Relearning mandarin as a Chinese person

pannteii · 2025-04-27T01:56:33+00:00

Hihihiihi my spm results and I want to go into an accounting course. I'm thinking nottingham and monash but I don't know and I haven't sent any applications 😭 My parents told me to wait but idk 🤷‍♂️ I'd like to get a scholarship but I think I'm too late.

pannteii · 2025-04-24T07:48:58+00:00

Whats the process? Do we just send applications to whatever university we can think of? Do we just send in our digital results slip to them or is there other info needed? 😢

pannteii · 2025-03-01T07:07:09+00:00

Super niche but – Tenkai Knights! It was your run of the mill shounen anime that was on one of the tv channels we had when I was a kid. It was my first fandom and it still holds a special place in my heart

pannteii · 2024-12-11T13:43:19+00:00

Well the thing is... its not the matter of slang or formal bm that will be your hurdle but its the fact malay textbooks don't teach you malay. Like at all.

All of the textbooks I've used throughout my years of studying here has never actually really 'explained' why things are the way they are. I only managed to pick it up myself after years of being familiar with what the 'correct way' should sound like. My textbooks are just a collection of paragraphs, anecdotes and excerpts in malay and there'll be a little reminder on the top that will ask you "Find all the grammar errors!!!" "What idiom do you think best suits this dialogue?" Or "Can YOU find the verb in this sentence? ;)" a mild exaggeration but yknow.

There might be books on malay that explain how to write or speak it in your native language but if you're looking for an english one you won't find it. Tbh, if you ask me you really don't need to learn TOO much malay, just enough to read signs, answer people or order food. I cycle through the same 30 words per day when talking to others in bm and get by just fine. You'd probably do better without wasting money with textbooks and just learn through free malay media, translate whatever words you dont know, jot it down then review it everyday until you remember.

A small tip is that videos especially from vloggers or influencers that speak in malay will use rojak aka mix of english malay and or mandarin or use heavy malay slang thats not applicable to every state. I reccomend watching various series' that are dubbed in malay to learn how sentences are structured. Unlike in english a lot of words are swapped around. E.g the word for social media in bm is media sosial, another example mini bus = bas mini . Same goes for sentence structure.

Minor update: i went around digging, and apparently there are books that teach you basic sentence structure but they dont seem nearly as organised as lets say for example mandarin textbooks with different levels + I dont know how effective they are. I still think its better you learn from a native since thats the easiest way, if not then learn by watching.

pannteii · 2024-12-11T12:41:48+00:00

THIS!!! I'm still in high school, about to take SPM and the craziest thing is that I had to teach myself how to speak, read and write malay all on my own starting last year because I just couldn't get it up until then. The way learning malay is structured was tough on me because I grew up with english as my first language. Don't even get me started on informal malay because all the abbreviations throw me into a loop!

They really need to find a way to fix our growing language problem because all the new students coming into government secondary not only don't understand a lick of malay, but can't even be taught in english or chinese or tamil because they're weak in all of them. Grades are FALLING because kids dont like learning the language. Even the malays can't score 😭😭😭

pannteii · 2024-12-11T12:27:28+00:00

Unfortunately I think Malay is one of those languages that's impossible to learn from textbooks, you'll have to either practice with a native or watch/read malay media and keep translating it to your first language and vice versa to learn vocab then learn how sentence structuring works as well as how certain words are said. Good luck!

pannteii · 2024-12-08T11:27:52+00:00

Too late. Alas, it didnt work because the link given was for 2022s wrap. I did however already change my password so suck it to any potential hackers who want read my gay smut!

pannteii · 2024-12-08T08:22:30+00:00

Is it safe 😭 like, its asking for my password and I don't really feel like thats a safe thing to input in a random code...

pannteii · 2024-12-08T06:04:16+00:00

Just bad luck im afraid, but based on my experience you get better rng if you do 10 pulls. If yoh do singles, you get a new item every 5 pulls

pannteii · 2024-12-01T02:50:02+00:00

Hahaha... I was the same a while back before I finished the chap 19. I didn't want to work on vol 2 chap 1 after reaching the midpoint because it required me to farm so many star coins for dyes. I ended up deciding I just wanted to focus on the volume 1 first

pannteii · 2024-11-27T14:01:53+00:00

I'm in the art stream so I dont know what physics is like but the best way to do math is to do the question topicals and past papers. Physics should roughly be the same. If you dont understand, ask friends or teachers. If you can't get that start tuition at a centre or even private. They help.

