Unlock Your Words
Dive into a world of creativity with freelance writing, immersive travel tales, and effective TEFL teaching in China.
Who I Am
I'm Ivan Roberts and having spent six decades of my life living and working in the UK, I have decided to pursue my ambitions as a writer, where else but in the far east. With my focus firmly set on content writing, I work on blogs, web sites, social media content, and even a book about everyday life experience here in China.
I teach English as a Foreign Language to students in the heartland of China’s industrial Northeastern province of Liaoning and I provide online English language classes for remote learners. My classes include grammatical awareness, lexis & phonology, listening skills, reading skills, writing skills, speaking skills, and classroom strategy for teachers of English.
With a lifelong passion for two-wheeled adventure, I've ridden over 250,000 miles around Europe on a motorcycle but, despite an abundance of early optimism, I do not harbour any intentions of riding a motorcycle in China. I've already witnessed too many serious road traffic accidents involving scooters and mopeds. So for me, all my travelling around China involves four wheels, train, boat, or plane. When I'm not traveling, teaching, or writing, I'm studying Chinese medicine and trying to learn mandarin.
25
Years of Experience
500+
Students Taught
29
Countries Explored
Content Writing
I love Chinese food and I'm going to tell everyone about it!
In Anshan alone, I spent my first eight months regularly dining in different restaurants. Not one occasion was I ever served a dish that I'd eaten before. This is because every restaurant puts its own stamp on the dishes it creates by either adding a unique twist to an existing recipe, or by creating a totally new taste.
China's love affair with food stretches back a long, long way. There are 'Eight Great Traditions of Chinese Cuisine'. All of which are based on the eight distinct regional cuisines renowned throughout the country. With their unique flavour combinations, cooking methods, and culinary styles, the eight Chinese cuisines include:
- Sichuan
- Hunan
- Cantonese
- Fujian
- Jiangsu
- Zhejiang
- Anhui
- Shandong
These very distinct styles perfectly define Chinese cuisine through the country’s demography, geography, climatic variations, and cultural heritage.
TEFL Teaching
Providing comprehensive English language instruction tailored to students' needs through my own brand of LEARN English. Everyone is welcome!
Lessons are organised according to the three levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for languages (CEFR) applicable to:
- Beginners
- Intermediates
- Advanced
- Students learn to speak English the way it is meant to be spoken.
- Students develop their English vocabulary and language skills through one-to-one support.
- Students develop their handwriting skills, spelling, and punctuation.
Travel Writing
Capturing the essence of cultures and experiences from my journeys.
Steeped in ancient history, diverse culture, breathtaking scenery, and mind-blowing technological advances, China is often described as a "wonderful" place to visit; and indeed it is!
That said, China serves a monumental feast for anyone that takes the time to enjoy it. Of course the Forbidden City, Terracotta Army, and Great Wall are impressive sights to behold, but most will only dream of following the Yangtze River from central China through Wuhan and Nanjing to Shanghai, or the Tibetan Mountains for hundreds of miles through abandoned earthquake-struck native communities, or scale the volcanic walls of Changbai Shan, or explore the extensive network of underground water caves at Benxi. These are all humbling, life-affirming experiences. Not just because of the stunning natural landscapes they exude, but because of the people that live there, their community spirit, sense of national pride, strong family values, culture and traditions, and their infectious love of life.
Get in touch
Phone: 07857 548189 (UK) or 13104 125703 (China)
E-mail: inbox@ivanrobertsuk.com
WeChat: IvanRobertsUK