Interview with Lee, a Graduate from Harvard

[Interview其他建议]本站整理Interview其他建议 Q：How long would you like to stay with this pany？(你会在本公司服务多久呢？) A：I will stay as long as I can continue to learn and to grow in...+阅读

Nice to meet you, Lee. Thanks for accepting the interview. Today we are going to talk about your Chinese learning experience and your life experience in China. Could you please give a brief introduction?Sure. First thanks for hing me on the show. My personal story is Im an American. My first time of ing to Chinawas in 1998. I spent three years in China. The first year I was in Wuhan, teaching English. Then I spent just over two years in Shanghai, where I was environmental consulting for a little while. Then I worked for a magazine down in Shanghaifor one year.

Whats more about your Chinese learning experience?

When I first came to China, I didnt really know much Chinese. I basically knew 谢谢 and 再见. And I often confuse them. It really was when I got to ChinaI started learning tones from a teacher. So I would go around my campus teacher, just going mā, m, mǎ, m, all day long. So I basically started learning tones and a few things.

But I didnt start learning Chinese very seriously until I attended graduate school (in Harvard) after my experiences in Shanghai.

You mean the tones are a little bit difficult for you?

I wouldnt say the tones are difficult. Its just a little bit different, because its a basic building block for Chinese. So you he to practice tones very 认真 about it to really get the basic stuff down.

I think your oral Chinese is really good. Besides practicing the tones, is there some other special ways you improve the oral Chinese?

There are two ways of improving your oral Chinese. And basically its just talking with people. But talking with people is never enough, because mostly people you talk to are Chinese, are qualified as Chinese teachers. You may learn a few new words. But you cant learn how to speak. You he to pliment regular speaking with people. You he to pliment that by taking classes basically, with somebody knows how to teach Chinese to foreigners. I found that to be really really invaluable. It was only when I came upon my Chinese teacher at the 电影学院 that I really feel that I was starting learning Chinese, oral Chinese.

So you also learn from the daily life?

Yeah. I mean daily life is really important.

Do you often watch TV and some TV series?

I dont watch TV series that much because its hard to understand whats going on. I can read Chinese characters that go across the bottom of the screen for most of the shows.

It helps a lot in building vocabulary?

Most of the vocabulary I build is from reading.

You are also interested in Chine

se literature?

Yes. Im really interested in Chinese literature. Im actually interested in literature in general. So I decided that I want to study China, the history of China. There is no better way than literature to understand the culture.

Whats the most attractive point for you?

I did my thesis on Wang Shuo. I like Wang Shuos post modern sort of stories. There is more classic writers like Shen Congwen, even like Zhang Ailing. Shes a little bit hard to read. But I still like what she is trying to do.

I read something like Han Han, which is a kind of good.

The next question is how did you overe the difficulties of learning Chinese characters?

It just requires time. I spend two years without hing them to work. I was studying Chinese characters. I spend an entire year trying to read. And I spend another year reading and speaking. You need to do it every day.

Do you think its important to learn Chinese from its origin?

Its hard to say.

Do you think there are more and more people learning Chinese in your country?

There are for sure. Besides Spanish its the fastest growing language in America. Definitely Spanish is the NO.1. Chinese is NO.2.

Since youve chosen being here in Chinaand also learning Chinese. Would that play an important role in your future career?

I hope its going to be my future career. Its not just my career. Its my personal life too. My girlfriend is Chinese. We hope to he a family. We speak both Chinese and English.

Whats more would you like to add? Any special feeling about life here in Beijing?

Ive read a couple of good essays about Beijing. A lot of Beijingtalk about Beijing, as like every night you can get a special Beijingmoment. You know maybe in the fall. The lees are falling down. Its like a beautiful weather. Like right now. Today its Beijingmoment. Its like spring time. The wind is high. But for me its actually the people. Its like you see a person on the street. Its just suddenly like you feel so familiar. You dont know you feel familiar, but it just feels so familiar. Every night you see a person, maybe like an old guy who is old like Sun Yat-sen, like a kind of outfit on. Hes got a lot of culture. Hes been around for a long time. Or even like a young guy. You know sometimes its just a waidiren, a guy from other provinces. Moments like that for me are whats special about Beijing. Its the moment of seeing a person and recognizing a something very fundamental that you he ments with that person.

Excellent! Thank you!

Youre wele.