….toimaginealanguagemeanstoimagineaformoflife.
––LudwigWittgenstein
(PhilosophicalInvestigation,1953)
WhateverspecificgoalmotivatedpeoplewhostudyChineseatfirsteventuallydissolvesintothelargerChineseworld,andthatworld—itslovesandjoys,itsstingsandfrustrations,inanycaseitsincapabilityofbeingboring—takesover.
Thisisafascinating,insightfulcollectionofessaysbysomeoftheworld’smostrenownedChinaexperts,whosharepersonalrecollectionsoftheirtimeinChina—oftenbeginninginthe1970s,whenforeignerswerejustbeginningtonavigatethelinguisticandculturalterrainofthatcountry—andreflectonwhatlearningChinesehasmeanttothemintheircareersandlives.ThesetennativeEnglishspeakerssharerareand,attimes,humorousandintimatemoments,ofhowlearningandspeakingChinesehasremovedbarriers,builtrapport,openeddoorsandsometimesledthemdownentirelyunexpectedroadsthathavechangedthecourseoftheirlives.
ONE CHINESE TICKET BENEFITS WAY
