In this exclusive interview, Chinese Instructor, Miss Shulamite Njideka Muoka spoke to our correspondent on her journey with the Chinese language and other sundry issues.
Q: May we meet you?
Shulamite: My name is Shulamite Njideka Muoka. My Chinese name is Shu Mognan. Shu is a popular Chinese surname and Mognan means dream.
Q: Can you briefly walk us through your work experience and growth profile?
Shulamite: I am Nigerian and a language tutor. I teach Chinese, English and I also teach French. I also teach the Nigerian language Igbo. So I teach both Nigerian and foreign speakers. Foreign speakers who want to learn English and Nigerians who want to learn any of the foreign languages. Currently, I specialize in teaching Chinese to both children and adults online and physically.
Q: How did you get in touch with the Chinese people?
Shulamite: They are so many Chinese people here in Nigeria. However, I use to have some colleagues who speak Chinese. And I like the way they talk and I ask them once, please can I learn this language? and they said yes. So they got me in touch with the China Cultural Centre here in Abuja and we started the classes online, but I had to go there to register and that was when I saw a Chinese person for the first time. I talked to her and liked the way she received me. So I made up my mind to learn.
Q: When did you start learning the Chinese language and how long did it take you?
Shulamite: My first class was on January 11, 2020. Before that, I knew I wanted to learn Chinese and I started learning online by watching videos on YouTube but it wasn’t satisfying. That first day when I was in class, I felt like okay I am learning now. So I have been learning the language for two years now.
Q: What aroused your curiosity about learning the language?
Shulamite: I like the way my friends spoke the language. I didn’t even know the language was going to be challenging. I just liked the way they spoke and I wanted to be part of their conversation at first. My second reason was when I got in touch with Chinese poetry because I like poetry. So I decided I wanted to do something like this. That was my second reason for learning.
Q: Describe your mastery of the Chinese language on a scale of 1-10.
Shulamite: To be honest I won’t say I am poor or too good. So I will give myself 5 over 10.
Q: Briefly tell us the reaction you got from your family when they discovered that you have picked an interest in learning the Chinese language.
Shulamite: My immediate elder sister said wow! another language? because I speak French. My parents were like what are you going to do with Chinese? but eventually, they started supporting me because they realized I was probably gifted in languages and was doing great so they supported me.
Q: Let’s put you on the spot. Can you sing a song or do poetry in Chinese?
Shulamite: ‘Sings a song in Chinese’
Q: Can you interpret for us what this song is all about?
Shulamite: The song is talking about the difficulties that young people face. At some point in the song it says if a dream you have fails, you should just move on to the next one. So you don’t have to dwell on dreams you cannot achieve at the moment. So when something is achievable, you move. So that’s what the song is talking about. Like we’ve worked, we have gotten to the wilderness and seeth the difficulties, hard times not even having love however, we’ve walked through all of that.
Q: What can you tell us about the Chinese people generally?
Shulamite: Before I started studying Chinese, I had the impression that the Chinese people were secluded and not interacting with the rest of the world. But coming to know them, I can tell you that they are amazing, they are funny and are welcoming. They also like change and are willing to teach as long as you are willing to learn.
Q: Have you been able to taste Chinese cuisine?
Shulamite: Apart from the normal Chinese rice, not yet. But I will like to taste their seafood.
Q: How has learning the Chinese language changed your understanding or perception of the Chinese people?
Shulamite: Chinese is a language of sound, tone and a lot of proverbs. Sometimes a word could mean a lot of different things that come from a lot of places. So because of that, it gets to tell you that this is the kind of culture that these people have. Learning the Chinese language has made me want to interact with the Chinese. At some time, I found myself wanting to go to China so that I can get to know more about their culture, their meals, tea and poetry.
Q: Do you have plans to go to China?
Shulamite: Yes, of course, I would like to go.
Q: What are you going to be most interested in when you get to China?
Shulamite: The environment, culture and lifestyle.
