Language as a bridge, not a barrier

Vicky Huang, a five-time award-winning literary translator who now teaches standard Chinese on Instagram and TikTok—building a global community of 140,000 students (COURTESY PHOTO)

As a teacher of standard Chinese, I never imagined I'd be able to connect with 140,000 students from all over the world. But here I am, helping and teaching people from the comfort of my own home. And let me tell you, it feels both amazing and surreal.

My love for language and teaching started long before I became the creator of Learn Chinese With Vicky on Instagram and TikTok. I was a competitive literary translator who'd won five prestigious awards for my English-Chinese translations, including the Liang Shiqiu Literary Award. This background gave me an intuitive understanding of the connection between language and culture.

As an immigrant from China's Taiwan to Canada, I am no stranger to the common misconceptions that non-natives hold about Chinese as a language and culture. These misconceptions turn out to be the best hooks, and those I teach get more intrigued and remember what they learn as a result. That is the beauty of learning a language you have an ambiguous understanding about. Your assumptions about the world get challenged and you get to wear the shoes of those you had trouble relating to.

One example is the unluckiest Chinese zodiac sign—which most Westerners will guess is the snake. But it's not. There are no Slytherins in China. There was never an evil snake that tempted Eve and caused the downfall of humanity. In fact, Chinese people see snakes as intelligent, rational and flexible.

Through my writings for Time Out Shanghai and my studies in Chinese philosophy with exchange students from Europe and North America, I was able to gain an insider's perspective on the Chinese expat community. This expertise is what draws many students to me. While some may think I'm overqualified to be teaching beginners, I firmly believe these students need the highest quality instruction to build a strong foundation.

And that's exactly why I set up my Chinese Beginner Masterclass—a 50-lesson, fully-captioned video course with a human teacher, one-on-one support, and community experience. It suits total and advanced standard Chinese beginners who want to connect with new friends in a casual and formal setting—all in a culturally respectful way.

My students come from all over society and range in age from young children to retired seniors, but what they all share is a passion for learning and a desire to make meaningful connections with the people and culture of China. I am proud to have created a thriving and supportive community of learners from all over the world and I am always inspired by the amazing stories and experiences my students share with me.

One of my most unforgettable students was Robin Andrus. She adopted her son from China four years ago and was looking for a teacher who could rekindle his desire to speak standard Chinese. Her son had been losing his ability to speak the language since he arrived in the United States, and Andrus felt sad about this. She appreciated his efforts to integrate into his new culture but wanted him to own his identity. She wanted to learn alongside him so they could explore the culture of his birthplace together. I felt extremely honored to be by their side as they learned to understand and celebrate his heritage.

Some English schools will advertise they teach Received Pronunciation or the Queen's English. But I do not subscribe to that philosophy. To me, the labeling of an accent as socially superior or inferior destroys the soul of language learning, which is to touch lives and forge connections.

Language can act as either a bridge or a barrier. I choose to build the bridge.

The author is a Canadian award-winning translator

Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon

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