A Passionate and Fun teacher with a Master's degree in English teaching, PGCE/QTS in Mandarin teaching and experiences teaching in Nursery (Taiwan), Primary school (Taiwan) and Secondary school (UK).

Find out more about Trista

• Do you speak this language fluently because of your origins or because a teacher inspired you to learn?

  I speak Mandarin fluently because I was born in Taiwan.

• Can you name a living, historical or fictional character that you think is the emblematic representative of the language's culture?

  Confucius 孔子, the Chinese philosopher, whose birthday is the same as mine.

• Is there a typical word, phrase, tradition or behavior in the language that you particularly like?

  Respect. Family.

• Why does speaking this language matter to you?

  It's a language that helps us understand how our ancestors were thinking when they created those characters. Each character has its own story, that is the beauty of Mandarin. There is so much wisdom hidden in Mandarin, only if you speak the language can you understand how deep it can go.

• What is the main difficulty in learning this language and what can help the process of learning?

  There's a lot of difficulties, like, the tones, sentence word order and then the characters. By having lessons with me, I can help explain the why and how. Through silly and catchy stories, I have helped a ton of students memorise characters faster and more efficiently.

• Provide a valuable anecdote related to your language learning or your days at school.

  During an English oral exam, I blanked on the word exhausted, so I said, I felt like my energy was completely gone. My teacher nodded and smiled, impressed that I found another way to say it. That moment taught me a key lesson: fluency isn’t about knowing every word — it’s about finding a way to express yourself with what you do know.

• How has travel or a specific trip helped you to increase your skill and knowledge of the language?

  It is not traveling that helps you increase your skill and knowledge, it's the interaction with the local people that helps you understand their way of thinking, their culture and the language.

• What makes you a Superprof in language?

  I had to learn Mandarin when I was very little (now fluent and used as my first language), I was taken care of by my grandparents, they spoke with me, no one knew that I did not speak the proper Mandarin until I had to change nursery for the 3rd time. Therefore, I am very empathetic, patient, and understanding when my students are struggling. I also have a lot of experience teaching young kids Mandarin, I know the common misconception and am able to provide extra support and scaffold.