Totnes Tutors and Totnes Tuition

Personal Description:
Professionally qualified (DfES number RP 04/31188).

I am a musician, qualified primary teacher (QTS) with a Master's degree in Education, Pets As Therapy volunteer, founder and facilitator at Meta for learning CIC.

My interests in education are in Open Learning, Outdoor Learning, Animal Assisted interventions, Blended learning and helping learners build international links.


As part of a distance-learning Masters degree in association with FUNIBER and the Universidad de León, I carried out an ethnographic action research project using a democratic approach called Community Language Learning. In this approach there is no syllabus or textbook to follow. It is the learners themselves who determine the content by means of meaningful conversations.
It incorporates translation, transcription and recording techniques.

When I am not working I love volunteering, practising ice skating or track cycling with my daughter and also growing an edible garden !

Teaching Experience:
I was born in Madrid where I trained as a primary teacher and classical musician (cello and chamber music).

I worked in Escuelas de Musica in the outskirts of Madrid which are inclusive socially-minded music schools where I taught cello lessons and support the development of the String Department by assisting during orchestra rehearsals. Both adults and children of all ages are welcome to take lessons.

Shortly after moving to the UK I started a part time job teaching Music to 5-7 yo children at the Rowans Prep school in Wimbledon alongside studying a Mater's and working in Adult education- I carried out a 2-year ethnographic action research project at St Luke's centre in Islinghton.

I then applied to a position in Esadst London and started working for Children's language services teaching at several primary schools in Tower Hamlets. My roles were to deliver the MFL primary curriculum; coordinate the implementation of new initiatives in schools ie use of the European Portfolio for language Learning which was being developed between the Council and universities, provide class teachers with CPD training; undertake tasks such as EAL First Language assessments.

After taking maternative leave I trained to become an online tutor and worked part- time for Own Tutors, Clapham.

In 2019 I founded a learning community Metaforlearning Cic where I run Self-Manage Learning programmes for young people.

In my tutoring work I am reliable, flexible and experienced. I have been working in the UK, Ireland and Spain and have experience in exam preparation for the Spanish internationally recognised DELE junior and DELE for adults; Spanish GCSE, IGCSE, Spanish A-LEVELS with AQA, OCR and EDEXCEL exam boards; and IB ab initio and Language B international qualifications. In the past I have prepared young cellists for 1-8 ABRSM performance grades.

Tutoring Approach:
Students set their own learning goals and I assist them in order to map the neccesary learning to achieve them and also by working at the level that they feel comfortable with at each stage of the process.

With young learners I make use of VR, AR and gamification for enhancing engagement in language learning.

If your enquiry is regarding learning for either improving wellbeing, traveling or living in a Spanish speaking country then we will be looking at different learning objetives and skills than for example an enquiry regarding accessing an university of your choice.

I have wide experience supporting international students in understanding and preparing to access Universities in the UK.

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Personal Description:
I am a native Chinese speaker from mainland China, and I have been living in the UK for more than 15 years, working as a Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) and Chinese teacher at a independent school. I earned a PhD in Educational Studies from the University of Manchester in 2015. I have excellent teaching experience in Chinese at all levels, as well as in Maths (from KS1 up to GCSE). I have received positive feedback from my previous students, who have praised my patience, clear communication, and sense of responsibility. Additionally, I have worked as a Teaching Assistant (TA) in a secondary school, where I gained valuable experience supporting young people's learning.

In terms of personality, I am very easygoing, kind, and highly responsible. Since moving to the UK in 2010, I have lived in diverse environments, working with students from various creeds and ethnic backgrounds. This experience has enriched my understanding and appreciation of international cultures and individual differences.

I enjoy travelling and experiencing new things. I have visited several places, including European countries (England, Scotland, Wales, the Netherlands, Switzerland, France, Italy, Spain, Iceland, and Greenland), Africa (Cameroon), South Korea, Hong Kong, and Macau. I love sports, particularly swimming, yoga, cycling, hiking, and horse riding.

Teaching Experience:
I am an experienced and dedicated Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) and Chinese teacher, currently teaching students aged 3-18, including GCSE, GCE/A Level,HSK and YCT(Youth Chinese Test) Chinese, at an independent school in the UK. With about 15 years of experience teaching Mandarin both online and face-to-face to non-native English speakers of various ages and levels in both China and the UK, I have developed a deep understanding of effective teaching methods and the ability to meet individual student needs.

As a private Mandarin tutor, I bring the same level of commitment and personalized attention to each of my students. My extensive experience has equipped me with valuable insights into creating engaging and effective lessons tailored to each student's learning style and goals.

