FAQs

• Is the class in English or Chinese?
  Student questions and Jonathan's answers are in English. However, it is common for Jonathan to ask a student who seems to understand to help explain in Chinese to those who are still having trouble. This has two purposes. A person who can explain something truly knows it. A person who cannot explain something may not fully understand it.
• Is the class open to students in high school or younger?
  Generally no. Jonathan focuses on students who are working to be able to use English effectively. Most students still in school are focusing on being able to pass a test, which is a very different thing. Also, by focusing on older students, Jonathan can also answer questions, design exercises and use methods that work on a person who does not have that wonderful flexibility and ability to learn that a person below the age of 25 usually has.
• How long is the class usually?
  The class is a minimum of 1 hour long. This is the period everyone pre-pays for with the base rate. That being said, we have never had a class that was only one hour long. There have always been students who wanted to stay one to three hours longer to ask more questions or work on some of the exercises.
• Do I have to ask a question?
  Yes! Even if you are not going to be in class, we would like you to provide a question. Trust us, you WANT to ask a question. In your usual classes, you are often trained not to be curious. But curiousity is a habit. A great habit! A habit that informs your brain that you are really interested in something, so it should try really hard to remember it, and create useful mental connections. A curious mind is a mind that wants to learn! A mind that wants to learn, not surprisingly, has an easier time learning.
• Is this class in a classroom or online?
  The classes are entirely online, using Zoom for the class itself and Line for additional discussions.
• Is this available to students anywhere in the world?
  It is currently ONLY available to students in Taiwan.
• Must I be a current student at another school to take this class?
  Yes, this is only available as a supplemental class in addition to your current class. You will need to provide information about your current class to verify.
• How many people are in each class?
  Each class will have a maximum of 10 people, and one question will be answered for each person in round-robin format until there are no more questions or the time runs out.
• Are the classes recorded?
  Yes, Zoom allows us to capture audio and video recordings, which are made available to students for download usually within 48 hours of the end of the class. This is another reason we ask for questions even if you will be absent. Discussion of your question will be in the recording.
• If I'm a student in the class, but didn't choose to stay for the extra hours, may I get the recording for those hours?
  Yes, if you pay the same additional fee that the students who stay in class for that hour do.
• If I'm NOT a student in the class, may I get the recordings?
  Not at this time, but we may make some accomodation in the future. Let us know if this is something you might be interested in even if you are not able to join the class.
• Why should I attend this class? What is the benefit?
  Many formal classroom environments don't really help confused students. But knowledge is often hierarchical. If you don't understand one thing, it will prevent your understanding of other things in the future. By having an opportunity to ask questions outside of your normal class, you can benefit more from your normal class.
• What payment methods do you accept?
  Currently only bank transfer. Credit card transactions and perhaps Bitcoin may be available in the future.
• Are there tests or homework? Are there exercises I should do after class?
  There are no structured tests or homework. If the students choose to do exercises in class, some may involve additional work at home. Also, if the questions asked are related to pronunciation, this will often require some practice or training at home.
• How long will it take to see improvement?
  Like all language classes, how much you improve will depend on your effort. Learning is an active process in your mind. It can be helped by good teaching and good resources, but it is still dependent on your efforts. That being said, this Q&A class is intended as an additional class to facilitate and improve your learning efforts, so it is a "force multiplier" to the effort you are currently putting in.
• Is my English good enough to attend this class?
  That is a difficult question. Jonathan speaks in a natural way and at a normal-to-fast speed for an American. If the focus of your learning has not involved pronunciation work and listening practice, you may have difficulty. However, one of the features of this class is that your classmates will often be able to help you understand in Mandarin. Also, students usually get accustomed to Jonathan's speaking style very quickly, particularly with the addition of his Parkinson's Writing and Mimicry exercises.
• Is there a textbook or exercise book?
  This Q&A class is driven by the students' needs. Although there might be discussions or exercises that Jonathan has designed, none of these involve a textbook. They might involve online resources.
• Will the class provide a subject to discuss, or will it just be questions from the students?
  The class will always start with at last one round of questions. After the first hour, students can decide whether to continue with questions, or work on one of Jonathan's exercises.
• What should I do in class? Do I need to prepare anything?
  You need to provide at least one question (even if you will be absent), and be ready to listen and understand other students' questions. For many reasons, students often have the same questions and can benefit from the questions that other students ask. In other words, you should be prepared to NOT just wait your turn (something common in your usual classes.)