Hi everyone, I’ll try and keep this short.
I was born in the US but my family comes from Mexico. Growing up, I only spoke Spanish up until 4 or 5. I was baby sat by family until my mom started sending me to day care. My older brother struggled with English and was held back in second grade. My mom didn’t want the same thing to happen with me so that’s why I started going to a day care instead of my family watching me. It’s almost like my Spanish was wiped clean during that time and we spoke little Spanish at home after that since my mom and step dad are fluent in both languages.
Today, I struggle with Spanish and speaking to family members that only speak Spanish. I can hold a conversation, but it is very choppy. I’d say my vocabulary is decent but when it comes to conjugations I struggle. For example, the other day I went to see my grandma and I asked her “ya comí?” When I meant to say, “ya comiste?”
Despite having terrible Spanish, I still do try to communicate in Spanish with my family. I often get made fun of by them and even though they’re joking, it still crushes my confidence and it’s super discouraging. I learned that even my grandparents have talked about me to other family about how bad my Spanish is.
My question is, where do I even start? I’m well above a basic level, but I wouldn’t consider it intermediate. In about 6 months I’ll be graduating with a nursing degree and I hate the idea of not being able to communicate with my Spanish speaking patients. It’s something that causes me genuine stress every day and get so much anxiety when someone that isn’t family talks to me in Spanish out of fear of judgement.
Edit: I wasn’t expecting to get as many responses as I did! Thank you all for your help, kind words and encouragement. You are all so wonderful!!
Background: I'm half Japanese, I speak Japanese w/ my mom, and I also used to go to Japanese Saturday school (until around 6th grade or so).
My speaking skills are kinda ass, it doesn't really have a accent as far as I can tell, but I really struggle to make a conversation because I lack vocab in common conversational topics (like politics, tech, news, etc). I'm ok if the conversation is about basic stuff like food, everyday life, etc. I also tend to frequently just mix in English words into my Japanese if I don't know it in Japanese
Listening - My listening is pretty good, I can listen to pretty much any tv show or movie and understand it. Only stuff I probably struggle w/ is again, any politics/tech/military jargon, stuff like the news.
Reading is ok, I can understand most stuff meant for kids or teens, anything above that needs a lot of furigana though. I'm trying to get this to the level where I can just casually read manga and stuff without putting too much mental effort into reading. Frequently I find myself not knowing the kanji, but knowing it from context and the radicals so I just end up guessing the word and being right most of the time.
Writing - I haven't wrote in so many years, but overall I can write sentences in hiragana.
My priority right now is probably to get my reading to a good speed without having to rely on furigana.
I tried checking out a few stuff like RTK and WaniKani, but the whole mmenomics thing just seems very confusing to me. For grammar, I found most of the genki stuff kinda've a waste of time for me, since my understanding of Japanese grammar is mostly just intuitive (does it sound right or not). Currently I just use anki to memorize kanji but I was wondering if theirs a better way to do this. Is their any books I should buy or check out? Should I be attending some sort of class?
Are there any resources and/or support for heritage speakers who either lost, was forced to assimilate, or never even learned the language?
I feel like it’s especially different (also frustrating) learning as a heritage speaker. I’m often embarrassed and enraged that I have to re-learn the language and it would be super helpful to have support/specified resources.
My story: Grew up speaking Spanish only and when I started kindergarten I was fully immersed and forced to assimilate through years of ESL (English as a second language). I was taught to be embarrassed of my accent, of my mother tongue, of my culture. It also didn’t help that I grew up in one of the whitest city in the United States. I’ve been trying to relearn for about two years now on and off.
Any advice, resource, or support is super appreciated!!
Gracias a todos 💕
Hello! I'm at an awkward/frustrating level with my Spanish, and am very eager for any advice...
