Lena

I am a native Chinese and I come from northeast of China - Chang Chun, where the first movie and car were made in China, and it also has the most numbers of the universities in China.

I came to the UK in 2007, and I feel grateful and joyful to experience this dynamic culture and to meet many interesting and decent people.

I love food, music, movies, and spending time in nature. I am interested in healthy living and different cultures, I like to visit and explore new places, meet people, and most importantly, to serve others with the skills and talents I have.

Tutoring Experience

I started teaching Mandarin in 2002 where I volunteered to teach 7 western teachers at Jilin University, where I studied in China, and I gained my first teaching experience.

A year later after my graduation I went on working for Dao Hang Language Institution in China as an English teacher. I taught both children and adults, and from then I realised that each student had their own unique way of learning, and teaching should be tailored according to each individual's need.

I also provided Mandarin lessons to corporate staff whist working as a PA in GE and Philips in China.

After settling in the UK, I started providing private lessons from October 2009 and I taught in schools, companies, and individuals in London and Cambridge. I helped students achieved their GCSE/AS/A2 levels, and currently I am preparing a student for his HSK exam, and another student for his GCSE exam in 2022.

I have been receiving positive feedback from my students, and as a result, some of them increased their weekly lessons with me.

In 2021 I was recruited by Cambridge Assessment as an examiner for the Mandarin subject.

Tutoring Approach

When it comes to learning a language, if we watch the way how a young child is learning, he/she spends most of the time listening first and then imitating, and with the language environment, he/she flourishes. This is the most natural approach.

When it comes to learning a new language as an adult, I know (because I have done it and I have seen others done it too) that within each one of us we still have the potential to activate that part of the brain which allows us to acquire and absorb the new language subconsciously, or simply put, to have a feel for it!

In my lessons I usually combine listening, speaking, reading, and writing activities. My students submerge in a lot of listening and speaking at the early stage of the lessons, and then we move onto reading and sometimes storytelling, depending on the age group. I do my best to understand each of my students' learning needs, goals and interest and tailor the lessons by increasing certain activities, along with Chinese culture and customs explained.

We do have a touch on grammar too, but not in a sense trying to memorise them, it is rather as a guidance.

I believe Mandarin or any language can be easily acquired through this natural approach with time and effort, and I will be here with you taking every step on this amazing journey!