In addition to my current teaching role, I have been a freelance Mandarin teacher since 2012, collaborating with several language organizations. I am also an experienced interpreter and translator, with over ten years of expertise in both written and spoken translation. My background includes working in various sectors, such as business (e.g., 2010 EXPO Shanghai) and education (e.g., translating articles and interpreting at international conferences).

Testimonials:
"I decided to begin learning Mandarin with Yifen over the summer for business and travel purposes.
Given that I was a complete beginner, I was heartened by the friendliness and professional nature of the lessons and was delighted by the flexibility of the lessons.
The way Yifen catered the lessons to my specific areas of interest was very encouraging. It meant I was able to cover a lot more relevant content in the short time I had with her.
Had I not had to move back to University, I would've liked to continue my lessons." Matthew, a former Student

''I had the pleasure of taking my first steps in Mandarin with Yifen. I found her very knowledgeable, understanding, adaptable and extremely flexible to my needs. Only when I travelled to China, I could really appreciate how valuable her teachings were. Before Yifen, I could not understand anything at all. After only a few lessons with Yifen, my ability to understand had greatly improved and I could even venture into dialogues with Chinese people and, lo and behold, be understood!

Yifen's approach is systematic and practical at the same time. She frequently tested my comprehension ability, and engaged me in dialogues, but also illustrated the building blocks of the language, touching on grammar rules and special usage, as needed.
She was always keen on answering any additional questions that might have crossed my mind. She was motivating and an inspiration and greatly boosted my desire to learn more about the Chinese language and culture.
Yifen is a joy to work with and I would heartily recommend her to anyone who wants to approach the study of the Chinese language with a solid, competent and inspirational teacher.

老师，谢谢'' -Fernando, A former adult learner

"Yifen has been my teacher for the past four years throughout my GCSEs and A-levels! She helped me achieve an A* at GCSE and helped me achieve my required grade to get into university! With a lesson every week I was undoubtedly able to rely on Yifen for the support I needed for my work and to achieve the result that I not only wanted, but needed. She would always write lesson reviews and summaries for me to look upon to further improve my learning of Mandarin, and even set me work to challenge me and to push my ability further. I'm so grateful for all the time Yifen gave up for me and definitely wouldn't have been able to adapt and progress my Chinese without her help! Yifen is so helpful, reliable and able to focus on anything you ask her to help you with and I would highly recommend her to anyone who would want to learn or better their Mandarin!"-Bethan, a former GCSE and A-level learner.

Tutoring Approach:
I make every effort to prepare lessons that meet each student's individual needs. I strive to create a comfortable learning environment because I believe a good atmosphere is crucial for learning a language and encouraging learners to speak. Lessons are carefully prepared, incorporating engaging stories and other materials, so you can learn Mandarin and have fun at the same time!

I believe that a good teacher is responsible for meeting students' needs. My work experience has reinforced my belief that it is essential to teach the students in front of you rather than just following a textbook. I endeavour to be an attentive listener, observe, and identify any problems that arise during lessons. This approach helps me find solutions and maximise my potential.

I am passionate about helping my students succeed and am committed to providing high-quality, individualised instruction. If you are looking for a skilled and reliable private Mandarin tutor who can help you achieve your language goals, I would be delighted to work with you.

There are some textbooks I have been using for the learners, such as:
Confidence Chinese Vol. Getting Started
Confidence Chinese Vol2. Living in China
Chinese Made Easy Book1, 2 and 3.
Standard Course HSK
Edexcel Chinese for AS
Edexcel Chinese for A2
Chinese Made Easy for Kids.
Youth Chinese Test(YCT)

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Personal Description:
Mature and reliable Spanish native tutor, with wide demonstrable experience teaching at all levels.

Great ability to easily create confidence in pupils as I do my lessons in a relaxed work environment, based on a good communication.

My goal is that pupils achieve success and I get it with patience, discipline, positive attitude and continuous work.

I also can let you know about any of the following topics,
+ Spanish culture
+ Beautiful and unknown places to visit
+ typical Spanish cuisine
+ flamenco dancing
An all in a very pleasant and affordable way!

Teaching Experience:
Over 5 years. Tutor at home and on-line at all levels, 1:1 or groups.

Wide experience working with children. Key worker at Nursery, and assisting teachers at Primary and Secondary schools.

Run successfully my own Spanish after school Club for seven years.

Recommendations and students feedback available by request.

Tutoring Approach:
The best way to teach is to create a good atmosphere between teacher and students. Confidence and good feedback are essential.

