Can you count from one to one hundred? Knowing that at least some of you can count from one to one hundred is easy; try changing to a completely different language. That is exactly what I have done. I like to do challenging things, and learning these numbers was definitely a challenge for me. Now that I am in the 8th grade I have started learning Chinese. This was a huge step for me, I came in knowing nothing about Chinese, so you would think that there are many growths. I would agree with them but I noticed that this one is something that I really feel that I have grown in. I have noticed that most Chinese topics have been easier for me to learn. But learning the numbers was one of the hardest things I have done in Chinese.  We had to also study the pinyin of words which is basically the spelling of a Chinese word. But not only did we have to know the pinyin but also the tones to go along with the pinyin.  The tones involve rising tones, falling tones, flat tones, and falling rising tones. We also had to worry about the stroke order of the characters. Which is the order of the lines used to “draw” the characters. By learning all of these things I think I have grown in learning Chinese numbers.

                In Chinese this year, I have had a number of different worksheets/activities that help me understand Chinese numbers. One of those specifically could be the dragon connect the dot worksheet. Do you remember doing those fun worksheets back in 1st and 2nd grade? That is that I was doing except with Chinese numbers. Numbers 1-82 were listed in a patters. We were expected to connect the dots, from one to two, two to three and so on. Spoiler alert, it ended up being a dragon. On the back of the paper was a bunch of blank circles. We were to wright out the Chinese characters for the numbers. This was hard and really time consuming. But even though this took forever I really got a better understanding of how to right the Chinese characters and how to put them in order.

                Another worksheet that really helped me in learning Chinese numbers would be the class activity numbers “challenge”. Our Chinese teacher had us get out a sheet of notebook paper and wright as many Chinese numbers as we could in five minutes. The person who wrote the most numbers (starting at 1 then going to 2 and so on) in that amount of time would get a piece of candy. That was all that was needed to motivate me. The teacher said go! I wrote so fast and carefully that my hand started to hurt my number 5. My hand was going at least 30mph. By the time our teacher stopped us I felt that I had done it. I got the most numbers in the class. But then I looked to the person sitting next to me. He must have been going 35mph because he had more numbers then me. But the point I am trying to make from all of this. Was that I was understanding the numbers. I was able to keep on writing the numbers without stopping and thinking. I remember how to write the numbers. This was probably the most impacting artifact in my understanding of Chinese numbers.

                  This is why I think I have grown in learning the Chinese numbers. I have done a lot to get this far. I really think that this was the hardest thing I have done in Chinese. This skill can help in the future in a lot of ways. In America numbers have to do with so many things, addresses, phone numbers, etc. What if you were not in America? What if you were in china, and no one new how to speak English, and there are no tools to help you understand what to say. At least knowing these numbers could help you get somewhere. My point is that I am really happy I was able to learn these numbers now, rather than me being at china now.