Lessons in Learning Chinese: Pete Jackson
This week in our Lessons in Learning Chinese series, we present Pete Jackson. In his own words:
Hello, I'm Pete Jackson. I'm originally from Warwickshire in the UK, and I currently live in Shanghai, where I work as the editor for Shanghai247.net [no longer available], a site that unites artists and offers news on Shanghai's music and arts scene. I first visited China in 2006, just before beginning a Chinese Studies degree at Oxford University. I studied in Beijing for six months in 2008 and moved to Shanghai in 2010 right after graduation, and I've been here ever since.
How long have you been learning Chinese? In what context? For what reason?
I started learning Chinese six years ago when I began my undergraduate degree in Chinese Studies. Even now, I'm not completely sure why I chose that course, having never visited China and knowing very little about the country. I suppose I just wanted to learn about a third of the world's population – plus I was a fan of Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. Fortunately, it turned out well, and learning Chinese has opened the door to a wealth of new knowledge and experiences.
I've lived in Shanghai for the past two years and use Chinese frequently in my job. I previously worked as a translator in a school's marketing department, and some months back I started editing shanghai247.net, an alternative music and arts website for Shanghai. We're beginning to publish more content in Chinese and increase our presence on Chinese social media, which is really motivating me to use the language more actively.
Do you have a particular philosophy for how you approach learning Chinese? Do you have any grand 想法 s about it all?
I believe you need to accept that achieving mastery in Chinese is a task that might take many years, and you shouldn't get discouraged if you feel you aren't making headway. If you don't divide the task into manageable pieces, you'll drive yourself insane.
Seek out material you want to read and people you want to converse with in Chinese. I made the most progress when I was reading texts I enjoyed and when I met people I really wanted to communicate with, people who shared my interests.
What parts of studying Chinese do you like the most? (this can be specific study resources, methods, activities, social aspects etc.)
I genuinely enjoyed studying classical Chinese, which many of my classmates disliked. Translating it felt like solving a captivating puzzle, and the texts themselves were incredibly interesting. Reading the Shiji was like reading an exciting comic book, and Zhuangzi was a truly mind-expanding experience.
These days, I simply enjoy meeting new people in Shanghai, especially when the conversation is accompanied by plenty of good food and Qingdao beer.
What errors do you notice other language learners making? What should people avoid when studying Chinese?
I believe it's shortsighted when people claim they don't want to learn characters. Being able to read and write is remarkably useful, and you can only rely on pinyin for so long before it becomes extremely confusing. Also, never assume that tones don't matter. If you don't learn them correctly from the start, you'll have to relearn everything later. I'm realizing this now because I learned most of my vocabulary by sight, without paying attention to the tones. That was a significant error.
Any favorite words or expressions? (many don't have direct English equivalents)
Recently a friend mentioned she was going to play badminton and said she would turn into a lemon. This is because the term for cramp in Chinese is 酸痛, and lemons are sour, 酸. That's a recent favorite of mine.
I also find it amusing how numbers can be used as insults for no obvious reason (at least none that I've discovered). Calling someone 二 is really humorous to me, and saying 你十三点啦！ (you're thirteen o'clock!) is a very satisfying insult, particularly in Shanghainese.
Any amusing stories from your experience? Embarrassing language errors, misunderstandings, surreal moments etc.
I attempted to learn a little Shanghainese a while ago. It turns out that in Shanghainese, saying 我吃饱了 (I'm full) sounds very similar to 我赤膊了 (I'm naked [more or less]). I made that mistake during a dinner with the family of a 9-year-old I tutored. Luckily, they found it quite funny. That was the day I concluded Shanghainese was too challenging for me.
Also, no one will ever let me live down the time I accidentally ordered silkworms. We were at a seafood restaurant, and I assumed that even though some items on the menu had the insect radical in their name, they would be some type of shellfish. I ended up having to eat a plate of silkworms and act like I enjoyed it. I won't make that error again.
Any memorable milestones? Any “Aha!” or eureka moments?
I lived with a Chinese family for two months, and when I left, I realized I was genuinely going to miss them and that I had formed a real friendship with people who didn't speak my language at all. That was a wonderful feeling.
How do you maintain your motivation while learning Chinese?
Playing music and rehearsing with Chinese musicians has been the most fulfilling activity for me. When you share interests with people, you're driven to do things you enjoy together, and language improvement happens more organically. It feels less forced than a language exchange because you naturally have shared projects and objectives.
Your absolute, undeniable, favorite Chinese dish?
Don't make me pick! Perhaps 东坡肉 in Hangzhou, a delicious meat dish with a thick layer of fat. Mmmmmm. Also, tofu kebabs at 3am.
Do you have one final piece of advice for something our readers can do TODAY to get better at Chinese?
Invite a Chinese friend out for a meal, preferably to a place with the previously mentioned generous amounts of affordable Qingdao. Also, a bit of a plug, but read some interesting articles in Chinese here [link no longer available]!
Thank you, Pete, for the excellent advice and for sharing some great resources for music and arts enthusiasts to explore! I'd like to include one more resource to that list: Lingflix. Lingflix uses authentic videos—such as music videos, movie trailers, news, and inspiring talks—and transforms them into personalized language learning lessons.You can try Lingflix for free for 2 weeks. Visit the website or download the iOS app or Android app.P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)
And One More Thing... If you're like me and enjoy learning Chinese through movies and other media, you should check out Lingflix. With Lingflix, you can convert any subtitled content on YouTube or Netflix into an engaging language lesson. I also appreciate that Lingflix has an extensive library of videos selected specifically for Chinese learners. Stop searching for good content—it's all in one spot! One of my favorite features is the interactive captions. You can tap on any word to see an image, definition, and examples, making it much simpler to understand and remember. And if you're concerned about forgetting new vocabulary, Lingflix has you covered. You'll complete fun exercises to reinforce words and be notified when it’s time to review, so you truly retain what you’ve learned. You can use Lingflix on your computer or tablet, or download the app from the App Store or Google Play. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)
