My 4th grade student, Jessica, is awesome! This is the same girl who told me the hot dog joke last time. It's funny, I didn't know who she was until she started talking to me on QQ because she does not participate much in class. Her English is seems very good, at least her written English anyways. I wish the girls here would be a little more confident in class though- a lot of them let the boys take control and I would bet that Jessica's English is better than most of her classmates. In almost every class I have one or two super aggressive, confident, smart, out-spoken girls though and I love them! They can be really funny, like if we are playing a game and there is the potential to cheat, they will be the first ones to do so. HA! It's because some of them are realllly competitive, probably more-so than most of the boys. Last week I had my students do a team activity where they had to come up with as many verbs as they could in like 5 minutes. Most of my teams were able to come up with between 20 and 50 verbs. Pretty good. On one team though, with one of my strongest girls, they came up with 85 verbs. Wow! This is the girl who said that she would be a headmaster so she could hit the student of the day, hahha.
Anyhow, here is another conversation with Jessica. What a great girl, I became the student and she became the teacher! Any practice I can get speaking Chinese is helpful. So in case you were interested, here is me writing in Pinyin (the romanization of Chinese characters). If you'll notice, the words appear to be very short. That is because most of the words are not really words... while they have meaning, they really only become a usable word when combined with the neighboring words. For example 'ming tian' means tomorrow, but you do not write 'mingtian' because each small word has a meaning and thus its own character (if you're typing in Chinese characters you have to use a program and enter ming, find the character from the drop-down, then tian, and find the right character from the drop down. it looks like it takes forever). I looked up the word ming and it has 14 different characters, so the meaning of ming in this circumstance can really only be surmised by combining it with tian (tian has 15 meanings, lol). To make things more complicated, sometimes when you combine two words they also can have multiple meanings. Then, you need to understand the context in which they're used, or be really good at hearing the tones. This is why Chinese is so hard. Chinese uses for tones, but for these 14 meanings of ming only two tones are used. Therefore, most of the time if you just say one word in Chinese, even Chinese people will not be able to understand the meaning, because there are so many! I hope that made a little bit of sense...
Ok, this is a rambling post! So Jessica and I had a very simple conversation, and yes, I wrote some really bad English in there as I was translating her text out loud :/ I think being able to communicate with a 4th grader is a step in the right direction though. And if you know Chinese, I'm sure some of mine is pretty bad, so go easy on me lol.
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 7:36:08 PM
Hello Miss church
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:37:17 PM
hi jessica!
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 7:37:45 PM
Last lesson the class is very noisy
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:37:58 PM
YES
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:38:09 PM
you have a very noisy class
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 7:38:34 PM
Can I teach you speak Chinese?
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:38:49 PM
haha, of course!
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:38:55 PM
i am learning chinese right now.
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 7:39:31 PM
Now I am speaking Chinese.You speak Chinese too!
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:39:56 PM
no, now you are speaking english!!
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:40:04 PM
wo neng xie pin yin
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 7:40:03 PM
Why
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:40:13 PM
wo bu neng xie han zi!
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 7:40:19 PM
好的
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:40:22 PM
because you were writing in english
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:40:25 PM
i can't read that!
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:40:28 PM
i can only read pinyin
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 7:40:34 PM
haode
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 7:40:57 PM
ni ming tian you ke ma
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:41:25 PM
you. wo you wu ge ke!
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 7:41:47 PM
ming tian?
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:41:59 PM
dui!
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:42:15 PM
ming tian, wo zai tao yuan xiao xue
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 7:42:41 PM
ni ye dao tao yuan xiao xue jiao ?ke?
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:43:04 PM
dui
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:43:11 PM
he jie fang xiao xue
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:43:33 PM
wo jiao zai san ge xiao xue!
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 7:43:47 PM
na ni zai mei guo shi lao shi ma
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:44:02 PM
bu shi.
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 7:44:15 PM
dou shi na ji ge xiao xue
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:44:17 PM
wo zai gong si gong zuo
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 7:44:33 PM
ni zuo shen me gong zuo
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:44:35 PM
dui
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:44:51 PM
wo bang mei guo ren
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 7:45:03 PM
o
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:45:14 PM
yi xie mei guo ren mei you gong zuo he qian
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:45:27 PM
wo bang ta men zhao dao gong zuo
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:45:38 PM
ni de pin yin hen hao!
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 7:45:58 PM
hehe.wo shi zhong guo ren a!!
