Having studied Mandarin for quite some time now and having spent two summers and a semester abroad in China and Taiwan, I constantly get asked one simple but at times frustrating question: "Are you fluent yet?" To be fair, it isn't a bad question and almost everyone asking it has good intent. That said, what is a universal metric of fluency? I no doubt can have conversations in Mandarin, but even that depends on the topic - a conversation on what I ate for lunch or what I enjoy doing or studying might go more fluidly than discussing nuclear nonproliferation or the like. It all depends.
To me, it is crucial to first build a strong foundation in a language prior to overly specializing in terminology or topic of focus. This is especially important to remember when I learn Malay this semester. The ball is in my court, so to speak, yet (to keep with the basketball imagery) I need to make sure I have enough practice doing basic drills and composing myself before going for a shot across the court or a slam-dunk. This does not mean I have to wait, e.g., for my speaking skills to improve if my listening is better, but it does mean that I cannot have unrealistic expectations about what to learn or accomplish. Why we learn words for food or self-expression or the like when first starting a language may be somewhat arbitrary (or grounded in highlighting key cultural differences and insights early-on) and could just as well be terminology on international diplomacy, however language is ultimately a form of human expression.
Unsurprisingly, I prefer proficiency as a metric. Clearly delineating what you can accomplish in speaking, writing, listening, and reading is more concrete and helpful than being functionally "fluent" in a language because, in essence, it can be measured and worked towards accordingly. In shaping my learning plan, I will be sure to have specific goals for myself. In this regard, SDLC 105 and thinking about and studying linguistics more broadly will be an indispensable tool in my language-learning journey with Malay.
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