<p>Hi WonderGirl2013!</p>
<p>So in response to your original post, you shouldn’t have to worry about being humiliated at all. I have a lot of asian friends, and they range from absolute geniuses to failing courses. Also, since you seem to be very aware of your position and are even asking for advice, you’re already better off than some asians out there :)</p>
<p>As to your other point regarding Chinese, I’m gonna first give you a little background about me. I’m Cantonese. My parents are from HK but I was born and grew up in the USA. That being said, I grew up speaking Cantonese and also attended Chinese school to learn mandarin. Now, I can speak conversational Cantonese and Mandarin (my Cantonese is obviously better though) and I can also write (sort of).
If you want to improve your Chinese, my advice is to get as much exposure as possible. I saw in your previous post that you used to speak Cantonese as a child. I’m assuming that means your parents are fluent Cantonese speakers. Ask them to speak to you in Cantonese more if they are not already doing so. Work on your speaking skills with your parents as well. They can provide feedback and corrections. As for taking classes, makesure you have the time and passion if you’re taking language courses. They are a lot of work and time consuming…something you might want to think about especially with your major in BioE. An alternative (as someone else mentioned) is to go to a chinese school. Someone else mention Boston, personally I know there are tons to choose from in the greater washington area and also northern virginia. The one I go to happens to have both Mandarin and Cantonese classes, although most only offer mandarin. Also consider if you want to go to a Taiwan-based or China-based school for mandarin. There are pros and cons for both, so let me know if you want me to go into more detail. Lastly, utilizing pop culture and media outlets is also a great way to improve vocab. I don’t know what shows you’ve watched or like to watch, but I personally love TVB dramas!!</p>
<p>Sorry for the long post, but I hope this helps and good luck with your endeavor!! It’s always nice to meet another fellow Chinese ^_^</p>