#1 Ranking Japanese & Mandarin Language Class in Brisbane. Five-star testimonials from our students.
Lyrebird Language Center is a community school based in Brisbane. Whatever your reasons for learning Mandarin (Chinese) and Japanese language, we are here to help.
Term 4 (5 Oct – 8 Dec) Classes are open for registration:
Elli is the most incredible language tutor I’ve ever had. I started off our Mandarin lessons as a complete beginner and already I feel greater confidence speaking Mandarin than I do speaking Russian (which I’ve studied for three years now at university). She just really gets to the crux of every linguistic challenge and gives such simple explanations and instructions to help — all the while being the most patient and encouraging teacher in the world. I’ve only been studying with Elli for the better part of a semester, but I know already how indispensable she is to my learning, and I look forward to studying under her tutelage for years to come. She is the warmest, wisest teacher, and really does go the extra mile every single lesson. You’re wonderful, Elli! 🙂
GIVERNY RYAN
September 20, 2018
undertakes tutoring with Lyrebird on a weekly basis. We have found them to be friendly and professional, and they definitely help our son with his school Japanese language studies. And not only do the lessons enhance his learning, but he has a lot of fun as well.
Dare Power
June 04, 2023
The teacher has been teaching my children Mandarin for over 7 years. We could not be happier with the results. She has a genuine desire to see her students succeed and goes above and beyond for them. She also demonstrates a genuine love of language teaching and her enthusiasm leads to a wonderfull learning environment.
We cannot recommend Elli highly enough.
ANDY
June 30, 2016
The teacher has been a great teacher! I started with a 10 week term, and have chosen to continue until the end of the year! Very patient and understanding, she teaches practical and relevant language skills, and is very supportive. I would highly recommend Elli to anyone wanting to start learning Mandarin!
LILY
June 07, 2016
My son has been paying for my Japanese class for almost year. We have been having so much fun. I'm actually surprised how well my old brain is picking up such a complex language. I can't wait to try it out in Japan. 😀. Sensei Ken is doing a great job of teaching a beginner with a person who is a way more advanced.
Sandra Bevan
October 12, 2022
I highly recommend the Sunday Children’s Japanese class. The Sensei is amazing and has a really great method of teaching children – somehow she manages to get children working really hard while also, really enjoying an hour long class. In a short space of time, I have seen a great improvement in my children’s japanese as well as their study habits. If you have primary school children and wish to complement what they already do at school, this is the class to target – a superb Sensei whose energetic, hardworking, patient, sets high expectations for the children and is most entertaining as well. 5 stars from us!!!
CHRIS
February 16, 2020
My daughter has been studying Chinese at HSK1 level and now HSK 2 with Ken for almost 12 months and has enjoyed the course and the tuition immensely. Ken is an excellent teacher with vast experience, and I have total confidence that my daughter is getting the best tuition in Brisbane. After our school removed Chinese from their curriculum offering, we started group classes with Lyrebird and haven’t looked back. I would recommend this school to anyone who is wanting to learn Chinese for pleasure or to support their formal studies. Elli is also a wonderful teacher and supporter.
Alisa Cork
May 09, 2020
Elli is an excellent teacher and my 8 year old truly enjoys her classes. I am so impressed by how much she has learned in the last 12 months of lessons. Elli focuses carefully on learning to write Chinese characters and correct pronunciation and I can definitely see the value in this.
Zoe
June 03, 2020
Ken is very friendly and patient. He puts you at ease whilst challenging you with every class. I have really enjoyed the classes, the semesters go by surprisingly quick! I am looking forward to next semester!
Ana Rivera
September 08, 2022
Outstanding results - our child got full marks for HSK2. Highly recommend Lyrebird Language Centre for Chinese lessons.