My lessons are personally structured depending on pupil's requirements, needs and expectations.

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Personal Description:
I'm a Chinese girl who is really hard working and self-disciplined. I am a postgraduate in Translation and Interpreting at University of Essex. I did my bachelor's degree in English in China and I was the top student in my class.

Apart from the high levels of enthusiasm and commitment, as I have been trained intensively to be a Simultaneous Interpreter/ Conference Interpreter, I enjoy the advantage of good presentation and speaking manner. It's proven that I have strong teamwork spirit and multitask skills. I can work under high pressure and am able to schedule priorities and perform/delegate accordingly to effectively accomplish tasks at hand. Living in China for 20 years, I can always look at things in new perspective. Culturally I am strongly adaptive since I can smoothly operate in two entirely different environments.

Teaching Experience:
I have tutored some primary school kids on their English course when I was in China. Their class performance was much better after my tutoring. I managed to get a Teacher's Certificate by taking the national exam when I was in China.

I have a real passion for languages and have been very privileged to have had the opportunities to go and live in the countries where these languages are spoken and experience the diverse culture each country has to offer. Teaching is something that I am very passionate about and want to help others have the same opportunities I have been fortunate to have.

Tutoring Approach:
I work closely with my students to customize the most effective one-on-one tutoring solution. I listen. Before designing a module, I make careful observation and evaluate the student's ability. I teach with the most patience.

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Personal Description:
Hello, I am Suzy. I was born in Shanghai and educated at Shanghai Teachers University. I have lived in the UK since 2001.

I specialise in Mandarin Chinese at GCSE and A level. Since 2012, I have taught both Edexcel and AQA exam boards pat private schools and Oxford Sixth Form College. All of my students have achieved Grade 9 at GCSE and Grade A at A level.

I have over 25 years of experience teaching Mandarin to both adults and children.

A few points you should know about me:

• Excellent communication and organisational skills
• Flexible with time allocation for learners
• Able to put learners at ease and help them enjoy the learning process

I hold three enhanced DBS certificates and have completed child protection training, safeguarding adults awareness training, and a diversity in the workplace course.

Teaching Experience:
Over 25 years of experience teaching Mandarin Chinese to both children and adults.
• Teaching British diplomats
• Teaching Edexcel, AQA GCSE and A Level Chinese at private schools
• Teaching private students business Chinese from global companies on a one-to-one basis

Tutoring Approach:
• Excellent communication and organisational skills
• Flexible with time allocation for learners
• Able to put learners at ease and help them enjoy the learning process
• Skilled at challenging students to take responsibility, reach their potential, stay motivated, and develop knowledge, skills, and understanding
• Provides caring, dedicated, enthusiastic, and expert teaching
• Able to identify each individual's strengths, achievements, and current learning situation

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Personal Description:
French lessons with French Native speaker.

Learn with a patient and experienced French tutor based in Reading. I am also a professional translator for French and German.

Passionate about teaching French and German, I have extensive experience teaching Foreign Languages.

I am easy-going and encouraging, but also believe in challenge according to your own confidence, requirements and ability.

Teaching Experience:
I have been teaching French and German in the last 10 years to children, teenagers, and mostly professionals and adults.

Tutoring Approach:
My teaching approach is first and foremost student-centered. I believe that each student grows at their own pace. Therefore my methodology is based on patience, persistence and set on progress.

The material that we will use has a progressive approach and will focus on your needs and interests. Attention is placed on pronunciation, conversation, grammar as well as writing skills if required.

It is suitable for both everyday life or business.

The learning pace is your pace. Just contact me and let's talk French or German together!

Not fussy about timing. Length of the lesson depends on you. I am available mostly evenings and week-ends.

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Personal Description:
I am an energetic and ambitious final year university student with five years of experience in tutoring. Italian is my first language but I am also fluent in English (IELTS level C1).
I have been an exchange student in 2016/17 in England and I obtained my AS levels. The year after I went back to Italy to complete my studies and gain the Italian Diploma di Stato, in which I scored 82/100. I was then back in England to obtain the A-level qualifications and I am now studying at University.

Teaching Experience:
I have 5 years of experience with both children and adults, both face to face and online.
My lessons are very interactive and engaging, and they are all customized based on students' needs. Tutoring is a real passion for me, so I do my very best for each student to reach his or her full potential.

Tutoring Approach:
My methodology is quite structured, but I easily adapt to students' styles and preferences.

