Research shows that children have an amazing aptitude to learn languages from an early age. Furthermore, according to Dr. Mandy Scott from the ANU, learning two languages before the age of five produces the strongest results.
At Mandarin Stars we agree with this research and are constantly amazed at how quickly children under 5 are able to memorise, repeat and naturally use basic Mandarin vocabulary. According to Dr. Naomi Steiner from The Boston University School of Medicine, this is due to the plasticity of the young brain which is able to adapt, build connections and essentially learn faster with less exposure.
Furthermore, in our Mandarin Stars Playgroup classes, we are always amazed at how children use perfect pronunciation – even building basic sentences with ease! Why not register your child for a free trial class and see for yourself.
Dawna – Founder & Director
B.A. (Hons), TEFL, M.Ed.
As the Founder & Director of Mandarin Stars since early 2008, Dawna has pioneered the Mandarin Stars programs in Australia as a true labour of love. Motivated to create the Mandarin Stars programs for her own children, Dawna and the Mandarin Stars team now deliver our curriculum across Australia and also in Europe.
Having launched Mandarin Stars Online this year, our Mandarin Stars classes are now also taught to children in both regional and rural Australia with plans to also share our program with students across the globe. Passionate about inspiring in our students a love for learning- Dawna’s hope for all of her students is that they can develop the capacity and confidence to communicate in Mandarin, thus connecting with a wider global community… and also engaging with 1.5 billion other Mandarin speakers worldwide!
Stella Zhang
Stella is a lively Mandarin Stars teacher and has been working in education for over 9 years. As a qualified Primary school Mandarin teacher from Beijing, Stella loves teaching Mandarin to children and has also further received a Certificate of Teaching Chinese as a Second Language from Beijing Language and Culture University.
Stella brings a vibrant energy to our Mandarin Stars team and has developed a great rapport with her learners.
Mandy Li
Mandy is a highly qualified Mandarin teacher (in both China and Australia) with over ten years teaching experience. Mandy has a Master of Education (Higher Education) from The University of Sydney and also a Master of Education from China University of Petroleum Bachelor.
Mandy also has a certificate in Teaching Chinese as a Second Language from Sun Yat-sen University Certificate and also a Certificate in Community Language Teaching from The University of Sydney. Passionate about teaching Mandarin and curriculum development, Mandy brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to our Mandarin Stars programming team.
Jin Chang
Jin is a passionate and experienced Mandarin Stars teacher and has been teaching our programs across Preschool to Primary since 2013. Upon graduation from The University of Sydney, Jin joined the Mandarin Stars on a permanent basis within the business operations area for our school and now leads our Enrolments office.
Jin has a Bachelor of Social Work and also has a Diploma of Interpreting (Mandarin-English).