Experienced tutor in English in Chicago, Sophie offers private lessons tailored to your needs.

Dr. Sophie Hsia impressed me as an expert in teaching English as a second language. I was in Grade 9 when our teacher-student relationship started. She successfully transformed me, within 3 years, from a "hopeless pupil," in the words of my Grade 6 English teacher, to a principal actor in more than one school/college drama.

Dr. Hsia taught me the effectiveness of direct and simple language. I think that was the most important key to learning a foreign language. It helped me to be admitted to and graduate from the Chinese University of Hong Kong with a B.A. degree in English Language and Literature.

I owe very much to Dr. Hsia for my ability to communicate well in the English speaking world of commerce. And understanding breeds trust, I guess. Only 10 years after graduation, a major U.S. chemicals manufacturer had enough confidence to award me exclusive rights to distribute one of their lines of products in Hong Kong. All this was possible only because of Dr. Hsia, who prepared me well to embrace opportunities.

I have absolutely no reservations to recommend Dr. Hsia to anyone who may be interested to learn either English, Chinese (her mother-tounge) and French, the language she used while teaching university level students in France and Belgium for about 10 years.

Review of Dr. Sophie Hsia by Dr. Ching W. Tang, Bank of East Asia Professor, Institute for Advanced Study, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, and Professor of Chemical Engineering, Emeritus, University of Rochester

More than a review of her teaching ability, this is a personal testimonial of appreciation about Dr. Sophie Hsia. Ms. Hsia -as she is known to me and her former students- was my high school English teacher. I have known her for several decades and we have kept up with each other over the years. Although she was my teacher for only two years, her influence in shaping my education and future career was immense. In addition to being an English teacher, she was the “principal” of our class – a teacher/counsel the students looked to for help and guidance in and out of the classroom. She also marked our grades. Our school was in the rural area of Hong Kong, where most of the students were from the surrounding villages and the parents, even the wealthier ones, were illiterate or among the least educated in that generation. As students, we looked to our teachers as our model for learning and inspiration, and our school education as a way of gaining a foothold in the new world awaiting us. Ms. Hsia taught not only English, she taught us critical thinking and against biased judgement, independence and yet inclusiveness; she inspired her students and helped shape their characters. I am deeply grateful I was one of her many students and beneficiaries.

Dr. Hsia’s language skill is extraordinary. She is a linguist with in-depth professional training. Her English is perfect. Chinese is her native language and she is perfectly fluent in both Cantonese and Putonghua. I understood that she is also fluent in French from her years of residence in France and Belgium. Being a linguist with an extensive credential, she has a deep understanding of the usage of specific languages and an appreciation of the beauty and nuance that come with their various tones and dialects.

Throughout her career, Dr. Hsia has proved herself to be a highly accomplished teacher with extensive experience in teaching students of diverse background and educational levels. I personally bear witness to her remarkable success in methodically drilling into a class of stubbornly unruly Chinese teenagers English as a second language. She did it with skill, discipline and passion, and we all can speak and write English today, even if imperfectly, because of the rigorous early training we had from her. There is no doubt Dr. Hsia has carried on her teaching to the more mature students at the university levels in recent years with the same seriousness and dedication she had given us in the years past. Dr. Hsia is a tireless individual always in search of engagements that are both meaningful and fulfilling. To me, she is a lifelong teacher.

Review of Dr. Sophie Hsia

I am a former student of Dr. Hsia. I was most recently a financial analyst with a major telecommunications company. I earned my B.Sc. degree from the University of Hong Kong and did some graduate studies in the US.

Dr. Hsia was my English teacher for three years, from 9th to 11th grade.

Ms. Hsia was the best teacher among all my teachers. She taught us English grammar and introduced us to English literature. We were required to read English Classics followed by discussions. This helped us develop an interest in English literature and a better understanding of the language. The discussions also helped us develop oral presentation skills in English.

Not only was she good at teaching, she was caring and treated everyone fairly. She did not put any student down even if the person was slow in learning; instead, she provided encouragement. She paid attention to her students outside the classroom. She knew what her students were like as individuals and tried to improve us. She was highly respected and loved by her students.

When I first arrived in the US, I took an English grammar test, a requirement for enrolling in graduate courses. The examiner was amazed that I got a perfect score. This attests to the solid education in English I received under Dr. Hsia.

I have had the opportunity over the years to get to know some of the younger generation, here in the US and abroad. I am troubled by how poor their English is, both written and oral. I feel very lucky to have Dr. Hsia as my English teacher during my formative years.