Jack Benny at Carnegie Hall (New York Times/Larry Morris)
How do you get to Carnegie Hall?
The punchline to this old joke is: “Practice! Practice! Practice!“
Friday night surprise
My daughter, like her dad, takes one-on-one lessons from eChineseLearning.com. We even have the same teacher, Chloe.
I happened to be at my computer last night when Chloe sent me Skype message： “大卫，你在吗？”
I answered that I was there. My daughter wasn’t able to make her lesson, so rather than waste it, Chloe asked me if I’d like to use her time slot. It was too late to cancel.
So, we had a lesson that was unscripted and just free conservation. And since Chloe was recovering from a cold, I wanted to give her a break by talking as much as possible.
We chatted about a range of subjects from eCommerce to Chinese Valentine’s Day, and of course the story of 牛郎 (Niú Láng) and 织女 (Zhī Nǚ.).
Seems like a year of one-on-one teaching was paying off. This sort of “pop-quiz” was a fun departure from our normal study from “Integrated Chinese”. It was also eye-opening because it revealed to me how much progress I’ve made.
I like those sorts of surprises!
So how do you get to Chinese fluency?
Practice! Practice! Practice!
Other ways to practice Chinese
Living in the Silicon Valley, there is a sizable Chinese population. When I see someone at work who is Chinese, I try go strike up a conversation with them. Sometimes, they’re taken back and continue in English, other times, people are delighted to hear a 老外 speak Chinese.
There are also Meetups in the San Jose area where Chinese generously give of their time to help learners speak Mandarin. Often times, it benefits them too because they want to improve their English.
One of my favorite ways to practice Chinese is a at Chinese restaurant. It has been my observation that waiters and waitresses at Chinese restaurants are the most open to speaking Chinese and are delighted that 老外 knows how to order from the menu.
Even though fluency is still a long ways off for me, I certainly get a buzz when I see a surprised facial expression!
Focused effort is best
If you attend a college class, you might not get much individual attention. If you learn from an online platform, you certain can benefit from listening and repetition. Of course, both will help you learn grammar and vocabulary.
But you can’t carry on a conversation with a video or MP3.
That’s why I’m happy I have personal teacher. I don’t have to share learning time with other students.
Why don’t you contact eChineseLearning?
It is very easy to try them out. Simply click here to sign up for a free, no obligation 30 minute free trial. If you decide it is for you and you sign up, tell them that Dave Landis referred you and they’ll give you an extra week of lesson’s as a bonus!
You have nothing to lose and every thing to gain. Why not try it out?
