TWO MONTH MARK

photo: the view from my bedroom window; it has been raining a lot lately.

So after two months of study here in Taipei, what has happened to my Chinese? 

Let’s break it down in a review of sorts –

Writing:

This was definitely what I feared the most. Except for a week of Chinese at Victoria in 2009 (I dropped the paper after two classes..), I haven’t written a single character since 2008! This and the added challenge of learning the traditional characters made it tough going at first.

Now I am fairly comfortable with the traditional aspect, it is just remembering the damn things that is the trouble. In tests, I am still inclined to write the odd simplified if I’m rushed.

Speaking:

Definite decline.

The sole reason for this is that apart from 2 hours in class everyday, I don’t use Chinese in everyday life. As soon as people look at me and see that I am foreign, they almost always switch to English. Last week a man bumped me in the supermarket, and immediately said “sorry” (in almost perfectly American accented English.) How he even managed to look at me, recognise I was foreign, and speak to me in what he assumed was my native language is astounding. Also, even if I order food using Chinese, they ask further questions and tell me the price in English. I imagine that in a decade or so, China will be the same. I know that they are only trying to be helpful but nonetheless – frustrating!

I think that this has also had a negative effect on my confidence, whenever this kind of thing happens, it makes me question if I am pronouncing it correctly, whether they can even understand etc etc. Thus, I’m less likely to soldier on in Chinese. My spirit has definitely been broken. Now I just switch to English. Bad I know but…

Grammar:

The one thing I am finding surprisingly enjoyable. 

My amazing teacher definitely helps, she makes the grammar fun if that is at all possible. The more we learn, the more I realize how bad mine is! Luckily in Chinese, you can say things a number of different ways and they will still get your meaning but I would love to be able to be more articulate, not to mention polite when I speak! Unfortunately I haven’t got to the point where the grammar we learn in class flows naturally when I am out and about (no practice!) but I hope that now it is in my head, this will come in time.

Listening:

Lanzhou was such a blessing when it comes to listening. I have absolutely no problems in class, when often my classmates are looking at the teacher dumbstruck.

Unfortunately what I didn’t know prior to coming to Taiwan was how strong their accent is! Even my teacher admits that the Taiwanese speak appalling Mandarin. Out and about, (when I can actually get people to speak to me in Chinese!) I often need some time to really process what they say in order to understand. For example in Mandarin “shi” is 10 and “si” is 4. No problem in China but here in Taiwan they do not really pronounce the “h” which can make for some confusing times at the cash register.

I’ll check back in again in 2 months time to see what has changed since.