I started work this week at Better Kids. It's a brand new, very modern multi faceted, childcare center with one facet focused on teaching English. I have spent the week so far observing all the classes getting to know the kids and my colleagues. I have also been brainstorming lesson topics and plans for the year. We moved to China so everyone in the family will learn to speak Mandarin Chinese, immersion method.
At work, all the staff speak Chinese. Yay for me!! It's Chinese immersion, six hours a day. Most of the day I'm hearing dialogue spoken at a two/three year old level, so it should be just right for me. But I'm not catching ANYTHING. And these very young Chinese children seem to understand EVERYTHING!!
I think back to the days of Audrey's Chinese immersion Kindergarten class and remember the "deer in the headlight" look on their faces when the Chinese teacher would speak to them. And now 6 years later, hearing Audrey communicate in Chinese to native speakers, it's quite amazing. I know the language immersion method works. The question is, will it work for a 40 year old woman? Time will tell. I do remember both Audrey's kindergarten teacher and Paige's first grade teacher said to give it 3 months at least, the tears will stop and the kids will begin to understand.
January 10th, I'll check in again to see if my tears have stopped and if I am grasping any of the Chinese language.
"Sometimes you win and sometimes you learn."