Chloe

Throughout my life, language learning has always been present, intentionally or not. I have always been a great communicator with children and with people in general. I began my professional training as a language teacher (French and Mandarin) at the University of Oxford, where I completed my PGCE, and I then gained my QTS in a state school in East London. I now have six years’ experience teaching Mandarin at KS3 and KS4 to mixed-ability classes, including EAL and SEND students.

My lessons are usually delivered through PowerPoint, as it gives students visual support for what they are learning. I follow the British national curriculum for Mandarin, but I can easily adapt the content to topics that are more relevant and useful to my students. With Year 7s, I start from the very basics and gradually move on to topic-based units, which introduce a set amount of vocabulary before focusing on building sentences and introducing key grammar points.

Because I believe culture is just as important as language for truly understanding and learning it, I incorporate plenty of cultural, historical and customs-related facts about China. Depending on the student’s preference, I can adjust how much of the target language I use during the lesson. I also often bring in real-life issues, examples and photos from my own travels as authentic material. I also encourage and recommend that students bring Chinese TV shows, podcasts and music into their everyday lives, so that lessons go hand in hand with an enjoyable hobby. My lessons are engaging and conversational, and I set written homework so that all four skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) are practised.