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:46:22 PM
hahah
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:46:25 PM
wo zhi dao
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 7:46:54 PM
ni zen me hai bu shui jiao a
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:47:41 PM
wo shi dian shui jiao
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:47:43 PM
ni ne?
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:47:52 PM
xian zai wo bu lei
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 7:48:21 PM
wo yi ban dou shi jiu dian shui
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:49:08 PM
hen zao!
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:49:15 PM
(very early?) haha
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 7:49:28 PM
shide
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:50:25 PM
dang ni nu ren de shi hou, zai gong zuo, ni yao shuo ying wen?
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:50:51 PM
ni de ying wen hen hao, he ni zhi hai zi
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 7:51:27 PM
wo qi shi dou shi gen wai bian de lao shi xue de
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:52:59 PM
didn't understand that
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:53:01 PM
tell me in english?
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:53:17 PM
you want to be outside of teacher studying?
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 7:53:18 PM
Ok
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 7:53:25 PM
yes
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:53:48 PM
i see
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:54:05 PM
suo yi, ni yao zuo shen me?
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 7:54:24 PM
wo yao xue xi ying yu
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:54:43 PM
ting hao de!
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 7:55:20 PM
呵呵
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 7:55:25 PM
hehe
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:56:42 PM
i am very happy to hear that
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:56:51 PM
wo hen gao xing ting na ge
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:56:54 PM
haha
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 7:57:12 PM
I like English very much
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:57:56 PM
i can tell! how many english classes do you take a week?
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 7:58:13 PM
twice a week
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:59:24 PM
i see
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:59:30 PM
you should also try watching english movies
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:59:34 PM
or listening to english songs
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:59:39 PM
that is a very good way to learn
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 8:00:08 PM
Oh yes
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 8:01:10 PM
shang ci ni gei wo men ban tong xue ting le Lady Gaga de ge dan ni shuo bu zhi dao na shou ge de ming zi
Miss Church (Victoria) 8:05:12 PM
next time i give your team listening to lady gaga but i said i said i don't know the name?
Miss Church (Victoria) 8:05:22 PM
last time*
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 8:05:40 PM
wo ke yi gao su ni na shou ge de ming zi
Miss Church (Victoria) 8:07:07 PM
ohh
Miss Church (Victoria) 8:07:12 PM
wo ming bai
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 8:07:18 PM
ni xiang zhi dao ma
Miss Church (Victoria) 8:07:29 PM
wo xiang zhi dao
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 8:07:47 PM
shi Telephone
Miss Church (Victoria) 8:09:14 PM
shi! wo chang ge zhe ge ge dui ni de ke
Miss Church (Victoria) 8:09:26 PM
ni wang le?
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 8:10:06 PM
wo zhi dao dan shi ni shang ci shuo ni bu zhi dao ge ming wo cha de
Miss Church (Victoria) 8:12:16 PM
hmm. ye xu wo cuo ma?
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 8:12:28 PM
bu zhi dao
Miss Church (Victoria) 8:14:37 PM
haha okay.
Miss Church (Victoria) 8:14:49 PM
ni xiang wo de han yu hao bu hao?
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 8:14:59 PM
fei chang hao
Miss Church (Victoria) 8:15:13 PM
haha
Miss Church (Victoria) 8:15:19 PM
hen shan liang xue sheng!
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 8:15:25 PM
zhen de
Miss Church (Victoria) 8:15:52 PM
haha, yes!
Hello Miss church
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:37:17 PM
hi jessica!
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 7:37:45 PM
Last lesson the class is very noisy
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:37:58 PM
YES
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:38:09 PM
you have a very noisy class
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 7:38:34 PM
Can I teach you speak Chinese?
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:38:49 PM
haha, of course!
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:38:55 PM
i am learning chinese right now.
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 7:39:31 PM
Now I am speaking Chinese.You speak Chinese too!
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:39:56 PM
no, now you are speaking english!!
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:40:04 PM
wo neng xie pin yin
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 7:40:03 PM
Why
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:40:13 PM
wo bu neng xie han zi!
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 7:40:19 PM
好的
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:40:22 PM
because you were writing in english
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:40:25 PM
i can't read that!
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:40:28 PM
i can only read pinyin
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 7:40:34 PM
haode
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 7:40:57 PM
ni ming tian you ke ma
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:41:25 PM
you. wo you wu ge ke!
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 7:41:47 PM
ming tian?
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:41:59 PM
dui!
