I met Rita when my wife and I were planning a trip to China. I have a different learning style and I'm in my 70's which made Rita's job very challenging.
Then, I didn't even know how to say 你好 or "Hello" in Chinese.
Rita took the challenge and developed a lesson plan that not only taught me enough Chinese to speak and understand many phrases, but I learned much of the Chinese culture which enhanced my learning experience. She used many creative methods to help me associate what I was learning with the situation.
I was able to ask for a taxi, show the driver an address and say I wanted to go there, order food and ask for tea or water, ask hotel clerks how to find places, and best of all, barter with the street vendors (even if I still paid too much).
Rita prepared a travel booklet for me with English/Pinyin/Chinese words which helped me remember phrases and recognize signs. And her help with my pronunciation had my friends in China commenting that I sounded like a native. read more