Mi madre es de Nicaragua pero se casó con un estadounidense y por eso no me enseñó español de niña. Toda mi vida he oído el idioma en cada reunión de mi familia y podía entender casi todo. En la escuela secundaria tomé solo dos años de español, pero en la universidad empecé a aprenderlo otra vez, y ahora he completado mi asignatura secundaria en español. No tengo más clases de español para tomar en la universidad y ya entiendo la gramática y las reglas de la lengua, pero todavía no hablo con fluidez. Hablo mucho más mejor que mis compañeros de clase, pero es demasiado difícil hablar con hablantes nativos. (¡Los otros estudiantes me dicen que mi acento es tan bueno, pero mi familia me dice que sueno como una gringa!) Entonces no soy una principiante pero también no he dominado la lengua. Mi problema es que simplemente no sé bastantes palabras para expresarme y entender todo lo que oigo, y no hablo rápidamente porque estoy pensando en las conjugaciones y el vocabulario. ¿Alguien tiene unos consejos de como debo practicar y mejorar mi español en este nivel?
¡Muchísimas gracias!
hello! sorry for the long post ahead. i'm a heritage speaker entering university looking for advice on how to proceed with my language learning. for context i grew up in a primarily cantonese household in the united states but all my immediate family are fluent mandarin speakers since they relocated to hubei so i grew up surrounded by both. i did a few years of mandarin school when i was younger, then retook classes from chinese 1 through advanced placement in high school (took the ap test in 2020).
i have a hard time gauging my skill level but if necessary would place myself somewhere between hsk 4-5. starting in high school i've made an effort to consume chinese media (think 湖南卫视 reality shows, podcasts, following celebrities and douyin/weibo) and have a solid grasp on cctv and other formal native content. my accent is neutral and native passing, but i've lost vocabulary out of the classroom and as a result tend to stick with familiar words in conversation.
my greatest concern is that i haven't been in a formal classroom setting in nearly two years and will most likely not have the chance to until fall 2022. for all of 2021, i only practiced reading out loud from native middle school level chinese books with a parent daily. i also continued consuming entertainment media. while my reading and understanding have definitely improved, both of these were passive forms of learning, and i feel my active output has deteriorated.
i recently tested into "post-advanced chinese" at my university which i will begin at in january. however, i was able to guess correct answers to some more complicated texts through cultural context, and the test had no writing/speaking section. unfortunately, the university does not allow language placement retakes - i won't have the chance to enroll in a chinese class because of scheduling issues until the fall, so i'm not sure how to maintain or maybe even improve my chinese until then.
are there any ways for me to self-study at this level and with this much difference between my passive/active skill sets? i don't want to lose my grasp of the language within half a year while i'm not at home, but am also worried that i won't have the time to maintain a rigorous study schedule. any tips or advice would be appreciated! thank you.
I'm a heritage speaker but was wondering how one would effectively and efficiently communicate this in German; Google Translate says "Ich bin eine Erbe-Sprecherin" would be it, but is 'Erbe-Sprecherin' accurate/commonly used? Even so, would it be "Ich bin eine Erbe-Sprecherin" or simply "Ich bin Erbe-Sprecherin" ? Thank you for any help!
Hi all! I'm looking for a fellow heritage speaker to learn and practice beginner Cantonese with!
☀️ About me🌙
I'm a non-binary person of Cantonese heritage in my late twenties. I'm a fairly cheerful, nerdy, soft-spoken, and introverted person.
For various [redacted] reasons, I am the only one in my family who can't speak Cantonese. For the longest time, this was a source of shame and cultural disconnection for me, and I've struggled to motivate myself to learn the language, despite a strong interest in languages and linguistics overall.
Now I'm hoping to change that! I think Cantonese is a beautiful language and I would love to reconnect with my roots through language learning. My goal is to be able to hold basic conversations with family, friends, and customer service workers (grocery store, bakery, restaurant, etc.) entirely in Cantonese. I am also interested in connecting with Cantonese elders in my local community and supporting translation efforts to make services more accessible where I live.
🔎 What/who I'm looking for 🌎
I've accumulated a lot of online study materials and am looking for someone to learn and practice with me. I've found I learn languages best with a partner. Perhaps we can meet virtually weekly or twice a month to study together?
