Information About Jun - Birmingham teacher

Personal Description:

Hello! I am from Shanghai and I have taught English for over 15 years. I have also tutored English and Mandarin, and have lead a curriculum design team at a successful startup business. I speak fluent Mandarin, English, and of course Shanghai dialect. I have a huge passion for learning and teaching languages, and my hobbies include painting, singing, and watching funny videos.

I wasn't my English teacher's favorite student even though English was my best subject. I used to challenge him on his pronunciation and his teaching approach, which we as language learners sometimes found confusing. I didn't meant to be rude at that time, I was just very confused by what he taught and hoped that he can teach in a way that meant we can actually learn.

However, I was definitely one of my Chinese teacher's favorite students! Not because I was good at it, but because he could find and acknowledge each student's individual strengths, and this helped me to learn to enjoy learning and keep going when things aren't so easy. And that's the best way to encourage students.

Teaching Experience:

I started teaching English to children in a language school part-time in 2005. This is where I first started on my lifelong journey of developing teaching knowledge and skills. I then became a trainer in an education company in 2007, where I travelled around China to train English teachers how to teach English to young learners.

In 2009 I returned to my previous school as a senior teacher. I was responsible for managing and training local and foreign teachers, and also for supporting senior management to increase profits.

In 2013 I left and started my tutoring career because I didn't feel comfortable teaching at a school at which the main focus was money, not education. I've been tutoring ever since, until 2021 when I moved to the UK with my husband.

In 2015, I was headhunted by an app-based education startup in Shanghai, and accepted the role of Education Director. From 2015 to 2019, I lead my team in designing and developing a whole new curriculum for young learners. By the time I left the company in 2019, the Jiliguala app had become one of the most popular learning tools in China, with more than 30 million users.

Teaching Approach:

Language learning is structured with receptive and productive skills - Listening and reading, and speaking and writing. Every learner has different strengths, learning styles, backgrounds, and interests, so I combine different approaches to teach different students. I spend a lot of time to design my class based on how my students learn and I use various academic resources and learning materials that are available online or I create myself in my classes. I will do all I can to achieve the learning targets that my students and I make together, focusing on critical thinking, creativity, and self-development.