Margaret: Riverdale tutor

Certified Tutor

I love studying Mandarin Chinese and I helping students on their learning journey! After I graduated from high school, my love for learning languages took me to join the Army and study at the Defense Language Institute, where I fell in love with learning Mandarin Chinese. Over the last 15 years, I have graduated with a degree in Chinese from Georgetown University, studied abroad at the International Chinese Language Program in Taipei twice, and lived in Taipei for two years. I also spent five years as a Chinese language teacher at a private high school in Texas where I taught Mandarin 1 through AP Mandarin (using both simplified and traditional characters), and took students on summer tours of Mainland China. Many of my students began studying Chinese for the first time in my classes, and have since gone on to study Chinese at universities like UCLA, UT Austin, and Georgetown. Over my years studying and teaching Chinese I have learned a variety of different teaching techniques that I am able to adjust and customize for each learner's individual needs. Learning languages is a long process, and I love to help students find the aspects of Chinese language and culture that excite their imagination and love of learning.

I also love to teach English literature and writing! My second major at Georgetown University was in English, I spent several years as a high school English teacher, I have a master's degree in secondary education from Southern Methodist University, and I am certified in Texas to teach English Language Arts for grades 8-12. As a tutor, I have frequently worked with students on essay writing skills, grammar, and literary analysis. Each student's needs are unique, and I tailor my English tutoring sessions to the needs of each individual learner. The skills students learn studying English will help them throughout their academic career and beyond, and my goal is to make the topics we discuss relevant, memorable, and easy to apply to their current learning.