Open to intermediate speakers but you're probably going to get more out of our study sessions if you're a beginner like me! I plan to go through a textbooks and online resources from the very beginning foundation.
I live on the unceded territories of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, and səlilwətaɬ Nations, in an area colonially known as Vancouver, BC. Open to both online study sessions and potentially in-person ones in the (far) future if you're like me - double vaxxed, wearing masks, social distancing and still keeping a small bubble.
I'm looking for someone I can get along with and potentially be friends with outside of studying together, so I am hoping to find someone who is kind and compassionate, prioritizes collective interdependence over hierarchies, and is also aligned with these values: ACAB, Land Back, BLM, & intersectional anti-oppression. No TERFs, SWERFs, anti-vaxxers, or climate change deniers please.
I also ask for patience and at least basic acceptance of disability (and openness to learning how we can meet our respective accessibility needs - everyone has them!) since I'm also multiply disabled and multiply neurodivergent. My disabled identity is a big part of my lif
... keep reading on reddit ➡I'm the daughter of North African immigrants and growing up, I absorbed some Derija by osmosis. The basic grammar is second-nature to me, as well as the essential vocabulary needed in everyday life situations. But that's kind of where it ends. When my parents tell stories about things going on back home, I can usually get somewhat of the gist if I listen intently, but I need them to re-tell the story in English to actually understand what happened. Conversations with my cousins stall beyond basic updates on school and job life. Forget trying to have a more in-depth conversation on politics or anything like that.
But the resources available to me as I struggle to get past the "intermediate plateau" are well, essentially nil. English-language resources for Arabic are already comparatively thin compared to a language like Japanese (which I'm also learning), but for Derija, and for my dialect specifically, they're non-existent. The common recommendation to focus on immersion through TV shows and the like also doesn't work because they're all in MSA.
How do you improve at a language when you have access to a couple of native speakers but basically nothing else?
I am a newcomer to the Island and am looking for a Slavic community. I would like to connect with anyone interested in maintaining Russian language fluency or keeping Slavic heritage alive. I am especially interested in Rodnovery (родноверие). I was born in the Soviet Union, grew up in the USA, speak middling Russian and would like to reconnect with my heritage.
I learned russian from my family growing up. But never properly learned how to read and write. Anytime I pick up a language learning app or something similar, it's extremely boring and I feel like I don't learn anything new - Say prevet 500 times, this is a girl ,ect but when I pick up a book to read it, I hardly understand any words. Kind of frustrated. Thank you
Hola!! I am a first year emergency-certified high school Spanish teacher who was given a Spanish class for heritage speakers (students who grew up speaking Spanish at home). I’ve been given pretty solid resources for my Spanish I & II classes, but I was not expecting to have been given a heritage class as well and feel very underprepared. Our district does not use a textbook specifically for heritage speakers, and I’m currently in contact with another heritage teacher in my district, but I’m still finding it difficult to plan out my weeks for this class. I would really appreciate any advice, or any heritage teachers with the time who would message me and share some of their resources with me! Mil gracias!!!
Hola amigos! So a little background on me. My parents are divorced. I grew up in a Spanish speaking household on my mom’s side and an English speaking household on my dad’s side. In my early life, I spent the majority of time with my mom and mostly spoke Spanish but as I got older spent more time with my English speaking family as my mom moved out of state. I almost completely lost my Spanish at one point. I’ve made it a point in my recent years to practice when I can.
Anyway, I’ve been using language apps to practice and I’m breezing through the courses easily. My problem is, is that I have trouble speaking. I comprehend about 80-95% but if you asked me to form a complex sentence, I don’t think I could. What is weird, is that I often think in Spanish and even have dreams in Spanish but I’m still stuck with not being fluent.
Besides total immersion which isn’t plausible at this moment in my life, what else can I do to improve?
I have taken SPAN 2313 and SPAN 2315 (Spanish for heritage speakers 1 and 2) at a local CC before going to UT. They have transferred in to UT as SPN 312K and SPN 312L.
