Got back from this evening’s Chinese Class, I felt pretty frustrated. With the time passed by, I see more confusion on my students’ faces. I am feeling that I have lost them in the huge Chinese language maze. Very bad feelings to a teacher who wants their people to make a progress

Their pronunciation still sound odd. 50% of what they tried to say didn’t get to be understood even I tried so hard to listen to them. There are too many things that I didn’t get a chance to mention about. As Chinese is not like English, following certain grammatic rules very strictly, sometimes it’s too hard to explain to them about the subtle difference between this one and that one.

Also, as they pretty much rely on the Hanyu Pinyin and have no clue about Chinese characters, I felt actually they had missed the best part of Chinese as a language. But I sort of can’t do anything about it. They didn’t practice enough and they all have their own life, work, family. Their time is very limited, and mostly only this 16 hours to practice in class.

I felt that language is a kind of habit.Think about how people actually form a habit? There is no other way but remembering it and repeating it for many many many times. If they don’t practice it, they would never be able to speak it properly. Maybe they can write it down, but that’s not the way that Chinese is supposed to be presented. They need to get people to understand them and make this language has a sort of function when they need it.

There is nothing about art of language. It’s not yet to talk at that level. It’s only something to struggle with your memory and your mouth and tongue. But how can I get them to practice it if they don’t have an environment encouraging them to do so? like the old days back in China, how could we practice English properly in a Chinese speaking environment?

One of my students asked me if he couldn’t find the right measure word for a noun, would Chinese people understand him if he simply drop the measure word? I told him that “I doubt it” as it was really a honest answer to his question. Most people are not in a playing mood guessing what you say. And with their strange pronunciation mixed together with a measure word missing? OMG, I guess they won’t survive.

I have decided to give up. Next term, I wouldn’t keep doing it. I would rather staying at home ruining myself than ruining other people’s hope and interests