A Matthews
November 26, 2022
I take my six-year-old granddaughter, Savannah, to Chinese lessons every Sunday morning run by the Lyrebird Language Centre. The capacity for future Australian’s to be fluent in more than one language is critical for our ongoing success as a nation. Further, the economic importance of China is just going to grow as we move forward. We will not be able to interact meaningfully with China unless we understand its language and culture. I have been delighted with Savannah’s teacher, Elli, for two primary reasons. First, Elli has real empathy for her students and secondly, sets a rigorous standard for success. Homework is delivered each week promptly following Sunday’s lesson, and it is realistic and engaging for students to get their teeth into and succeed. I can highly recommend Elli and the Lyrebird Language Centre.
Michael Edward McManus
November 03, 2020
Taking classes with Ken at Lyrebird Language Centre has been a great choice. The classes have been ongoing, following the school term and the lessons follow the HSK courses which gives a beginner some structure and direction.I've sat in many classrooms and I can tell that Ken is a talented teacher who understands the different ways people learn. The classes support real practice and progress.Lyrebird creates a great learning environment that facilitates group learning and a study group that can grow together. It has been fun to watch each other slowly progress and keeps us all motivated. I recommend it for serious students or for a fun hobbie.Thank you Ken🙂
Nick Vallis
March 06, 2024
Ni Hao! Learning Mandarin was very dauntinting initially but through the Lyrebird Language Centre and my Laoshi (teacher) Ken , I am now able to converse in simple functional everyday sentences.
I'm a 53 year old grandma so if I can learn - you can too! Following the easy steps of the HSK workbook and text book and audio files, step by step you will build the language and grammar bricks to build a solid language base.
This is a safe space where you won't feel embarrassed about speaking Mandarin. There is no shame. Only encouragement. A super experience and I highly recommend them. Xie Xie!
Jenny Bevan
November 26, 2021
I have studied Chinese with them for over three years and really enjoyed the experience and learned a lot.
Sturt Stenhouse
May 15, 2023
I've been having weekly online tutoring sessions with Ken at Lyrebird Language Center to help improve my Chinese conversation skills and to study for the standardised Chinese Proficiency Test (HSK). Lessons are fun and I feel that my skills have improved greatly since I started. Very good that we can have these online as I live in a rural area. Can highly recommend.
Mikael Doverhag
July 26, 2021
100% recommended this place for learning Chinese! Teacher Ken has supported me through my learning journey and has given me the confidence I need for speaking mandarin 🙂
Kirra Stuart
April 05, 2022
Lyrebird and Elli have been wonderful. We returned from the US and our eldest Hamish (14) wanted to learn Mandarin despite not having studied the language. Starting in term 4 we engaged Elli for private tutoring and Hamish achieved a B+ and a personal email from his teacher commenting on how helpful his tutoring was in bridging the gap. We highly recommend Lyrebird!
REBECCA BARWICK
December 06, 2020
My 7 yo daughter has finished her first term of beginner Mandarin with Elli. It’s been an amazing time watching my daughter go from zero language skills to complete sentences. She has enjoyed the new skill and now loves trying to translate the Mandarin characters that are on the shops in the Valley Chinatown. Elli is a committed teacher and loves to teach. The class sizes are not too big and everyone is very friendly. I highly recommend Elli’s classes.
AVRIL BOWIE
I took on the daunting task of teaching introductory Japanese, with no Japanese language experience myself. I required personalized and intensive tutoring. I found this at Lyrebird Language Centre. I now feel confident to continue my studies and to teach the basics to my students. I feel very supported; knowing that Lyrebird Lang. Centre will assist me with my studies and with any questions, I have in the future. This ongoing and personal support is amazing and I am so thankful to have found such a wonderful tutor.
JODIE SPRINGHALL
January 16, 2018
Our Mandarin teacher has many years of teaching experience which has enabled her to adapt to meet the changing needs of the students as they progress. We focus on speaking using common sentence patterns. This class would suit the needs of those who wish to learn Chinese for either travel or business.
