Today was our second day of classes and our first day with electives. We woke up a little late this morning I think we are getting used to the time difference which is great now that we actually need to get up early :P. We made it to class with about a minute to spare. Today in 101 we started learning Zhu Yin and practiced tones. A little over halfway through our class Hannah walked in and sat down. Because she doesn't know characters her teacher decided to make an example of her and kick her down to 101 so she maybe in my class now. Hannah was really sad and disappointed, especially since she was able to understand everything her teacher was saying.
(Brief explanation from Hannah) I knew going into it that it was going to be very hard to keep up since the lessons we read in class are only in Characters. I was really excited about class though, because I could keep up with her when she taught the lesson, yet still felt like it was a challenge. The down side of attending a university is that they don't care if you are learning the language to preach and want to focus on the spoken language. It was really humiliating at first. It was completely out of the blue. She started the day with going over new vocab, which I participated in the entire time. We were scheduled to have a test over 10 new characters today, which I was prepared for. She came to my desk during a break before we did any work on characters or the test, and asked me to write characters for her. Before I could she told me she didn't think I could stay in level two. She just said, "I like you, but you have to know characters. This is FengJia." I couldn't believe it. I should have seen it coming. Being in level two starts you in lesson 8 of the book. A student is required to know all the characters from the last 7 lessons. (Which is well over 200 main characters) To catch up I would have to learn all of those while learning the new ones in our current lesson.
I asked her when I should switch to 101 and she said now. I thought she meant after class, but she meant right now in the middle of class. My teacher laughed to the class while I packed up my books and said, "Well I already killed one student. Study hard, or I will send you to level one too." She took me to the office to see which class to switch me into. The whole time I couldn't stop thinking about how hard we worked to get here. How our friends had helped us so much to come here, just so we could study the language. I felt like I was already failing. That this was a huge set back. Standing in the middle of the office, my nose suddenly started bleeding from the stress. Like the previous display wasn't enough humiliation.
When I sat in on 101 it was almost painful how elementary it was. It is perfect for someone just learning the language, but I was at that level 4 years ago when I took Chinese in High School.
Oh well. We knew not everything was going to be perfect. I will use my time in class to really study so I can be sure to advance to level 2 next quarter. I knew this was going to be a humbling experience coming to Taiwan. I just didn't think it was going to happen on my 2nd day of class.
Now back to Phil...
I think my teacher is much nicer. After our main class ended we went to look at the board for our elective classes I was planning on taking 103 which is practicing listening and speaking. Hannah is going to take 203 which is the second level of practicing listening and speaking. Since there are so many students there are actually going to be 2 classes of 103 but they have not gotten it all assigned yet. The electives are 2 days a week there was not a 103 class today this week but next week there will be. Because we want to have the same schedule I went ahead and sat in on the 203 class today. It was kinda scary, but the teacher that I have for 101 is the same for 203. She was so kind and paid special attention helping me since I was very lost for most of it. When it first started she had us go around the room and say our name and where we were from, I thought hey I can do that maybe I can do 203 with Hannah. That was the end of that thought :)
Next she handed us a bingo sheet each square had a question to ask our class mates if they have the same answer as you they put their name on it and you get to circle that square. As if questions and answers are not hard enough, all of the questions are only in characters. The teacher first read through all of the questions but my little brain couldn't keep up and I didn't know what a lot of the words meant. Hannah helped me with a few, then the teacher came and helped me write out 4 of the questions and explained what they were asking. so I was able to get a few names put down.
After going over some more phrases and questions class was over. We were both starving so out of desperation we went to McDonald's. Where we discovered yet another universal truth... Where ever you go McDonald's will make you feel gross after you eat it :).
On our way home our scooter started acting up. We made it all the way home and then it just died and we couldn't get it to start again. I texted Brian Lee a brother in our congregation and he said he would come take a look at it for us. Its now at the shop, we will probably have to take the bus tomorrow.
