Creativity- learning Chinese (Mandarin)

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This is my third year learning Chinese, this term I'm having it online twice a week, in a group of about 10 people. We have a Chinese and Polish tutor, each teaching us once a week. I am currently on the third level of the HSK Standard Course, (chapter 5). These first few lessons, we have been revising previous chapters; lesson 2 and lesson 3 which we already studied before the summer break. I only noted any new words or things I didn't remember and the homework we had. Once we finish revising previous lessons, I will have more notes.

 I often struggle to remember how to read certain characters and sometimes make grammatical mistakes, so this term I would like to focus on improving on these things, by studying more outside my lessons. Furthermore, I want to remember how to write more characters from memory, so this is another goal I am setting myself, once I am fully confident in reading. 



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I think I am improving when it comes to reading and writing but I still feel I need more practice. I also have difficulties remembering new words so I will try and practice those before each lesson until I will feel confident. Overall, I find learning online more difficult as it's less interactive so I will make sure to stay focused for as much as much time as I can. I enjoy going through my notes and textbook and testing myself in my free time. I have been an inquirer during class as I ask questions when I don't understand something.

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Approval questions:
  • I decided to learn Mandarin as I think it's a unique language and I hope to learn as many languages as possible. I think languages are very useful when it comes to finding a job.
  • This project will help me be an inquirer as I ask my teachers questions when I'm not sure of something, knowledgable, thinker, communicator, open-minded as I explore a different culture, balanced and reflective. 
  • I don't need a supervisor as I rely on how easily I read/write/communicate to see my improvement.
  • My goal is to become more fluent in reading and improve my grammar. I want to become an intermediate speaker.
  • I have my lessons on Teams, at home.
  • It takes place on Wednesdays and Fridays, 18:30-20:00.

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Learning outcomes/reflection
Over the past few months, my vocabulary in Chinese has expanded widely. I attended twice a week and my plan was to practice also during my free time. In each topic there are always many new words which sometimes makes it a challenge to remember everything, however I try to remember as much as I can. I practice writing example sentences to learn the grammar and remember how to write symbols. I think I have gotten better in reading the symbols as I practice when I have time. As I attend lessons online, I feel I mostly work independently as I listen to the teacher and take notes. I am also asked to read/answer questions which helps improve my speaking and understanding skills. I feel I still have difficulties with writing and using all grammar that I learn. On the other hand, overall, feel I am closer to my goals and hopefully will fully achieve them soon. I attended most lessons but missed some.

An ethical concern when learning Chinese is that I need to make sure I respect the culture and language. Moreover, there are some countries who have a bad relationship with China, for example the US, so for them learning the language could be disrespectful. However, I think that now that the world is developing and there are more connections between different countries, learning a language is a great way to engage with new people from different cultures.

Through learning Chinese, I am open-minded as I learn about a different language/culture, I am an inquirer as I ask questions when I don't understand something, I am knowledgeable as I learn new things in Chinese, and I am balanced as I balance my school life with learning a new language. 

Comments

  1. Ms. Ula23 October 2023 at 06:11

    Great to see your notes in Mandarin! Look forward to seeing more of your progress.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ms. Ula22 January 2024 at 04:22

    What an interesting learning experience. Are you moving towards your goals?

    ReplyDelete
  3. ula_od2 June 2024 at 10:35

    I appreciate your reflection on how this experience has developed Learner Profile traits!

    ReplyDelete

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