Today, I’d like to introduce you to one of our students currently in a Chinese language program with us. His name is Ronald, he’s 50, and he is from Birmingham, England. He has been taking private lessons twice a week for over two years with us. He loves doing self-study on the side by enjoying Chinese novels, dramas and films.
Why does Ronald learn Mandarin Chinese with us?
He is particularly interested in Chinese culture. Ronald found good cultural connections and a fun environment in eChineseLearning’s Chinese classes. The teacher not only teaches him how to use the Chinese language, but also has shared a variety of Chinese customs and cultures which make the Chinese lessons so enjoyable for him. For example, his teachers like to introduce Chinese idioms, also called "中国成语 (Zhōngguó chéngyŭ)" during the classes. Ronald is able to learn the Chinese language by studying these idioms, but also learns a lot about Chinese history, morality and work ethic at the same time!
What learning methods work best for Ronald?
Ronald likes to take notes during his Chinese classes. He has a good memory, which has helped him to learn an impressive amount of Chinese vocabulary. Our Mandarin teacher designed a personalized learning method for him. In the class, the teacher will help Ronald practice new vocabulary words by a question and answer routine with limited time, from easy to hard, from simple sentences to long conversations. Practice, feedback, improvement!
Ronald enjoys speaking practice. Therefore, the teacher will lead Ronald with free talk exercises in the class. The topics are built mainly around recent news headlines regarding England and China. Ronald has learned many contemporary Chinese words, such as "唱反调 (chàng fǎndiào)", through this method. For example, to speak modern Chinese, Ronald can now say "My dog always messes up my room. I am really "无语 (speechless)".
However, Ronald needs to improve his listening skills. If the Chinese teacher speaks at a normal or fast pace, Ronald cannot understand the full meaning. In this situation, it’s difficult for students to catch each Chinese word clearly. A good way is for the student to learn to …
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