I am trying to get the Spanish for Medical Professionals Certificate and IDA is very weird with my transfer credit. According to my IDA, SPN 312k and 312L can sub for 311j and 314j. I am unsure whether I need SPN 604 or if I could go straight to 327c. Regardless I would like to take spn 604 anyways since I am not the strongest in my Spanish.
According to IDA 604 and 312k can’t both be used. I’m not sure if it’s just IDA being weird or if it’s something I can’t do at all.
Furthermore I want to take 311 and 314 (not j) p/f in the summer. I don’t think they offer (j) in the summer but it’s fine I only want to take it as review before 327C. But then on IDA taking both 311 and 314 p/f also isn’t allowed with SPN 312k and 312L.
To summarise, would SPN 604, 312k, and 312L work instead of SPN 604, 311J, and 314J. And furthermore could I take SPN 311 and 314 (not j) on a p/f just for review and have 312k and 312L be the credits for my certificate on the heritage speaker track without interference. UT is wacky when it comes to cc span credit and IDA seems to not allow it but i don’t think it’s accurate. I would not like to take 314J and 311J since it’s not offered in the summer. Anyone do something similar or have any advice?
Hello! I need help! I have plenty of resources for my heritage speakers. However, I was wondering if anyone had tips on how to teach my students to read and write in Spanish? I have many students that can do that but I have some students who claim not to be able to do either. How can I differentiate my lessons to help them? Thank you in advance!
Has any heritage speaker taken LTRU 1A? I verbally speak Russian fluently at home and was wondering if the class would be decently easy because of that or if it’s more fast paced. I speak it decently well but barely do writing or reading in Russian. I’m trying to figure out how much time i’ll need to put into the class.
Hi, I'm currently writing a master thesis about polish as a heritage language and I am looking for some heritage speakers to ask a few questions. A heritage speaker is someone who grew up in a Polish household outside of Poland and is bilingual to some extent in both Polish and the language of the dominant country.
The questions are in English, and it doesn't matter if you know how to read Polish or not, I'm looking for as many different profiles as possible :)
Ever since I started school, my parents would talk to me in Cantonese and I would reply in English or a mix. For the past week, I've been trying to speak exclusively Cantonese at home and shadow audio online but my active vocabulary is frankly terrible. I tried textbooks like I'm doing with Korean, but to be honest, studying grammar just confuses me even more because I already intuitively understand how to structure my sentences, I just can't recall it during conversations.
I'm trying not to get discouraged by the people around me who grew up fully bilingual, so I would love to hear stories from people who have managed to relearn their first language and if anyone had any tips.
Labas! I was born in the US but lithuanian was my first language. As a child I spoke/wrote/read better in lithuanian than I did English… but obviously that eventually changed with assimilation to the American culture etc etc
I can still read and write in lithuanian, but not very well (hence why I’m writing this in English). I’m fully conversational, but I often mess up my grammar and my vocabulary is very simple at this point.
Anyone here been in a similar situation to me and found ways to improve their language? Or, even if my situation doesn’t apply to you, do you have any tips/ideas? I was thinking of getting an easier book to read (thinking young-adult level, like Harry Potter), but also want to practice speaking. I only speak with my family (like my parents and grandparents, my lithuanian friends and siblings all default to English) so I’m really unfamiliar with any newer coloquial terms… are there any conversation tables online or anything? Any book recommendations?
Any advice would be very much appreciated! Seeing as I am at a weird level with my language, I was having a difficult time finding learning tools that were applicable to me.
When we think of a heritage speaker, we typically think of a speaker of a cultural language in a country where that language is not the majority/functional language.
Italian and Mandarin speakers in the U.S, Serbo-Croatian speakers in Germany, Filipino speakers in Australia etc...
Technically, doesn't this exist for English speakers too? It surely must somewhere.
Though English is such a global language and its becoming increasingly harder to not come in contact with English nowadays, are there any generations of English speakers living outside English speaking countries who have carried on the language only through their parents/grandparents?
HS speakers are known for their cultural fluency in a language and quasi-native phonology, but limited syntactic and morphological command outside of cultural domains. It would be interesting to see an English HS so that all those other HS speakers whose dominant language is English can see what they sound like to native speakers of their heritage language.
