A Lifelong Journey

imageGrowing up in an immigrant family wasn’t always easy. I was the designated translator between my parents and anyone who didn’t speak Chinese (Cantonese). One of the struggles I faced with translating was that certain words and phrases couldn’t be conveyed through translation. Although it was difficult at times, I am glad that my parents gave me these language tools and helped I needed along the way.
I was very lucky to grow up in a thriving Chinese community in Chinatown, San Francisco. I attended Chinese School and was able to practice my reading and writing. Every weekend I would show my parents and relatives all the words that I could write and all the new chapters I could read. I would challenge myself to read neighborhood Chinese store signs and Chinese movie subtitles. For every word that I didn’t know I would either ask or look it up in my Chinese dictionary. Soon after, I became very confident of my grasp of the language.

Did you know that Chinese has numerous dialects and two different styles of writing (traditional and simplified)?

I couldn’t wrap my head around this fact when I was a child. At that point, I thought you could only speak Chinese in Cantonese or Mandarin. I couldn’t believe that everything I’d learned so far was only a small portion of something greater. Learning this fact, has kept me grounded and humble. I understood that I would never be able to learn every dialect, but that I could put the effort into improving what I did know.

Learning a language is a never ending journey. While attending UC Davis, I wanted to minor in Chinese and so I took the placement test. Thankfully, the level into which I placed allowed me to focus on literature courses – an aspect of Chinese culture that I had not partaken in up to that point. I loved the courses I took in literature. I learned the history and turmoil China passed through to become one of the strongest nations today. 
I am extremely grateful for the opportunities I was given and I encourage anyone wanting to learn a new language to give it a try!

 As an alumnus, I would highly suggest taking advantage of the resources they offer at the UC Davis Language Center. I’ve had firsthand experience working and using the resources they offer and allowed me to meet many likeminded individuals.

About the Author: 

Sally Lei graduated from UC Davis in 2014 with a major in Managerial Economics and a minor in Chinese. She loves traveling and plans to travel to as many countries as she can while learning different languages along the way.