Changing Lives, One Lesson at a Time

Teacher Zeeryl Vivi was a private school teacher for two years before joining 51Talk. She graduated with a degree of Bachelor of Secondary Education major in English. This March, Zeeryl will be celebrating her third anniversary as a 51Talk teacher!  

“Along the way in my three years of teaching, I am lucky to know hundreds of Chinese students, and some of these experiences left a mark on me,” narrated Zeeryl.  

“There’s this one student of mine for almost three years now. During our first lesson, she was very quiet and reserved. She only knows how to answer yes, or no. Months went by and little by little, she was becoming more comfortable with me as her teacher, and she was finally able to express herself through her actions.

“I have another regular student who is 57 years old,” added Zeeryl. “She’s my student for 2 years now. Although she’s already 57, she respects me as if I’m her older teacher. Sometimes, I share personal stories with her as part of our free talk sessions, and she does too. I feel so relaxed whenever I have classes with her because she’s so chatty. She also gives me life advice. She’s like a mom to me as well.”  

“A friend of mine shared a story about her student who she noticed was very sad during their lesson. The student said that his mom scolded him. My friend told him that “no matter what happens, your mom loves you and only wants the best for you.” She also advised her student to ask forgiveness from his mom even though he didn’t do anything wrong. The student just responded with a smile and after that, they were able to have a fruitful lesson. The following day, the mom thanked the teacher and even praised her for doing a great job.”

“One other teacher told me that her most heartwarming experience was the time when her student bought her a cake and sang a birthday song for her. She said it was the first time she experienced that in her 6 years of teaching at 51Talk.”

These are just a few examples of how teachers and students interact on the platform and how students’ lives are changed, one online English lesson at a time. On top of providing quality English language education to Chinese students, 51Talk teachers go beyond their duties to ensure students grow and develop as successful individuals.  

“I feel very happy and lucky to be part of this amazing community. More than that, I find joy and fulfillment to be able to teach young Chinese students and it challenges me to help them progress in their English language education,” Zeeryl said.