"I speak standard Mandarin, because I worked with people who coached me in proper Mandarin pronunciation for singing and television.

I appeared on many Chinese TV talk shows and cultural programs, and won first prize in a Chinese language singing contest held by Beijing TV. A Chinese provincial TV station compiled a Mandarin-language mini-series about my experience living in the grasslands of Inner Mongolia. I hosted Mandarin radio programs in China and the US.

I hold a Bachelor’s in language from a Chinese university and an M. Ed. from an American university. The NSA assessed my Chinese listening and reading skills using the Department of Defense DLPT5 assessment. I also achieved a Superior certification on the ACTFL Mandarin OPI.

I read traditional and simplified and have teaching materials for both. Only around 30% of Chinese characters in Mainland China are simplified.

Working in business management in China and Taiwan, I facilitated business translation, interpretation, and simultaneous interpretation in meetings and communications.

I worked as the Associate Director at the Confucius Institute Colorado State University, overseeing curriculum and method for teaching Mandarin. I taught middle, high school, and college level Mandarin.

If you struggle with pinyin, tones, and Mandarin pronunciation, I’m skilled at teaching proper Mandarin phonetics and tones. Non-native speakers should maintain good enunciation and clear tones. It’s critical to avoiding misunderstandings. Your pronunciation will improve, because I’ve helped many learners, at all levels, improve their pronunciation.

I apply natural language acquisition teaching practices and am highly skilled at explaining complexities of learning Chinese without added stress of grammar or jargon.

I also explain important aspects of the culture, mindset, and practices for communicating with the Chinese in simple terms." less...