How I Failed in Chinese Language Immersion School

As a first-generation student I was taught when growing up to pride myself on my work ethic and the importance of education. Throughout my life I would say that I excelled in expressing these values. However, I recall one specific instance when I found it difficult to exhibit these traits.

When I was younger my parents spent their hard-earned money to enroll me in a Chinese Language Afterschool. They hoped that I would become fluent in Mandarin, believing that it would be beneficial for me in the future. Unfortunately, as a young and oblivious kid, I failed to take advantage of this educational opportunity that my parents provided for me. Why did this happen?

From the beginning, my Chinese Language School felt like an extension of regular school. For instance, the ratio for teachers and students was around 1 to 30. It was difficult for my teacher to develop a personal relationship with the individual students.

Furthermore, all of the classes were taught in Mandarin. The students were expected to figure out what the teachers were talking about in an immersive environment. It was really hard for me to guess when my teacher was lecturing about something that I wasn’t familiar with using half of the Chinese words that I didn’t know. I became completely lost in my Chinese class.

The academic textbooks used at my Chinese school contained poor translations and no Pinyin. I had no idea what most words meant and how to use them effectively in the correct context. The class material wasn’t designed for English speakers; neither beginner or intermediate learners. I was lost and frustrated.

I felt that the Chinese homework was ineffective and tedious as it often consisted of students having to write Mandarin vocabulary words over and over again. I didn’t understand most of what I was writing about and I was bored and stressed.

I was falling behind and struggling. Despite this, the school required that each student learn the same Chinese material at the same pace. I felt as if my teacher didn’t care about my success at all. I felt hopeless.

As a child, Chinese school felt more like “punishment” than anything else. I spent most of my time goofing around and found myself lacking in motivation. Honestly, I gave up learning Chinese in my Chinese Language Immersion school!

Many years later, reflecting on my childhood, I really appreciate all of the resources that my parents provided for me. I love my parents. I wish I could have communicated clearly with my parents about the challenges I was facing in Chinese Immersion School and the help I really needed to learn Mandarin: An effective, personalized and one-to-one Chinese learning program for English speakers.