What? Online Chinese class for adults?
I wanna make sure if I heard it right or not? According to some research and data, It’s better to learn Chinese from an early age; I’m already 32, is there still chance to learn Chinese?
(click here to know more information about Chinese learning)
The thing that I want to tell you is: as long as you want to learn! Willing to work hard to learn Chinese! It is never too late to start learning Chinese!
Let me tell you a real story – From learning Chinese to starting a business: How to start a successful career by learning Mandarin
For non-native speakers of Chinese, Online Chinese class for adults is an extremely challenging task.
Chinese has intricate strokes and thousands of characters, most of which take at least a year or even longer to understand and master, plus the difficulty of pronunciation makes many people daunted.
Although Mandarin is one of the most difficult languages in the world to master, there are many benefits to learning Chinese.
Mandarin is considered to be the second most common language in the world, therefore, being able to speak Mandarin can open you up to many employment opportunities and give you more opportunities to advance in various fields.
That’s why the story of Malaysian-born Shah Farid Rashid is so fascinating. As a Malay, he grew up with little exposure to Mandarin, but was eventually able to master the language.
He told Study International: “As crazy as it sounds, I grew up listening to Chinese people speaking Mandarin. Even though I couldn’t understand what they were saying, I still found it very interesting.”
He decided to challenge himself and went to Beijing Foreign Studies University to study Chinese language and literature. His strong determination and hard work attitude have allowed him to master Mandarin in only six months, an amazing achievement!
From self-study to international education
Rashid spent his childhood in the Malaysian state of Kelantan, one of the poorest states in Malaysia. Like his hometown folks, Rashid comes from a modest family.
He shared, “My life was restricted a lot when I was a child. Due to my poor family background, I couldn’t pursue many things I was interested in.”
Therefore, Rashid has always believed that education is the key to changing destiny. He vowed to create a better future for himself and his family, so he resolutely decided to apply to a famous local university in Malaysia.
In this regard, he said, “I believe that only by working hard on my own can I realize my life-changing dream. For the future of me and my family, I must do my best to achieve success.”
Like his college classmates, Rashid worked hard to win a scholarship to study abroad. But, unlike other students, Rashid chose a unique path. “Most students either study maths or accountancy and I want to make a different choice,” he said.
And just as he expected, Rashid also received the admission letter from Beijing Foreign Studies University majoring in Chinese as he wished.
He explained, “I was very excited and had been waiting for the admission letter. I knew there wasn’t much competition because not many people realized the importance of Mandarin at the time.”
Master Mandarin in six months
After coming to Beijing, Rashid faced another new challenge: adapting to life in the city. “I didn’t know anything about the city, and the language barrier got me into a lot of trouble,” he recalls.
“Not being able to communicate well prevented me from going out shopping, taking public transport, etc. I had to ask others for help from time to time.”
So Rashid doubled down on learning Mandarin. He thinks a lot of it has to do with his determination and self-discipline, but also with the interesting lessons he’s had.
He enthused, “Those lessons were so much fun. All the colors, songs and learning activities put me in kindergarten, but the students were adults. This unique and fresh way of learning was really different. “
Rashid’s five years in Beijing have been very fulfilling. He spent a lot of time exploring China and felt the rich and colorful culture and characteristics of this country.
And Online Chinese class for adults also brought great help to his job hunting process after he returned to Malaysia.
“I feel very lucky because I have been interviewed by many companies. Although I majored in languages, I have received high-paying offers from many large companies such as Google, Xiaomi and several fashion companies.
Although I did not Not having all the required skills, but the key to these employers is that I can speak Mandarin. They told me that other skills on the job can be learned by doing, but languages cannot.”
Faced with a plethora of job opportunities, Rashid found himself happiest in a teaching environment. In addition, he realized that learning Mandarin could help impoverished communities like his own, which prompted him to give back in what he believed to be the best way: through education.
The Beginning of Entrepreneurship: Fasih Mandarin (Fasih Mandarin)
Rashid got his first job as a Mandarin teacher at a local university, a profession he loved. However, he also faced the limitations and many limitations of the existing curriculum.
He explained: “The school’s teaching goal is only to let students pass the exam, and the curriculum is very rigid. I try my best to make my class interesting and lively, but there are still various restrictions.
More importantly, I found that students don’t enjoy the course. They just take my class for credit and have no interest or value in the course content.”
Rashid realized that the real meaning of teaching is to stimulate students’ interest and interest in learning, rather than simply learning to meet graduation requirements.
Therefore, in 2018, he founded his own language center, which provides Mandarin training for non-native Chinese speakers.
Most of the teachers are also Malay. The Online Chinese class for adults school currently has branches in seven regions in Malaysia, with more than 8,000 students, making it one of the largest chartered Mandarin language institutes in Malaysia.
Faxi Mandarin is an academy for students of all ages, including young children and working professionals. The Academy’s courses are lively and engaging, employing many of the teaching strategies that Rashid employed while studying in Beijing.
However, according to Rashid, the really meaningful aspect of Faxi Mandarin is how helpful they are to students.
He shared: “One of our students came back to thank us for teaching her Mandarin. Because of her ability to speak Mandarin, she got a raise.” This story gave them new motivation to continue to make greater contributions to society.
Study International asks Rashid: Any advice for students looking to follow a different path?
He replied: Trust your instincts. Believe in yourself first, because if you don’t have confidence, others won’t trust you either.
If you want to experience a new life and challenge yourself, come and join in Online Chinese class for adults!