But, with Chinese, in my opinion, there is benefit to prioritizing certain aspects over others. Specifically, if you are looking for maximum efficiency in learning the language, I believe the ideal priority order is: speaking, reading, and, then in a distant third, writing. This order is particularly pronounced in the early stages of Chinese acquisition. For this blog, I'll talk a little bit about speaking.
Speaking:
There are a number of reasons why I would recommend you prioritize speaking over other components of the language.
- The Obvious
- You will need to learn at least a few phrases for your own survival.
- "How much does this cost?"
- "Where is the bathroom?"
- "I would like chao mian.
- The Slightly-Less-Obvious
- It's a more immediate way to engage with Chinese culture.
- Many people, when they first arrive, are anxious about speaking with natives in Chinese. "Maybe I'll look stupid" or "I don't know what to talk about" are common excuses I heard among expats.
- My honest answer is: GET OVER IT. Yes, it's hard to have meaningful conversations when your language is limited. However, most people will be patient and highly enjoy speaking with you.
- If you don't know whom to speak to, trying inviting your Chinese teacher to dinner. Talk to a security guard near your school or apartment. Go to a teahouse and ask someone to teach you about the different types of tea they have. If you don't know what to talk about, just use whatever you've got. You might just ask, "what is this?" or "where are you from?" The point is: Just start speaking.
- The reason I say, "Just start speaking," is because it's important to get on the trajectory of speaking in Chinese regularly. Expats often worry about looking silly, so they never engage in conversation with locals at all. Or they stay within a very confined set of phrases. Or they'll hang out with locals who speak good English. However, if you are serious about speaking Chinese, it's important to get over the fear of speaking early.
- Speaking will help you to implement vocabulary and grammar that you learn in class.
- By adding real-life conversational context to the Chinese you learn, I believe words/phrases/grammar become more permanently ingrained in your memory. For me, I sometimes associate words or phrases with a person, situation, or even a feeling I've had while in China. For example, when I want to recall body parts, I think of going to Ding JiaoLian's gym, where I would talk about working out my back, legs, etc.
- Additionally, when you're in a conversation, unexpected words come up. Unless you decide to be really rude and leave the conversation upon hearing an unknown word, you're going to have to use context clues or directly ask what the unknown word means. This skill is useful because it teaches you persistence (yes, I can do this!) and makes you aware of important gaps in your vocabulary portfolio.
- On the flip side of that, if you are trying to express a word that you don't yet know how to say, you will have to cleverly circumnavigate the word through the collection of grammar/vocabulary that you do have. This is a great exercise for reinforcing prior language learning. And again, it helps point out obvious gaps in your language, which you can then go and correct.
- You'll get immediate feedback on your language abilities.
- Not all locals will be willing to correct you, but some will. Do not take this criticism as an insult, but rather as a gift. With an awareness of your deficiencies, you will have a better picture of where to devote your energies studying the language. If people don't understand you immediately when you say, "wu(3)," (the number five), then go practice saying "wu(5)." You probably won't know that you're saying it incorrectly unless someone you're speaking with stares at you with a blank expression, or simply asks, "what?" So go out into the world and try your language out.
- Even if your conversation partner(s) do not correct mistakes, simply having a back-and-forth should be a motivating experience. You're having a real conversation, no matter the level of sophistication! This is a confirmation that your accent, vocabulary, grammar, etc., are all adequate for a native speaker to understand and respond to.
- Pro challenge: See if kids understand what you're trying to say. Kids tend to be a bit more honest when they don't understand you, whereas adults can more gracefully play off misunderstanding. If a kid doesn't understand you, that's a sign that your grammar/pronunciation/vocabulary may be off.
When I was in China what I would often do is:
- Memorize the new vocabulary words from the day's Chinese lesson (usually 7-10 words in pinyin)
- Find a place to eat, drink tea, play basketball, go to the market
- The point is that I would go to places where I would be forced to have some kind of interaction
- Say literally anything in Chinese. "What special dishes do you have?", "What is this?"
- Generally, the conversation partner would be surprised that I was speaking Chinese and would be happy to speak with me. The eagerness to have a conversation was typically reciprocal, from my experience. For many, I was the first foreigner they had ever spoken with. So, the interaction often was memorable for both parties.
- I would try to find ways to use the new words that I had learned
- Sometimes it would be a little unnatural, but who cares?
Start speaking Chinese right away when you get in the country. Once you have a few phrases in the holster, use those as a foundation for future conversations you have. Find creative ways to use the new words that you've learned, and spice up where you have these conversations. Key, too, is putting yourself in situations where you will be forced to speak with someone. Instead of shying away with short sentences, embrace the situation and try to have a meaningful conversation.
And, most important, don't worry about looking silly when you first start out. It's important that you get in the habit of speaking, even if your language abilities are extremely limited. I've seen it a million times where expats make excuses for not talking to people. "I can't have a meaningful conversation" or "I talk like a two year-old." Well, 1.) who cares if you look silly?! Do you really think people will think you're a dummy because you can't immediately speak Chinese fluently? If your counterpart thinks so, then they aren't worth your time. 2.) You can have meaningful conversations with a bit of creativity and persistence.
The earlier you start speaking, the better.
