TutorMing

TutorMing may appear to be a newcomer to the Chinese-learning arena, but it has been in operation since 2008 as a subsidiary of iTutorGroup, a language-learning and edtech company.

Live 1-on-1 teaching with a native Chinese tutor, using PPT presentations of words, sentences, and graphics. TutorMing's Chinese courses are 45 minutes, with time for a Q&A session with your Chinese tutor at the end. You'll also receive a small questionnaire about your Chinese-learning requirements and interests, which will help them better match you with appropriate classes. TutorMing also offers free downloadable flashcards, free Chinese-learning apps, and a comprehensive Chinese language and culture blog that covers a wide range of topics. These materials are updated on a daily basis via social media.
Anyone with a TutorMing account can also log in and participate in free weekly webinars on hot themes in the Chinese language and culture. The webinars follow the same format as the regular sessions.

The live Chinese classes at TutorMing are held on their own platform, which is similar to Skype. In the virtual classroom, your Chinese tutor will join you. Surprisingly, the camera is one-way, which means your tutor cannot see you even though you can see them. According to the TutorMing website, this "helps protect [the student's] privacy." Each class will introduce you to new vocabulary words and sentence patterns. Your tutor will show you how to practice using those new vocabulary words in the new sentence you learned.

You get access to a few resources for review once you finish your lesson. The vocabulary bank was quite helpful because it included audio samples for each new word. You will be given a set of homework problems to help you review. You can also watch a video recording of your lesson at any time to examine your tutor's pronunciation of a term or refer back to if you have trouble with the homework tasks.

• Rating: 4.7/5 stars
• Cost: $12 ~ $17 per class, depending on the subscription package
• Pros:
  • Expert native Chinese teachers
  • Uniquely developed course curriculum
• Cons:
  • Slightly expensive
  • Long commitment
• Enroll here: https://www.tutorabcchinese.com/