Meet Mandarin House’s Teachers, Liu Xiao

Name: Liu Xiao (刘晓)
Hometown: Shanghai (上海)
Started Teaching: 2013

What’s your name?

Hi all, my name is Liu Xiao, 刘晓。

What is the meaning of your Chinese name?

My Chinese name has two primary meanings: One meaning is dawn. It implies the morning sun. Warm but not hot. The second meaning is to be a knowledgeable person.

How long have you been working in Mandarin House?

I’m quite new to Mandarin House, I’ve been working here for just over 6 months.

Why did you join Mandarin House?

I like teaching Chinese and I really want to be a great Chinese teacher. Due to the training I have received here I think that Mandarin House is a good place for that.

What do love about teaching Mandarin?

Teaching Mandarin gives me an opportunity to meet students from all over the world and this means I get to have lots of cross-cultural conversations and discussions which I really enjoy. I also enjoy sharing my knowledge of Chinese culture and helping to promote Chinese customs.

What study tip would you give to learners of Mandarin?

Mandarin can be quite a difficult language to learn, so I try to give my students different study tips depending on their situation. Below are four of my top learning tips:

1.Try to associate the spoken word with Chinese character.
2.Say simple sentences whenever you can and grasp every opportunity to practice.
3.Listen to dialogues on your phone and ipad whenever you can.
4.Try to review and practice a little, everyday.

What tip would you give to future Mandarin teachers?

I have a few tips for teachers that I found helped me to communicate meaning:

1.Show your love and care to students.
2.Use drawing and body language to help with meaning.
3.Asks students to keep a diary in Mandarin for more practice opportunities.