As a homeschool mom in a bilingual household, this journey is deeply personal to me. My husband speaks English, while Mandarin has always been my language with our son. As someone who grew up speaking Mandarin, creating that same connection for my son has been especially meaningful to me. Like many families raising children away from relatives who speak the heritage language, I became intentional about creating meaningful and immersive Mandarin experiences at home.

Now that my son is in elementary school and truly bilingual, it has been a joy to witness his love for Mandarin and Chinese culture grow alongside him. As he has grown, he has progressed from communicating comfortably in Mandarin to beginning to recognize Chinese characters in the stories he enjoys. His journey has shown me that it is possible to raise bilingual children who not only communicate confidently in Mandarin, but also develop strong literacy skills and a meaningful connection to their heritage.

Long before it became part of my own parenting journey, teaching Mandarin and working with children have been an important part of my life. Over the past decade, I have taught Mandarin in public schools and community-based programs in the U.S., and have also worked in child education settings at international schools in Shanghai and educational institutions in Taiwan. These cross-cultural and cross-age teaching experiences have deepened my understanding of children’s developmental needs and how language is naturally acquired through real, meaningful interaction.

I have a background in Early Childhood Education, Exceptional Student Education, Reading, and ESOL, as well as ACTFL Superior proficiency in Mandarin Chinese. Having grown up in Taiwan and later lived and studied in Shanghai, I have firsthand experience with different Mandarin learning materials, writing systems, and cultural contexts across Taiwan and mainland China. I combine research-based teaching practices with my understanding of child development and language acquisition to design learning experiences that truly meet children’s needs.

Over the years, I have seen children thrive when they feel understood, encouraged, and affirmed. In this kind of environment, children not only build confidence and pride in their cultural identity, but also develop understanding and respect through cross-cultural experiences. Through stories, play, and meaningful real-life interaction, I hope children come to see Mandarin not only as a tool for communication, but as a bridge connecting family, culture, and the wider world.

身為一位在雙語家庭中陪伴孩子長大的媽媽，華語一直和我的家庭與成長背景緊緊連在一起。來到美國後，隨著生活環境改變，使用中文的機會也慢慢變少，我也曾親身感受到，語言在缺少使用的情況下，會一點一點變得陌生。我的先生說英文，而我一直用華語和兒子說話。和許多住在海外的家庭一樣，當身邊少了說華語的親人和中文環境，我也更加有意識地把華語融入我們每天的生活，讓孩子有更多自然使用中文的機會。這份經歷讓我更加珍惜日常中使用華語的時光，也希望中文能陪著孩子一起長大。

如今，兒子已經進入小學，也能自在地使用中英文交流。一路陪著他長大，看著他慢慢愛上華語和中華文化，也看著他從熟悉口語、聽故事，到開始認讀故事中的中文字，逐漸建立起自己的中文閱讀能力，讓我更加相信，雙語學習不只是讓孩子「會說中文」，也能讓他們逐漸建立閱讀能力、自信，以及和家庭與文化之間的連結。

其實，在成為媽媽之前，我就已經在華語教學和兒童教育的路上走了很多年。過去十多年來，我曾在美國的公立學校和社區課程教華語，也曾在上海的國際學校和台灣的教育機構陪伴不同年齡的孩子學習。這些跨文化與跨年齡的教學經驗，讓我更深刻的了解孩子的發展需求，每個孩子都有自己的步調，而語言往往是在真實的互動、交流和生活中慢慢長出來的。

我的教學專業，建立在兒童教育與語言教學的雙重訓練之上。我在美國受過幼兒教育、特殊教育、閱讀教育與 ESOL 的專業訓練，並具備 ACTFL Mandarin Superior 等級能力。多年在上海生活與求學，也讓我深入接觸不同的華語教材、書寫系統，以及台灣與中國大陸不同的語言與文化脈絡。

這些專業訓練與跨文化經驗，讓我能從孩子的發展與學習需求出發，選擇適合他的教學方式，而不是單純照著教材進度走。我會透過故事、對話、遊戲與孩子感興趣的主題，讓中文成為孩子真正理解、使用並享受的語言。

我希望孩子在課堂上不只是「學中文」，而是在自然、有趣且有成就感的互動中，逐漸建立中文理解力、表達力，以及持續學習中文的信心。

一路教學下來，我最喜歡看到的，是原本不太敢開口的孩子，慢慢開始願意說；原本覺得中文很難的孩子，開始發現自己其實做得到。

透過故事、遊戲和生活中的真實互動，我希望孩子不只是學會華語，更能在華語裡找到自信、樂趣，以及和家人、文化與世界連結的方式。

Children learn language naturally through stories, curiosity, and meaningful interaction. For children growing up outside Mandarin-speaking environments, these experiences are especially important, as opportunities to hear and use Mandarin in everyday life may be limited.

Drawing from TPRS, comprehensible input, and Montessori-inspired practices, I design engaging learning experiences with clear language goals. Through meaningful interaction and carefully scaffolded input, children develop confidence, strengthen comprehension, and build a lasting connection with Mandarin.

My goal is to nurture joyful, confident, and lifelong Mandarin learners.

孩子會在故事、探索與真實互動中，自然而然地學會語言。對於成長在非華語環境中的孩子來說，日常生活中接觸和使用華語的機會相對有限，因此，創造自然、有意義的語言環境尤其重要。

我結合 TPRS 故事教學、可理解性輸入與 Montessori 啟發的教學理念，設計兼具趣味與明確學習目標的學習體驗。透過大量有意義的互動與適切的語言引導，幫助孩子逐步建立理解力與表達的自信，也讓華語成為他們真正能使用、喜歡並持續探索的語言。

受蒙特梭利教育理念啟發，我相信每個孩子都帶著與生俱來的好奇心與學習能力。對我而言，教學不是不斷地吸引孩子的注意力，而是為孩子創造一個充滿尊重、支持與適切挑戰的學習環境，讓他們願意主動探索、參與並享受學習。在這樣的環境中，學習的種子便能自然萌芽，逐漸茁壯。

我的目標，是陪伴孩子成為快樂、有自信，也願意持續學習華語的終身學習者。