<p>I'm one of those Asian people who can't speak their own native language. Up to the age of about 10, I was able to speak Chinese just fine and fairly fluently, but afterwards I stopped using it in place of English and as a result, now I pretty much forgot all my Chinese. </p>
<p>I can understand it just fine when my parents are speaking Chinese (as they speak it all the time at home) but when it comes to speaking it, I just for some reason can't get the words out of my mouth. And obviously I can't read or write Chinese at all because I came to the United States at a very young age and never learned those skills. </p>
<p>So, how much of an impact will this have on me? I've been hearing news that there's a very likely chance that Chinese is going to become the next global language in place of English. And I would be perfectly fine with that, IF ONLY I could speak my own damn language! But I can't, so I guess in the future that's going to be a major disadvantage for me. </p>
<p>What can I do?
I need to learn Chinese. Maybe reading and writing as well. NOW!</p>
<p>dude, i’m kinda in your situation
i was born in the U.S. and i technically learned chinese first but now i speak almost exclusively chinese though i can understand when my parents use it
however, i CAN speak a bit (simple stuff really) but i also take chinese classes at my high school so that’s good</p>
<p>however, no matter what people say, them COMMIES will not take over the world!!</p>
<p>If it’s any comfort to you, even some kids in China are forgetting their written language.
[Wired</a> youth forget how to write in China and Japan](<a href=“Breitbart News Network”>Breitbart News Network)</p>
<p>Seriously, though, it’s valuable to know any foreign language, particularly one as important as Chinese. So, I guess you should start going to Chinese school on Saturdays, or find another way to learn it. A number of colleges now offer intro- and intermediate-level courses for heritage speakers, who understand/speak Chinese, but never learned the written language. (Occasionally, courses for heritage speakers are also offered for speakers of Spanish, Russian, or Korean. This coincides with the increasing numbers of second-generation kids from immigrant families who are accessing higher education.)</p>
<p>I very much doubt that Chinese is going to replace English.</p>
<p>Well, lucky you since you’re Chinese you won’t have a hard time finding books and classes to learn the Chinese language.</p>
<p>You should try to speak only in Chinese at home from now on with your family & relatives…throw out the English. Don’t feel bad because my brother’s just like you…he can’t speak somali properly but he doesn’t have a problem understanding it…many people are like that.</p>
<p>Also try to watch Shows/Serials in Chinese…and more importantly try to spend a summer in China so you can be completely immersed in the language :)</p>
<p>Personally can speak Somali & Arabic…but my Somali is OKAY considering that I’ve only been to Somalia once (last year)…and I don’t speak the language too often besides with some of my family. But for the arabic I lived in an Arab country for almost my enture life…and I was exposed to stuff like arabic t.v. , music, and it was mandatory for me to take arabic classes at school. On the bright side, at least I know I’ll have an edge when it the time comes for me to start applying for jobs (thinking UN, or world bank, or an NGO…i can dream on, right? lol.) yay! :)</p>
<p>I’m Filipino and can’t speak Filipino (very well). I moved to the States as a child and knew enough English for a 5yo since English is also an official language of the Philippines, but my elementary school put me in their ‘English as a second language’ program that basically taught me that uttering non-English words was a no-no. So I stopped speaking it, even though my parents and relatives still speak to me in Filipino. I can understand the language pretty well, and can watch shows and read books in Filipino, I just can’t speak full sentences or write anything. Also, my parents & relatives laugh at my American-accented attempts at Filipino, so it’s pretty discouraging.</p>
<p>Obviously, Filipino isn’t as important a language in the global economy as Chinese is, so at least you won’t have much trouble finding a way to learn Chinese. You can take classes at colleges, Chinese learning centers, or online. You could also go to China and take part in an immersion program if you have the time and money. I, however, am reduced to Skyping relatives in the Philippines, watching YouTube videos, and playing juvenile word games with my mom.</p>
<p>Study Chinese! I learned English as a 4th language after Mandarin, Cantonese, and Hokkien. That was in kindergarten I think when the teacher said I HAD to learn English or come back the next year. However, I’ve lost most of my Cantonese and I can’t write Mandarin and speak extensive conversations… just the basics and ordering at restaurants. I only speak Hokkien at home and with some of my friends now, so that’s been kept alive. I suggest either learning by yourself (books, podcasts!, or if you decide you REALLY want to invest in one of those Rosetta Stone things)… or getting a tutor or taking a course somewhere.</p>
<p>I’d like to ‘rekindle’ my mandarin and I plan on trying to talk to my grandparents in it and also listening to podcasts and practicing writing from ‘primary school level books’. :)</p>
<p>I was sortof in this situation in my middle school years. I had a good foundation in Mandarin but once I reached middle school my chinese took a hit and I exclusively spoke english (my parents were rarely home at the time and my sister conversed with me in english). Eventually my parents recognized my decline in the language (as well as my performance at school in general) and sent me abroad to a English-Chinese speaking country (English is the first language spoken there, but nearly everyone is fluent in Chinese). My oral Mandarin improved dramatically and I became nearly fluent in the language. After two years I came back and went to a private high school with a very strong Chinese program (my teacher graduated from Beijing University and was a Chinese native…she was pretty legit by my standards) where I also improved dramatically improved my character writing and reading. I can now easily write over 500 word essays that probably covers about two full pages with standard line margins.</p>
<p>I’m not saying that your parents have to send you to China to improve your Chinese, but at the current rate of the improving popularity of the language it’s become increasingly easier to study the language (many high school in my area offer it up to AP level). Try to study the language and become as fluent as you can in it, it’s important not to lose your roots.</p>
<p>Yeah, I’m in the same situation. The thing is, I still live in a Chinese-speaking society. I just refused to speak Chinese from the ages of 6 to 14 other than Chinese tutoring once a week, so now that I’m trying to build up my Chinese skills it’s kind of fail. However, my mom told me that my aunt was the same, but after she took one quarter of Chinese at college, she could already write a fairly complex letter to my grandparents. I think the basics are all there because you can understand it - you’ll have a much easier time learning than complete novices.</p>