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?