This past fall semester, I set out on an ambitious endeavor to learn a new language. I was nervous and unsure whether taking this on would be a good use of time in my course schedule, but I’m so glad I decided to take this leap.
When I was younger, my parents enrolled me in Mandarin-Chinese lessons because, as a Chinese adoptee, they wanted to keep me connected to my roots. As I grew older, I became less and less interested in learning because the class lacked consistency, which was not conducive to language acquisition. I was always hesitant to continue learning after that because I had it in my head that I wouldn’t be able to learn properly, and it would end up being a waste of time. Prime language acquisition takes place at a very young age, and any time after that, people will tell you that learning a new language is almost impossible.
In middle and high school, there was a language requirement that I took, Spanish, but I didn’t learn a whole lot by the end of it, and I was never particularly passionate about continuing it. Once I got to college, I started to feel more pride regarding my Chinese-American identity. As I walk around campus now, I can hear five or more different languages spoken at a given time. Surrounding myself with people from various cultures has given me an appreciation for the skill of being multilingual and a yearning to be one myself. After a lot of mental debate and discussion with my friends about my plans, I decided to commit myself to learning Mandarin once again.
To keep myself accountable, I declared a Chinese minor, which I could complete by taking language courses. I also figured that minoring in Chinese would add some diversity to my resume. On the first day of class, I was super nervous because I had no clue what everyone’s skill level would be. It was quickly apparent that there was a mix of different skill levels. There were some who could speak conversationally but couldn’t read the characters, while others, like me, were pure beginners.
Being a complete beginner was scary for the first few weeks, but as I got more confident in my abilities, the class started to become more fun. I just had to remind myself that everyone was there for the same reason, and not to worry about anyone judging me. Additionally, I saw my classmates every single day per the class structure, which made making friends really easy.
There was a sense of camaraderie because we were all learning together. My professor and TA made sure to start on the right foot and continue to make the learning experience very enjoyable and enriching. It is very clear to me that they care deeply about their students and our success in the course. Aside from being great teachers, they take feedback very seriously and are constantly making course improvements to enhance the learning process.
I’m currently in my second semester of learning Mandarin, and I look forward to going to class every day. I’ve not only made serious progress in learning to speak functionally, but I’ve also made many friends in the class whom I can rely on.
Choosing to do this for myself has been one of the most beneficial decisions I have made in college. I would suggest to anyone, even just thinking about learning a new language, not to hesitate, and just go for it. The experience as a whole has not only been fulfilling but also a great way to engage my brain with something completely different from what I’m studying. The key to all of this is to stay consistent and be willing to go outside of your comfort zone. Language proficiency can open many doors in the future, whether in the job market or in making new friends. Because of this opportunity, I feel more connected to my roots than ever before!
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