I took Chinese language as a child at a Sunday school in New York’s Chinatown because it was a way to keep me busy on the weekends. I took up the language again in high school to fulfill the language requirement, as I had some prior experience. And while here at Wesleyan, I’ve taken all the Chinese language courses offered. I also did an intensive language program abroad in Taiwan. This is not a boast. It is a setup to describe my relationship with Chinese language, one which I have committed a large amount of time and effort in the classroom, and see the meaning behind it, as well as how it shaped my life and others around me. I am guided by the simple question: what does learning the Chinese language mean in my context, and how has this been conversation with those around me?

Starting from the beginning– it would be ignorant to attach some well-defined meaning behind why I began learning Chinese. However, our family lived near Chinatown and I had been taking these martial arts classes on the weekends to keep me active. But at some point they required that I come in on the weekdays as well, which was impossible with my school schedule. So, I switched over to learning Chinese at a nearby school and sort of just stuck with it. I remember feeling out of place, the only white face amongst a lot of Chinese kids. I also remember wanting to quit many times and feeling like I didn’t understand things. But I also remember enjoying writing the characters and gaining a better grasp of the language. There was also the community in Chinatown which was fun as a child to be a part of and surrounded by.

In high school and more broadly, in college, Chinese language has become by and large an object of study. There are chapters, based on cultural, historical, social, or political themes, each chapter has so-and-so many vocab, and such-and-such grammar. If this sounds like I’m bored, it’s not exactly that, it’s just that the language became engrained in the academic sphere, and for me, lost a connection with something like community. Of course, there were places, like the Usdan language table and study abroad, where I practically used the language and heard from people in real contexts, but, nonetheless, I noticed my language was heavily molded and shaped by what I learned in the classroom. Whenever I began to speak I would feel the urge to say something more cohesive and deep because the language was likewise wrapped up in a lot of this exterior knowledge.

However, now in my senior year, I didn’t take any Chinese language classes. This is because I’ve already taken all the courses offered as well as my perspective above. I became jaded with learning Chinese in a classroom environment and wanted something more tangible. While the language has been mostly academic for me, I’ve also met many of my friends as a result. I live with two guys, Mike and Yifei, who both speak the language and are from Canada and China respectively. Speaking with them this year and conversing in Chinese has been really beneficial and also broadened my horizons outside of the classroom. I speak with them in Chinese when I can and this has made the language flow much easier. I’ve also learned a lot of idioms from Yifei, such as 三个臭皮匠，赛过一个诸葛亮, which is in regard to how the wisdom of many exceed that of one. From this and other conversations I really understood how the idea of the collective is deeply ingrained in Chinese culture. I have also engaged in activities with them related to the AASC (Asian American Students Collective) and their contact with Chinese international students on campus. These tangible aspects helped me better understand the international student experience here on campus. Ultimately, this past year outside of the classroom has provided me with the opportunity to reorient my connection with the Chinese language, with regard for the people and the communities around me. 

Citation:

Dalbjörn, Amanda. “Chinatown has grown from one street into a massive neighborhood full of everything you can imagine.” Photograph. NYC’s Chinatown: Must-See Spots, Hidden Gems, and Foodie Favorites. Take Walks. Accessed May 15, 2025. https://www.takewalks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/amanda-dalbjorn-vCTi5vijEy4-unsplash.jpg.