Annie: Rome tutor
Certified Tutor
I am a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, with a bachelors degree in Chinese and Psychology. I am in love with both of these subjects, and hope they both play an active role in my career and life. My goal within the next two years is to earn a Masters degree in a psychology-related field, such as social work or counseling.
Currently, I am a tutor for Mandarin Chinese. I learned most of my Chinese while living in Taiwan for a year and a half, 2013-2014. During that time, I would spend many hours every day interacting with native speakers. It's the best way to learn! Practice, practice, practice.
Last year, I had the chance to spend the summer studying in Tianjin, China. It was a summer filled with adventure, new experiences, and even some romance. I love the Chinese language and culture, and am very happy to have a chance to share in that interest with you as we learn Chinese together.
Some of my other interests include.. music! I love listening to and singing along with music. I've even tried my hand at writing songs on the guitar and ukulele. Over the summer in China, I enjoyed going out to the plaza by the river, or to the busy square downtown, to play and sing for the passers by. I also am recently getting into Julia Child, who is famous for making French cooking manageable for the humble American. I'm reading her book about living in France and attending cooking school, and I also enjoy watching her TV show. In fact, I'm going to make one of her recipes for lunch today. Wish me luck!
Connect with a tutor like Annie
Undergraduate Degree: University of Wisconsin-Madison - Current Undergrad, Chinese, Psychology
Chinese language and culture, folk music, ukulele & guitar, Julia Child, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Conversational Mandarin
- Languages
- Mandarin Chinese
- Mandarin Chinese 1
- Mandarin Chinese 2
- Mandarin Chinese 3
- Mandarin Chinese 4
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
We will get to know each other and find out what we have in common--interests, goals, past travel destinations, whatever. It's important for me to have a feel for who you are so I can make our tutoring experience the best possible. We'll also discuss your Chinese level--background, current level of study, goals for the future, etc.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
I will provide a lot of opportunities for you to take risks and try to figure something out on your own before I jump in and help. Making mistakes, having moments of hesitation, not knowing what to say--these are all important parts of learning a second language, so don't worry! As you feel more accustomed to those "uncomfortable" moments, you'll be more prepared for independent learning.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
Setting monthly, weekly, and daily goals are a great way to keep track of your progress, and stay excited about working hard. Accomplishing those goals, even small ones, will give you a sense of empowerment that will help you keep moving forward.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
Breaking a difficult concept down into manageable parts is very important. Relating the new concept to more familiar concepts can helpful, so you can see how it fits together.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
As a Chinese tutor, reading comprehension has the potential to be the most difficult task for some students. I would help the student pick out parts that they do understand, and identify the missing pieces, then gradually learn those unfamiliar words/phrases until the whole passage is easier to understand. Keep in mind that you do not have to be perfectly literate to understand the main points of a reading passage.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
Establishing trust and expectations are both very important so that we both know that we are on the same page and can work together toward the same goal. For example, if your goal is to ace your next Chinese test, then we would focus on different things than if your goal is to practice for a trip to China.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
With language tutoring, interaction/conversation is a key tool to not only learn the material, but also to find out what the student does not understand.