Oh, The Frustration!
I am by no means a perfectionist. My room doesn’t always have to be spotless, my clothes ironed, or my hair straight. However, when it comes to studying Mandarin, I have high expectations for myself. Before I started, I had read and been told that Chinese was the hardest language in the world. When I arrived in China, I was by no means naive about the challenge that lay ahead. Now, after five weeks, the stress of learning this language has hit me full on.
With a thousand characters written on flash cards and fifty new grammar rules, a 70% retention rate seems like a dream. So, in response to the overwhelming amount of information presented to me on a daily basis, I have increased my studies to at least six hours a day, and on some days up to ten. I know, it sounds brutal. Fortunately, time flies and with great effort comes great satisfaction.
The greatest challenge comes in the form of writing. At first each character seems like a picture. Luckily, this is not the case as they are each actually a combination of different radicals, each of which has its own meaning. This makes it easier to comprehend the definition and context in which character is used. The aspect which is the most difficult is simply remembering how to write each radical. For example, in the last two days I have spent at least 5 hours writing and rewriting 50 different characters. However, on today’s quiz I still had problems remembering a few of them, and was second guessing myself on others. Writing well in Mandarin is clearly a long and arduous process.
In any case, I have found comfort in my classmates who are studying just as hard and having the same difficulties. Every one of them has expressed the same frustration. I have come to realize that there is a serious learning curve when it comes to this language. I am waiting for the day when I reach the point when everything really starts to click. I’ll be sure to let everyone know when that day comes!
Wish me luck!
Adam
Myself and classmates in Shanghai
CSA bunch on trip to SuZhou