Student Case: 45min each week and now watch Peppa Pig in Chinese

Background:

Philippa, a British learner based in Oxford, came to me in 2022 after some self-study. Though she had basic knowledge, she needed structured guidance—especially in speaking, pronunciation, and conversational fluency. We began at HSK1 Lesson 8, with just one 45-minute lesson per week—a slower pace that often challenges beginners’ motivation.

Yet, Philippa diligently completed homework and maintained steady progress.

Progress & Current Level (as of May 2025):

• Reached HSK3 Lesson 6 after ~110 lessons.

• Class is conducted almost entirely in Chinese now.

• From last year, I often give her the homework of watching Peppa Pig (without subtitles) and retelling the episodes—a task she handles with ease.

The things she does outside of our online class:

• Use Hello Chinese App

• Watch YouTube videos in Chinese (mostly for learners, but also for native speakers)

• Practise characters with flashcards (using Anki) of words from our lessons, textbooks, and other sources.

• Enjoy listening to Chinese music and watching Chinese series 

Current feelings:

(She wrote to me) Learning Chinese is a hobby for me and a challenge that I really enjoy. Our lessons are structured around the HSK textbooks but we also have conversations around lots of different

topics. Since starting lessons with Helen I am a lot more confident with speaking and reading

Chinese. Helen is very patient, giving you room to speak but also always ready to help.