Chengde improved my 汉语 confidence
I am a person with Chinese ethnic origin but born and raised in Canada. Before studying with LTL, I could listen, speak, read, and write a bit, but it was far from fluent. I could speak to people in Chinese a bit, but I often felt insecure and embarrassed by my bad Chinese. I decided to spend 5 weeks with LTL. I spent the first week in Beijing to get transitioned into China, and then 4 more weeks in Chengde. I really enjoyed my time in Chengde. Land-wise, the city is quite small and very walkable. Everything is within a 30 minute walk. Didi rides are fairly cheap as well (around ￥5-10 a trip). Everyone I met here is friendly. I have been able to chat with the locals in Chengde and make friends. People say that Chengde is more slow-paced, which I can definitely feel in comparison to Beijing. I really enjoy a slower paced environment because I think that life shouldn't feel rushed! The city is still very lively with a lot of people around you. Zhongwen's family has been an absolute pleasure to live with and I often played with her kids in the evenings. Zhongwen has given me plenty of opportunities to connect with locals. Additionally, my teacher I-da Li has been a pleasure to work with. I-da is not afraid to correct my mistakes (accent and grammar), which I really appreciate because it helps me sound more Chinese! My confidence in my Mandarin has improved a lot. I find myself surprised that I can hold conversations. Even though I'm still not 100% fluent, I feel like this experience has given me the tools and confidence that I need to continue to improve my fluency.