大象传媒

2007年7月05日 格林尼治标准时间15:06更新

A Chinese Student In Leeds 利兹大学的一名中国留学生

大象传媒 Learning English is running a series of student diaries in which Chinese students living in Britain write about their experiences in this country. Our first student is May Han Hong who is studying in Leeds, a city in the north of England.

Do you want to know something about me?

My name is Han Hong. I’m married. My husband is now working in the UK. We have a cute five-year-old daughter called Jing Wei. We have just started our life here. Yes, everything new for me and my family.

I’m from Shenzhen. I worked as an English teacher in China. I’ve just started studying for a Masters degree 硕士学位 in Lifelong Learning at the School of Education, Leeds University in the UK.

Leeds is in the north of England, a couple of hours by train from London.

Language barriers

Well, you might think it was easy for me to adjust to my study here without any language barriers 语言障碍 since I worked as an English teacher in China for ten years - but no!

Yes, I’ve listened to the 大象传媒 everyday for many years. Yes I got an eight in listening and speaking in the IELTS exam. But as soon as I arrived in the UK, four months ago I felt like a fish out of water 如离水的鱼。

My first problem was that I couldn’t figure out what the announcer on the plane said about weather conditions in London.

Then as I travelled through London I nearly missed my underground train stop at King Cross station. I was on an extremely crowded train; we were packed in like sardines 拥挤得水泄不通. I couldn’t understand the muffled announcement 闷塞的广播告示。

Worse than that, I nearly missed my train from London to Leeds. The train was scheduled to leave at 2.40; instead it left half an hour early at 2.10. They did make an announcement but I didn’t hear it.

I never imagined such things could happen to me in the UK.

Disaster

My first day in the UK was a bit of a disaster!

I had worked day and night with only five hours sleep the whole month before I travelled to London so I was done in 筋疲力尽 by the time I arrived in Leeds.

During the following days I had many hurdles 困难 to overcome. For example, I wasn’t familiar with English money.

There’s a two pence coin 面值两便士的硬币 here and a twenty pence coin面值二十便士的硬币. I always get them muddled because the brown two pence coin is bigger than the tiny silver twenty pence one so it looks like it should be worth more.

To get around this problem I only pay the cashier 出纳员 at the supermarket with five or ten pound notes 面值五镑或十镑的纸币. This means I end up walking around with lots of pennies weighing down my pockets.

Tongue-tied

And oh my goodness, sometimes I fear I’m becoming a bit deaf, blind, and even dumb 哑巴?

Like the day I went to buy facial toner 柔肤水. I couldn’t remember how to say toner in English so I just stood there tongue-tied 语塞 and getting more and more embarrassed and red in the face. In the end I went home empty-handed 空手.

And as to people’s accents here... well, did you think everyone speaks standard English like any 大象传媒 announcer?

Definitely not! You get the opportunity to meet with people of various nationalities in this first-class university, and there are so many Africans, Pakistanis and Indian local people here.

Many times at the beginning I had to think for a while to catch other people’s meaning.

And to think I had been so proud of my oral and listening English before!

Your comments 你的评论

It's nice to read Chinese student's diaries , Always instructive and knowledge enriching to get to know other people's story, especially she is studying the same university as me. Will be great to meet you in Leeds.
Anonymous, Leeds

hi, everyone, thanks for your comments, the encouragement, and good wishes. in fact, i have comethrough some of the language barriers or even shocks , mostly due to the accent here, nice experience to share with my experience with you. Be patient with more of my stories....... Anyway, i have tries to answer some of your questions and maild it to Pip in 大象传媒 . just wait to check it.
Mayhanhong

Dear May, Very happy to read ur diary about ur life in Leeds! I have been to Cambridge too. I dreamed to study in Britain, but it's too expense for me! So I came to Russia. Hope to read more about ur life and study. Take care! Jessie
jessie wang

Many thanks for your satisfying job ! 大象传媒 learning English website has built a bridge successfully for us to exchange our ideas in English . Dear May han Hong ,you and your husband have paid more attention to the inchoate education of your cute five -year-old girl ,haven't you ? It will be very beneficial to her growth .I feel really happy to be your friend .I really hope to have exchanges in education ,especially secondary education and college education.
Li Yanfei

Ms Han Hong, Nice to know you. I'm from Hong Kong and I have a daughter who studies in a Chinese school. I want to know how do you learn your English when you was in Secondary School. Did you study in Chinese or English secondary school? Best wishes for your family.
Il Lam

Ms Han, How to cope with the listening problems if I cannot afford to go aboard to get the 1st-hand experience at present? I also got an 8 in IELTS listening but still have big difficulties in understanding conversations between native speakers.（I do not listen to 大象传媒 very often and I'm a just-started interpreter.) Thanks in advance!
Sam, Tianjin

I have read the article "A Chinese student In Leeds". I'd like to ask a question. How do you prepare for the Ielts exam ? My desire is to pass it . I have taught English for more than two dacades . Thank you for giving me the chance to connect with May Han Hong . Tahnk you for offering us their diaries ! Yours sincerely Li yanfei
Li Yanfei，Shanxi Province

Well, May, thanks for sharing your life in the UK with us! It is really amazing to understand your courage to overcome such difficulties in a foreign country. And I think you are lucky to receive the support from your family. I know that for most Chinese people listening and speaking English are always problems in communication, definitely we are not native speakers. I do wish you can handle everything well and successfully receive your master's degree. By the way I'm also a master's student in Seoul, but major in International Law. Best wishes to you and your family, especially your the cute five-year-old girl!
Qiu Jingwen, Seoul

I respect May Han Hong very much. I am an English teacher myself. I want to know how I could improve my English,especially in writing and translating.
lihailan, China

Just like you said:"I’ve listened to the 大象传媒 everyday for many years. Yes I got an eight in listening and speaking in the IELTS exam. But as soon as I arrived in the UK, four months ago I felt like a fish out of water. And to think I had been so proud of my oral and listening English before!..."Then, how can we learn English well?! How to improve in daily studying?!
Zhou Wen Ting

I come from Hunan. I work as a university teacher in China nice to meet you here. There are a lot of hurdles that are waitting for you. I confirm you can deal with it with your husband.
longy, lysteel lou di hunan

Do you have a question or comment for May? We will publish all your comments and questions on this page.

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Send her a question by filling in the form at the top of the page or email us at chinaelt@bbc.co.uk

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