This afternoon I took my final exam, marking the completion of my first year of study of Mandarin Chinese. After nine months of intensive study (7 hours of class time per week, plus at least an hour of homework per day), I can speak (a little) Mandarin, as the title of this post translates (honest, that's what it says!).
As I mentioned in a post when I started my first semester last September, I do a bit of whoring around when it comes to foreign languages. I particularly love the early phases when you are acquiring the basic grammar and masses of new vocabulary, and I have a tendency to move on after the early, exciting stage of the relationship is over. I don't know whether it's just a function of getting older and having a less flexible brain, but I definitely feel like I had to struggle much more with studying Chinese than I did with French, Russian, or any of the other languages I've dabbled in. One thing that was very different about learning Chinese was the amount of time I had to spend literally memorizing. I have accumulated collection of about 800 flashcards currently filling a shoebox on my coffee table. With the exception of Dr and Mrs Vandertramp (a mnemonic for memorizing the French verbs that use "etre" instead of "avoir" to form the past tense), I don't recall ever having to consciously memorize anything in any other language I studies. I just absorbed it somehow. I know that the educational system in China tends to emphasize memorization more than than Western cultures, so maybe this is just a function of how the Chinese language works.
Anyway, although my grades would suggest I am among the top students, I feel really frustrated with my progress, especially when it comes to listening comprehension. Even though I have been supplementing my class work with the Pimsleur audio tapes and podcasts from Chinesepod.com (an outstanding resource!), I still find myself having difficulty understanding much of what I hear, even if I "know" all the vocabulary used (especially if it is spoken at a natural speed). Part of the problem is that too many Chinese words literally sound the same. The language has thousands of homonyms. There are probably at least 30 different words all pronounced "shi" (with the 4th tone) and the only way you can tell them apart is by context.
The good news is that I haven't given up yet. As of last Friday, I am signed up to start 2nd year Chinese next Fall. Until then, I am planning to continue working with the Pimsleur audio recordings, and maybe add Rosetta Stone to the mix. I'm also planning to spend a lot more time with Chinesepod. I was amazed how much I forgot during the one month break between the Fall and Spring semesters, so I know I'll have to work to make sure I still remember something in September. Dan wants to go to Beijing in 2008 for the olympics (and also because 2008 happens to be the year of the rat -- don't ask!), so that will give me a goal to focus on.
Posted by ldfs at May 9, 2006 10:00 PM | TrackBack