"Regardless of how difficult the language is, you'll be more motivated if each new word is another gateway to greater understanding and a new tool you can use to express your joys and frustrations."
Major(s) and Certificate(s): English Literature, Chinese Language and Literature
Language(s): Chinese
Graduation Year: 2014
What motivated you to study this/these languages?
I had started studying Buddhism prior to coming to UW-Madison and wanted to continue studying it without making it my academic focus. Learning Chinese was the perfect tangential pathway to open up new avenues of studying Buddhism while also having practical uses. Besides that, it was also exciting to gain access to the native language of more than one billion people.
What do you remember about your UW language classes? How were they different from other classes you took?
The group I got closest to was definitely my Chinese language cohort. It’s not an easy language to learn and we were all in it together. It was one thing to get a good grade in the class, but it was a whole other thing to make it to the next level with creative control over the content, and that took consistent effort unlike any of my other coursework. Additionally, learning Chinese required understanding the culture. For me, this looked like integrating and getting to know the Chinese community on campus and getting involved with community events. The whole experience of learning Chinese felt less like developing language skills and more like growing a community that appreciated the beauty of the language.
What have you done in a professional capacity since graduating from UW-Madison?
Immediately after graduating from UW-Madison, I joined the Peace Corps as an education volunteer and moved to Chinese. After those two years of service, I decided to stay in Chinese and eventually graduated from East China Normal University with an MA in International Chinese Education and have remained in China since as a high school English teacher at various international schools.
What are ways, either expected or unexpected, that your language study has benefited you in your career?
I expected Chinese to have a much greater impact on which jobs I could get. The reality is, it didn’t. I could have done the Peace Corps and taught in international schools in China without the language. However, knowing the language AND the culture has made all of these experiences much more meaningful because I am able to integrate in with the local community around me instead of existing in an expat bubble. At this point, it’s hard to imagine living in a place where I’m not using Chinese daily.
How have you maintained or improved your language(s) since graduation?
I’ve gone from barely conversational at graduation to full professional fluency and capable of teaching the language as well.
What advice do you have for students who are studying language(s) about how to incorporate their interests and skills into their future goals?
I don’t buy into the “make your passion your job” line of thinking but have rather come to believe a career that allows you to live a lifestyle that you enjoy is a much better ideal. When thinking in terms of language study, that means picking a language that would allow you to integrate into a culture you enjoy. Regardless of how difficult the language is, you’ll be more motivated if each new word is another gateway to greater understanding and a new tool you can use to express your joys and frustrations.