All right, all right. Stop hitting the refresh button. I’m here.
I know you’re all anxiously awaiting the results of last night’s language assessment. First of all, I have to say that Aggie is just wonderful to talk to. I’m still struggling a bit with the lousy reception, but that’s going to be my cross to bear over the next eight weeks.
So… that being said, how did it go?
I botched it. Man, I stunk on ice. I can’t believe some of the stuff I blanked on. And my tones! Gah! Especially that second tone, and tone pairs. Woof. I’m wearing a big old dunce cap today.
My assessment put me at high Newbie/low Elementary. That’s accurate, but I still wish I’d done better.
One of the advantages of this assessment was that it allowed us to identify a problem I’ve been having for a while now, but haven’t been able to articulate. Aggie spoke a fairly long sentence and I simply couldn’t translate it. I understood all of the component parts, but not the meaning as a whole. That’s been a huge problem for me on some of the expansion sentences as well, so hopefully that’s an issue that we’ll be able to address over the course of The Octagon.
All kidding aside, I really am disappointed in myself. I’m simply going to have to study harder. That’s all there is to it!
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Frank, congratulations! You may have stunk on ice, but think of the billions you’ve already left behind in your Chinese learning wake. You know how it is… one step at a time (if only there weren’t so bloody many steps!). 加油！
Good point John B. - Frank just totally beat the would-be scores of 4 billion other people on earth! (Mind you, not all are trying to learn Chinese, but they should be.)
Knowing what I do about Aggie (that shes the single sweetest girl on earth) I know she was probably really impressed with you anyways.
The worst is when I learn a new phrase, them in on the streets or somewhere and the EXACT situation arises where I should use it, and I forget to! And resort to a Ting bu dong, only to dwell on it later.
PS I love your blog.
Colleen
Frank,
after studying Chinese for 2 and a 1/2 years at the uni, I still get these moments when I have no idea how I should respond to a question from my teacher at the Chinese conversation course. (Sometimes it’s because the topics are so boring, though…)
Sometimes I hesitate when I write English, because I’m not sure how some words are spelled… (I started to study English when I was 9, so that makes 17 years of learning it)
I don’t know how that could make you feel any better, though
I guess my point is that learning takes time. And try to look more on the positive side. You have learned a lot already!
And don’t be too hard on yourself, that kills all the fun.
I love your blog too
开心
The second tone is a particularly nasty beast. If you want to feel good about yourself though, I remember your nailing the tones on 多少钱 when you said them in the office.
You’re allowed to find a wall and start punching it.
John B - Hey, thanks for the encouragement. I checked out your blog, by the way. Good stuff there. I’ll definitely be back!
Colleen - I hope you’re right about Aggie. I’d hate to think of her hanging up and going, “Well, we don’t have to change the name of the blog anytime soon!”
Kaixin - Thanks! I’m so glad you enjoy reading (although I think Colleen was talking about John B’s blog).
Dave - Good to know, man. I’m sure this 8-week course will do wonders for what ails me. And thanks for poking your head in here so often. I really appreciate it!
Keep Going Frank I am like you tried very hard. I have brought many different learning resourses 2 years trying to learn. Because when I work in China I hate sitting around dinner table smiling all night waiting for some one to interpert for me. I took great notice of my interperter who told me he learnt his third language when he was 60.. But still it goes in one ear and out the other.
Also Frank they tell me my Mandarin improves after a few rice wines