Quentin West

学而不厌，诲人不倦

“Never tire of learning, never weary of teaching.”

Confucius, Analects 7.2

I founded West-East Connection in 2012 to share my love of Chinese language and culture, and to help students begin a journey that had changed my life in ways I never imagined. I started in the Baltimore-Washington region but soon found myself teaching students across the United States, Europe, and Asia. Some were preparing for professional language assessments, some for the AP or IB exams, and others were learning for personal enrichment. Whatever their reason, my goal is the same: to give them the skills — and the passion — to take control of their own learning.

Why work with an instructor

It’s an exciting time to be a student of… anything. There have never been more ways to find information — and never more of it to wade through. Language apps, online programs, and podcasts are everywhere, but on your own it’s hard to separate signal from noise. That’s where a good instructor can have a profound effect.

As a lifelong learner, I’ve found the strongest foundations come from working with an instructor or mentor. A good instructor shows you not only what to learn but how to learn it — arguably the most powerful skill you can develop. Someone who has already traveled the path you’re starting on can shorten the journey, make it more interesting, and pass on a sense of passion and wonder about the subject along the way.

How I came to teaching

It wasn’t until college that I considered teaching. My advisor asked me to TA her introductory Chinese class because she thought her students would benefit from learning with someone who had started exactly where they were and reached an advanced level. She also hoped my enthusiasm for the language would be contagious. To my surprise, it traveled both ways: my passion for learning spread to the students, and my advisor’s passion for teaching became my own. West-East Connection was born soon after.