Teacher - Yen Hsin Yick
Celebrating Excellence: Ms. Yen Hsin Yick
Ms. Yen Hsin Yick has been an integral part of our school community for over 30 years, inspiring generations of students with her unwavering dedication and passion for teaching. Her remarkable contributions to education have recently been honored with the prestigious Overseas Compatriot Outstanding Teacher Award Gold Medal, a recognition of her outstanding impact on cultural preservation and education.
This exclusive interview offers a glimpse into Ms. Yick’s incredible journey and reflections on her decades-long career.
我在維德孟華中文學校的教學心得
Yen Hsin Yick’s reflections on teaching at
Monmouth Fidelity Chinese School
Yen Hsin Yick is the M1 teacher at Monmouth Fidelity Chinese School for 2024-2025.
Photo Credit: Edmund Lee
Q: 您教書多久了？您是如何進入教學行業的？
Q: How long have you been teaching? How did you get into the teaching profession?
A: 在1993年因為送孩子上中文學校， 在當時上中文學校的學生非常多，學校急需家長能夠投入學校的行政或教學工作。因為自己對教書的一份熱忱, 毫不猶豫地就進入孟華中文學校的教書行列，沒想到 一待就超過了30年，也經歷過學校的變遷，從早期的孟華中文學校到維德中文學校至目前的維德孟華中文學校，更榮幸在二零二四年的九月十五號獲得中華民國僑務委員會頒發的服務僑校任教屆滿三十年證書及金質僑教榮譽章.
A: In 1993, when I first enrolled my kids in Chinese School, many students were attending at that time, and the schools urgently needed parents to be able to participate in school administration or teaching. Because of my enthusiasm for teaching, I did not hesitate to join the teaching staff of Monmouth Chinese School. Throughout my career, I experienced the many changes and relocations of the school, from the early-era Monmouth Chinese School to Fidelity Chinese School to the current Monmouth Fidelity Chinese School. I never imagined I would stay for 30 years and be honored with a certificate for 30 years of teaching in an overseas Chinese school and the Overseas Compatriot Outstanding Teacher Award Gold Medal issued by the Overseas Community Affairs Committee, R.O.C (Taiwan) on September 15, 2024.
Q: 這份工作你最喜歡的部分是什麼？您在教學生涯早期面臨的最大挑戰是什麼？您認為有哪些特別有效的教學方法或策略嗎? 根據您自己的經驗，您會給今天剛開始工作的語言老師什麼建議？是什麼促使您從事漢語教學？
Q: What is your favorite part of this job? What was the biggest challenge you faced in the early stages of your teaching career? Do you think there are any particularly effective teaching methods or strategies? What motivated you to engage in teaching Chinese?
A: 談一下自己的教學心得，一直以來我都認為做老師要具備有「三心」，哪三心？ 那就是「愛心」、「耐心」和「恆心」，缺一不可。我教的年級大部分都是幼稚班和低中年級的同學，這種年紀的小朋友都天真無邪非常的可愛，他們守秩序也很聽老師的話。這使我更有一種使命感，一定要把這些小朋友的中文基礎教育教好。想要提升同學們的中文程度，如果只靠老師是做不到的，家長的態度和積極參與是非常重要的。我也很慶幸家長們都很願意配合，一起努力，謝謝你們。
A: Regarding my teaching experience, I have always believed that to be a teacher, you must have three “xin” (心): “ai xin”(愛心)-love, "nai xin"(耐心)-patience and "heng xin” (恆心)-perseverance. All are indispensable. Most of the grades I teach are Kindergarten and Lower to Middle Grades. The children at this age are innocent and very cute, but they are orderly and listen to the teacher. This gave me a sense of a mission to properly teach these children fundamental Chinese education. If you want to improve your students' Chinese proficiency, you can't do it by only your teaching; parents' attitude and active participation are very important. I am grateful that the parents are willing to cooperate and work together, so I would like to say to them, “Thank you”.
Q: 根據您自己的經驗，您會給今天剛開始工作的語言老師什麼建議？
Q: Based on your own experience, what advice would you give to a language teacher just starting out today?
A: 每次開學前我都把要教的課程規劃好，家長按照老師每週規定的作業，陪着孩子一步一步的去完成，每次練習一個新的生字，家長一定要注意他們的筆畫順序，使學生養成良好的習慣。每週的錄音功課也很重要，這也可以糾正同學唸錯的字和發錯的音，我也常提醒家長們要多鼓勵孩子，以增加孩子們學習中文的興趣。
A: Before the start of each school year, I plan the lessons I teach. Parents have to follow the teacher's weekly exercises and accompany the children to complete them step by step. Each time I teach a new word, parents must pay attention to their stroke order, so that students develop good habits. Audio recording homework is also very important, which can also correct students’ pronunciation and tone accuracy, and I often remind parents to encourage their children to increase their interest in learning Chinese.
Q: 中國文化對您來說意味著什麼？您認為為什麼在社區中傳播中國語言/文化的意識如此重要？
Q: What does Chinese culture mean to you? Why do you think it's so important to spread awareness of Chinese language/culture in the community?
A: 在經濟全球化和中國迅速崛起的大環境下，讓我們在海外長大的孩子能夠有機會學好中文並且了解中華文化，以培養他們成為有綜合競爭力的國際化人才。
A: In the current environment of economic globalization and China's rapid rise to power, generations growing up overseas can have the opportunity to learn Chinese and understand Chinese culture to cultivate them to become international talents with comprehensive competitiveness.
Interviewers: Evan Su, Samuel Fung; Editor: Samuel Fung; Photographer: Edmund Lee Jan 2025