Michael
Language instructor with professional writing and teaching experience
Real communication is about understanding how others think; this is the highest form of language learning. Grammar and vocabulary are important, but they must be grounded in the context of cultural considerations, audience expectations, and other elements. Using this holistic approach, my English (ESL) and Chinese curricula are designed to give students a deeper understanding of how each respective language can be used to achieve the desired results. In addition to language instruction, I also offer test preparation assistance. There are many learning strategies that can be applied to maximize the effectiveness of study. In my test prep courses, I will work with you to understand the underlying patterns of each test section and how they can be approached. In the last standardized test I took, the GRE, my scores were: Verbal Reasoning 168/170 (98th percentile), Quantitative Reasoning 167/170 (94th percentile), and Writing 5.5/6.0 (98th percentile). Some of my experience: - 3 years ESL teaching experience in Beijing - 1 year ESL teaching experience in New Jersey via the Cambridge Institute of International Education - 7 years living abroad in the People's Republic of China - 2 years experience professional translation and transcreation at the Central Compilation and Translation Bureau in Beijing Education: BM, Capital University MA in Chinese, Ohio State University Asides language, my interests include psychology, classical music, and computer programming :)