Exclusive Story by WeirdKaya – Reproduction requires proper crediting and backlink to us. Kindly acknowledge the efforts of our editors in sourcing and conducting interviews.
In Malaysia, one of the country’s unique aspects is its citizens’ ability to speak multiple languages such as Malay, Mandarin, Tamil, and various dialects.
However, there are only a handful of Malaysians who have taken an interest to not only learn a language that isn’t their mother tongue, but teach it to others as well.
One such person is Norain binti Misro and here’s her story.
Starting young
In an exclusive interview with WeirdKaya, Norain, also known as Nora Laoshi, said that her first foray in learning Mandarin began from a very young age, where she attended a Chinese kindergarten and primary school in Sekinchan.
Throughout those formative years, Nora Laoshi was taught how to write and read in Mandarin — a skill which she continued to hone even after she graduated from primary school. Over time, her passion to further explore the Chinese culture deepened.
However, she encountered a minor speedbump upon attending secondary school in the form of her Mandarin class clashing with another subject.
When I was in Form 1, I signed up for Mandarin classes. Unfortunately, I was unable to continue as it clashed with my religious classes.
“Despite me having to stop attending Mandarin classes, I didn’t give up on learning the language entirely and continued to stay “connected” to the language by talking to my classmates in Mandarin and watching Chinese movies,” she said.
As such, Nora Laoshi has grown to love popular Mandarin artistes such as Jay Chou, Jolin Tsai, and heartthrob boyband of the 2000s F4, who are known for the drama series Meteor Garden (流星花园).
Expanding horizons
Given the fact that it’s a rarity to see Malaysian Malays pick up Mandarin as a second language, I asked Nora Laoshi what was the reason her parents chose to send her to a Chinese vernacular school.
“Their rationale was that if I were to learn Mandarin, it would be an added bonus in the future, especially in the aspect of communicating with non-Malays and foreigners.
“I’ve seen this to be very helpful in my life today as it allows me to communicate with those who may not be fluent in English or Malay, as well as expand my job prospects as there many companies who’re looking to hire those fluent in the language,” she explained.
@mandarinbeginner_tuition With my cute student Sufi #fyp #mandarinclass #norafairymandari #mandarinbeginnertuition #onlineclass #chineseclass #mandarinclass ♬ Animal baby – 上野燿
By this point, Nora Laoshi is considered by many to well versed in Mandarin. However, her constant drive to continue upskilling herself spurred her to venture onto her next big goal: obtain a Mandarin proficiency certificate.
‘I wasn’t confident in myself’
For non-native Mandarin speakers, one of the most common certificates is the Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (HSK) Test, where it consists of nine proficiency levels.
While most would assume that Nora Laoshi would have little problems acing the exam thanks to her prior knowledge in the language, she admitted that she wasn’t quite confident in her ability to score well.
I bought several textbooks and only spent three months studying. To be honest, I was afraid that I would flunk the exam as I was worried about the test’s difficulty level.
“To my shock, when I sat for the exam, I managed to score 197 out of 200 marks and received my HSK (Level 2) certificate,” she recounted.
When asked whether she plans to advance further, Nora Laoshi said she’s looking to take on the next level but only wants to do so when she’s fully prepared.
Sharing the knowledge with others
Having armed herself with the foundation of the Mandarin language, Nora Laoshi wasn’t content with keeping the knowledge just to herself and decided to impart it to those interested in learning it.
Thus, in 2018, she began teaching kindergarten-aged kids Mandarin on a part-time basis. The next year, Norain secured a job as a personal assistant (PA) but she didn’t stop giving lessons and continued to do so by conducting classes at night.
Soon, word began to spread concerning Nora Laoshi’s ability to speak Mandarin fluently and many approached her to teach their kids as well, which led to her teaching primary school children as well.
Today, she’s a freelance tutor as well as a contract teacher, where she was hired to teach Mandarin at a religious school and often posts videos of her coaching her students on her TikTok account.
Aside from her students, Nora Laoshi also took the initiative to pass on her Mandarin proficiency to her own children as well by sending them to a Chinese vernacular school and communicating in Mandarin regularly with them at home.
‘If you can’t accept me speaking Mandarin, that’s fine’
Despite the positive feedback Nora Laoshi has received thus far, this is not to say that she hasn’t faced any pushbacks either.
I’ve met people who told me that Malays must stick to learning their mother tongue instead of picking up another language.
“These are people whom I’d consider to have very a narrow mindset. The only thing I have to say to them is this: if you’re not comfortable with Malays like myself speaking Mandarin and choose to avoid us altogether, that’s fine with me.
“I’d rather take the time to mingle with those who are appreciative of the benefits of learning Mandarin than to respond to negative comments,” she said.
For Nora Laoshi, learning Mandarin isn’t to show off her ability to be multilingual, but a means to foster and celebrate Malaysia’s multiculturalism.
“I want everyone to know that no matter what race you come from, it’s important to maintain a harmonious relationship with others, especially in a country like Malaysia. We’re one big family, and learning other languages pulls us closer together.”
‘Patience & confidence is key’
When asked what does it take for one to master and teach a language as complex yet fascinating like Mandarin, Nora Laoshi pointed to two aspects: patience and confidence.
Mandarin is unlike most languages as you have to learn thousands of characters and get the pinyin (intonation) right. Thus, you must be confident that you have what it takes to speak and write in Mandarin fluently.
“But at the same time, ensure that your expectations are within your abilities as you wouldn’t want to disappoint yourself if you’re unable to achieve them,” she advised.
Nora Laoshi also said that patience is vital when it comes to learning Mandarin, adding that everyday is “a learning process”.
“No one’s born with the ability to speak a language fluently right from the get-go. As such, you must spend time practicing and studying the language. Take all the time you need, years even, if necessary.
“Most of all, if you have the passion to learn any foreign language, just go for it and ignore the naysayers. Focus on what’s ahead of you, and you’re on your way to mastering it.”
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