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你好! Hello! I’m Olivia, and I’ve been living in Shenzhen for about eight months now. It has been an incredible experience, and I’m so excited to share what I’ve learned along the way. One of my biggest goals while living in China has been to learn Chinese and become confident speaking the language. Let me tell you – I am so proud of how far I’ve come! If you’re also interested in improving your Chinese skills and want some tips and tricks, keep reading.
So, how did my journey begin? My interest in the Chinese language actually started when I was around fifteen years old. I began teaching myself using popular language learning platforms and, quite honestly, by using Google Translate! Of course, school eventually took over, and I lost touch with learning Chinese. However, when I was twenty-one, I found myself in a job that gave me a little extra free time. “What should I do?” I thought. That’s when I decided to find an online Chinese teacher. I started by taking one class per week and learning the basics. Even now, three years later, I still have weekly lessons with her, and she is guiding me through HSK 3. The difference is incredible – we now have real conversations, and I even tell her stories about my day. I genuinely think speaking Chinese is so much fun!
Of course, you can live in China quite comfortably without learning Chinese, as long as you have access to translation apps. Many of my friends haven’t learned the language and have no issues in their day-to-day lives. For me, I saw this as a fantastic opportunity to strengthen a skill I was already interested in developing. This month I took a trip to Beijing to visit the Great Wall of China. On one day, my translation app decided to stop working, which I thought was a huge tragedy! However, I asked a local shopkeeper in Chinese how to get to the Great Wall of China. She understood me, and I understood enough of what she said to be able to figure out where I had to go. The lesson learned from this is to learn more Chinese and to always have a backup translation app!
Now, at work, even though I can’t speak perfect Chinese, I can understand what the children are trying to say to me. In one of my recent classes, we were learning about family members when a child asked me, “nǐ māmā shì shuí?” I knew this meant, “Who is your mum?” I thought it was adorable that she asked, and I was equally happy that I could understand her.
I also really enjoy speaking to locals to practise, and I would recommend this! Often, especially when I’m waiting for the bus, people will say “hello.” I quickly realised they usually ask the same few questions: “Where are you from?”, “What’s your job?” and “Do you speak Chinese?” This is fantastic because it means you quickly start to recognise these questions and can practise conversational Chinese in real-life situations. The other day, I was at the bus station when a man said, “Hello.” Instead of replying in English, I answered, “nǐ hǎo.” He looked completely surprised and said, “nǐ huì shuō zhōngwén ma?” (“You speak Chinese?”). We then went on to have a conversation, and it made me so happy that I could confidently communicate with him. He seemed just as excited to chat with me as I was to chat with him.
There are so many ways to learn Chinese. Alongside my weekly lessons, I joined the Yingfu Chinese Town Society. This has been especially beneficial because you learn practical vocabulary that helps with everyday life, such as buying food or changing your phone plan. Now I am the go-to person in my friendship group when we are ordering in a restaurant. As my confidence has grown, I’ve even started teaching Chinese classes to other international teachers who are interested in learning the language. At first, it was scary because I still have a lot to learn, and speaking in a foreign language with a high level of accuracy in order to provide correct information to my peers was nerve-wracking. However, with great support, I’ve found this opportunity incredibly rewarding because it allows me to reflect on just how far my own skills have developed.
Learning Chinese isn’t an overnight phenomenon, but taking the time to try and learn it has been one of the most rewarding parts of my experience living in China. Every small conversation, every new word, and every moment of understanding reminds me that progress really does happen one step at a time. I also highly recommend taking every opportunity you can, because who knows—you might become a Chinese Town Chinese Teacher like me!
If you’re thinking about learning Chinese, my advice is simple: go for it! You don’t need to be perfect. You might be surprised by how quickly those small efforts turn into meaningful conversations and unforgettable experiences, like mine at the bus station. Start with “Nǐ Hǎo” and see where it takes you!