CATHERINE
August 19, 2017
The teachers are warm and empathetic language teachers and use the HSK accredited teaching standard. My little guy now getting big, studied mandarin for some years before joining Lyrebird each Saturday and I am very impressed! The program is organised and thorough with a focus on speaking and listening and using mandarin but does not neglect reading and writing. I was glad of this as I believe, having seen my son that children from non Chinese backgrounds do not struggle with characters the way adults from non Chinese speaking backgrounds do. Our family goal is for my son to be able to read and write HSK accommodates all these things! I do not have a Chinese background and it is a relief to place our child with quality teachers and not worry about the standard of teaching and if its acceptable in china. Above all his is not resenting a small amount of time early on Saturday and is enjoying it! That is half the battle,
J Carstens
May 22, 2021
Ken and his colleagues have been teaching our daughter for close to a year now. You can tell that they are clearly dedicated to the individual success of all their students and want them to advance. Our daughter thoroughly enjoys the lessons, but more importantly, has shown that she is using her learned skills outside of the class room and in everyday life.
Ken & team – thanks as always. Keep up the great work and we look forward to many more lessons to come 🙂
Thomas
May 14, 2020
I am so happy to have found Elli as my tutor!!
After attending a 3 month mandarin course at University I struggled to even introduce myself in mandarin and lost faith I’d ever be able to learn the language. However, after just 2 lessons with Elli I felt much more confident in my speaking and writing. Now over 10 lessons in with Elli I could not recommend her more highly. I look forward to learning from her for many years to come.
If anyone is thinking of trying to learn a language I would strongly suggest booking a lesson with her, you will not regret it.
RACHEL
January 10, 2019
I started with Mandarin HSK Level 1 and loved it, and have now moved onto Mandarin HSK level 2. The classes are nice and small so you really get that one-on-one learning allowing you to get the best practice and support. Ken is a great Mandarin teacher and very patient. I would recommend Lyrebird Language Centre to anyone who wants to learn Mandarin.
Zoe
June 06, 2020
Teacher Elli is very passionate in teaching children mandarin! Under teacher Elli’s teaching , My 6 yr old child has shown interest in mandarin and even requested me to play Chinese songs at home and he could even sing along. He is able to understand so much more mandarin and recognise simple Chinese words within these 2 months of learning! Definitely worth our effort and time in waking up early and bringing him for the classes!
Rei Lee
June 18, 2023
My wife and I began attending a beginners adult Mandarin class at Lyrebird Language Centre on Saturday mornings this year. We pass the children’s class on the way to our classroom and they seem to enjoy themselves. We have attended one other language school before and have found the HSK program this school uses to be a superior approach, appropriately structured and logical for our learning. Our teacher, Ken, is a native speaker and he does a wonderful job of guiding our learning. He is personable and relatable, gets to know our strengths and weaknesses and kindly helps extend where we are at. Being adult learners, he is patient and understanding of our schedules and paces us accordingly. There are a few other students in our class and we are enjoying the journey with them. We love the cultural insights we earn along the way and how much fun classes are. We highly recommend this school for adults. 😁👍🏽
Reuben Kwong
December 01, 2021
I was trying to teach myself Japanese with online courses and not really getting anywhere, so I started a 10 week beginner Japanese course and it’s just fantastic. The teacher Elli is very patient and willing to explains over again until it clicks. I would recommend this course to anyone wanting to learn Japanese!
JORDIE
August 24, 2016
My child has done Mandarin before, but they always felt it was a bit of a chore. They are enjoying Elli’s class so much more than their old class. The instructions Elli gives are very clear, and my child is making much better progress and consolidating their learning because of her clear expectations and positive reinforcement. As a non-Mandarin speaking parent, I appreciate that the homework is very clear! I am also pleased that under Elli’s guidance they are working towards passing formal assessment – my child finds this much more motivating as we have few opportunities to practice Mandarin conversationally.
Kris
May 11, 2020
The Mandarin classes with Ken are very comfortable and fun. The class ratio is ideal and I always leave having learnt so much. I look forward to continuing my journey with Lyrebird.
