So, you’ve been a language student for the past two years, taken a relaxed attitude towards your studies. Then the next thing you know, your uni is sending you abroad to put your knowledge to the test. “You’ll be fluent by the time you come back” is all you ever hear, but in reality there will only be a handful of phrases you get down to a T. “I don’t understand” and “do you speak English” being two of them. Six moths pass and the only language you feel you’ve truly mastered is your own unique made up sign language.
I’m not saying the above will happen to you, but if you are anxious about the transition between the classroom and your year abroad, here are some lessons I learnt whilst in China:
Prepare to Fail
This may seem pessimistic but it is important to be realistic. I have to admit I did not anticipate the frustration that comes with the failure to perform simple every day tasks.
I still remember one of my first experiences of dining out in China. We’d successfully tackled the initial questions of how many of us there were, and what we would like to order. I, however, made the fatal error of choosing to order steak. After pointing at the menu and saying “this one” the waitress said something, which could only be described as mumbo jumbo to me. No matter how slowly she repeated it, I remained clueless.
After going round in circles for a good five minutes… it finally clicked! I can’t take the credit though; it was a friend who figured it out. Apparently well done, medium or rare isn’t a universal thing and a numbered scale is used instead.
It’s not easy living in a foreign country, adapting to a new language and their way of life. It may be hard at first but these are the experiences you will learn from and the things a textbook will never teach.
Embrace the Embarrassment
Lets face it we’ve all done this at some point: heard someone with subpar English speak and had a little chuckle to ourselves at their expense. Now the tables have turned… you’re the one everybody is secretly laughing at every time you open your mouth. It took a long time for me to get over this, but embarrassing myself was one of the best ways to improve my fluency. It’s true what they say, you learn from your mistakes and certainly with the prospect of feeling red in the face you won’t make the same mistake twice.
The sooner you face the fear of embarrassment the greater your step towards becoming bilingual will be.
Broaden Your Social Circle
Failing to make many Chinese friends whilst in Ningbo is one of my biggest regrets. Choosing to stick with fellow English speaking students isn’t a bad thing. You feel comfortable, understand each other and converse effortlessly. Yet it does nothing to improve your fluency.
My main goal whilst in China was to take any opportunity to improve my Mandarin. Instead of doing the obvious and surrounding myself with native speakers, I did the opposite. Now I’m back the UK and unable to immerse myself in the language, I realise I missed out on a priceless opportunity.
Edited by Mackenzie Orrock
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