Hello, I'm Stephanie and I currently live in Canada. I'm looking to learn Mandarin to make traveling around China easier. I love Chinese food so I'm particularly interested in learning vocabulary surrounding food and dining out. Ideally, what I am looking for in a teacher is someone who will provide lesson structure, help ensure I am correctly pronouncing the words with the right tones, and encourage me to feel comfortable practicing speaking. I studied Spanish while in University and I was able to read and write in Spanish but couldn't speak it because the courses did not put emphasis on speaking. I don't want that happen with Mandarin so I'm placing a lot of importance on practicing actually speaking the language. I'd like to learn the basics that will help me get around China while traveling plus extra vocabulary around food and food culture.