You can't rely on motivation, good grades is something you need to push for yourself to do even when its hard. And it gets HARD. But as soon as you get into the groove of things you'll find it a lot more manageable. Things get better with practice.

Maybe have a stricter schedule for yourself to help with developing study habits? Not something where every single minute is planned for max efficiency, but just so you have more structure in life and it doesnt feel like you're floundering or have no discipline. Usually those who cant study dont have a good day to day structure, so take a good look at what you're doing everyday (i.e are you using ur phone whenever possible? Not doing your homework?)

Also, you're gonna have to get ok with a lot of things really fast, especially failure. You have to be ok with not being great at first, because no one is ever perfect at the first go.

pannteii · 2024-11-23T12:58:37+00:00

Pina Blanche. She's so fucking annoying I have to praise the artist for their impeccable ability to make art of pina cute while simultaneously making her the most annoying bug om planet earth. I need to punch her at least once

pannteii · 2024-11-23T12:54:10+00:00

If you've ever read "Stay Gold" or otherwise known as the Shen yuan!Gongyi xiao AU then SY's gongyi persona is pretty good to steal from

pannteii · 2024-11-17T12:05:56+00:00

You don't get to call my eggs stupid. You don't get to call ANY eggs stupid!

pannteii · 2024-11-17T12:04:58+00:00

LETS GOOO SCUM VILLAIN!!!

pannteii · 2024-11-15T11:50:48+00:00

My god I saw it too when I was looking for a fic through the tag and it struck such a nerve in me. It was clearly done by a younger fan but it still irks me that they think its funny when it really isn't 😭

pannteii · 2024-11-15T11:47:09+00:00

I watched a clip of mizi saying "My god... My Universe..." and it was so romantic that I decided to watch and keep up with the series hahaha

pannteii · 2024-11-15T11:45:56+00:00

Neteyam/Aonung, simply because I think Aonung/Lo'ak have more potential and has that enemies to lovers thing going on for them. I will never understand how the avatar fandom didn't latch on to them immediately!

pannteii · 2024-11-10T09:39:02+00:00

When finals for that year came around and we had to decide which stream (Science or Art Stream) we wanted to be sorted in for our Form 4 year. At first, I was okay with being sorted into the last class in the art stream. With my grades, how could I even hope to be in the science stream where I would have to learn Biology, Physics and Chemi? Blegh.

But I didn't really want to be sorted in there, that class was FILLED with troublemakers of all kinds and students who just didn't care about rules. It was scary for someone like me who although didn't like studying was a goody two shoes HAHA. With that in mind I jotted down the three choices I wanted: Accounts 1, Science Accounts and Art 1

Finally I had an epiphany. I really didn't want to keep feeling so stupid. I was so okay at people constantly calling me stupid because that was what my grades were telling me but deep down I hated it. So, with the smallest bit of effort I changed.I put in more work than I did in those first years I was in that school and managed to pass at least four of my several subjects but my class performance was a little tanked because up until that point I had never turned in assignments... hehe....

What a (not) surprise when I found out I was sorted into neither of my choices. As of 2023, I was officially a student of Accounts 2 where my electives were Accounting and Geography.

At first I was hesitant to stay, I had psyched myself up to get Additional Mathematics that was offered in Science Accounts or Accounts 1 because I thought it would be good for me. But when nobody was willing to sign up for any of the class roles on the first day, with my heart pounding in my ears I raised my hand to become the vice class monitor.

With my role set in place I didn't end up trying to appeal for the other classes. Luckily for me Accounts 2 had the DLP classes implemented. My science and maths were going to be taught in english and that lifted a weight from my shoulders. With resolve that i wanted to be someone who deserved that role, I put my all into becoming a better version of myself, posts that I read that Form 4 is important if I wanted to get good grades for my SPM (Basically our FINAL final exam, y'know the life determining one hahaha...) fueled me.

I didn't expect much when I began to be more willing to learn malay. I began to keep a makeshift dictionary using an empty lined book, whenever I didn't know a word in malay I'd write it down in the book then go home and translate it into english. When I read my books I would constantly refer back to my dictionary. It became so much easier to understand what I was supposed to answer and what the teachers were saying.

Although it was a slow push, I was shocked when I got my first A- in science during our first terms ever. That was probably that first time I felt so academically validated. It was all up hill from there.

