Dearest Language Lab,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is so sad to see you go\u2026 or me<\/em> go? Perhaps I\u2019m glad and relieved that I\u2019m graduating. I will sincerely miss this basement, with its lack of sunlight and abundance of candy. Before I leave, I would like to impart some sage wisdom (thank you Patricio for the inspiration) from someone who has taken an unreasonable number of language courses and still wants to learn more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n Learning a language is a social activity! <\/strong>Confession: I never went to conversation hours or Language Lab events when I was a first-year, and I wish I did! Now that I\u2019m graduating, I will dearly miss the language-learning community here. I have found so much value in spending time at Language Lab events, Pause Caf\u00e9, Mandarin Conversation Table, and La Merienda this semester. The whole point of language is to express ourselves, learn from others, and build community! Don\u2019t wait to be perfect or fluent, the time to use your language is now, even if it\u2019s not 100%!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Find joy in the process. <\/strong>I\u2019ve been studying languages my entire time at Reed. Every free elective space I\u2019ve had has gone towards language classes. I understand the frustration and confusion in pursuit of this mythical \u201cinstant\u201d language. I doubt it exists! Learning a language, like anything else in life, is about making mistakes. It\u2019s frustrating and it\u2019s embarrassing, I get it. But there\u2019s something really beautiful about seeing it all get easier! Everyone here is rooting for you! I don\u2019t know if I\u2019ll ever reach the same proficiency as a native speaker, but that isn\u2019t the point. Your language is what makes you\u2026you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Go abroad! <\/strong>You never know where your language will take you. My intro Chinese classes brought me to Taiwan, where I got to speak to a (very perplexing and sweaty) Buddhist monk on a train platform\u2026 using only Mandarin! The world is so much bigger than our tiny campus. It just takes a little bit of language and imagination to take you there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To be sentimental, the first time I went to the Language Lab, I had to ask my French tutor to meet me in the library lobby and walk me down, because I had no idea where it was. I\u2019ve learned so much since then\u2014not just French, Chinese, and Spanish, but I\u2019ve found such an appreciation for the beauty of language. I\u2019m really grateful that such a place exists. Enjoy the summer break, and be sure to stop by the Lab next year to see what\u2019s up next!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last but not least, a final sad song recommendation. \u56e0\u70ba\u611f\u89ba\u9019\u500b\u6700\u5f8c\u7684\u5b78\u5e74\u5c31\u50cf\u4e00\u90e8\u975e\u5e38\u9577\u7684\u96fb\u5f71\uff0c\u518d\u7d66\u6211\u5169\u5206\u9418\u5427\uff01\u518d\u898b\uff01<\/p>\n\n\n\n