Bruce Hsieh

During his study at the University of British Columbia (UBC), he has worked with UBC Chinese Language Program under the Department of Asian Studies for nearly 3 years. In those times, he has gained extensive experience with teaching and guiding beginners in their pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary acquisition, to name a few. He has also been assigned specific tasks in developing learning materials for students at lower/upper intermediate levels.

At the same time, he was working part-time as a Mandarin tutor, and his students have a wide range in terms of age and background.

With a view to improving his understanding of second language education in Mandarin,he enrolled himself in a teacher training course at the International Han Institute, where he successfully obtained a certificate in teaching Chinese to speakers of other languages (TCSOL). In addition to certification, he has taken two comprehensive courses in Chinese grammar as part of the supplementation to his minor in Education (Language Learning and Teaching).

Last but not the least, he is currently working on perfecting the two approaches he takes to teaching the language, namely, cognitive approach & communicative approach, both of which characterize the structure of his teaching methods. A heavy emphasis is placed on communicating ideas and speaking proficiency, while students are not expected to memorize and master the grammar in depth.

He has volunteered in a variety of educational settings to facilitate a language class or to tutor students. His relevant working experience with teaching Mandarin as a foreign language is working as a teaching assistant for an intermediate Chinese course at UBC.

He graduated from UBC and holds a degree in Bachelor of Arts with a major in Linguistics and a minor in Education, Language Learning and Teaching.