Does anyone knows of any videos or interviews or general explanation of this (potential) phenomenon?
Hello all! I have been waiting nearly a year to be done with all sorts of junk in life, like SCHOOL. And well now I am on vacation. I am willing to teach you all the bad words in my languages ; ) LOL. No, but seriously I would really like to find a serious language partner to learn with multiple times a week. PM if you interested. If discord is your thing then here aavy#2453. I can't wait to learn with you all!
So a bit about me, I’m British born Chinese and my parents are Malaysian Chinese. I went to Cantonese school and only spoke Cantonese at home. I think for me it was really hard with learning Mandarin because I wasn’t really going from 0, but then I wasn’t exactly at intermediate level in terms of pronunciation. It just felt like it was so difficult to start studying and get some momentum going with mandarin.
I really struggled with my identity as I really wanted to know overseas Chinese international students, but at the same time it just wasn’t the same with language issue. It was a real shock for me cause for the longest time I felt so called Chinese/Asian around my non-asian friends, but I wasn’t asian enough around people actually from Asia. It really hurt because the identity I carried around with me was demolished and I was only defining myself in terms of western perceptions of Chinese and Asian people not really of how people from Asia would see themselves. Learning Mandarin really saved me from seeing myself in such skewed ways and I didn’t have to constantly battle with media from the West that continuously tries to belittle me.
Going into university, I never really thought I was really ever going to be advanced in Mandarin, but here I am at the end of university and didn’t take any single class and still was able to take myself to an advance level.
Here are the things I did and what skills did it target:
- Read aloud to a Mandarin native speaker friend helped iron out my issues in Mandarin. This made me realise that alot of common mistakes and these were all quickly ironed out
- Messaged in Mandarin to people on hello talk and university international students and used a translator when I didn’t know the word(s). This really helped me increase my vocab and see the difference between Cantonese and Mandarin, but it also exposed me to a lot of new vocab.
- Translated sentences from English to Chinese using the pinyin keyboard. I would direct translate (translate a sentence word for word) these sentences, then tried to write them out so the grammar was correct. Then I would try to notice where the main pinyin issues and also searched up the answers. I got some of my native chinese speaker friends to proofread them and correct them when necessary.
- Spoke more mandarin with people who were patient and voice noted them, but I’d say its best to practise with people who know mandarin and cantonese cause it can really sped things up the more
Hey guys,
I know many heritage speakers don't feel as comfortable in their heritage language as in their native language but there is quite the spectrum. Some seem to not be able to speak the language but understand it when spoken, others speak like children while some are practically bilingual. So what are your experiences, how well can you understand/speak, how did you learn it as a child and if you are learning said language right now, why did you start and how did you improve?
Hello, I am a 14 year old Chinese-American, who is a heritage speaker of Mandarin. Both my parents grew up in China and my brother and I are the only American citizens in our family.
My grasp of Chinese is decent. I lived in China for about a year and a half so I have enough knowledge on mannerisms and slang used in Mainland China.
I am wondering if there is a good way to learn Classical Chinese (文言文) as a heritage speaker of Mandarin. I am also learning Japanese - I would say my Japanese level is around N2; I have been extensively learning Japanese non-stop for about 10 months now and I was able to do the JLPT N2 practice problems on the JLPT website almost all correctly, but I have never taken an actual JLPT test before. I have also learned some Old and Classical Japanese. Japanese uses a lot of Chinese character spellings from Classical Chinese, so as a result, I am quite familiar with basic Classical Chinese terms, verbs, pronouns, demonstratives, etc. But I am really clueless when it comes to Classical Chinese particles, grammar, word order, etc.
I am in this weird position where my knowledge of Chinese is native enough where most foreign language-learner books and material are not really appropriate for me, but my Chinese is not good enough where I can effectively use materials for native Chinese speakers in China. I've never really "learned" Chinese as a language-learner; the way language-learners approach learning the language and the terms they use can be different from the ways native speakers learn their own language. So language-learner materials can sometimes be confusing to me.
