Jason Spinetti

Can you tell us a bit more about yourself?

My name is Jason Spinetti, I am an "Education Ambassador" that teaches English in Anhui Province.

How long have you been learning Mandarin?

I have spent around 4 years studying Mandarin, I started in college back in 2015 and have constantly had at least one Chinese class throughout the year.

What made you decide to learn Mandarin?

I am an American-born Asian. When I was young, I did not know how to speak any. Learning it now is a way to get in touch with one side of me I have not experienced as much. Learning languages is cool and learning one that is more complicated (at least to me) is amazing.

How does learning Chinese compare with learning other languages?

I did take Spanish back in high school since that and French were the only two languages my school offered. Starting to learn Chinese was very different than French or Spanish. Western languages have more similarities compared to Eastern languages. Characters and what creates a character is very difficult for me, but I am learning as I go.

What do you like about studying online at Mandarin House? Are there any challenges that come with online course?

I believe the pace feels right for me. The homework is manageable and I learn a lot from the corrections I get from teachers. The only challenge is managing time zone differences. This is a minor challenge and easily something to get used to.

You have a friend who is thinking about learning Chinese. What advice would you give them?

Chinese has a high barrier of entry. Once you learn a little bit of the basics, you can learn anything. One thing I like to do is look at each character and be able to know what it means and why the characters are arranged in that order. Also, practicing with someone that is a native speaker can definitely help as well.

Your Favorite Chinese expression?

阿弥陀佛 Ēmítuófó: Amitabha

哎呦 Āi yōu: Oops

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