Yalan Tsai always carries at least two suitcases when she is heading to teach Chinese. They are stuffed with ‘fun stuff' she uses to engage kids with Chinese--custom animations, art projects and hands-on fun. Yalan’s passion for kids and teaching added to her artistic talent makes her one of the most sought after Chinese teachers in the Bay Area. This book series captures Yalan's spirit and natural connection with kids. It gives flight to her teaching methods and spreads the smile she brings to kids learning Chinese to a broader audience across the US and beyond. Many of Yalan’s teaching colleagues asked how they can get similarly colorful materials for their classes. We are publishing this book to support all Mandarin Chinese language teachers with fun stuff kids love.
Yalan is from Taiwan where she received her Certificate for Teaching Chinese as a Second Language (K-12 Pedagogy program). She also obtained a MFA in Illustration in San Francisco, a skill she enjoys putting to work to keep the classroom fun and interesting for her students. She is also an award-winning children's book illustrator. Yalan's experience includes having taught over 300 American kids Chinese over 15 years. Yalan has two boys, ages 11 & 13 who are proud to be fluent in Chinese and very good with a Chinese yo-yo!
Yalan is leading Curriculum Development for DailyNoodles, Inc. DailyNoodles, Inc. is creating the world’s most innovative and engaging curriculum of digital and hands-on Mandarin Chinese kids gobble up! DailyNoodles' goal is to support kids learning Mandarin Chinese as a second language and their parents, teachers, and schools. We believe speaking Chinese will give kids access to a world of opportunity and help them reach their full potential.