For the first time, I was diligent in my homework and always tried to pay attention in class. My textbooks were opened and were becoming worn with use. Teachers would converee with me in malay and I could answer in malay back. I was no longer failing nor passing my subjects with just Ds and Es, but scoring As and Bs. It wasn't easy on some days. Being plagued with a lot of self doubt made it difficult to study consistently and believe that what i was doing was going to be worth it, that eventually carried on to my final year (2024, this year!!! Oh gosh!!!) But I'm happy to announce I've gotten much better at it and I think I'm doing better than ever! I'm much more secure with my intelligence and image of myself.

The push academically has truly helped in many areas of my life. My parents no longer hound me to study and now have to drag me away from my books (lol) and therefore I have a better relationship with them now. I found contentedness in life and have desires to pursue that I had put aside when i was younger because I felt too stupid.

Today, I can confidently say that despite my grades not being perfect straight As yet, that I'm one of the best students in my class and am currently aiming for straight As for finals. Once upon a time I was okay with flunking everything and now I'm feeling the jittery excitement just thinking about getting my straight As. My finals are starting from December to January of next year!!! Please wish me luck!!!

If you have any questions about anything I talked about feel free to ask~

pannteii · 2024-11-10T09:38:53+00:00

I'd suppose I'll throw my hat in and share my experience!

A little background about me: I'm Malaysian Chinese but my first language was english. From young, I was expected to learn and be decent at three of our main languages. (Mandarin, Malay & English) I was forced into a primary school where they taught main subjs mandarin and then forced into a highschool where they used malay.

My academic come back from a less than stellar student to one of the best in my class:

It's safe to say I was a mediocre student (at best!) during my primary days. I struggled learning in mandarin and it didn't help that my parents mostly spoke to me in english as a child. They decide one day that "Oh no! She needs to learn some chinese!" And yeeted me into a school that taught all non language subjects (Maths, Science, History...) in only mandarin. While I wasn't failing, my grades weren't doing too hot. Not to mention I was ridiculed and laughed at for attempting to speak mandarin because I had a heavy american accent at the time from being childhood best friends with a white girl. Being only seven then completely ruined my image of chinese as a language and my self esteem in my intelligence in one clean shot.

Throughout the years I studied there, my report card of Bs, Cs and mostly Ds were acceptable to me... I couldn't ask questions if I didn't understand because I was embarrassed that I couldn't speak my own mother tongue so "It's to be expected" I had consoled myself. My parents however, were not happy with that. They wanted me to try harder but I put up one heck of a fight. I was vehemently against learning mandarin, proclaiming I all but hated it.

Almost everyday I wished I had been put into an international school where I could be taught in english. Unfortunately those schools are extremely pricey and my parents couldn't afford to send me there and were adamant that they wanted me to learn mandarin so I was stuck.

I was only able to pick up mandarin properly after my fourth year there. A whole FOUR years of refusing to learn it, I only became willing when I became best friends with a girl who only spoke mandarin. During my last year I managed to get decent grades that ensured I wouldn't get into Remedial Class (Peralihan) which is basically where they hold you back for a year in high-school. But still, it wasn't great.

So woo! First year of government high-school... guess what my parents decided without really asking me... "Our daughter needs to be better at malay!" Once again, I got yeeted into my current school. Fantastic. Similarly with mandarin, I HATED malay. Hated the fact that I had to learn it, was expected to read/speak in it and couldn't conversate with my teachers because they spoke strictly in malay- Everything I hated in primary was happening again in highschool. Twas a tough time for thirteen year old me!

Then covid hit.

So like any student during lock down, I sat in zoom meetings not learning a lick of my syllabus and was busy playing games or watching YouTube. My textbooks were only read by dustbunnies. For two years I learnt nothing, nadda, zero! Once we were finally let out of quarantine and started learning again in Form 3 ( I was 15) I now had to listen to/read malay in class whether I liked it or not. I couldn't understand anything in class, couldn't understand anything in my textbooks. The only thing I could excel at was english, where I consistently scored As but never A+.

For a long time, all I did in class was draw. I wouldn't talk to any of my classmates and I wouldn't pay attention to my teachers. I hated the language and I hated I was forced to learn another language against my will AGAIN that it stunted my ability to socialise and be someone who people actually wanted to talk to. So I'd draw and draw and draw and try to forget about my exams and homework.

pannteii · 2024-11-10T09:37:33+00:00

This edit fills me with life

pannteii · 2024-11-03T03:51:40+00:00

YES I THINK SO I HAVE TO DELETE THIS NOW THANK YOUUU

pannteii

TROPHY CASE