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
James “Jake” Keim is a German language instructor with a passion for language, culture, and literature. He graduated from the College of Charleston with a Bachelor of Arts in German and English, concentrating in Creative Writing.
During his time at the College of Charleston, Jake was actively involved with CisternYard Media, where he served as Managing Editor and later Editor-in-Chief of Miscellany, the college’s undergraduate literary magazine.
Jake has spent time in Germany further developing and refining his German language skills and deepening his cultural understanding. For the past five years, he has been teaching German to both children and adults. Teaching has been a rewarding experience for him, as it allows him to share his enthusiasm for language and culture while helping students build confidence in their learning.
Outside of teaching, Jake enjoys reading and music, and he loves exploring cultures through language, literature, and film. He is excited to share the German language and culture with his students and inspire curiosity and confidence in their language-learning journey.