IN a lively restaurant scene, a freelance tutor of Malay descent drew the attention of Chinese diners while teaching a virtual Mandarin class.
In a TikTok video, tutor by the name Nora Fairy captured the attention of a group of Chinese patrons at a nearby table, who were intrigued by her virtual Mandarin lesson.
As soon as she finished the class, one of the diners finally spoke up.
“Your Mandarin is good! What kind of students are you teaching?”
She explained that her students are Malay and attend SJKC schools, noting their impressive progress in learning basic Chinese reading.
He then asked, “Are you a teacher?” to which she replied, “I’m a freelance tutor,” before adding that she also teaches at a religious school, covering Cambridge Mandarin Chinese during the day.
“Your Mandarin is really good!” he adds, as she modestly replied, “It’s nothing special.”
The video garnered over 2 million views on TikTok, and this light-hearted exchange not only showcased her dedication to teaching but also highlighted the connections formed across different cultures as they conversed entirely in Mandarin.
Several comments expressed approval of the video. CahayaBeta noted, “Nowadays, many Malays are able to speak Mandarin, and private schools, including religious schools, offer Mandarin classes alongside other foreign languages.”
Arylily@eily added, “This is Malaysia. I love seeing Malays who can speak more than one language.”
Meanwhile, MimieOmar shared, “My cousin, after SPM, was sponsored by the Ministry of Education to study in Beijing for about four years. Now, she is a Mandarin teacher at a secondary school. I’m proud to see our people (Malays) becoming Chinese teachers.”
