About Us

Welcome! I am Karen Lees-Tang, founder of Mandarin Tree Chinese school.

I am a qualified Chinese teacher, with 4 years of Chinese language teaching training in the National Institute of Education (Singapore), 3 years of English and Psychology degree training and 16 years of teaching experience in a primary school in Singapore as well as in The Netherlands. The Chinese language is in my blood. Both my parents were Chinese teachers and they are my biggest inspiration.

I moved to the Netherlands from Singapore in 2013 and have since made Haarlem my home. I love how my two children have adopted the Dutch language and culture. However, being abroad made me realise the importance of passing on my knowledge of Chinese language and culture to my children. This is not only integral to their cultural identity but also the fact that Mandarin is the second most widely spoken language in the world. Acquiring a good command of Chinese would give them an advantage in life.

With most of the Chinese schools in the Netherlands focusing on rote learning, I decided to start my own school with a totally different style of teaching. I believe that children learn best through play. For children to fall in love with the Chinese language, it has to be fun, interactive and creative.

I am very passionate about helping children and adults acquire a good knowledge of Chinese language and culture. Whether you are a total beginner or looking to brush up on your Chinese, Mandarin Tree is here to help you. Please contact me to learn more about our programmes.