Sounds: English has several consonants that Mandarin does not: 

• • /v/: As in "very." Chinese lacks this voiced labiodental fricative.

  • /θ/ and /ð/: As in "think" and "this." These are the voiceless and voiced dental fricatives, which are absent in Chinese.

  • /ʃ/: As in "ship." This voiceless postalveolar fricative has no direct equivalent in Chinese.

  • /ʒ/: As in "measure." This voiced postalveolar fricative is also not present in Chinese.

Syllable Structure: Mandarin has very strict syllable structure. Most syllables in Mandarin are open (consinant-vowel) with no consonant at the end except a few nasals.  In addition, Chinese does not have consonant clusters.

Tones: Mandarin is a tonal language, with four tones.

Cultural Considerations: In Chinese culture, students treat teachers with a great deal of respect.  They may hesitate to question a teacher’s authority.  They will also hesitate to ask directly for help or indicate a lack of understanding; teachers should be sensitive to nonverbal cues. 

Try to avoid criticizing your Chinese students in front of peers; this can result in a perceived loss of status. 

Chinese parents are expected to be very involved in their students’ academic career.  They have high expectations for success, which can lead to high academic pressure.