Studying Chinese: Heritage and Other Motivations
Cantonese Chinese is my first language - the language my first words were in, the language I use to communicate with my parents, and the language I am trying so hard to hold onto as I grow older so that I may be able to pass it onto my children some day. Despite the fact that my English language abilities have surpassed my Chinese language abilities, there is still value in being able to communicate, no matter how simply, in another language. Because of this reason, I decided to take Mandarin Chinese classes during my first quarter here are UC Davis, and then consequently decided to double major in Chinese after my second quarter.
Chinese is becoming increasingly important in today’s world. From the relevance of Sino-U.S. relations to the growing economic interdependence between the U.S. and China, more and more people are starting to recognize the importance of knowing Chinese (among other languages), and are being encouraged to learn it. In an effort to perfect my Chinese and get to know my own ethnic culture better, I traveled to China in July 2013, where I studied abroad for an entire calendar year. I participated in the UCEAP Intensive Language Program (ILP) in the summer at Beijing Normal University and then in the academic year program at Peking University, where I primarily took Chinese language and culture classes.
The year I spent in China did wonders for my language abilities. I was not able to hold a conversation in Chinese before I left for China, despite having taken upper-division Chinese here at Davis. When I first arrived in China, I did not know how to order anything but soymilk and Chinese donuts. The full immersion experience allowed me to regularly practice my Chinese outside the classroom, something which I couldn’t do here. By interacting with my teachers, talking with other international students who didn’t speak English, and traveling throughout China, I was able to become fluent in the language that I had tried so hard to learn (and failed at doing) here in the States.
The reason I put so much effort, energy, and time into learning Chinese is because it is so relevant and important for my future. I know that my language abilities will give me a leg up in the future when I apply to graduate school and actively pursue my dream career. Never have I and never will I regret picking up a second language and perfecting it. Also, how cool is it that I can have a conversation with 1.3 billion more people than I could have before? Very cool if you ask me.
About the Author:
Belinda Mo is a fourth year majoring in International Relations and Chinese. Her postgraduate plans include returning to China to pursue a Master's in Sino-American studies with the ultimate goal of working for the federal government. She is active on campus as a UCEAP Ambassador, an SISS Global Ambassador, and a member of Kappa Alpha Theta.