Monday, March 17, 2014

Struggle To Speak Foreign Language

About a year ago, I moved to Taipei.
I started to learn Chinese at that time, but the pronunciation of it was really hard (actually, it IS still hard for me) and I couldn't say what I want to say, even an easy sentence.


I remember clearly about the two day one night trip for the first time.
I went to a famous hot spring resort. It took 1.5 hours by bus from Taipei city.

Yeah, it was really fun. I struggled to speak Chinese as much as I could.
But, you know, I didn't know even the easy words like "a towel" in Chinese.


I tried to buy a one hour ticket to take a hot spring bath.
The woman who sold tickets asked me whether I brought my own towels.
But I couldn't understand what she was saying about, so I asked her back.
"Towels. Do you bring your own towels? Or wanna buy some? (in Chinese)", she replied. "What does TOWELS mean? (in Chinese)" I asked again. And she said, "TOWELS! Towels!! *sigh* Towels!! (in Chinese)". She was really irritated, and I was worried. Finally she grabbed some towels and show it to me, and I understood.

Maybe I would never forget the word "towels" in Chinese.


Last weekend, I went to the same place for the first time in a year.
This time, I could understand all what she said. Maybe she was that woman I met last year. Wow, I have progressed a little in this one year.



You may be already know about this web site;
FLUENT in 3 MONTHS

Benny, who is the owner of this website, says that we need to get out of our comfort zone in order to learn foreign languages efficiently. I do agree to this idea.


Why my English hasn't progressed though I studied it for a looong time, is just because I hesitate to leave from my comfort zone! Aghhh, wimpy!!


*Japanese Word of the Day*
だから、タオルって言ってるでしょ!
/dakara, taoru tte itteru desho!/
I mean, I said TOWELS!!

何回言ったら分かるわけ?!
/nankai ittara wakaru wake?!/
How many times do I have to tell you?!


*~(だ)から : It's usually used like A(だ)からB. It means that A is the reason of B.

雨(あめ)が降(ふ)りそうだから、傘(かさ)を持(も)って行(い)く。
-> I bring an umbrella because it seems to start raining.

夜更(よふ)かしするから寝坊(ねぼう)するんだよ。
-> You oversleep because you stay up late at night.

But if your girlfriend say だから emphatically at the beginning of the sentence, she might get irritated or angry. Be careful.


*~って言ってるでしょ/~って言ってるだろ
Obviously he or she is irritated. でしょ sounds feminine, and だろ sounds manly.

*何回 : how many times

*~(な)わけ?
This is a spoken word to ask someone something.

彼女(かのじょ)と付(つ)き合(あ)ってるわけ?
-> Do you go steady with her?
It sounds a little complaining or surprised about it.

あんた、本気(ほんき)なわけ?
-> Are YOU serious?



Have you experienced being embarrassed to speak a foreign language?



2 comments:

  1. 我很喜歡看您寫的文章,
    這篇尤其對我很有幫助。
    因為我最近學習語言遇到了瓶頸,
    我問了很多人意見,
    但最後發現還是要自己找到適合自己的方法,
    並且不可以求快,只能慢慢累積,
    不然自己壓力會太大,反而學不好。
    阿!我好像打太多字了,哈哈!

    謝謝您的分享^^

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 謝謝你的comment!! 因為我也常常遇到瓶頸, 懂你的心情.
      語言學習不是一天造成的, 可是, 要是每天一點點學習
      就有多多小小的進步. 比昨天... 比上禮拜... 比上個月... 比去年!! ^^

      希望我們能繼續enjoy語言學習!!

      Delete

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