Over the course of the past nineteen years living in Taiwan and China I have become fluent in Mandarin Chinese. I feel that this achievement is an indispensable element in my language classroom aiding me greatly in functioning as a successful teacher giving me insight into my students’ struggles and making it possible for me to empathize with them as they stride towards fluency in English. Additionally, I have come to believe that important to my success as a language instructor is my ability to make the classroom both a comfortable and beneficial place for students by adhering to the following maxims: (1) ensuring that incidences of negotiating meaning in English are high in any given period of instruction for all students in attendance; (2) making known the importance of regular meaning negotiation in English (including co-construction of meaning with non-native speakers) to the students; (3) making the learning experience enjoyable; and (4) exhibiting a high degree of patience when carrying out instruction especially when engaging in discourse with students at the lower levels, many of whom are struggling with motivational issues and with realizing fluency. I have a wide library of course materials to chose from depending on the students' needs and learning preferences. For example, some students enjoy studying with YouTube videos and PPTs as they prefer a visual experience. Also, I have numerous online handouts that are more suited to the traditional style of teaching. I have taught all levels of students, from kindergarten up to the graduate, with the majority of my teaching experience being at the college level in both Taiwan and in mainland China. I feel that my teaching style is well-suited for all levels and I have always enjoyed a good rapport between myself and my students.