Terry Waltz holds a Ph.D in Foreign Language Education from the University of Texas at Austin, specializing in Chinese as a Second Language. She also holds MAs in Chinese Linguistics (UT-Austin) and Translation and Conference Interpretation (Fujen University, Taiwan). She has been teaching Mandarin and Spanish using TPRS™ and Comprehensible Input strategies since 2000, having learned from first-generation presenters like Blaine Ray and Susan Gross.
Terry has lived in Chinese-speaking countries for over a decade and has taught Mandarin to students from ages 4 through senior citizens. She is professionally fluent in Mandarin and Spanish, and has worked as a technical translator and interpreter, including interpretation for official US government technical and nuclear delegations. She holds permanent NYS certification in Mandarin Chinese.
Terry is active in creating new techniques and materials to make Chinese learning more Westerner-friendly. She is the creator of the TOP (Tonally Orthographic Pinyin) system of tonal spelling and the originator of directional gestures containing information on both tone and meaning as an aid to students learning new vocabulary. She consultswith teachers and school districts on curriculum design and methodology, and actively mentors new teachers of Chinese who are learning to teach using TPRS™ and Comprehensible Input methodologies.
Terry lives in Albany with her husband, a Chinese immigrant cat and a multilingual Labrador. She enjoys furthering her knowledge of various Chinese dialects, Hawaiian and Mohawk.
Cynthia Cramsie is a NYS certified teacher of Mandarin Chinese. She holds an MA in Chinese Linguistics from the University of Minnesota and an MAT from Union Graduate College.
Cynthia has taught at Beijing Language and Culture University, St. Andrews University and the Schenectady City Schools, and has extensive experience with learners of both English and Chinese. Cynthia was instrumental in creating the Schenectady City School District’s Chinese language program, and recently won a spot on the exclusive Summer Intensive Language Program for Teachers. She has trained in Comprehensible Input based instruction with Susan Gross
Cynthia is mom to an adopted daughter from China whom she is raising bilingually, and has dabbled in languages as diverse as Swahili and Mongolian. She enjoys developing innovative new courses for families who wish to make the Chinese language part of their lives, and working on new techniques to make Chinese more accessible to all students.