Today, for the first time since I began 6 weeks ago, I understood something in our listening comprehension class. This is akin to asking directions at the Tower of Babel and figuring out that you need to turn left outside the gate to get to Sodom. It’s like a flash of revelation. A moment in time when you instinctively throw your hands up into the air and wave them around like you just don’t care.
No kidding, I literally did this. I think it may have been accompanied by a guttural, “Yeah”, as well. If it had been a sporting even, I may even have slapped someone’s ass in celebration.
Let me explain:
Tingli ke is our listening comprehension lesson. Twice a week, we huddle into a listening lab straight out of the 1970s to listen to antiquated tapes about drinking coffee and saying hello. This may sound both easy and nonsensical. However, it is neither.
The goal I agree with, but up until now I was dubious about the method. The goal is to speak in real-time, i.e. no slowing down for the foreigners, and hope that we learn to listen in real-time. So far, this has been laughable and frustrating. The words zip by and, if you’re lucky, you pick up one or two. That translates into knowing that something or someone is doing something tomorrow. You have a little information, but it’s about as much as the FBI or CIA knows regarding various terrorist alerts. There’s chattering, but we can’t quite make it out.
For weeks, I have sat in my cubicle with my headset on wondering why in the hell I was bothering. Also, I became fairly certain that the Chinese might have invented the language just to keep outsiders from understanding anything they said. Now, however, it is as if someone has suddenly turned on the light in a dark room. I’m still stubbing my toe, but at least I can see what it is now.
Today I understood the entire taped conversation. I could answer questions regarding said conversation as if I actually knew what I was talking about. This, people, is progress.
Now, if I could only learn to pronounce things, I’d be all set.
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