Meet Your Teacher: Ssu-Yu 老师 lǎo shī

I have a strong passion for teaching Mandarin, a language that has captivated me since childhood due to my admiration for Chinese literature. Furthermore, having grown up in Taiwan, I learned to recognise many characters early on by watching subtitled TV. This experience reinforced my belief that linking sounds with images strengthens language learning—an approach I now apply in my teaching. On the other hand, I am an approachable and patient educator, fostering an interactive and inspiring learning environment. Additionally, I would like to inspire Mandarin learners with one of my favourite Mandarin idioms, 心想事成 [xīn xiǎng shì chéng], meaning ‘everything you wish for will come true.’ This idiom resonates with me as it embodies my belief in the power of intention to achieve one's goals. In addition to language, I also enjoy traditional Chinese painting and calligraphy, which I integrate into my lessons to connect language with culture.