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Mandarin Chinese made easy, and ESL for all!
Jennifer G.

5.0 (59 ratings)

155 hours tutoring

Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee
Hourly Rate: $50
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About Jennifer

Bio

Hello!
I'm Jen.
The tutoring services I offer are Mandarin Chinese Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening; and ESL (English as a second language) for non-native speakers. I believe I am uniquely suited for these areas because of my education and experience.
I graduated from the University of Illinois @ Urbana-Champaign with a BA in Chinese Language and Culture. I lived in China for almost twelve years, and have mastered Mandarin Chinese along with some other Chinese dialects.
I have 19...

Hello!
I'm Jen.
The tutoring services I offer are Mandarin Chinese Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening; and ESL (English as a second language) for non-native speakers. I believe I am uniquely suited for these areas because of my education and experience.
I graduated from the University of Illinois @ Urbana-Champaign with a BA in Chinese Language and Culture. I lived in China for almost twelve years, and have mastered Mandarin Chinese along with some other Chinese dialects.
I have 19 years of teaching experience, including transition tutoring, IELTS/TOEFL training, business English, US History, pronunciation and speech therapy, private tutoring, multimedia lectures, adult education, and teacher-training. I did transition tutoring for two years at Edison Middle School in Champaign for 9 Chinese immigrant children who needed native language tutoring in all of their subjects, as well as intensive English to prepare them to join their peers in classes taught by American teachers. I have trained teachers and offered speech therapy/pronunciation courses at China's Southwest Normal University in Chongqing, taught US history (in Mandarin) for an adult education program at Yunnan University in Kunming, completed a three-year contract at Zhaotong Teacher's College which included Business English, Listening Comprehension, Oral English, and Tourism English, and most recently, through Wyzant's platform, I have tutored Chinese exchange students and working professionals in Chinese and English. I have also offered IELTS/TOEFL training at private schools in Chongqing, Sichuan and Yunnan, taught English at several kindergartens (part-time), and tutored many Westerners (American, British, French) in Mandarin Chinese.
I enjoy teaching pronunciation because this aspect of language is often overlooked by other teachers. I take pride in sounding completely native when I speak Chinese, and several people upon meeting me for the first time were surprised because they assumed I was Chinese over the phone. I can help any student

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Education

U OF I Champaign
Chinese

Policies

  • Tutor’s lessons: In-person
  • Hourly Rate: $50
  • Travel policy: Within 40 miles of Springfield, IL 62703
  • Lesson cancellation: 6 hours notice required

  • Background check passed on 10/1/2018

  • Your first lesson is backed by our Good Fit Guarantee

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Approved Subjects

Chinese

Chinese

I have a B.A. in Chinese language and culture from the U of I, and I've lived in China for 11 years. Areas of expertise include: Mandarin Chinese speaking, Putonghua, Beijing dialect, Kunming/Yunnan dialect; reading, traditional and simplified characters; writing, Chinese calligraphy, simplified and traditional; and listening, Putonghua, Beijing dialect, Sichuan dialect, Chongqing dialect, Kunming/Yunnan dialect.
Grammar

Grammar

Grammar is absolutely essential in language learning. Think of it as the glue that holds your meaning to the words you use. I have found that you can operate with a limited vocabulary as long as you know how to explain things. For this you need grammar. Grammar is also all-encompassing; you need it for all four aspects of a language: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. My focus is not to overload you with terminology and sentence diagrams, but to teach language in chunks. Some words and phrases just go together naturally, and occur quite frequently in those groups. I will teach you to identify those groups when you read and listen, and to produce them in writing and speech. If you learn to think of a language in phrases and ideas rather than single words, grammar begins to come naturally. You know you've got it when incorrect grammar just starts to "feel" wrong. From there, everything else really is a piece of cake!
Proofreading

