Andreas Laimböck 周浩辰

LTL Founder

Where are you originally from?
Austria and Germany.

What are your teaching qualifications?
I’m not actually teacher, but I am a qualified HSK examiner.

How long have you been with LTL?
Since the very beginning! LTL started in a little coffee shop in the CBD of Beijing with myself and Tina!

What favourite item did you bring and why?
A football. I am a big football fan and like to watch Beijing’s local football team play… even more so when we are playing against Shanghai.

Favourite colour?
Blue and yellow, you’d have guessed it from the LTL logo!

Favourite Chinese dish?
Málà xiāng guō 麻辣香锅 is amazing. Nice and spicy with a large variety of things in the pot! Yummy.

Where is your favourite place to go in Beijing?
There is a little square between the Drum and the Bell Tower in Beijing. Go there after the tourists have left. Sitting on the steps of the Bell Tower with a cold beer. A great place to wind down after a busy day.

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
Beijing! Here I am!

If you could have dinner with anyone in the world, who would it be and why?
Sidney Rittenberg. He came to China as a US soldier in the 1940s and stayed until the 80s. I would love to hear his stories.

What is your top tip for people learning Chinese?
Speak, listen and experience Mandarin every day. Don’t speak English. Immerse yourself into a Chinese language environment. All these things combined are a recipe for success!

Tell me something about you that would surprise me!
I actually failed English and French in high school and had the lowest Mandarin scores of my class at university. There is no natural gift to learning a language, just hard work.

What is your favorite place in China and why?
Pingyao 平遥 is lovely. It was China’s financial capital during the Qing dynasty and today is an incredibly well preserved old Chinese town, about three hours by train West of Beijing. It’s a really wonderful place to go.

Alexander Krasnov 朱兆风

LTL School Director

Where are you from?
I’m from the south of Israel.

What are your teaching qualifications?
I have a Masters in Ancient Chinese Literature. I am not a teacher.

How long have you been working for LTL?
2012

We asked everyone to bring their favourite item, what item did you bring and why?
I am obsessed with learning languages so my phrasebooks!

Favourite Chinese dish?
回锅肉 Huiguorou (Twice Cooked Pork).

Where is your favourite place to go in Shanghai?
Korean BBQ restaurants are the best.

If you could have dinner with anyone in the world, who would it be and why?
Generally I enjoy discussing languages with other successful language learners and learn the various methods they use. So anyone who I can speak different languages with!

If you could be any animal, what would you be and why?
I think we live in an amazing world, and being human allows us to enjoy it the most! So I wouldn’t change a thing!

What is your top tip for people learning Chinese?
Be consistent! Start studying, don’t give up!

Tell me something about you that would surprise me!
I’m able to converse in over ten languages.

What is your favourite place in China and why?
Beijing and Shanghai, I have many friends in these two cities and it’s hard to pick them apart!