99% of the students who come to me want to learn how to talk to people, so I am used to this request. I help them achieve this by ensuring that they know their grammar inside and out, and by supporting them with their speaking alongside it. The more we build on the grammar, the more we can build on the speaking, simultaneously. I have personally designed 4 levels of speaking, so the activities vary based on the level the student is in and build up smoothly.
For students who are interested in long-term tutoring, I often recommend a textbook to use along with my slides. I also make use of WhatsApp to send recordings if the student is struggling with pronunciation.

Most people appreciate the importance of knowing some basic grammar before they can practice speaking, and they are open to trusting me to fill in their knowledge gaps first. Once that's done (usually after 5-6 sessions if you start from zero), I introduce them to my "level 1" speaking practice, which is about describing a picture or something that they can visually see, in short, disconnected sentences. "Level 2" would be to try and get that speech to flow a little bit better by using pronouns and particles to avoid repetition. "Level 3" would be to add a bit of made-up background to that picture. For example, if they see that the table is laid but an object is missing, such as cutlery, they can try and think of why that could be (e.g. the man forgot to put the cutlery on the table). "Level 4" will involve describing procedures or things that they can partially visualize, or that are completely abstract, for example, describing every single action taken to make a cake, or talking about a past holiday. Lastly, "level 5" involves debating about current issues or picking a topic, establishing that we have two different opinions, and the student has to try to convince me of theirs.
These "levels" vary from person to person but it provides at least an idea of how the speech develops alongside the grammar, which is present in every session.

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Personal Description:
I am spanish.
I have been living in London for 20 years.
In my free time i like reading, yoga, going to exhibitions, theatre and travelling.
I am patient, caring and reliable.

Teaching Experience:
I tought Spanish to a couple of English friends.
I was an interpreter for a couple of years with Latin American Charity.

Tutoring Approach:
I support the studend in the learning process by using real life examples.Doing home work and going through corrections. Having some discussion about topics. Reading spanish articles and talking about it.

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Personal Description:
Native Mandarin Speaker & Experienced Mandarin Tutor

Hello everyone, my name is Angel. I am a Chinese citizen living in Nottingham (United Kingdom), working as a professional online tutor. For face to face lessons, these will only be available in Nottingham. Thank you kindly for taking the time to visit my profile.

My formal education is obtaining China's 'National Teacher Certification' in 2018, specialising in teaching Junior Secondary School students.

My career has seen me teaching English in schools in China for over five years, with an additional five years experience of being a private Mandarin tutor in UK. Including online classroom teaching experience for British private schools.

The usual age of my students are from 3 to 16 years old, however I have good experience working with adults. Since early of 2019 I have taught Chinese in person and online across students of different abilities, e.g. Primary, Pearson Edexcel GCSE, A Level, HSK Standard Course, YCT Standard Course, Chinese Made Easy and Adult learners. My focus is adapting to the teaching needs, learning styles and abilities of my students. As of recently, I have enjoyed tutoring my students online during the pandemic.

I had helped over 35 students to prepare their GCSE exam and got good grade privately over the past few years. And five students for Pearson A Level.

Recently I had received some good news from my students those who have attended GCSE and IGCSE in 2024, for Pearson Edexcel GCSE: one student achieved Grade 9, two students achieved Grade 8, one achieved Grade 7; one student achieved IGCSE grade A. I'd like to support more students who wants to prepare for their GCSE, IGCSE or A level Exam.

My skill sets include teaching Mandarin character writing, standard Mandarin pronunciation and proficiencies in Chinese culture. I am excited to put my skills and knowledge to use here UKtutors, for teaching authentic Mandarin to those looking for a Mandarin tutor. I make use of the TPR (Total Physical Response) teaching method, to give my students immersion in the language, attract their attention, with a focus on making the lessons more fun, to let my students enjoy learning a new language.

Through my lessons, I can effectively help young students or adult learners reach their personal goals in Mandarin.

If you want to learn or improve your Mandarin in person / on-line, please contact me. I will respond to you as soon as possible. I hope to help your listening, speaking, reading and writing Chinese in day-to-day life.

Looking forwards to hearing from you.
Thank you. Best wishes.

Teaching Experience:
My career has seen me teaching English in schools in China for over five years, with an additional three years experience of being a private Mandarin tutor in UK. The usual age of my students are from 3 to 16 years old, however I have good experience working with adults. Since early of 2019 I have taught Chinese in person and online across students of different abilities, e.g. Primary, GCSE, HSK and Adult learners. My focus is adapting to the teaching needs, learning styles and abilities of my students. As of recently, I have enjoyed tutoring my students online during the pandemic.

Tutoring Approach:
I start teaching online since early 2019.I had some regular students they have online Mandarin lesson at least once a week, we use new tool to practice what we need to learn. The result turns out very good.

