes are cheap, and enjoying lunch in a tightly packed hawker centre is a genuine Singaporean experience not to be missed.

What is your top tip for people learning Chinese？
TALK, TALK and TALK

Tell me something about you that would surprise me!
Friends call me “Little Prince of Southeast Asia”, because, I have lived here for more than 10 years and travelled for more than 10 years.

What is your favourite place in China and why?
My hometown! The most familiar people, the most familiar tastes are there.

Lily 李黎

Teacher

Position at LTL
Teacher

Where are you from? 
Hubei province. The city is called Yichang.

What are your teaching qualifications?
I graduated with a BSc in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language from Chinese Three Gorges University in Hubei and got my CTCSOL Certificate (Certificate for Teachers of Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages) in 2018. I am currently also studying a Masters in Teaching Chinese as an International Language at NTU Singapore.

Where have you taught Chinese before?
I taught Mandarin in Shanghai for almost two years and also in Beijing for one year.

Favourite Chinese dish? 
I love eating Hotpot 火锅 and Malatang 麻辣烫.

Where is your favourite place to go in Singapore? 
The beach at West Coast Park.

If you could be an animal what would you be and why? 
A bird because I could fly!

What is your top tip for our students?
Speak as much as you can with native Chinese teachers. Surround yourself with Mandarin where and whenever you can. Immersion is the key.

Tell me something about you that would surprise me!
I can also speak German.

What is your favourite place in China and why?
Shanghai because it is a magical city. It has unlimited possibilities and you can meet from anywhere in the world. Something new happens in Shanghai every day.