Xiaolan
Certified Tutor
I am a second-year MSHRM (Master of Science in Human Resources) student studying at Purdue University. I am from China and got my Bachelor of Art degree in China. I've been teaching people Mandarin for a year. Most of my students are first Mandarin learners. I teach them how to speak, read, write Chinese. Some students lean Mandarin for business, others learn Mandarin for the love of the Chinese language. So I teach different students different language content based on their learning purposes.
The subject I tutor is Mandarin. As a Chinese, I've studied Mandarin since I was born. As I majored in English during undergraduate, I studied English reading, listening, writing, speaking.I know the difference of studying English and Mandarin, so I know quite well what problems people may face when learning a new language. And I can teach them not only Mandarin but also the way of learning a new language.
During my free time, I usually do sports activities like playing tennis, badminton and ping-pang, running,and swimming. Besides the sports, I play computer games. The one I have played for years is League of Legends, and I am skillful in playing the ADC, AP roles.
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Undergraduate Degree: Sichuan International Studies University - Bachelors, English
Graduate Degree: Purdue University - Masters, Human Resources Management
Traveling, spending time with friends
- Conversational Mandarin
- Languages
- Mandarin Chinese
- Mandarin Chinese 1
- Mandarin Chinese 2
- Mandarin Chinese 3
- Mandarin Chinese 4
What is your teaching philosophy?
Teaching for me is to help my students learn what they want to learn easily and happily. I will never be satisfied unless my students get satisfied.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
Introduce myself to my student and let the student introduce himself or herself. This will help us to better understand each other, and help me learn the student's interests, what the student wants to learn, and the goal of his or her learning. Then I can start teaching the student something interesting first.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
As I only tutor Chinese Mandarin, I just state how I can help my student to become an independent Chinese learner. I will teach students the basic leaning. For example, I first teach them how to speak and read (alphabet, the tone), and then provide them with the leaning material which can help them study Chinese independently.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
Teaching students the interesting material is one of the best ways to stay motivated. Also, the way I teach can motivate my student. I will not clarify that interesting material and the way I teach here. Just be my students and you'll know.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
I would show the student a video or a cartoon that tells about the skill or concept. A video is a plain way to help the student understand the skill or concept.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
First, I lead the students to go over the reading. I find out if they have problem understanding any of the words because sometimes when students cannot understand one word, they may not understand the whole thing. Then, I explain each sentence to the students. Later, I generally explain the whole reading. And I tell the students some related stories or Chinese histories to help them better understand the reading.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
Communicate first. I introduce myself to the students and get know who they are. Once I know my students, I want to be their friend who teaches them Mandarin, not a teacher who teaches Mandarin.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
Knowing the student's hobbies is the first thing. If they are struggling with the subject, I can teach them something they are interested in and that is related to the subject to get them excited.