Hi, I'm Angela and I'm an American-born Mandarin speaker just like you.
I'm a second-generation Taiwanese-American, avid language learner, and founder of Real You Mandarin. I've spent the past 5 years exploring my Asian-American identity by hosting the But Where Are You Really From? Podcast, and through the past 3 years of being a digital nomad living in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan, I've become more attuned to not only the cultural differences of east and west and how that shapes our values and outlooks on life, but also the importance of language in showing your truest self to the world and those around you.
For many of us children of immigrants, we grew up speaking our mother tongue at home, but either never had formal education in that language, or stopped at an early age. We never learned the necessary vocabulary to express ourselves as adults or navigate our motherland societies alone, and often had culture clashes with our own families trying to explain why our values and wants for life are so different having grown up in the west.
I was frustrated feeling like I could never fully express my opinions or world views in the same way I am able to in English, and felt compelled to create Real You Mandarin to help people like us unlock our true selves. But being an American-Born Taiwanese (ABT) myself, I knew I couldn't do it alone. So, I teamed up with Mandarin teachers with strong western understanding to co-create the course offerings you see today. Read on to learn more about the partner teachers who helped bring our courses to life.
(For those wondering about the "avid language learner" piece, I speak the following languages in descending order of strength: English, Mandarin, Spanish, and Japanese.)
Partner Teacher:
Crystal Hsia (Real You Mandarin: Self-Expression)
Crystal is a native of Taiwan, a language educator, and teacher trainer with over 12 years of experience. She specializes in helping American-born Chinese (ABC) and American-born Taiwanese (ABT) learners reconnect with their heritage through personalized Mandarin instruction. Her journey began as a residence assistant at OCAC’s Mandarin summer camp (Loveboat), and since then, heritage learners have remained at the heart of her work.
Crystal also serves as a Program Specialist at USC, where she develops professional learning programs for K–12 educators focused on East Asian content. As a Duolingo ambassador, she hosts casual community language events — often featuring her homemade Taiwanese snacks. In her free time, she enjoys playing badminton.
Partner Teacher:
Jane Liu (Real You Mandarin: Beginnings)
Jane is a native of Taiwan who brings 5 years of experience teaching Mandarin to students globally. Raised in Taiwan but having lived in Australia and Europe for several years, she offers a special blend of Taiwanese heritage and Western perspectives.
Jane is a lover of living life outdoors, and can be found surfing, camping, and cruising in her beloved camper van across Taiwan to see all the beauty that the island has to offer.
Interested in working together to build a future course?
If you have Mandarin teaching experience, are relatively fluent in English, and are comfortable navigating eastern and western cultures, I'd love to connect and see if we're a good fit for building out future course content together. Drop me a message below to introduce yourself!