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This page contains many articles I've written over the years in pursuit of learning, reflection, and personal development.
Themes include productivity, wellbeing, teaching, defusing bullying, culture, heritage, facilitation & more.
You will find that some of these posts are originally published on LinkedIn.
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Sumbella
Oct 24, 20201 min read
When you forget which character it is...
Chinese text reads: Ahh... I've forgotten which character it is! The phone shows multiple characters that are pronounced similarly to...
Sumbella
Oct 17, 20201 min read
Just when you thought you learned all the ways to say 'I can' in Chinese...
I have had a few requests for comic style sketches from students, along with some discussions on what's fun and helpful when getting...
Sumbella
Oct 10, 20203 min read
A new belief, and 3 important tools for learning Chinese
Unless you managed to escape the global pandemic this year, you can't have missed how strained tensions between China and the rest of the...
Sumbella
Oct 3, 20202 min read
Teacher = Motivator
“There are no unique messages in this world: only unique messengers” When you’re learning something, you somehow need someone to be...
Sumbella
Sep 26, 20202 min read
Yes, you can. 你可以！
Caption reads: '我的天啊！' - meaning 'Oh my goodness!' I've written before about how motivating, inspiring, and encouraging is such a...
Sumbella
Sep 19, 20203 min read
加油 | Add oil, keep building your skills
Doodle reads: "加油！加油！Jiayou, jiayou - Keep going, come on! Go go!" In Chinese there is a word for encouraging others, called 加油 jiayou....
Sumbella
Aug 22, 20202 min read
"Learn more languages, eat more nan bread"
"孩子，多学语言，多吃囊！" - “My child, learn more languages, eat more Nan bread!" Many years ago, when I first heard my friend's father say this...
Sumbella
Aug 7, 20202 min read
The art of Chinese (and of life) is in the details
My student and I are in a Chinese lesson. We are in the middle of doing a Tingxie (a dictation) and they have written the same characters...
Sumbella
Aug 1, 20202 min read
Time: the greatest sacrifice
Did you know in Chinese, and in English, both languages can talk about time by using the word ’spend’? For example, in Chinese - the...
Sumbella
Jul 31, 20203 min read
How I use speed to teach Chinese characters
“Laoshi I’m FINISHED!” - one of the students shouts out as he throws his pen on the table in victory. I laugh as the other students catch...
Sumbella
Jul 31, 20202 min read
The speed that comes from slowing down
There is a lot of speed that comes from slowing things down. Imagine: I am teaching a lesson in Chinese - it is near the end of a...
Sumbella
Jul 31, 20202 min read
And why you need to meet (Ha)moody's friend: 'Tingxie'.
There is a moment in the early stages of learning Chinese where I will tell my students something along these lines: “Next week, come to...
Sumbella
Jul 31, 20202 min read
Why you need to meet (Ha)moody, a lot.
(Note: the word 'mudi' in this piece is pronounced like the word ‘moody’ in English). I look at my students, all ready and waiting for...
Sumbella
Jul 15, 20202 min read
When my student becomes my teacher
It is early in the morning. The sky is still dark outside, but the screen in front of my face seems far too bright suddenly. I am...
Sumbella
Jul 15, 20202 min read
First impressions, last impressions?
Many fancy quotes often have a nemesis quote to counter it. Life is full of paradoxes. I come across so many powerful quotes that seem so...
Sumbella
Jul 15, 20201 min read
Forever a teacher, forever a student
On teaching/learning Chinese I love teaching Chinese a lot. One thing I love most is when my students make me remember details from the...
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