I have a decent grasp of Middle Chinese phonology, and I know how to read a lot of characters in their Middle Chinese pronunciation. I am also learning Korean and Vietnamese, two languages that have also been heavily influenced by Middle Chinese, but I am just a beginner in these languages.
The reason I want to learn Classical Chinese is because I want to read a lot of ancient Chinese literature and poems, but also because one of my main hobbies is Chinese calligraphy, and up until now I've mostly just been copying down poems and the like made by other people, but I want to try to create my own poems and sayings on my work in natural Classical Chinese. And also, I feel like learning Classical Chinese would help me with my study on Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese, since some of their phonology, readings, and meanings derive from Classical Chinese.
Any help would
... keep reading on reddit ➡I’m a heritage Russian speaker - my family moved to the US when I was very young and I grew up speaking Russian at home. I can speak Russian very fluidly and can easily carry on a normal conversation with my family about everyday topics, but my vocabulary is limited and I’m a very slow reader and writer. So I decided to use duolingo to expand my vocabulary and practice reading and writing. Overall I think duolingo is a good (albeit limited) tool for my specific needs. However, I want to give a specific disclaimer to anyone using duolingo as their primary language learning tool: their Russian pronunciation is wrong quite often. I practice for about 15 minutes per day, and I notice at least one mispronounced word each time I practice. Either a word is entirely mispronounced or the stress is placed on the wrong part of the word. I believe the Russian voices are computer-generated, which could account for why these mistakes are occurring. If you are learning Russian, please supplement duolingo with listening to a Russian podcast, watching a Russian movie, or best of all, practicing with a native speaker! Good luck 🍀 ни пуха ни пера!
I’m thinking of pairing my Pioneer SA-508 with Wharfedsle Linton Heritage speakers. Has anyone tried similar and what were the results like? Room is 4x5 metres, carpeted.
My listening isn’t too bad (usually everything in conversation, can’t do news) and I’m consuming a lot of media to improve it. However, it hasn’t really helped my speaking though I do try and talk with my parents more. I’ve found that I’ll randomly piece together grammar structures when I try to speak, so I’m hoping a textbook will help.
I have Cantonese: A Comprehensive Grammar but I’m not a fan. Also heard good things about Cantonese For Everyone, but not sure how far it goes?
Hi! I'm a heritage speaker, so I spoke the language growing up. Given that I grew up outside Germany and only spoke at home, I've obviously got gaps in my German. What methods do you guys think would be most effective in filling in those gaps? Reading? Worksheets? Is there any type of resource German children are exposed to in school that might not be used for conventional learners?
Any help would be much appreciated :)
I was born in California, as my parents left Vietnam after the Vietnam War. Growing up, I wasn't too happy about having to speak Vietnamese at home with my parents, but now I'm glad they forced me to speak Vietnamese at home. However, my Vietnamese isn't the greatest. It's very formal, and I don't know how to read and write that well.
I'm trying to do the One Language One Parent method with my son, but I realized that many of the songs and books I know are in English. I've tried to just translate books when reading to my son, but I've learned some Vietnamese songs to sing to my son. I was curious if this will hinder the one language one parent method if I continue to sing or read to him in English? Or should I try to only focus with Vietnamese with everything? When is it okay to use English, which is my most dominate language. I'm just afraid that he'll eventually only want to speak with me in English. Anyone have any experience with this, and how did it turn out?
I am Mexican-American, so I learned Spanish by hearing my Mexican parents speak it to me at home. I was never formally taught the grammar rules. In high school, I took a Spanish class because it was required to graduate and I wanted to take the easy route. The teacher noticed that I already knew Spanish so she gave me an option to either be put into a more advanced Spanish class or take a test. I took the test, passed, and never thought anything of it.
My Spanish is enough to communicate with family, but for the last year or 2, I noticed that I have been forgetting words in Spanish. When that happens with family members, it either gets awkward and silent or I use the English word to fill in the gap. I get nervous when I talk with other people who aren't my family because I'm afraid of making mistakes.
