Nowadays, students are facing increasing pressures from schoolwork and exams. Learning can easily come to feel like a chore to them. When they sit in class, they often become passive learners who drill by rote without reflection.

However, learning should be an active process. This is especially the case when it comes to learning Chinese. This is a living language with social relevance, which is used every single day. Therefore, it is important for students to relate their Chinese learning to real-life experiences.

In my class, I create scenarios to help students better understand and use the language.  By organizing stimulating activities such as role playing, storytelling and various language learning games, students’ interest in learning is aroused. As reading is an essential part of learning Chinese, I encourage my students to read as much as possible and then to share what they have read with their classmates in creative ways. By doing so, students are not only motivated to read, but also reflect on what they learn from books.

Also, I value my students as individuals, which is especially important in small group classes. In my lessons, I pay attention to my students’ individual needs. I give them time to reflect in class and also encourage them to speak up when they do not understand. In some cases, when I realize students have special requirements in learning, or teaching goals are not reached as I expect, I am more than willing to listen to my students, to adjust my teaching to what works best for them, and to go the extra mile to serve their needs.