Chinese Handicap

A few weekeneds ago, I heard my 3D animation classmates talking in their mother tongue, Chinese.

There are 2 categories for Chinese people who are English educated. One is not ashamed of their native language. They grow up in Chinese-speaking families, and it has became second nature to them. My classmates belong to this category.

The other one is born in English-speaking family and grows up struggling with their Chinese which is greek to them. They always flunk their exams in schools and cannot make it beyond the pass border. They heave a sigh of relief when they leave their school. No more struggling with their language in school.

But the nightmare continues on for 'A' level students because it is mandatory to pass the paper in order to gain admission to local and government-funded universities, NUS and NTU. If they still fail but anyway go to local universities, they will be marched to Chinese camp for a few weeks or months, I cannot remember. At the end of the camp, they have to sit for exams. If still cannot pass, they are sentenced to spend their holidays in camp again.

I fall in neither of these categories mentioned above. There is another category, the third one. The deaf students are not trained in Chinese in deaf school. Therefore we couldn't read or write Chinese.

Actually my mom sent me to mainstream kindegarten, hoping that I will pick up my mother tongue there. But I was not able to understand what my teacher was teaching, let alone her instructions to do homework. At the end of my kindegration year, I graduated, not knowing Chinese at all.

In secondary school, my deaf classmates and I lamented about our Chinese handicap which excused us from taking this paper for O level. We are not academically bright. Knowing our language would benefit us; it would help to improve on our points for our O levels.

I tried to learn on my own. My mother would bring assignments home from kindegarten where she was working there, for me to practise. I practised it every day. I learnt how to write my Chinese name. However my enthusiasm was short-lived and I waved my white flag.

Today, the Spore Assn for the Deaf offers Chinese courses. I didn't sign up, knowing that I would take out my white flag with my head bowed down in shame again. My spirit is willing to learn but my flesh is weak. One of the students complained to me that there are too many strokes to remember and even it must be written in order. I cannot fathom why the rule of writing in order must be obeyed. As long as it is legible and people understand it, I dun see it as a necesarity to write in order.

I admire Senior Mentor Lee Kuan Yew. He has the persistance and stamina to reach the finishing line. From the begining, he had zilch knowledge of Chinese language to the end that he can write a book in this language.

Lacking his qualities, I doubt that I can write my blog in strokes one day.

posted by Sleek Black @ 2/03/2006 12:28:00 AM