ASHLEY SABAMBA
February 17, 2020
I highly recommend Elli to anyone looking for a Chinese teacher for their kids. My son who is 4 years old used to show resistance learning a new language. After starting lessons with Elli, I could see obvious improvement. More importantly, he is not resistant to learning Mandarin anymore and in fact looking forward to Elli’s class every week. I truly respect Elli’s dedication and love towards teaching.
MAY NA ERNG
August 26, 2018
I received my first Chinese lessons with Elli as a birthday gift. I didn’t stop since. Elli is a genuine person and a great teacher. She adapts her teaching to my specific needs and personal interests. Highly recommended!
JEANNE
May 08, 2018
I highly recommended Elli as your Chinese tutor. She teaches my 2 kids,9 and 6 years old and I find her very patient, and strict on her class. She ensure all kids participate and understand what she teaches in the class. Her follow up homework also very helpful and comprehensive. Overall,I am very impress with my kids performance and Elli is my preference mandarin teacher for kids from all ages.
Abby
May 14, 2020
My daughter has had a passion to study both Japanese and Chinese throughout her secondary years. Over time, particularly in regional areas language programs have been reduced due to a lack of student numbers. Enjoying the languages and cultural elements my daughter decided to continue to be able to utilise these languages in future employment. We have found the Lyrebird support extremely beneficial to her senior studies. The teachers are knowledgeable, supportive and flexible with classes. My daughter also enjoys working with other students who share the same goals to complete HSK and JLPT courses for recognition of language skills.
SHARYN-ANNE
February 28, 2021
After attending the Mandarin class for one semester, I walked out of the test centre aceing the HSK 1 exam! Ken is a wonderful teacher, and I can’t wait to start another semester with Lyrebird and keep moving towards my HSK 3 goal!
BO BORUNGEL
October 01, 2019
A great language school and fun Japanese course. Ellie is very accommodating to all levels and different paces of learning.
Jed M
June 05, 2023
I have studied Chinese with them for over three years and really enjoyed the experience and learned a lot.
For people who need to learn Mandarin or Japanese at their own pace, we offer intensive or weekly private tutoring to ensure you can reach your goal in the most effective way. Read here to find out if a class or private tutoring suits you.
Language training is one of the best skills for your employees. We have tailored company training programs for different industries: tourism, real estate, league and export. For more details, please visit our Mandarin & Japanese company training courses.
Translation:
We believe not all translations are the same. We do not translate words-to-words, we pass your message to your Chinese customers or Japanese clients in a language that they can understand. For more details about our English-Chinese translation services, please visit Translation.
About Lyrebird Language Centre
Set up in 2008, here at the Lyrebird Language Centre, we see you as individuals with individual needs. We understand the sometimes frustrating process of learning a language, however, we also understand the rewarding feeling you get when you do master it. That is why we base our Mandarin and Japanese courses similar to the way the lyrebird can mimic its surroundings, by making it part of your everyday life. Using this process you will soon find it effortless, simply second nature.
We specialise in teaching Chinese (Mandarin) and Japanese. Our students are from 4 years old to 90 years old. Small class, great fun!
We received excellent feedback on Google Review. If you want to know more about our Chinese & Japanese classes in Brisbane, please read the feedback from our students.
Lyrebird Language Centre Review
Our Campus:
Aspley Campus:
We have been teaching Chinese and Japanese classes at the Aspley State School for many years. The classes are on Saturday (8:15 – 12:00) and Sunday (9:30 – 12:30) for all levels. We have classes for preschool kids, primary school students, high school students and adults.
Easy to park at the drop-off zone on Horn Road and attend the classes inside the library.
Zoom Campus:
Most of our adult Japanese and Chinese classes are now online. You can now join our Japanese or Chinese classes on Zoom from anywhere, saving your traffic time and parking fees.
We also offer discounts for students from regional areas. If your school doesn’t offer Chinese or Japanese, we can help you create an online class. Contact us.
“A Journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” [Chinese proverb]
