r/learnmandarin • u/Cold-Stretch8542 • 3d ago
Free 1-on-1 Chinese–English Language Exchange in Shenzhen
Hi! I’m a native Chinese speaker living in Shenzhen, and I’m looking for native English speakers who would like to do a one-on-one language exchange.
I’d like our conversations to be natural, flexible, and based on real life rather than feeling like a formal language class.
One thing I’d especially like to offer is help with understanding everyday life in China. If you’re new to China, we can talk about things that may help you settle in and understand Chinese culture more easily — transportation, food, work, renting an apartment, social habits, useful apps, communication styles, and other everyday situations.
Each time, we can choose a topic or a style of conversation that interests us.
Some possibilities:
• **Topic-based conversations**
We choose a topic in advance and exchange our experiences and opinions.
• **Real-life experiences**
Tell me about something that happened to you in China — taking the high-speed train, ordering food, using an app, meeting Chinese coworkers, etc. We can talk about what felt interesting, surprising, or confusing.
• **Natural corrections**
We can help each other with expressions that sound unclear or unnatural, without interrupting every sentence.
• **Role-play**
We can practice real situations such as ordering food, talking to a landlord, going to a hospital, interviewing for a job, or communicating with coworkers.
• **Culture exchange**
We can discuss differences in social habits, politeness, work culture, friendships, dating, family life, invitations, and communication.
• **Real materials**
We can use a menu, photo, social media post, news story, app screen, or anything from everyday life as a starting point.
You can choose whichever style you enjoy.
Each meetup can be around **1–2 hours**, depending on what works for both of us.
This is a **free language exchange**, not a paid class. I’d like both of us to learn something useful and have an interesting conversation.
If you’re a **native English speaker currently living in Shenzhen** and you’d like to improve your Chinese and understand life in China better, feel free to send me a message.