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Mandarin class!
10/2/14 22:33You know what was really strange to realize?
I haven't been in a beginner language class since 1998.
(If you don't count a semester of high school Japanese II, I haven't been in a beginner language class since kindergarten.)
No, wait, Old English in college. But learning a dead language is not the same as learning "My name is Emily, I have three sisters, I ate lunch at the restaurant."
I was placed in the Beginner 3 class, with only one other person. I keep thinking that my speaking ability is so bad because I don't have much practice, and I can never think on my feet that well when it comes to speaking -- even when it comes to simple topics -- but really, it's more a case of massively underestimating just how much time and effort it takes to get to the point where you can think on your feet in another language. Because actually, there was a pretty substantial difference between me and the other person in the class -- he didn't really even try to do the tones (why would you not try to do the tones, especially when they're right there in front of you? Tones are fun!) and I'll admit that Mandarin phonology is ridiculously tough for a monolingual native English speaker, but if you listen and pay attention even a little bit you can tell that 'shi' is closer to 'shih' or 'sheuh' than to 'shee.'
(I know I can't really do palatal or retroflex consonants right, but my teacher said my pronunciation was really good for someone who'd just been self-studying up to that point!)
I'm really glad I decided to take this class, because what I need most at this point is low-key, low-pressure opportunities to practice speaking until I get better at thinking on my feet, but also -- I mean, the point here is not that I am so great, right? The point is that it's really damn silly that I was feeling like I wasn't good enough to go to a Mandarin class and be forced to talk to other people in public, because the point is that you're not good yet. The point is that you want to get better.
I went through my high school French and Japanese classes, and some of my Japanese classes in college, being alternately embarrassed and egotistical about being really good at this stuff ("Some" because doing classical Japanese will knock the ego right out of you.) But it's really hard to unlearn that and go back to the place where you can say that wherever you are on the road is the right place to be.
The best writing advice I ever got was that you can't be real and authentic as a writer as long as you're trying really hard to only show off your best self for other people. Probably should've taken that to heart when it comes to language learning, too.
I haven't been in a beginner language class since 1998.
(If you don't count a semester of high school Japanese II, I haven't been in a beginner language class since kindergarten.)
No, wait, Old English in college. But learning a dead language is not the same as learning "My name is Emily, I have three sisters, I ate lunch at the restaurant."
I was placed in the Beginner 3 class, with only one other person. I keep thinking that my speaking ability is so bad because I don't have much practice, and I can never think on my feet that well when it comes to speaking -- even when it comes to simple topics -- but really, it's more a case of massively underestimating just how much time and effort it takes to get to the point where you can think on your feet in another language. Because actually, there was a pretty substantial difference between me and the other person in the class -- he didn't really even try to do the tones (why would you not try to do the tones, especially when they're right there in front of you? Tones are fun!) and I'll admit that Mandarin phonology is ridiculously tough for a monolingual native English speaker, but if you listen and pay attention even a little bit you can tell that 'shi' is closer to 'shih' or 'sheuh' than to 'shee.'
(I know I can't really do palatal or retroflex consonants right, but my teacher said my pronunciation was really good for someone who'd just been self-studying up to that point!)
I'm really glad I decided to take this class, because what I need most at this point is low-key, low-pressure opportunities to practice speaking until I get better at thinking on my feet, but also -- I mean, the point here is not that I am so great, right? The point is that it's really damn silly that I was feeling like I wasn't good enough to go to a Mandarin class and be forced to talk to other people in public, because the point is that you're not good yet. The point is that you want to get better.
I went through my high school French and Japanese classes, and some of my Japanese classes in college, being alternately embarrassed and egotistical about being really good at this stuff ("Some" because doing classical Japanese will knock the ego right out of you.) But it's really hard to unlearn that and go back to the place where you can say that wherever you are on the road is the right place to be.
The best writing advice I ever got was that you can't be real and authentic as a writer as long as you're trying really hard to only show off your best self for other people. Probably should've taken that to heart when it comes to language learning, too.