(Brief explanation from Hannah) I knew going into it that it was going to be very hard to keep up since the lessons we read in class are only in Characters. I was really excited about class though, because I could keep up with her when she taught the lesson, yet still felt like it was a challenge. The down side of attending a university is that they don't care if you are learning the language to preach and want to focus on the spoken language. It was really humiliating at first. It was completely out of the blue. She started the day with going over new vocab, which I participated in the entire time. We were scheduled to have a test over 10 new characters today, which I was prepared for. She came to my desk during a break before we did any work on characters or the test, and asked me to write characters for her. Before I could she told me she didn't think I could stay in level two. She just said, "I like you, but you have to know characters. This is FengJia." I couldn't believe it. I should have seen it coming. Being in level two starts you in lesson 8 of the book. A student is required to know all the characters from the last 7 lessons. (Which is well over 200 main characters) To catch up I would have to learn all of those while learning the new ones in our current lesson.
I asked her when I should switch to 101 and she said now. I thought she meant after class, but she meant right now in the middle of class. My teacher laughed to the class while I packed up my books and said, "Well I already killed one student. Study hard, or I will send you to level one too." She took me to the office to see which class to switch me into. The whole time I couldn't stop thinking about how hard we worked to get here. How our friends had helped us so much to come here, just so we could study the language. I felt like I was already failing. That this was a huge set back. Standing in the middle of the office, my nose suddenly started bleeding from the stress. Like the previous display wasn't enough humiliation.
When I sat in on 101 it was almost painful how elementary it was. It is perfect for someone just learning the language, but I was at that level 4 years ago when I took Chinese in High School.
Oh well. We knew not everything was going to be perfect. I will use my time in class to really study so I can be sure to advance to level 2 next quarter. I knew this was going to be a humbling experience coming to Taiwan. I just didn't think it was going to happen on my 2nd day of class.
Now back to Phil...
I think my teacher is much nicer. After our main class ended we went to look at the board for our elective classes I was planning on taking 103 which is practicing listening and speaking. Hannah is going to take 203 which is the second level of practicing listening and speaking. Since there are so many students there are actually going to be 2 classes of 103 but they have not gotten it all assigned yet. The electives are 2 days a week there was not a 103 class today this week but next week there will be. Because we want to have the same schedule I went ahead and sat in on the 203 class today. It was kinda scary, but the teacher that I have for 101 is the same for 203. She was so kind and paid special attention helping me since I was very lost for most of it. When it first started she had us go around the room and say our name and where we were from, I thought hey I can do that maybe I can do 203 with Hannah. That was the end of that thought :)
Next she handed us a bingo sheet each square had a question to ask our class mates if they have the same answer as you they put their name on it and you get to circle that square. As if questions and answers are not hard enough, all of the questions are only in characters. The teacher first read through all of the questions but my little brain couldn't keep up and I didn't know what a lot of the words meant. Hannah helped me with a few, then the teacher came and helped me write out 4 of the questions and explained what they were asking. so I was able to get a few names put down.
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| LIN Weiling Our Teacher for 101 and 203 |
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| Our class room |
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| Lunch @ McDonald's |
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| Trash can @ McDonald's Everything is recycled in Taiwan |
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| Top of trash can |
Well that was our day hopefully we can get the scooter going. Hope you are all doing well
Love Phil and Hannah
aw, I'm sorry. that is really a bummer to get bumped out of the class. I am so surprised that she would do that, especially on only the second day. oh well, maybe you don't want such a mean teacher anyways.
ReplyDeletelove you guys!
I found out today that she did that to another witness too. She is really strict. I think it worked out for the best though. This way Phil and I are in the same class so I can really help him get what he is learning, and I can work on strengthen my foundation with the language. The more I thought about it too, I think I would be really stressed out trying to learn the old 200 characters along with the new lessons. Im already stressed enough. :)
DeleteI can't believe Phil stepped into a McDonald's!! lol So sorry you had such a stressful day Hannah:( Keep your chin up! There will be more bumps but Jehovah will get you through:) All of us back home are cheering you both on & keeping you in our prayers:)
ReplyDelete