Melissa M.
Private tutor in Chicago, IL
Education
World Language Education Major at DePaul University, Tshingua University Language Major, HSK level 4 (International Chinese proficiency exam)
Experience
Hello! My name is 茉莉， but you can call me Melissa. I have been studying and speaking Mandarin for six years now. For two and a half of those years I was working in China as an ESL teacher, a private English tutor, and I even did some editing for a Chinese-English travel magazine. As a teacher, I worked for English First (EF) language school and for a handful of private elementary schools. I also attended Tsinghua University in Beijing, where my concentration was Mandarin. Having lived in the north and the south of China, taking residence in Shanghai, Guiyang, and Beijing, meant having the good fortune of experiencing the vast differences in culture that occur from place to place. With over 30 different minority groups and dialects, there is always a learning experience right around the corner. I have traveled extensively throughout the country from the tropical islands of Sanya near Vietnam, to the terracotta warriors of Xi'an, the sacred yellow mountian in Anhui and Mt. Emei in Sichuan, walked on the Great Wall, and even taken the train as far as the Gobi desert and rolling Xilamuren grasslands of Inner Mongolia where I lived in a yurt and rode camels! In these and the other cities I traveled in, I made a point to volunteer whenever possible whether it was a welfare home, orphanage, or soup kitchen, I tried to make myself useful. I absolutely fell in love with the Chinese language, history, China's culture, its people.....and the food! Once I started traveling I couldn't devour the information fast enough. Whether it's eating mooncakes during Mid-Autumn festival, visiting ancestral tombs with my Chinese family in Guiyang during the Tomb Sweeping festival, wrapping dumplings for the Chinese new year, learning about Chinese mythology, or mastering the art of cooking my favorite eggplant dish, I love it all. The only thing I love more than learning about China is teaching others about China and sharing with them the beauty of this beautiful culture. As a language student myself, I understand the difficulty that comes with learning a language so vastly different from our own. This is why I pride myself on the fun and inventive tutoring style that I tailor to each individual student. I love how different all of my students learning styles are, because they keep me on my toes and keep me interested as a tutor when developing individual teaching plans.
Availability
Weekdays after 5PM, Weekends at any time
Can Meet
Up to 30 minutes away for a flat fee, Up to 45 minutes away for a flat fee
Hobbies
My hobbies include motorcycle riding, gardening, cooking, traveling, and so on....let's just say I like to keep things interesting.
Show More
Inquire About This Tutor
Thanks!
Most tutors respond within 48 hours.
Feel free to contact other tutors while you wait.