Episode 15: Excuse me!
Bad memory? Welcome to the club.
I sometimes hear people struggling to learn a language make the following complaint: I have a bad memory! My response is this: Welcome to the club!
Yes, people have “bad” memories. We forget things. That is part of being human. And in no way will this prevent you from being able to learn a new language.
The importance of forgetfulness
Forgetting things is actually an important function of the mind. How else do we separate important things from all the random trivia that flood our senses throughout each day?
Of course, as beginning language learners, we all face an uphill battle: our brains learned in childhood to treat the sounds of foreign languages, including Mandarin, as noise.
Now, before you start cursing your brain for playing such a cruel trick on you, remember that this is also the process that allowed you to become such an attuned, precise listener to the sounds of your native language. The brain is a finely tuned instrument, and this “forgetfulness” is really just your brain doing its job.
Why we practice
If you find yourself having a hard time remembering new words in Mandarin, you aren’t special. This is the same problem that everyone faces. The only way to overcome it is by repeated, persistent practice — listening to, and imitating, the sounds of Mandarin, over, and over, and over.
There are also mnemonic devices, which we can use to give meaning to apparently meaningless sounds, making them more memorable. I share an example of that in this episode. However, we can’t rely solely on mnemonic devices either, because language is primarily sound. To get the sounds to stick, we still need repeated listening and imitation.
Forgetfulness is your best friend
Forgetting is an important part of remembering. Remember this when you learn a new word or phrase: Hear the phrase, imitate it aloud, repeat it a few times, and then just forget it. Then come back and do the same thing tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day. Every time you repeat this process, the path in your brain that connects to this word or phrase will be strengthened.
It might take a few days, a week, or even a month. But eventually, one day, you’ll come back to review the phrase, and you’ll realize that you still remember it. Through repeatedly forgetting and reviewing, forgetting and reviewing, your brain will have come to the conclusion that this phrase is important enough to just retain. That’s when you’ll know that it’s really yours. And you won’t be able to forget it again, even if you want to!
A note about learning Chinese characters
Teaching Chinese characters is outside the scope of this podcast, but if you are learning Chinese characters through another course or method, you can use the transcript below to follow along.
Learning characters can be a fulfilling project, and can help you to remember and differentiate similar-sounding words. And, of course, it opens up more avenues for practicing your Mandarin, such as reading (books, children's books, comic books) and corresponding with Chinese speakers via email and other messaging apps. I highly encourage you to give it a try!
However, if the thought of memorizing all those characters now gives you a headache, rest assured: you can start speaking Mandarin without being able to read or write. Millions of preliterate children speak Mandarin fluently, and so can you. If and when you are ready to start learning the characters, speaking some Mandarin already will make it that much easier.
The bottom line is this: Don't let anything stop you or discourage you. The best method is the method you actually use, and any method you choose is better than no method at all. Find a way to move forward. You can always make adjustments later. And most important of all, enjoy!
Daily Practice Session
Dialogue text (Chinese characters)
Ah-Ming (M)：你吃飽了嗎？
Xiao Li (L)：吃好飽！
M：不好意思，我們要買單！
Waiter (F)：好的，這樣五百八
M：好，來
L：等一下！你要請我嗎？
M：對啊，你剛來台灣，當然要請你啊
L：不行，上次你請我，這一次換我請你啦！
M：不要啦！我請你就好，等我去美國你再請我
L：很不好意思
M：不用不好意思！你來我的地盤，當然我請你啊
L：那好吧...
M：不好意思，這裡一千，麻煩你
F：收你一千，請稍等一下... 好，找你四百二！
M：好， 謝謝！
Dialogue text (w/ pinyin and translation)
Ah-Ming (M)：你吃飽了嗎？
Nǐ chī bǎole ma?
Are you full?
Xiao Li (L)：吃好飽！
Chī hǎo bǎo!
So full!
M：不好意思，我們要買單！
Bù hǎoyìsi, wǒmen yāo mǎidān!
Excuse me, we'll take the check!
Waiter (F)：好的，這樣五百八
Hǎo de, zhèyàng wǔbǎi bā
Ok, that'll be five hundred eighty.
M：好，來
Hǎo, lái
Ok, here.
L：等一下！你要請我嗎？
Děng yīxià! Nǐ yàoqǐng wǒ ma?
Wait a sec! You're going to treat me?
M：對啊，你剛來台灣，當然要請你啊
Duì a, nǐ gāng lái táiwān, dāngrán yàoqǐng nǐ a
Yeah, you just came to Taiwan, of course I'm treating you.
L：不行，上次你請我，這一次換我請你啦！
Bùxíng, shàng cì nǐ qǐng wǒ, zhè yīcì huàn wǒ qǐng nǐ la!
No way, you treated me last time, this time it's my turn to treat you!
M：不要啦！我請你就好，等我去美國你再請我
Bùyào la! Wǒ qǐng nǐ jiù hǎo, děng wǒ qù měiguó nǐ zài qǐng wǒ
Nah! I'll treat you and that's it. Wait till I go to the US, then you can treat me.
L：很不好意思
Hěn bù hǎoyìsi
I feel really bad.
M：不用不好意思！你來我的地盤，當然我請你啊
Bùyòng bù hǎoyìsi! Nǐ lái wǒ dì dìpán, dāngrán wǒ qǐng nǐ a.
Don't feel bad! You come to my turf, of course I'm gonna treat you.
L：那好吧...
Nà hǎo ba...
Well, alright...
M：不好意思，這裡一千，麻煩你
Bù hǎoyìsi, zhèlǐ yīqiān, máfan nǐ
Excuse me, here's a thousand, sorry to trouble you.
F：收你一千，請稍等一下... 好，找你四百二！
Shōu nǐ yīqiān, qǐng shāo děng yīxià... Hǎo, zhǎo nǐ sìbǎi èr!
Receive your thousand, please wait a moment... Ok, your change: four hundred twenty.
M：好， 謝謝！
Hǎo, xièxiè!
Ok, thanks!
Thank you for listening!
