For 18-year-old Nyasha Silver Kusedyo,a Chinese language learner,to learn the language,hard work is notjust enough;a certain level of “craziness” is also needed.

“When my teacher found out that I was struggling in learning Chinese,she actually advised that to learn and understand Chinese,you actually have to be a bit crazy.You have to understand the tones and the culture,and change your thinking,”he said.

For many students,the learning process is not easy.Prosper Marindiko,another Chinese language learner,believes that motivation(動機(jī))is an important part in determining one's success in the process of learning a second language as an adult.“Sometimes it gets so frustrating trying to learn the language because you think I have understood this word,then when you meet a Chinese out there and try to say the word,they totally don't understand you,”he said.

“The reason why I am learning Chinese is because at work we interact a lot with the Chinese,and usually we have some misunderstandings just because of the language barrier,”said Marindiko.

In Zimbabwe,China has become a more popularstudy place than some traditional English-speaking countries.At the same time,knowing Chinese opens doors to many job chances.

While learning Chinese is a difficult task,technology and the Internetare making it less difficult,even for those with no opportunities to interact with native speakers of the language.

Reading Check

What's the advice from Kusedyo's teacher on learning Chinese?

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