Our story

Why We Built Little Lantern

We started Little Lantern because, when we looked at Chinese learning resources, we just felt like something was missing.

There are loads of great tools out there, but everything feels scattered. You read in one app, make flashcards in another, use a browser extension to look up words, then go somewhere else for grammar or listening. We wanted to see what would happen if all of that could live in one place.

We also wanted to focus completely on Mandarin Chinese. A lot of language learning platforms have to work for 10, 20 or even 50 different languages. We're only building for Chinese, so we can spend time on the things that actually matter for Chinese learners. Hanzi, pinyin, tones, pronunciation, stroke order, sentence structure and all the other little things that don't always fit neatly into a general language app.

And Little Lantern really is just the two of us.

One of us came at it from learning Chinese, the other from teaching it. We had an idea for the kind of platform we wished existed and decided to try building it ourselves.

We don't have a huge team or millions in funding. We're figuring things out, building things we think are useful, throwing away things that aren't and slowly trying to make Little Lantern better.

There's still a lot we want to do, but that's kind of the point.

We just want to build a place that makes learning Chinese a little more interesting and hopefully a little easier to keep coming back to.

If you support Little Lantern in any way, thank you. It genuinely means a lot to us.

Meet the team

Co-Founder & International School Chinese Teacher

June (Tan Jie)

Experienced in teaching HSK 1–6, IGCSE, YCT, and more

HSK 1–6IGCSEYCT Developing ChineseExam prepConversation

Hello! I'm June (Tan Jie) from Guizhou, China. 🇨🇳

I'm an International School Chinese teacher with over 5 years of teaching experience. I have experience teaching HSK, IGCSE, YCT, Developing Chinese, and other Chinese courses, working with students from HSK 1 to HSK 6 of different ages and backgrounds.

Whether you're learning Chinese for exams, work, travel, or simply as a hobby, I'd love to help you achieve your goals. Every lesson is personalized based on your current level, learning style, and interests, so you can learn in a way that is both effective and enjoyable.

My major is Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages, and I hold the following qualifications:

  • Chinese Teaching Qualification Certificate
  • Certificate for Teachers of Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages
  • Mandarin Proficiency Certificate (Level II, Grade A)

I can help you improve your pronunciation, grammar, conversation, listening, reading, and writing. Whether you're a complete beginner or an advanced learner, I'll support you step by step with practical and engaging lessons.

Outside of teaching, I enjoy singing, volunteering, dancing, cooking, fitness, and arts & crafts. I also create Chinese learning videos on YouTube — feel free to search for tanjiejune to explore my content and get extra Chinese listening practice.

I'm patient, friendly, and passionate about meeting people from different cultures. I look forward to helping you on your Chinese learning journey. See you in class! ^-^

Co-Founder & Product Lead

Jack

Mandarin learner, platform designer, and creator of interactive learning tools

Mandarin LearnerAround HSK 5Product Design Learning ToolsContent ProductionTechnology

Hello! I'm Jack from the United Kingdom. 🇬🇧

I'm the co-founder of Little Lantern Chinese, where I focus on designing and building the platform, developing learning tools, structuring courses, and turning June's teaching expertise into engaging digital lessons.

I've been learning Mandarin for around three years and have reached around HSK 5 level. I'm now working towards HSK 6. I can use Mandarin in conversations and read intermediate-to-advanced learning material, but I still remember exactly how confusing Chinese felt when I first started.

As a learner myself, I understand how frustrating it can be when explanations are too technical, examples feel unnatural, or learning materials don't clearly show how Chinese actually works. That experience influences everything I create for Little Lantern.

June brings the knowledge and experience of a professional Chinese teacher, while I bring the perspective of someone who has personally worked through many of the same challenges as our students. We work together to make each lesson clear, practical, visually engaging, and genuinely useful.

My professional background is in data engineering, analytics, and technology, and I hold a first-class degree in Mathematics. I use these skills to develop Little Lantern's interactive features, organise its learning content, improve the user experience, and explore better ways for students to practise Chinese.

Outside of Little Lantern, I enjoy fitness, reading, creative projects, and continuing to improve my Mandarin.

I hope Little Lantern gives learners the kind of clear, enjoyable, and thoughtfully designed resource that I wished I had when I began learning Chinese. Welcome to the community!