Q: You also not ruling out the possibility of having a Chinese partner
Shulamite: Hmmmmm! Laughs.
Q: Has learning Chinese brought any personal change to you?
Shulamite: As I said, it has changed my perception of Chinese. But on a personal note, I have been able to write a piece or two in Chinese.
Q: So how is it going?
Shulamite: Well it went well. I shared one on Instagram and with my teacher. And he was like, this is good. It has made me want to write, it has made me want to learn songs in Chinese. I can watch movies in Chinese now, probably without subtitles even if I have to slow down on the speed. But I understand what they are saying basically. I would like to read any Chinese character I see no matter where. On someone’s clothing, on a book, on a product, in textbooks, anywhere. It has just made me so curious and I always want to get involved in anything that concerns China and the Chinese.
Q: So soon, you see yourself writing textbooks in Chinese?
Shulamite: Well, maybe not a textbook but story and poetry books.
Q: What is your future study and work plan?
Shulamite: I would like to learn translation from English to Chinese and from Chinese to English. That is very important. I plan to work with Chinese and English people or Chinese and any other language, French or English as long as I could be an interpreter or a translator.
Q: How has it been teaching Mandarin and how have your students received it?
Shulamite: I mentioned earlier that Chinese is a language that has to do with putting words together. Many people know that the Chinese language does not have an alphabet and that’s true even though there is an alphabet system called pinyin but it is not their style of writing. It was introduced for learners from different countries to be able to read whatever it is they see. The Chinese language is made up of characters and if you want to teach any student, you would have to start introducing characters from the first class. Because anything you say is represented by a character, not pinyin. No document would contain pinyin. It’s either characters or English. So it is not easy truly. The Chinese language is difficult as people say, but it’s not an impossible language. Because if you are someone like me that likes to draw, you will find out that the characters are very easy to write. So I took them like pictures, I like to draw them and that’s the same thing I do with my students. We start with a stroke and finish up in characters. And I have had two, or three students who did great in writing Chinese characters and even speaking the Chinese language. So it is not impossible. I find that satisfaction when at the end of one week, they can even write say two, or three characters and we can put a sentence together from the characters they know.
Q: There is a study that says the Chinese language may overtake French as the second official foreign language in Nigeria. Do you share this sentiment?
Shulamite: It would be a great change but I wouldn’t want French to disappear completely. So both languages should go hand in hand.
Q: What advice do you have for those interested in learning the Chinese language?
Shulamite: Chinese is a very good language. It is a very interesting language. If you learn Chinese, it will open the door to a lot of opportunities. China is fast growing, the Chinese are everywhere. They are involved in almost everything we do. So learning Chinese is not going to be a bad idea. You can try it and it’s very easy to learn if you put your mind to it.
Q: How do we promote harmony in diversity through language?
Shulamite: There are a lot of learners of the Chinese language in Nigeria. So organizing more programs will help. The Chinese embassy usually organizes events so getting students involved would help a lot because they wouldn’t want to feel they are learning the language for nothing. The fact that we Nigerians are already learning Chinese is a lot of harmonies. The fact that we get involved in their cultural activities, like the things that go on at the cultural centre, students are invited to perform. We have to learn, prepare then perform something in Chinese. That creates harmony because I don’t see that happening if there is no harmony in this. Both the Chinese and the Nigerian governments should create more opportunities for these two groups to interact through competitions and debates and also encourage the teaching of Chinese at the junior levels like at the primary schools. A lot of primary schools should be encouraged to learn Chinese.
Q: What is your message to your tutors and Chinese people?
Shulamite: I have two Chinese teachers. The first one helped me to love Chinese. She told me I can do it. She kept teaching me, kept correcting my characters and all that. Now I can even write comfortably and I am happy to write. I want to also thank my second and present Chinese teacher. Because of him, I want to go to China. To my fellow Nigerians, I want to tell them that Chinese is not bad. If you want to learn Chinese, you can go to the cultural centre. They can visit the cultural centre to learn the Chinese language, Chinese characters and Chinese culture.
