Learning Journal 2: 我在中文课的成长

 Learning Journal 2: 我在中文课的成长

Share your growth or any progress regarding language learning (Personal speaking skills? communication? Intercultural interaction on the blog? Confidence?), mindset building, project planning, our learning community, or anything you would like to share in this course with everyone. We will give you a shout! (at least 300 words)

At the beginning of the term, I aimed to expand my vocabulary and grammar while developing my listening and speaking skills. The structure of this class allowed me to learn many new words and grammar patterns that are directly applicable to my life, as many of them are connected to self-introduction, living, food, shopping, and student life. However, I think still have a lot of space for improvement in terms of speaking and listening. There are still several tone combinations that I am struggling with, especially when trying to speak fluently. In terms of listening, I am now certainly able to understand more of what other people say, but I still found it quite challenging when someone speaks very fast or about topics where I have limited vocabulary.

However, my main goal this term was to gain more confidence in using Chinese in my real life. I continuously tried to push myself out of my comfort zone and used it in daily situations. Being part of the club UBC BizChina, I had many opportunities to respond to some messages in Chinese and/or speak Chinese to my teammates, which I tried to do more and more often. I always got a lot of encouragement from my friends, which motivated me to use Chinese even more frequently. I also tried to use Chinese in my e-mail communication with Laoshi as much as possible to be able to express my questions, requests, and concerns in Chinese. The ability to use Chinese in these daily situations has reinforced my motivation to continue improving my skills, as I recognized the immense value of being able to use this language outside of the classroom. In the end, that is the main reason why I am still learning and will continue learning Chinese.

Despite the online learning environment, I am very grateful for the opportunity to actively participate in the class and interact with Laoshi and my classmates. You all took a crucial part in my learning this term and I appreciate you very much. Shoutout to you all!

Can you share a meaningful or joyful experience with us? :) 

The highlight of my Chinese learning this term was the opportunity to be one of the MCs at the annual Chinese Bridge Singing Competition. This was my first public speaking experience in Chinese and definitely put me far outside of my comfort zone. I am very glad I said yes to this opportunity as it allowed me to gain much more confidence in speaking Chinese publicly while meeting many great people from the Chinese Language program at UBC.

Your next goal for learning? (it can be about Mandarin or other things in your life)

I am very excited to continue taking Chinese classes at UBC next term. The most exciting goal is to immerse myself in a Chinese-speaking environment by going for an exchange to Singapore or China in my final year at UBC. I hope to get the opportunity to study in Asia to improve my Chinese exponentially while exploring Asian history and culture.