A Chinese Learning Journey

Starting Point

Indri had some previous experience learning Chinese but relied almost entirely on pinyin for reading and speaking. While she had a basic foundation, she lacked confidence in using Chinese beyond familiar content and had not yet developed strong character recognition skills.

Teaching Approach

To help Indri build a solid and sustainable foundation, we focused on two key areas:

• Refreshing the Fundamentals – We revisited essential vocabulary, grammar, and sentence structures to strengthen her overall language foundation.
• Transitioning to HSK 3 – Once her fundamentals were secure, we gradually introduced Chinese characters and moved into the HSK 3 curriculum. This allowed her to develop reading skills while continuing to improve her speaking and comprehension.

Results

One of Indri’s greatest strengths has been her commitment to revision and consistent practice. She developed excellent study habits, which significantly accelerated her learning progress.

Over the past three years, Indri has:

• Passed the HSK 2, HSK 3, and HSK 4 examinations with excellent results across all levels
• Built strong reading, listening, and speaking skills
• Developed the confidence to learn and use Chinese characters rather than relying solely on pinyin

Her testimonial speaks volumes:

1. “I have been learning Mandarin with Shelley for over 4 years. Shelley is an incredible teacher – each lesson is fun, effective and challenging. My speaking skills have drastically improved and I am now able to have basic conversation with native speakers. I have also learned how to read and now recognize over 200 characters. Before I started learning with Shelley, I thought that being able to speak and read Chinese was an impossible goal but Shelley has made it possible!” – Indri

Continued Plan

At this stage, Indri is not planning to take the HSK 5 examination, as the current HSK 5 curriculum does not fully align with her learning goals. Instead, we have selected alternative learning materials that focus on:

• Expanding her vocabulary bank
• Improving conversational fluency
• Developing practical communication skills for real-life situations

This customized approach ensures that Indri continues to learn Chinese in a way that is relevant, engaging, and aligned with her personal goals.