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Mandarin opens many cultural doors
By Alice Riddington |
January 30, 2013, Wednesday
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WHEN joining the British International School Shanghai I decided to take Mandarin as one of my chosen IB courses. Mandarin, for me, has proven to be the most rigorous, challenging and fast learning subject.
However, studying Mandarin has made me feel more aware of the people around me and how to interact with them better.
Not only are we learning Mandarin, but also we learn about the culture, for example, we have had food tasting days, we have sung famous Chinese songs and we are forced to engage in the cultural differences.
This has opened many doors for me as before moving to China I was only aware of my own culture, and now I am slowly embracing Chinese culture.
The learning styles in Mandarin classes are very different to that of any other subject. Classes go at a very quick pace and it is often difficult to keep up. You are expected to learn over 30 words in every lesson, so you need to be focused, positive and eager to learn at all times.
I enjoy challenging my social norms. For example, when I moved to China I found it hard to adjust to the invasion of space you often feel. However, after two years, I have learned to adjust to my surroundings and not consider these close encounters as being rude or peculiar.
(Alice Riddinton is Year 13 student at BISS,)
However, studying Mandarin has made me feel more aware of the people around me and how to interact with them better.
Not only are we learning Mandarin, but also we learn about the culture, for example, we have had food tasting days, we have sung famous Chinese songs and we are forced to engage in the cultural differences.
This has opened many doors for me as before moving to China I was only aware of my own culture, and now I am slowly embracing Chinese culture.
The learning styles in Mandarin classes are very different to that of any other subject. Classes go at a very quick pace and it is often difficult to keep up. You are expected to learn over 30 words in every lesson, so you need to be focused, positive and eager to learn at all times.
I enjoy challenging my social norms. For example, when I moved to China I found it hard to adjust to the invasion of space you often feel. However, after two years, I have learned to adjust to my surroundings and not consider these close encounters as being rude or peculiar.
(Alice Riddinton is Year 13 student at BISS,)
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