Sometimes, being a Newbie is a bit like being a broken watch—you’re only right twice day.

I’ve been reviewing a lot of the Newbie-level lessons on my iPod these past few days, trying to gear up for my trip to China (January 6th!), and as I listen to them, I hear Ken and Jenny drill into our heads to try not to overanalyze at this stage; to just listen to the music of the language and try to remember the phrases, rather than the individual words. Their reasoning for this is ultimately sound, but as I prepare to walk through a country where my months of studying will be put to its ultimate test, I feel a little like an actor who never learned how to improvise. I’ve memorized my script, I know my lines, but if the person I’m talking to goes off the page I’m going to be in real trouble!

Of course, I’m not a complete Newbie. I’ve been listening to the Elementary lessons for a few months now. It’s still work for me to get through them, and there’s one male speaker who scares the absolute snot out of me, but I do all right with repeated listenings.

Back in June, when I went to Italy, I spent a great day in Sorrento where I broke away from the tour group and wandered around in the back alleys and shadowed alcoves of the real city. I was forced to draw on every ounce of Italian I’d ever learned, and it was a great experience. There’s nothing like immersion learning.  I’m looking forward to doing the same thing in China, except this time I won’t have the safety net of a group to return to. This time it’s sink or swim!

Wish me luck.