TaniaLoG

I don’t really like the Chinese 2 module I’m taking Of course I don’t have any choice but to continue it now since it’s almost over already (the final exam is in week 13, next next Thursday to be exact), but well, this, being the first Chinese module I take in NUS, kind of warns me NOT to take anymore Chinese module here.

Here are some of the reasons for my not liking it:

• I feel like I’m obliged to blindly memorize 20+ words and phrases every week. Yes, blindly, because there aren’t many examples of the usage of these words and phrases in context. Most of them are just thrown at us with at most 2 example sentences which I usually found to be not very descriptive either. And these words are usually not grouped into some context, as in there’s no apparent relation between one word and another (in a lesson/chapter).
• The definitions of the words as stated in the lecture notes are often ambiguous or not precise. Let’s take an example.
  In one of my lecture notes, 现代化 (xian4 dai4 hua4) = modernization.
  Below this definition, there are two example sentences:
  新加坡地是一个现代化的国家.
  上海是一个现代化的城市.
  And obviously the meaning of 现代化 as used in the above sentences is modern (adj).
  Can’t the lecturers put several meanings of the word/phrases if they actually have several meanings? Well at least put some common meanings that we’re going to learn and use in the course. Or at least, in the above case, put the meaning you’re going to actually use in the example sentence puhhh-lease. Or are we students expected to look up the meaning of each of those words again in the dictionary? If yes, what’s the purpose of putting those definitions in the lecture notes? And blah blah.. well I told you I’m ranting ~,~
• The workload is super heavy. There’s like, 1 quiz/test/project deadline and homework every week, especially from recess week onwards. And 1 quiz means having to memorize 50 characters plus a lot more phrases plus of course how to write them. And the homework? In the best case (which is quite rare) it’s 4-sheet long. In the average to worst case (which happens a lot more frequently), it’s 6- to 8-sheet long.

Probably the conclusion is just that my approach to learning a language differs a lot with the approach taken by the lecturer in this case. For me, learning a language is not so much about blindly memorizing lots of words. I’d rather learn fewer words but know a lot about how to use them in different contexts.

Or probably I’m just tensed because it’s already week 11 and I have 3 tests this week and deadlines are coming at lightning speed and my CCAs (or should I say CCA since I’m only referring to one) are (is) still pressing me hard-on till I’m on the verge of breakdown (hopefully not though).

Well, I still have one more month to survive. After that, another semester at NUS will be over.