Hanna, a language learner who improved her teaching skills through learning Chinese, shares insights on the benefits of learning Chinese as an ESL teacher. The podcast explores the advantages of learning another language as an English teacher, strategies for improving language skills through flashcards and conversation, overcoming language learning plateaus, and common misconceptions and challenges of learning Chinese.
Learning Chinese helped Hannah improve her teaching skills and open up more opportunities and income.
Hannah emphasized the importance of finding enjoyable learning strategies, being easy on oneself, and incorporating humor in language learning.
Deep dives
Learning Chinese as an ESL Learner
Hannah from Speak on English shares her successful journey of learning Chinese as an ESL teacher. Starting from her interest in languages, she began learning Spanish and later took up Chinese to connect with her Chinese-speaking students. She emphasized the importance of finding enjoyable learning strategies and being easy on oneself. Hannah also discussed the misconception about Chinese characters and highlighted the significance of using humor in language learning. Her future goals include confidently speaking Chinese, incorporating Chinese into her teaching, and captivating an audience with an opening speech in Chinese.
Overcoming Challenges and Plateaus in Language Learning
Hannah shared her experience of facing challenges and plateaus in learning Chinese and offered strategies to overcome them. She highlighted the importance of finding a learning strategy that is enjoyable and varied, such as conversing with language partners, listening to podcasts, and trying different resources. Hannah also emphasized the need to be okay with making mistakes and to focus on progress rather than expecting perfection. She encouraged teachers to approach language learning with a growth mindset and set achievable short-term and long-term goals.
Misconceptions about Learning Chinese
Hannah addressed the misconception that learning Chinese is solely focused on mastering the complex character system. She stressed that knowing how to write every character is unnecessary and that the ability to read and communicate effectively in Chinese is more important. Hannah encouraged learners to focus on developing listening and speaking skills, as well as finding enjoyment in the learning process. She emphasized the value of connections and using humor in language learning.
Advice for ESL Teachers Learning a New Language
Hannah shared her advice for ESL teachers who are learning a new language. She highlighted the importance of relying on enjoyable learning strategies, such as finding language partners to chat with and diversifying learning resources. Hannah also emphasized the need to be easy on oneself and avoid putting too much pressure on achieving specific goals. She encouraged teachers to explore different methods and to embrace variation in their language learning journey.
Join us as we speak to Hanna (speakonwithHanna) who shares her journey learning Chinese, and how this actually helped her improve not only her Chinese Language skills, but also her teaching skills, opening up more opportunities and more income as a result.
As always be sure to connect with us on Instagram (instagram.com/esltalkpodcast). You can also send your English teaching questions to esltalkpodcast@gmail.com. New Episodes are released each Wednesday. So be sure to join us each week as we continue our English teaching journey!