I think very highly of Elena (Guo Ping) and have found our lessons incredibly valuable for developing my Mandarin. She is professional, thoughtful, and very good at tailoring each lesson to my goals while still keeping a clear sense of structure and purpose. What makes her especially enjoyable to learn with is that there is room to be yourself, have natural conversations, and actually have fun without the lesson ever feeling unfocused. I always leave our sessions feeling energized and like I’ve made real progress. I would highly recommend Elena to anyone looking for a personalized learning experience that is flexible and engaging, while still structured and professional.

Elena has been an outstanding Mandarin teacher for our children. When they first started, neither of my children could carry a conversation in Mandarin—but now, they both speak fluently with extensive vocabulary for their age. This spring, after 2.5 years of studying with Elena, my 11-year-old daughter passed HSK3. Also this spring, my 8-year-old son passed YCT3 after learning with her for less than 2 years. As a Japanese-American family, we never imagined a day where our kids would become fluent Mandarin speakers—and this magic is all thanks to Elena. She is incredibly effective, organized, meticulous, and consistent in her teaching. While she provides structured, formal lessons, she’s also wonderfully flexible, mixing in videos and fun conversations to keep the kids engaged. She is truly a gifted teacher, and we’re so grateful for everything she has done for our children.

Best class ever on italki!! I absolutely love the energy while learning. Thank you so much for an outstanding experience.

Elena is the best. She helps me understand the language and is incredibly patient and understanding, which is especially important for beginners. She constantly motivates me to study, to work hard, and to delve deeper into the language, all while keeping the focus on the most important things. I’m impressed by my progress. Every day, I feel that learning Chinese from scratch to HSK4 (our goal) and achieving that goal is possible. Thank you.

Thank you so much for a very efficient first lesson and active recall too in just 45 minutes!

Elena is very helpful when I make mistakes and patiently ensures I know the meaning and pronounciation.