We talked about old times
And it made me smile because you didn't forget
Roy Chong
30th May 1985
roy_cmh@yahoo.com.sg
Friday, July 01, 2005, 9:29 pm
Just now watched 有话就说 on Channel U...
The topic is about the studying of Chinese in Singapore....
Some people thinks that Chinese is very difficult to study, and there is kind of like no use for the study of chinese...
But some people think that Chinese is not difficult at all, and of cos, its very useful next time as China Market is growing...
Here are some of my personal views....
Firstly, I think the only problem with Chinese is on the writing...
I find that to memorise all the words is really really difficult....
But I think my standard of Chinese is not that bad...
I know how to speak and know the idioms....
Its just that, i dunno how to write!!!
Like those exam questions where they give u the han yu ping ying and ask u to fill in the words, i sure fail that session, but i know what's the word!!!!
I think that's the problem with most people....
I agreed with a student from that show... She say that Chinese is a memorise thingy.... U have to memorise the words, but then later, u will forget...
But then again.... Which subject doesn't require u to memorise??
Subjects like Science, History, Geography, u have to memorise....
Even Maths, u have to memorise formula..... Even English, u have to memorise spelling of words, format of letter writing etc...
Overall, I think Chinese is not a really difficult subject to study...
But then if u are talking about the Chinese culture, that's a different thing....
Some people study Chinese that includes all the history of China, the Chinese culture etc etc... Those people must have great interest in Chinese and its culture to do that...
As for me, I think i study Chinese just to know how to communicate with people better... I learn Chinese as a language....
Next, I feel that, whether ur chinese is good or bad, depends on ur family background...
From experience, I can see that, those people that are born in a chinese speaking enviornment, normally have better chinese and worst english standards... I am one of those..... My English is not good from young, but in return, my chinese standard is much better...
But those people that are born in a English speaking environment, normally have better english and worst chinese... Like my friends from St. Patricks's School...
They are mostly born in an english speaking family...
And their chinese is really bad.... Althought they can speak, but they can't read or wirte at all!!
Its really the environment that influence u....
And whether Chinese is important, my answer is, YES!!! Of Cos!!
We are Chinese!!! We must know how to speak CHINESE!!!
We must remember our roots!!!
Like in the show say, people from other countries say the chinese in singapore are "Yellow Bananas" that forget our roots... WHAT THE HELL!!
But in wat way??? I think Chinese is important as a form of communication...
As Chinese market is growing, its good to do business with China.... Therefore Chinese is important....
But as for me, I don't really care about the China history blah blah blah....
Anyway, i don't really like history... What past is past... Just let it go and move on!! We should look at the future and not the past... HAHA!!
Talking about all this lets me remember someone who say that her English is SO GOOD and my English SUCKS lie hell....
First of all, obviously she had forgotten her roots...
She forgot that she is a Chinese... And there she is speaking about how good her english is (but hers is not that great either)
But then again, i should ask her this.... "Is your Chinese good??"
I doubt so, as she had already forgotten her root as a Chinese....
Being a CHINESE, i will not go around saying that my English is good and stuff...
In fact, I am not ashame of being bad in English at all!!
Why?? Becos i am a Chinese....
Like in the show say, a lot of people in Singapore, they know a bit of English, they want to hao lian... And some even hao lian in front of those ang moh...
But in fact, they are just "throwing their face away"....
Speaking in broken English, speaking singlish, typing in short forms, spelling mistakes, grammer mistakes..... And she say her english is good??? HAHA!!!
Anyway, I am proud of being a Chinese....
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