What studying Chinese means to me
I personally like learning languages because it allows me to connect to people from diverse cultures. I believe that if I am able to communicate with people in their own native language, it is about 80% more likely for them to open up to me and trust me. Nelson Mandela said: “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart.” I honestly live by this is a quote.
To understand a person and to understand the way he or she sees the world, it is essential to understand the language they speak. There was a study that was done on the way that people express themselves in different parts of the world, and how the language they use changes the way they express feelings and emotion. This study demonstrated how even the way a person gives directions or tells time changes the way the other person will perceive it, and how the knowing several languages will change a person’s view of the world.
I have two main reasons for learning Chinese. Firstly, I want to understand the culture, the language, hopefully one day, be able to see the world the same way a native Chinese speaker sees it. Secondly, knowledge of several languages is like having the master key that opens almost every door. I personally aspire to work for a global organization such as the UN. Being able to speak Chinese, Spanish, and English which are three of the five official UN languages might make me more helpful to this organization.
A fun little video
My friend Diya and I getting our chopstick skills up to speed during a club activity
Being a part of the Chinese Club at SF
I joined the Chinese Club to make friends with native Chinese speakers. Culturally there are significant differences between people who are of Latin descent and people of Chinese decent. Latinos are generally quite outgoing whereas Asians in general are more reserved and can even be perceived as being distant. I have made many Chinese friends and in so doing I have learnt how to interact with them in a way that makes both sides feel comfortable. I have a Chinese friend who is learning Spanish, which I help her with, and she also helps me with my Chinese. As a result my Chinese hearing and speaking skills have improved considerably.
Our club has cookouts where we make typical Chinese foods and learn about different cooking methods. We celebrate all the major Chinese holidays by hosting interactive activities on the campus, where students who are not taking Chinese classes, can learn more about this amazing culture and in this way become more open and friendly towards the Chinese and Asian students at our school.
Club activities
My experience of being Club President
As the President of the Chinese Club, I acquired quite a few managerial skills as everyone has to have something to do to in order to make sure the club meeting is a success. I learnt how to deal with different people's needs at the same time. I had to organize events in such a way that there was something for everyone to do and in a way that everyone felt welcome. As the President I also had the opportunity to work closely with my Chinese teacher when organizing events.
I feel that my term as president of the club was a success because I am service orientated and self-driven. I like teamwork, and I enjoy leading groups during group dynamics. I was fortunate to have a nice organizational team, and we worked together very well. As a result, our meetings were always fun and well attended.