“The best way to learn a new language is by doing something that you enjoy.”
Mary came to Taiwan three years ago from a small town in Paraguay. Upon arriving, she had to adjust to a completely different lifestyle, new mannerisms, and, of course, a new language. While she struggled initially, she was able to master tones in Mandarin by getting plenty of listening practice through doing what she liked – watching Taiwanese TV shows.
To Mary, she believes the best way to learn a new language is by doing something that the person enjoys – whether that’s playing games or watching telenovelas. She began teaching Spanish, math, and history to elementary school kids when she was in high school and continued to tutor Spanish privately. Throughout this time, she made sure to keep learning as fun and easy as possible for her students. “Especially with kids, I always try to teach my syllabus in an entertaining way,” said Mary. “My priority is to make sure the students appreciate the class and that they want to learn.”
Currently, she is studying industrial engineering in college and enjoys reading, dancing, and oil painting during her free time. She enjoys talking about books and TV shows, and she loves learning about the experiences of people from different cultural backgrounds.
Fun fact: her favorite Paraguayan dish is “sopa paraguaya.”
Moonpark: classes by the community 