Sandra Sainio

Estonian language teacher

I graduated from Tallinn University as a teacher of Estonian as a second language in 2023. I started teaching Estonian as a second language to private students in 2021, and after obtaining my qualification, I have taught Estonian at Tallinn University, the Estonian Academy of Arts and language schools.

I am also a Chinese language teacher by profession. I started teaching Chinese in 2008, and completed my Master’s degree in Chinese as a second language teacher in China in 2015. My target group has always been adult language learners. 

At the moment, I am mainly focused on teaching Estonian, but I enjoy introducing both languages and cultures equally. As a Chinese language teacher, I am given the opportunity to pass on knowledge of an exotic and fascinating culture, while as an Estonian as a second language teacher, I am able to experience different cultural spaces myself, thanks to the students who have come to Estonian lessons from different parts of the world.

I really enjoy my job and always try to plan lessons where I would like to participate in as a language learner myself. For me, a successful lesson is one where there is a lot of fun and everyone feels at ease. My motto in Chinese classes has always been “As simple as Chinese!”, because I believe that with the right tools and methods, even complex languages can be made simple and understandable. I always take the same attitude into my Estonian lessons.

Chinese language teacher

I started teaching Chinese in 2008, and completed my Master’s degree in Chinese as a second language teacher in China in 2015. I have taught Chinese in various language schools as well as at Tallinn University. As a Chinese language teacher, my target group has always been adult language learners.  In 2023, I also graduated from Tallinn University as a teacher of Estonian as a second language. 

I enjoy introducing both languages and cultures equally. As a Chinese language teacher, I am given the opportunity to pass on knowledge of an exotic and fascinating culture, while as an Estonian as a second language teacher, I am able to experience different cultural spaces myself through learners who have come from all over the world for Estonian lessons.

I really enjoy my job and always try to plan lessons where I would like to participate in as a language learner myself. For me, a successful lesson is one where there is a lot of fun and everyone feels at ease. My motto in Chinese classes has always been “As simple as Chinese!”, because I believe that with the right tools and methods, even complex languages can be made simple and understandable.

As an adult educator, I: 

• identify the needs and expectations of the study group, and plan the learning objectives, learning outcomes, and training content; 

• support learners in identifying and achieving their individual goals and in aligning them with the overall objectives of the training;  

• gather ongoing feedback from learners about the learning process; 

• analyse and evaluate my own performance in the teaching and learning process, and am aware of my strengths and areas for development;  

• continuously develop my professional expertise, update training content and teaching methods, and adapt them when necessary;  

• use relevant information and communication technology (ICT) tools (e.g., interactive smartboards, online platforms such as Zoom and/or Teams, ML information system, cloud services such as Google Drive and/or OneDrive, e-learning platforms, etc.) in the preparation, delivery, and evaluation of the teaching and learning process, as well as for supporting my own professional development; am able to create, use, and share web-based materials.  

I have participated in the course “Digital Tools for Language Teachers” organised by Europass Academy Barcelona (autumn 2024) and in an Erasmus+ learning mobility programme in Finland in 2022. The topic of the mobility programme was language teaching and learning in Finnish adult education centres and training institutions.