Yeh!! LoL!! It does get pretty embaressin not knowin what half of ur family are sayin...>.<" Learn chinese la!!
I think above a certain age you can no longer learn gramma. you can learn words but not proper sentences and stuff
LoL!! I went to chinese school when I was lil for like a year...and thats it!! LoL!! But my chinese is okies!! Coz I just talk lots!! Hehehe!! ^^
Yup, supposedly after age 13, a certain part of the brain responsible for language learning literally shuts off. That's why learning a second language is so hard for adults. So, unless you work super super super super hard, you cannot change what has been implemented til age 13 - not even the accent! So I guess that's why our parents were always saying : "講中文! 我O地唔識聽英文!" to help us retain as much as possible before 13! Of course, if you were to move to like Hong Kong or China and live there for at least 1 year, then your language would dramtically improve and break down that barrier obstructing language learning.
Speaking as an overseas Chinese, sometimes it can be very difficult for one to embrace his/her roots and maintain one's sense of cultural identity, especially when the maintream culture is one that prefers conformity and is not very welcoming of other ethnicities (prejudice and racism). For a lot of overseas chinese, the problem may be more related to environmental pressures than personal willingness (or lack thereof) to upkeep cultural/language knowledge/identity. Basically, the environment puts a lot of emphasis on English - academics, work, and social circle. Learning a language is not like learning to ride a bike or learning to swim - if you don't use it in everyday life, you will forget the language. & if the mainstream culture, especially, is hostile toward those who have a desire to maintain a sense of their ancestral heritage, then survival in that mainstream means adapting to the new culture. For example, the US and Australia prefer the conformity to the mainstream -- they don't care where you're from, you'd better speak English or else be shunned. What sort of motivation would people have to learn about their roots in these conditions? That said, I agree with the majority in here who believe that it's very important to know your native language. I have seen some extreme cases with parents/children completely letting go of their ancestral heritage and adapting to the mainstream. It's really a pity as I know there are a lot of jobs out there that can be attained easier if you're bilingual.
well it quite important that they know some of it to be able to communicate with their cousins,aunts and other familymembers.i don`t want them to be strangers to eachother and besides it is always good to have a second language.
