難解な文法、漢字、声調
学び続けるうちに楽しみに
レイナさんは、アテネオ・デ・マニラ大学に設置されている中国の教育機関、孔子学院で５カ月間中国語を学んでいます。週1回、四川省成都市出身の先生に習うほか、独学でも勉強に励んでいます。1語1語、漢字と発音を示すピンインを書いて覚え、わからないことがあれば中国人の友人に質問。フィリピン人にとって中国語は難しい言語です。タガログ語と文法は大きく異なり、声調も覚えなくてはなりません。レイナさんの場合、学び続けるうちに理解できるようになり、楽しくなってきたそう。
「新しい語を学ぶのが楽しい。『我愛你』（あなたを愛しています）や『你很漂亮』（あなたはとても美しい）といった意味を伝える中国語を覚えていくのが面白いんです」
中国のドラマを見るのも好きなレイナさんは、中国語を学ぶのを楽しむと同時に、習得することで将来に役立つと考えています。フィリピンのみならず、世界中に中国系企業は多くあり、中国語ができれば就職のチャンスが増えると思ったことも、中国語を学ぶ動機の１つになっています。
レイナ・リー・ダドゥヤさん Reinha Lee Daduya （李瑞娜） Makati City Article Moderator
Mandarin Can Open Doors for My Future
In pursuit of deepening relationships with people and her hobbies, and acquiring a new skill to help her future, Reinha Lee Daduya began her journey with Mandarin.
Reinha has been attending the Confucius Institute at Ateneo de Manila University for 5 months with her instructor, who is a Chengdu, China native. Since classes are only once a week, she spends more time self-studying. Mandarin involves learning pinyin (Chinese alphabet) and Hanzi (Chinese characters), so to help with memorization, she writes each word she learns multiple times and asks her Chinese friend for extra guidance.
Mandarin can be difficult for Filipinos because the grammar is very different. It also involves aspects not found in Filipino languages like tones, pinyin, and more. As she continued her studies, it became more manageable, and the learning itself became more fun.
“I find it really fun and interesting every time I learn a new word, such as the meaning of ‘I love you’ (我爱你), how to tell someone that she is beautiful (你很漂亮), and more,” Reinha said.
Reinha chose to learn Mandarin because of its significant impact in the business world. With several companies managed by Chinese CEOs in the Philippines and worldwide, fluency in Mandarin opens more doors and opportunities for work.
Additionally, Mandarin would help deepen her relationships with her Chinese friends because language would no longer be a barrier. She is also a fan of Chinese dramas, and knowing the language can give a new perspective and enable her to watch without subtitles.