Proofreading

Proofreading isn't just for editors and publishers; it is an essential skill for anyone who writes! If you are a student or someone who needs to write at work, you must have proofreading skills. Spell-check can only do so much... Being able to check your own work and avoid mistakes will ensure top grades and efficient communication. I can train your eye to spot the most common errors, not only in spelling but also grammar, word usage, and punctuation. With real-world practice, proofreading can become second nature!
Reading

Reading

The main reading skills are comprehension, speed, and critical evaluation. Sometimes reading comprehension can hinge on a tiny word or phrase, such as "and vice versa", or "in some circles". You can't miss those, or you will misunderstand the point of the material. Studying these phrases in context will improve comprehension. Reading speed is also a skill I can teach you- scanning and skimming can come in handy when the amount of material is too large. Reading for knowledge and reading for pleasure are two very different things, but I've found that if you start by learning speed reading skills with fun material, you can move faster when you get to the academic material. As well with critical evaluation, starting with familiar material is essential. With me you will learn to identify exactly which part of an author's views you disagree with or are skeptical of, and practice note-taking to sum up your ideas. The ability to read is truly a great gift that will keep giving all through your life!
Study Skills

Study Skills

It's amazing what having the right study skills can do to improve grades and knowledge retention. Having a "plan of attack" before going to a lecture or reading a textbook chapter can help you stay organized and focused during learning. Study skills are also critical for practice and review of learned material. Some tried and true study methods I'm a fan of include knowing how to make efficient use of reference materials such as dictionaries, glossaries, bibliographies, and online sources; breaking down material into chunks or timelines by doing chapter outlines and bullet lists; making flashcards for vocabulary; shorthand for note-taking; and skimming to find main ideas and key words in text. There are too many study skills to list here, and each student may use a different combination to reach their goals.
Vocabulary

Vocabulary

Learning new words can be fun! In many educational situations, memorizing lists of vocabulary words can be dry and boring, but it doesn't have to be. By learning new study habits and retention methods, you can make vocabulary fun and interesting. Vocabulary retention by association and practice is just one method. The study of word roots, prefixes, and suffixes will give you the tools to deduce the meaning of each new word you come across (and give you the ability to make up your own silly words!). Other methods particularly useful in ESL and foreign language are songs, flashcards, rhymes, and memory games. I can not only help you learn the words you need now, but also give you the tools to learn on your own in the future!
Writing

Writing

The subject of writing overlaps with spelling, vocabulary, and grammar and can be the trickiest thing to learn for some. I take the gradual approach: first, learn the art of penmanship; then learn to take notes and make lists; after that, move on to writing in complete sentences; next comes writing notes, texts and e-mails; lastly, you can begin to use sentence chains to form paragraphs and longer passages. I've taught at all levels, and can also help refine a student's academic writing or prose.
ESL/ESOL
TOEFL

Examples of Expertise

Jennifer has provided examples of their subject expertise by answering 7 questions submitted by students on Wyzant’s Ask an Expert.

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Ratings and Reviews

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5.0 (59 ratings)
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Reviews

An amazing tutor

Jennifer G. is the most amazing tutor I have ever met. She initiates contact with our student's teachers; asks for lesson plans, books and worksheets; researches and studies the material; and gives our student life application techniques so he can learn in a way that works best for him. Her follow-up is also in-depth. I would highly recommend Jennifer G. to anyone looking for a tutor. She is also fluent in Chinese.

Alicia, 59 lessons with Jennifer

Enthusiastic teacher

My daughter loved her first Mandarin lesson with Jennifer. She left very motivated to practice what she had learned. Will definitely continue with lessons. Highly recommend.

Gwen, 74 lessons with Jennifer

Jennifer is an excellent tutor.

Jennifer is an excellent teacher. She has been my English teacher for the past six months and my English has improved a lot. She is also fluent in Mandarin. She is patient and systematic in her teaching. She prepared the learning materials carefully before she started a class. I recommend Jennifer as an excellent teacher both in English and in Mandarin.

Xin, 10 lessons with Jennifer
Hourly Rate: $50
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