Submitted by ciurce on
My Rwandan name is NIYONKURU SAMUEL and my Chinese name is Wang Kai (王凯). I am a student in University of Rwanda, College of Education (UR-CE), in department of English, Kiswahili with Education, I am in second year. I have studied Chinese language for one year and half so far. This is one of the stories that I love to tell to others "Chinese language and Me". My journey of studying Chinese started on the very day I joined University of Rwanda , fortunately through Confucius Institute becoming one of Chinese students I realized that my dream that I had for so long time of being successful through languages learning, were no longer nightmares. From then to this day I can’t get enough words to explain how Chinese language has been good to me and now I am living my dreams with Chinese language.
As curiosity is the very basis of education, before joining Chinese studies I was very curious about this language to the extent that on my first day in university I asked one of my friends who joined Chinese language before me to show me where Chinese class was located so as to be familiar with the place ahead of time, so that when it comes to the opening day of starting learning Chinese I won’t meet any challenge. Even thought I was very happy to have more information about Chinese language, I remember some of my colleagues used to say that Chinese is a complicated language, as all of us were not familiar to it. However I didn’t permit myself to think that way, instead I was like " I will not quit learning Chinese " as I knew that winners never quit, and quitters never win.
When there were remaining only one day to start learning Chinese language, Chinese teachers and their leaders welcomed an opening ceremony, this ceremony sharpened my affection towards this language, especially when director of Confucius Institute in Rwanda was telling us some of the benefits that lies in learning Chinese language, I remember during this time I was sitting in front of the big picture of the huge beautiful Chinese university that was projected on the white board and when the director said that those who studies Chinese well no wonder they can go to China to study in such good universities, I nodded my head as I said to myself “ I will study in China no matter what!‘’
The time that I was waiting for long time finally came, during this day I did all may works ahead of time before noon so as not to be late attending Chinese class in the evening. I remember well on November 18, 2018 , 5 PM .
I was sitting in the big classroom where we were told to wait for the teacher, during this time I was not surprised to see the classroom full of students who of course came to attend Chinese class and I was a little nervous that by the time I will be late I won’t be able to sit in front of the teacher due to the large number of students in our class.
After few minutes Chinese teacher entered in the classroom smiling and warmly started to talk to us in English, I remember how quite we all became so as to understand to her attentively.
Therefore, after a short presentation, she started by teaching us some basic initials and some basic salutations. Everyone was happy and attentive I don’t know how I can explain the good smiles that lied to each and every one’s face among us. Frankly speaking I was not happy when teacher said that class was over I thought that minutes were running too quickly but actually it was time.
As the days were passing on, the more we attend class the more students’ numbers reduces, so this is when I realized that Chinese language is not just easy. Some of my friends whom we joined Chinese together started to quit one by one .
After some months the drums changed the beat, when we were told that we will have an HSK exam and we started to emphasize on using Chinese characters instead of pinyin writings. During this time also some classmates quitted but this was not a challenge to me as I knew that success doesn’t just find someone, so I pushed myself to studying new words, memorizing them, practice the tones and everything related to this language. I wholly sank in Chinese language, as I was fond of asking my teacher what could be a good method to master all the characters that we were learning, I remember she warmly answered to me through a Chinese proverb that habits becomes nature (习惯成自然), from then I decide to make Chinese language mine, being with it everywhere, and this helped me because I could practice the language in the classroom before teacher arrives, practices at home and tried to have short conversations with my classmates so as to get used to this language.
After sometimes studying Chinese language and culture I was selected to attend Chinese festival at K.C.C (KIGALI CONVENTION CENTER) in Kigali, it is from this day that I realized that Chinese is the door towards my dreams because I had never been to that place before joining Chinese studies so from that day I came to the point that if I arrived in KCC for my first time because of Chinese, no wonder I will go to China as well. This festival was my second motivation in learning Chinese whereas the first motivation was my teacher’s words that habit became nature. Everything that happened to that day keeps reminding me that I have to carry on with Chinese language.
We learned Chinese as we prepare for the HSK exam which was ahead, by this time we had studied for six months so far, so some classmates started to register for HSK2 exam but I hesitated about my capability and during this time I didn’t participate in this exam. Soon when the results were out my classmates did well and I realized how capable I was and how well I could have done the exam, but as it was my principle I didn’t give up, but I started to prepare for next HSK3 exam, this took few months and after registering for HSK3 exam, On December 1, 2019, I sat for HSK3 exam for my first time and got 292 marks out of 300. Frankly speaking the results were so good to me and this was another motivation and I realized that Chinese language is possible and enjoyable.
After the exam I didn’t stop learning the language, for me every day was a new day and different from yesterday as my target was to learn something new in Chinese every day. And apart from classroom studies we used to have other Chinese programs like playing Taichi and sometimes learn songs and other Chinese cultural aspects.
N. SAMUEL (2ND FROM THE LEFT) WITH CLASSMATES AFTER HSK3 EXAM
I remember when there were only three weeks remaining for us to take HSK4 exam, it is when we were informed that due to the pandemic COVID-19 our exams are postponed to an unknown date, for sure I was shocked to understand this discouraging information, I thought that the pandemic ruined my plans and it was the same to all of us as well.
Our Chinese teacher informed us daily about examinations’ information and I was telling myself that the pandemic will not stay for long so I practiced myself everyday. As the situation became worse we finally left the campus and go back home so as to avoid the spreading of the pandemicCOVID-19. Until now through our means of communication with my classmates we are still in touch with our teacher, we do some self-study and when there is any challenge, teacher is always there to help. During this time of staying home, I got opportunity to participate in Chinese bridge competition this year and prepared a speech and some other competition requirements and compete but my colleagues did well that me but even though I didn’t win the competition I got some experiences and I hope to participate in next Chinese bridge competition.
As stay home was an unexpected event, all I have to do is to overcome it by continuing to study Chinese all the times as usually until the day when normal life return and Chinese class return as well. So until now I am the same Chinese student I am ready for an exams that are ahead.
To put in nut shell, I do believe that Chinese language is the door towards my dreams, because I found it at right time and right place in addition until now I am enjoying all the times studying Chinese and I will enjoy more after taking all requires HSK exams and then apply for the scholarship and this is my hope. After studying in China I wish to get a job related to Chinese language either in my country Rwanda or in China. I can say more but whatever I can say I am not sure that I can get enough words to thank Confucius Institute in Rwanda, leaders, contributors, teachers, and classmates, for good cooperation, I appreciate you more because of the road I have travelled, you really mean a lot to me.
May the good relationship between China and Rwanda always be inseparable and last forever.
作者简介：NIYONKURU SAMUEL（中文姓名：王凯），卢旺达大学教育学院学生，卢旺达大学孔子学院2018级学员。