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:42:15 PM
ming tian, wo zai tao yuan xiao xue
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 7:42:41 PM
ni ye dao tao yuan xiao xue jiao ?ke?
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:43:04 PM
dui
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:43:11 PM
he jie fang xiao xue
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:43:33 PM
wo jiao zai san ge xiao xue!
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 7:43:47 PM
na ni zai mei guo shi lao shi ma
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:44:02 PM
bu shi.
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 7:44:15 PM
dou shi na ji ge xiao xue
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:44:17 PM
wo zai gong si gong zuo
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 7:44:33 PM
ni zuo shen me gong zuo
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:44:35 PM
dui
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:44:51 PM
wo bang mei guo ren
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 7:45:03 PM
o
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:45:14 PM
yi xie mei guo ren mei you gong zuo he qian
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:45:27 PM
wo bang ta men zhao dao gong zuo
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:45:38 PM
ni de pin yin hen hao!
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 7:45:58 PM
hehe.wo shi zhong guo ren a!!
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:46:22 PM
hahah
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:46:25 PM
wo zhi dao
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 7:46:54 PM
ni zen me hai bu shui jiao a
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:47:41 PM
wo shi dian shui jiao
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:47:43 PM
ni ne?
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:47:52 PM
xian zai wo bu lei
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 7:48:21 PM
wo yi ban dou shi jiu dian shui
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:49:08 PM
hen zao!
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:49:15 PM
(very early?) haha
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 7:49:28 PM
shide
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:50:25 PM
dang ni nu ren de shi hou, zai gong zuo, ni yao shuo ying wen?
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:50:51 PM
ni de ying wen hen hao, he ni zhi hai zi
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 7:51:27 PM
wo qi shi dou shi gen wai bian de lao shi xue de
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:52:59 PM
didn't understand that
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:53:01 PM
tell me in english?
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:53:17 PM
you want to be outside of teacher studying?
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 7:53:18 PM
Ok
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 7:53:25 PM
yes
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:53:48 PM
i see
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:54:05 PM
suo yi, ni yao zuo shen me?
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 7:54:24 PM
wo yao xue xi ying yu
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:54:43 PM
ting hao de!
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 7:55:20 PM
呵呵
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 7:55:25 PM
hehe
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:56:42 PM
i am very happy to hear that
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:56:51 PM
wo hen gao xing ting na ge
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:56:54 PM
haha
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 7:57:12 PM
I like English very much
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:57:56 PM
i can tell! how many english classes do you take a week?
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 7:58:13 PM
twice a week
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:59:24 PM
i see
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:59:30 PM
you should also try watching english movies
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:59:34 PM
or listening to english songs
Miss Church (Victoria) 7:59:39 PM
that is a very good way to learn
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 8:00:08 PM
Oh yes
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 8:01:10 PM
shang ci ni gei wo men ban tong xue ting le Lady Gaga de ge dan ni shuo bu zhi dao na shou ge de ming zi
Miss Church (Victoria) 8:05:12 PM
next time i give your team listening to lady gaga but i said i said i don't know the name?
Miss Church (Victoria) 8:05:22 PM
last time*
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 8:05:40 PM
wo ke yi gao su ni na shou ge de ming zi
Miss Church (Victoria) 8:07:07 PM
ohh
Miss Church (Victoria) 8:07:12 PM
wo ming bai
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 8:07:18 PM
ni xiang zhi dao ma
Miss Church (Victoria) 8:07:29 PM
wo xiang zhi dao
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 8:07:47 PM
shi Telephone
Miss Church (Victoria) 8:09:14 PM
shi! wo chang ge zhe ge ge dui ni de ke
Miss Church (Victoria) 8:09:26 PM
ni wang le?
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 8:10:06 PM
wo zhi dao dan shi ni shang ci shuo ni bu zhi dao ge ming wo cha de
Miss Church (Victoria) 8:12:16 PM
hmm. ye xu wo cuo ma?
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 8:12:28 PM
bu zhi dao
Miss Church (Victoria) 8:14:37 PM
haha okay.
Miss Church (Victoria) 8:14:49 PM
ni xiang wo de han yu hao bu hao?
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 8:14:59 PM
fei chang hao
Miss Church (Victoria) 8:15:13 PM
haha
Miss Church (Victoria) 8:15:19 PM
hen shan liang xue sheng!
Jessica Jiefang 4.3 8:15:25 PM
zhen de
Miss Church (Victoria) 8:15:52 PM
haha, yes!
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