Lucy R.

Private tutor in Dublin, Ireland

Education

I have a BA Hons degree in Modern Chinese from the University of Leeds with an extra Distinction in Spoken Chinese. As part of my degree I studied Chinese Language, Chinese Grammar and Readings, Chinese Translation and Composition and Advanced Chinese Communication Skills. At the University of Leeds, the compulsory study abroad semesters in China are in the second year, in contrast to most other universities in the UK sending students abroad in the third year. Studying abroad is famous for accelerating your trajectory of learning and students often come back fluent. In spite of this, most people learning an exotic language like Mandarin Chinese are nervous to move abroad too early for fear of not having enough basic language skills to live day-to-day. Moving abroad in your second year gives you the chance to reach fluency early in your degree and gives you two full years of study back in the UK to develop your base knowledge thoroughly. Studying abroad in your third year gives you the comfort of a slightly larger base knowledge of the language, but only allows you one year once reaching fluency to develop your language skills. Therefore, my choice to study abroad in my second year enabled me to reach a mature level of Mandarin Chinese when graduating, putting me head and shoulders above other Mandarin Chinese graduates from the UK.

Experience

As well as completing my undergraduate degree in Modern Chinese, I have studied, worked and lived in China (Beijing) for three years. I have an excellent command of written, oral and aural Mandarin Chinese as well as a good understanding of day-to-day, colloquial Mandarin Chinese. Having lived and breathed everything China-related for almost 10 years, I have a profound understanding of Chinese culture, history and society. This enables me to provide helpful context when teaching Mandarin Chinese as a foreign language. I have tutor experience for beginners and GCSE-level Mandarin Chinese. I've also tutored adults in a variety of environments ranging from non-executive directors of an international trade organization to youth volunteers in India.

Subject Expertise

Mandarin Chinese, Mandarin Chinese 1, Mandarin Chinese 2, Mandarin Chinese 3, Mandarin Chinese 4, SAT Subject Test in Chinese with Listening

Availability

Weekends, Weekdays

Can Meet

Up to 20 minutes away at my regular hourly rate

Hobbies

I’m lucky enough to have travelled extensively, driven by my passion for learning new languages and cultures. I also love sports and being outdoors; I’ve climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro and to Everest Base camp, competed in a few triathlons and spend as much time as I can on my bike. I try to inject some of this energy into teaching – Mandarin Chinese is a lively and exciting language and is best tackled with plenty of enthusiasm! I'm also passionate about volunteering and have been involved in a number of projects offering support to vulnerable people in my native UK and abroad. Examples of my experience in this field include a poverty alleviation project in rural southern India and most recently volunteering in Greek refugee camps. Volunteering teaches me patience, empathy and top notch communication skills (often in environments where language is a big barrier!), all of which make me a more effective tutor. I'm now studying a master's degree in Race, Ethnicity, Conflict at Trinity College Dublin.