I want to start writing and texting more in Spanish, improve my pronunciation and grammar, and expand my vocabulary by talking to native speakers on Hellotalk. Is Hellotalk a good app for what I mentioned, or do I find another app/resource?
Hi everyone!
I am currently an ESOL teacher in a public school but a different county has been trying to recruit me heavily to teach Spanish with a conditional certification. I took Spanish for Spanish Speakers in high school and got 3 and 4 on the AP Spanish and Spanish Lit exams (12 years ago). I grew up bilingually in a bilingual household. I've done informal translation and interpretation for community events.
I speak Spanish everyday at work and with family, write it conversationally everyday (text messages) and I occasionally indulge in telenovelas. Reading comprehension in Spanish is still really difficult for me and I still don't actually feel like my Spanish is "good" enough to be a Spanish teacher or take a formal exam.
How did people who grew up bilingually prepare for the Praxis?
So a bit about me, I’m British born Chinese and my parents are Malaysian Chinese. I went to Cantonese school and only spoke Cantonese at home. I think for me it was really hard with learning Mandarin because I wasn’t really going from 0, but then I wasn’t exactly at intermediate level in terms of pronunciation. It just felt like it was so difficult to start studying and get some momentum going with mandarin.
I really struggled with my identity as I really wanted to know overseas Chinese international students, but at the same time it just wasn’t the same with language issue. It was a real shock for me cause for the longest time I felt so called Chinese/Asian around my non-asian friends, but I wasn’t asian enough around people actually from Asia. It really hurt because the identity I carried around with me was demolished and I was only defining myself in terms of western perceptions of Chinese and Asian people not really of how people from Asia would see themselves. Learning Mandarin really saved me from seeing myself in such skewed ways and I didn’t have to constantly battle with media from the West that continuously tries to belittle me.
Going into university, I never really thought I was really ever going to be advanced in Mandarin, but here I am at the end of university and didn’t take any single class (with the help of friends and a tad bit of self-study) and still was able to take myself to an advance level.
Now, I’ve made a Chinese heritage server and we have a few channels focusing on learning Mandarin for native English speakers, as well as learning Mandarin for those who speak Cantonese in addition to English or any other languages.
Our discord:
- Group voice calls to practise speaking in Mandarin and explain concepts in English
- Group voice calls to practise speaking in Mandarin and explain concepts in either Cantonese or English
- Check each others text and there are also native Chinese speakers who are more than happy to also help
- We have community movie afternoon events
- Share songs, music, TV shows, Douyin with other people of Chinese heritage from all over the world
- We also talk about how to move to different countries
We welcome you to join us, whether you are starting from beginner or intermediate or otherwise. Welcome to our Chinese-heritage discord family.
So a bit about me, I’m British born Chinese and my parents are Malaysian Chinese. I went to Cantonese school and only spoke Cantonese at home. I think for me it was really hard with learning Mandarin because I wasn’t really going from 0, but then I wasn’t exactly at intermediate level in terms of pronunciation. It just felt like it was so difficult to start studying and get some momentum going with mandarin.
I really struggled with my identity as I really wanted to know overseas Chinese international students, but at the same time it just wasn’t the same with language issue. It was a real shock for me cause for the longest time I felt so called Chinese/Asian around my non-asian friends, but I wasn’t asian enough around people actually from Asia. It really hurt because the identity I carried around with me was demolished and I was only defining myself in terms of western perceptions of Chinese and Asian people not really of how people from Asia would see themselves. Learning Mandarin really saved me from seeing myself in such skewed ways and I didn’t have to constantly battle with media from the West that continuously tries to belittle me.
Going into university, I never really thought I was really ever going to be advanced in Mandarin, but here I am at the end of university and didn’t take any single class (with the help of friends and a tad bit of self-study) and still was able to take myself to an advance level.
Now, I’ve made a Chinese heritage server and we have a few channels focusing on learning Mandarin for native English speakers, as well as learning Mandarin for those who speak Cantonese in addition to English or any other languages.
DM for the server link! :)
