About Us
Languages Offered
Our Team
Yo Wang
Founder
Yo grew up in Waterloo Region and began learning Mandarin as a second language at the University of Waterloo. Within several years, he was fluent. Recently, Yo completed a language teaching certificate and has developed English and Mandarin language courses for students in Canada, Europe and across Asia. Yo started First Step Languages to share his love of languages and create new language learning opportunities for language enthusiasts ready to take their first or second step in their language journey.
Victoria Sangmi Lee
Korean Instructor
Victoria Sangmi Lee brings a deep understanding of Korean culture to every lesson. Born and raised in Seoul, Korea, she holds a bachelor’s degree in Piano from Ewha Womans University in Korea and a Master’s in Music Therapy from Wilfrid Laurier University in Canada. She lived in Dubai for five years before settling in Canada. With experience as a freelance event and TV home-shopping host in Korea, Victoria offers exceptional language skills and engaging teaching. Join Victoria on a fun and immersive journey to learn Korean!
Minji Kim
Korean Language Director
Minji grew up in South Korea and moved to Canada in high school. She jumped head first to quickly improve her English in preparation for university. At the University of Waterloo, Minji was the President of the University of Waterloo’s Culture and Language Exchange Club. Since starting university, Minji has taken her passion for language learning and has tackled learning Mandarin and Spanish while also dabbling in French and Japanese. Minji is excited to bring her wealth of experience in languages to help First Step Language Academy design a Korean language program that aims to share and deepen Korean culture and understanding across South-Western Ontario.
Jiwoo Kwon
Korean Instructor
Jiwoo Kwon is a passionate and skilled Korean language tutor. Born in South Korea and having moved to China at the age of eight before coming to Canada for university, Jiwoo loves learning, sharing and exploring cultures and languages. Her diverse background has enriched Jiwoo’s teaching methods, making lessons engaging and insightful. Jiwoo is dedicated to helping students achieve their language learning goals at the First Step Language Academy!
Henry Chang
Business English and ESL Corporate Specialist
Henry is Taiwanese Canadian and has over 30+ years of work experience in different sectors, including the banking and financial industries, where he provided corporate clients with training solutions, supporting clients with their job search, interview preparation, and owning a small business. His teaching and training background includes one-on-one tutoring, providing corporate training, working in a college classroom, and on-line ESL. Through interacting with people from all over the world, he enjoys learning about different nations and cultures. As an ESL teacher, Henry’s goal is to raise your comprehension, vocabulary, and self confidence as an English speaker. He works to understand what English you need, where you use it, and why you need it, You will get to practice your English in a friendly environment where you use different fun and engaging activities. Your success requires ‘practice, practice, and more practice’. Your next step? Join Henry in the classroom!
Ann Gong
Mandarin & ESL Teacher
Ann is from Changchun, China, but has lived in Canada for the past twelve years. During this time, she has fallen in love with learning new cultures and languages. She believes that getting to know different people in the world broadens your perspective, so she dedicates herself to teaching Chinese language and culture to everyone. She is passionate about Chinese food and music, as well as China’s rich history. Be sure to join her class, in which you’ll acquire lots of knowledge and have tons of fun conversations!
Blake Zhang
Mandarin Instructor
Blake is a passionate Mandarin teacher from Beijing, China with two years of teaching experience. Beyond just language skills, he takes delight in sharing the beauty of the Chinese language with both children and adults, weaving in the rich tapestry of Chinese history and tradition. What sets his teaching apart is his appreciation for Chinese calligraphy, adding a unique and artistic dimension to the exploration of the language.
Bowen Ma
Mandarin Instructor
Bowen comes from Anshan, China. He came to Waterloo Region for his master’s degree in 2017. In China, Bowen taught English in his spare time and enjoyed helping others learn languages. Bowen has worked as a broadcaster with the university’s radio station, making him especially effective at teaching students proper pronunciation. Bowen’s love of a diverse range of music and sports makes him a great and fun conversationalist. His experiences and lightheartedness are sure to fill his classes with joy and help his students learn Mandarin!
Marthina Fong
Spanish Instructor
Josh Beedham
Elementary School and ESL for Spanish Speakers Specialist
Born in a small town in southern Ontario. Inspired by the many international exchange students hosted by his family while growing up, Josh has dedicated his life to ESL. After completing two college programs at Mohwak and Fanshawe, Josh moved to Ecuador in 2011 where he opened a local in-person ESL school which has since grown to servicing over 300 students daily. During the COVID pandemic Josh explored the world of online teaching quickly amassing more than 10,000 hours of class time with top ESL schools online. Some of Josh’s interest include football, Pokemon and geography.
Cartia Zhang
Mandarin Instructor
Cartia is a native Mandarin speaker and a certified International Chinese Language
Teacher (CTCSOL), currently working as a part-time Chinese tutor in Canada. With a
background in English Literature and teaching certifications for both high school and
college in China, she has over five years of tutoring experience, alongside a successful
15-year career in the corporate world. Her international business background and
cultural exposure deeply enrich her teaching, especially for adult learners. Known for
her warm smile and positive energy, Cartia brings joy and encouragement to every
lesson. Outside the classroom, she enjoys yoga, hiking, and connecting with people
from all walks of life. Her unique communication style helps students feel comfortable
and inspired while learning Mandarin in an enjoyable, engaging way.
Today and Tomorrow
Our vision for bringing language classes to the world.
At First Step Language Academy, we offer language classes in Waterloo Region for children and adults wanting to start learning or improve their English, Korean, Mandarin or Cantonese.
First Step Language Academy’s mission is to help you take your first, second, or third steps in learning language and journey alongside you until you have reached your desired level of fluency.
We offer in-person classes in Waterloo Region and Guelph, and also offer online classes for students from Southwest Ontario, Toronto, Montreal, New York City and the rest of the world with our online classes!
