My Journey Learning Chinese as a Foreigner – You can do it too!

Learning Chinese can be a daunting journey for anyone, especially if you start from scratch as I did more than ten years ago. However, one of the fastest ways to learn Chinese is by having strong motivation and drive. For some people that may take the form of career goals, relocation purposes, or many other reasons. For me, that journey started as a childhood obsession that would later develop into a lifelong love affair with the country that I now consider my second home. I first arrived in Beijing in 2013, young and eager to take in everything the country and culture had to offer. It’s important to note that I already had a love and enthusiasm for China and its people, and that played a major role in helping me pick up the language quickly.
 

 
But let’s not get carried away, I want to take you back to the very beginning of my learning journey. As a young girl living in a small town in Italy, I always longed for a way out of my boring life and a chance to explore all that the world had to offer. I had always been interested in Chinese culture since my mother bought me a Chinese coloring book when I was 5 years old. This created a longing to learn more about this amazing far-away land, its culture, language, and people. Over the years I forgot (or was rather distracted by life) about this passionate dream and it was only reignited in high school when a Chinese girl called Qian transferred to my school and we ended up becoming friends. By this time, I was a teenager and had developed a love for things (and people) that were different and me and Qian immediately hit it off.
 
She was from Beijing and although we were the same age, we were polar opposites in the way we dressed and looked at life. This immediately intrigued me as I couldn’t wait to know everything about her, what she wore, ate, and liked. It wasn’t long before she invited me over to her house to meet her parents and I that was the day my life changed. The food tasted like nothing I had ever eaten before and the moment she started speaking Chinese with her parents, I knew that I had to learn that beautiful language.
 
On my way home, I skipped and hoped, as I couldn’t contain my excitement. I determined that learning Chinese and visiting China would be my way to explore the world. I was excited and couldn’t wait to get home and tell my parents the good news about my decision, taking it for granted that they would be equally excited.
 
As I sat down with my parents at the dinner table later that night, I could feel all my dreams crashing as they expressed their reservations about their young daughter traveling to a distant country by herself. However, I was determined and after a few weeks of convincing, they finally gave in and at the end of the school year, I started my preparations to head over to Beijing with Qian, my new best friend.
 
 

 
During my preparations to come to China, I realized that I needed a more effective way to learn Chinese. I explored several online resources, and ultimately, I decided to enroll in one-on-one online Chinese lessons. The personalized nature of this course, tailored to my learning pace and needs, was particularly appealing to me. Starting from the basics of pinyin, my teacher gradually guided me through more complex vocabulary and sentence structures. This learning approach allowed me to apply what I had learned in real-life situations, which was crucial to me. I remember some of the expressions I learned in the course, such as how to order food and ask for directions, which came in handy on my first day in Beijing.
 
As the day grew closer, I felt a mix of excitement and nervousness. I packed all my belongings, said goodbye to the only place I had known all my life, and boarded the plane to finally visit the place I had only dreamt about for so long. Landing at Beijing airport, I was overwhelmed with a sense of awe and wonder. The bustling atmosphere and vibrant culture immediately captivated me. However, I couldn’t deny the underlying anxiety of being in a foreign country where I couldn’t speak the language fluently.
 
Qian and her parents were there to receive me, which instantly made me feel more at ease. They provided the support and guidance I needed as I navigated my way through this new environment. The next day, the two of us set out to explore the city, and I was immersed in the rich tapestry of Chinese traditions, delicious cuisine, and friendly locals. While the language barrier posed some challenges, I embraced every opportunity to practice my Chinese and learn from the people I met along the way.
 

 
As I sat down at the dining table with Qian and her parents again, I was able to engage in simple conversations using the Chinese I had learned. It was a proud moment for me and a significant milestone in my journey of learning Chinese. This experience further solidified my determination that learning Chinese and exploring China held an irresistible allure for me. What was supposed to be a one-year trip ended up becoming a ten-year experience and I loved every minute of it.
 
Before taking the leap, focus on the main reason for learning Chinese and couple this with a structured course that you can find online to guide your learning process. Depending on what you will be using the language for, it can take anywhere from 6 months to 6 years to attain fluency in Chinese. If you are planning your adventure to China and wondering where to start, you can enroll for a Chinese Language course online as you prepare for this life-changing experience.