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Personal Description:
I graduated with first class honours in Linguistics and am now studying the historical development of the Latin language for my MRes (Masters of Research). Having studied both English and Latin language I have an in depth knowledge of grammar and syntax in both languages. I also have a myriad of tips and tricks to help make grammar learning a little less daunting!

I can also tutor undergraduate Linguistics (listed under English). I am specialising in Historical Syntax but am able to offer support for a range of other first and second year modules including but no limited to: Sytnax, Semantics, Phonology, Historical Englishes, and English Grammar. I am open to enquiries about modules not listed here.

Teaching Experience:
I have over 3 years of teaching experience with students from year 1 in primary school all the way to first year of undergraduate. Through teaching a broad range of students I have developed a flexible approach to teaching can easily adapt to the needs of a student. My tutoring supplements school lessons by helping the student to develop their problem solving skills so that they are able to tackle those surprising exam questions calmly.

Tutoring Approach:
I like to take an active approach to learning. In my first lesson with a student we focus on past paper questions to identify their strengths and weaknesses. This allows us to formulate a comprehensive plan going forward in order to maximise their revision time. I will work with the student to fill the gaps in their knowledge by working systematically through the syllabus for that topic. For content based material I will get the student to ask questions and tell me what they do not understand, I will then explain the material in simple terms. For mathematical or grammatical (depending on the subject) material I will explain how to do the calculation then run through examples with the student until they feel confident to do it alone. To conclude the lessons I ask students to tell me what they now know about the topic so that they can see just how much they have learnt!

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Personal Description:
I am a goal oriented mature family man focused on results.
I am conversant with the educational curriculum.
I do have good communication skills, strong interpersonal skills and have the ability to motivate children to achieve their highest potential.
I always seek to organise lessons around the student's areas of interest.
I have a Bachelor of Engineering honours degree in Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering.
I can offer both online and physical lessons to students close by.
I am also willing to travel distances not more than 6 miles at an agreed cost.

Teaching Experience:
I started teaching in 2018 specialising in Maths and Physics from gcse up-to A level. I taught full time at two different schools in South Africa before i relocated to the UK 2 months ago and during that time i also had an opportunity to offer private tutoring sessions both physical and online to some students across the globe.
4 years at Taal-net St Johns High school South Africa : age range 11 -18
1 year at Sagan academy International South Africa : age range 11 - 18

Tutoring Approach:
I provide tuition to students using a friendly and relaxed approach to tutoring. My tutoring sessions are customised to meet the specific requirement of each student. Generally, I find pleasure in teaching and I use a combination of computer and 'white board' based approach, for creating informal interactive / discussion type sessions, with some form of regular tests and re-cap sessions.

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Personal Description:
I'm an experienced teacher, artist, writer and traveller with a dynamic and student centred approach to teaching. I have QTS plus CELTA, PTLLS and SFEDI awards and have taught in the UK and overseas in a number of contexts. I can offer English as a Foreign Language, help with English at GCSE and IGCSE, plus support with developing thesis and dissertation writing. For art and design I can offer help at any level above 11, also for portfolio preparation and degree studies. As an artist and curator I've worked with painting, sculpture, photography and moving image with exhibitions and festivals. I've written a number of stories, articles, letters and longer works some of which have been published in newspapers and online journals over the years and I can help with presenting styles of writing.

Teaching Experience:
I've been teaching for over 20 years in UK schools and colleges, also overseas including an IB World School in Wuxi, Jiangsu, China, where I taught English and Art to IGCSE and International Baccalaureate, plus the creation and delivery of Academic English, Art and Design at university in China. Many students went on to study on degree courses in China and the United Kingdom: destinations included the Royal College of Art, Glasgow School of Art, University of Manchester and UCLAN in the UK. Prior to this I taught ESOL in the UK to adults of varying nationalities to C&G Entry 1,2 and 3.

Tutoring Approach:
I try to inspire my students at all times using examples, stories and games which are appropriate to the classroom: these have contributed to a repertoire of techniques I can use in wider fields of life.; these are all qualities I have learned to draw on and develop through teaching. As a person I'm creative, an effective communicator and organiser, quixotic, (I don't give up easily) tenacious, highly perceptive and empathic. I have learned to draw on these qualities as I have progressed through my life as a student, manager, artist and teacher. I try to promote self-worth through encouragement and praise, and breaking down challenges into manageable blocks so that students don't feel daunted by tasks or goals,. I also try to encourage an ambitious and exciting vision where students find their own vision of the world and build on this.

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