Global LT has teachers around the globe. We pride ourselves on finding the best teachers anywhere in the world. Meet Rachel, a Mandarin teacher at Global LT.
Rachel lives in Taipei City, Taiwan, was born and raised in Beijing, China, and studied at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Rachel has been teaching Mandarin for seven years and got her start with Global LT in 2017. One of her friends in Hong Kong is a teacher with Global LT and suggested that Rachel look into becoming a teacher.
“What I love the most about teaching is connecting and linking with students from different backgrounds. I love to inspire and empower people by teaching and sharing,” Rachel commented.
When asked how she encourages students to come out of their shells and have the confidence to learn a new language, she said that self-disclosure is a good place to start. “Simply to say, I share my own experience of learning Japanese and Cantonese to let them know I also confronted many difficulties when I started to learn. Practice makes perfect. The best way is to repeat, and I encourage them to repeat and try to apply the new work in an actual situation. I tell them that Chinese people like foreigners who can speak simple Chinese even if it is not accurate.”
Because Rachel has such a warm, inviting energy, she has made many friends throughout her teaching career. They often meet in different cities; some have visited her and even attended her wedding!
“My students are all really kind and outgoing. We always talk a lot. During the pandemic and Shanghai lockdown, some talked and shared their difficulties, concerns, and sadness with me. I know as a foreigner and a newcomer in mainland China, it is not an easy thing. A new culture, a new environment, and a totally new language are all challenging things that they have to get used to. I am a very lucky teacher. They trusted me and showed me their weaknesses. I didn’t know how to really help them, but at least I could be a good listener and supporter.”
One of the challenges that Rachel faces in teaching is finding learning materials for some of her students. For beginners, it’s easy to find textbooks, but for more advanced students, it’s hard to teach only using textbooks. “Some of my students don’t like learning through textbooks, and they think it’s boring. So, I need to make learning materials based on their own needs. News, stories, videos, and blogs can all be used as good resources, but it still takes time to prepare. I have to read and watch them first to make sure they’re appropriate, and then I have to select and edit, so sometimes that makes time management difficult for me.”
Learning a new language is difficult. There are different grammatical rules, nuances, and speech patterns to remember. Rachel added, “Learning a new language is also learning a new culture. Understanding the people and the country is important when we learn a language. Repetition is also key – keep repeating.”
“Chinese is a beautiful language. I am always proud of my mother tongue. With this deep love and strong vision, I think I can make my students interested in learning. This keeps me positive and productive.”
It’s clear to us that Rachel is passionate about sharing her love of the Chinese language with her students, but this is what they had to say:
“I really like her and so far lessons are great! And she is always on time too.”
“She is positive and energetic, and every time, I look forward to having lessons with her.”
“Rachel is always prepared, and her lesson is well-structured. She has her own materials. She listens and understands my needs.”
Ready to start learning a new language? Let us know!
This blog post was written by Megan Tully, Marketing Manager.
