how do you study your new words

[Tomsima]

I was under the impression we weren't discussing students who are in class with a teacher guiding them, but people that were struggling to find speaking practice and resorting to speaking with non-native speakers. If classmates are using their Chinese to communicate with each other and there are teachers around to aid and correct, then it might be of some use, but its still dangerous territory.

 

By all means don't let my views interfere with what is working for you in your studies personally.

[NinjaTurtle]

10 hours ago, abcdefg said:

His pronunciation was awful...

 

I agree that selecting good practice partners from our classmates is essential. Just because someone is our classmate or whatever doesn't mean they would be a good person to practice speaking with. I speak Japanese and I am learning Chinese. Everyone once in a while I come across an American who slaughters the Japanese or Chinese language every time they try to speak (when they should know better or at least try a little), so at that time I too run for the hills.

[Flickserve]

36 minutes ago, NinjaTurtle said:

 

I agree that selecting good practice partners from our classmates is essential.

 

I agree we do this in real life as well. We find the best (or most knowledgeable) person to help whatever subject we study or for practical help like DIY or computers etc.

 

For speaking Chinese, it shouldn't be so hard to find a native speaker. Whether they have the patience to talk and listen to you, have a not so strong accent etc are considerations. 

[PerpetualChange]

2 hours ago, Tomsima said:

I was under the impression we weren't discussing students who are in class with a teacher guiding them, but people that were struggling to find speaking practice and resorting to speaking with non-native speakers. If classmates are using their Chinese to communicate with each other and there are teachers around to aid and correct, then it might be of some use, but its still dangerous territory.

 

By all means don't let my views interfere with what is working for you in your studies personally.

Either way it should be no problem. Speaking with a non-native won't break your Chinese and will help you practice articulating your own thoughts - a necessary skill. I would not suggest anyone commit to a non-native low-level speaker as a steady language partner, and sure, practice with native speakers isn't exactly hard to come by if you're savy with apps. However, speaking with other learners can sometimes be more than just a matter of convenience and camaraderie. Being an active participant in several local meetups, I've sat around tables of non-native learners of different backgrounds, and gained an appreciation for many of the benefits that opening yourself up to other learners can deliver. For example, someone might have a better command of tones or a grammar structure than you do. In my case, I find speaking with non-natives actively pushes me to practice mindfulness, because whereas my Chinese friends will often fill in the gaps on their own and be too polite about correcting me, my fellow learners will be more honest. Finally, perhaps you do not remember what it was like to be a beginner who could not articulate themselves at all. For people struggling with basic sentences and patterns, any speaking practice is vital to developing that ability of self-articulation. 

 

Speaking with other non-natives is perfectly fine, even if you're "living the language" and feeling like you don't "need" to listen to other students anymore, should you chose to open your Chinese up to peer scrutiny, there is no really reason to feel scared of it, above it or embarrassed by it.