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Who Am I?
My name is VEDASTEBISENGIMANA. My Chinese name is LU Yijie (卢一杰), born in 1982. I have a wife and two lovely daughters. I hold a Master's degree in FINANCE and I am a sales person by profession with more than 15 years of experience. I am a Rwandan by nationality and KINYARWANDA is my mother language. I also speak FRENCH,ENGLISH, SWAHILI (East African Language) and basic CHINESE.
Why did I study Chinese?
Learning a new language improves brain function and memory in a number of positive ways. Studying a language can improve your memory and your ability to rationalize and make more thorough and well formulated decisions. Chinese language not only is one of the six official languages of the UN but also is by far the most spoken language because of its increased presence in the business world. Learning Chinese, therefore, offers many benefits to personal and professional growth, not least, gaining a better understanding of one of the richest cultures in the world (Chinese culture). Millions of people travel to China every year to see the shrines, walk The Great Wall of China and indulge in the wonderful food markets in cities such as Beijing. As a sales person, I am business-oriented and would love to connect with CHINA in the near future.
My journey of learning Chinese
I was enrolled in Confucius Institute in RWANDA in January 2020. The institute is one of the public educational partnerships between colleges and universities in Rwanda and China. I joined a family motivated and eager to also learn Chinese and together we started the journey to realize a collective dream.
CHALLENGES AND THE WAY I OVERCOME THEM
• Combining learning Chinese and work
Our program was to study three days a week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday), evening hours afterwork (18:00-20:00). I attend classes after work, sometimes very exhausted and have to get up early morning the following day for work. Besides, I also have to find time for personal practice during the weekend without forgetting my family.
At age of 38, it is not easy to start learning a new language not only because of the advancedage but also because of different responsibilities. But as they say “age is anissue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.”
Learning a new language requires different materials (books, videos, audios…). Our teacher gave us the soft copy of the first book “New practical Chinese Reader Book 1” that helped me in only 4 months. She also gave us a CV for listening practiceand imitating the speaking and pronunciation. I also used YouTube videos to follow the new practical Chinese Reader videos.
To master the 4 tones of Chinese language was not easy. But with the support of my colleagues, we practice more and more to speak Chinese as good as possible. Our teacher is highly energetic and engaging. She motivates and guides us, and gives us a lot of practice. Learning outside the classroom has helped me to progress very quickly. Movies I watch and songs I listen to are in Chinese. These add value to my learning process.
• COVID-19
Starting from 15th March, the whole country was placed under lockdown because of the pandemic of COVID-19, which affected the whole world. This affected us in one way or another, but did not stop our learning. We continued studying and learning from our respective homes, thanks to social media, which connected us. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday,from 18:00 to 20:00, we follow the teacher on group WhatsApp and we participate in reading, speaking, writing new words and expressions.
How far will I go?
To learn a new language is to have one more windows from which to look at the world. Learning Chinese language and culture is a new life style to me. In a few months, I look at myself among the billions of people across the globe, who can speak Chinese. I am committed, I will not stop. It’s my focus and a dream now.
After completing all Chinese Language Proficiency test (HSK6), I will continue to improve my skills in Chinese language and culture. As Chinese grows I will grow with it.
I will also encourage my family and friends to join me enjoy the richest culture in the world. I am enjoying what I have learnt and striving to learn and understand very much more.
作者简介：VEDASTE BISENGIMANA（中文姓名：卢一杰），卢旺达大学孔子学院2020级学生，本部社会班零起点班学员，学习汉语2个月。