Lab technician to language enthusiast
Learning Mandarin began as a way to keep his mind active and boost his career. But it has added much more to his life…
Mohammed worked as a lab technician, but after a health problem he needed to leave the role. It was a difficult time. Yet, he didn’t want to let it define him. He wanted to remain positive, to find ways to engage with the world, and make the most of life. He just needed the right opportunity.
Learning Mandarin was the answer.
It provided a distraction in the present and job possibilities for the future, as it is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. Mohammed quickly settled into the class. His enthusiasm and curiosity meant it didn’t take long for him to become immersed in the language. He quickly discovered a deep fascination with Mandarin, he says.
“As there are symbols, it can be instinctive—mountains look like mountains and fire looks like fire. There are also layers: four words can be the same but they take on different meanings depending on the tone. My brain thinks differently now.“
Mohammed now has a greater understanding and appreciation of Chinese culture, too.
“I can see similarities with the rest of the world, including my own country, Somalia. We visited Chinatown and had hotpot—something I’d never heard of. It’s a meal people cook and eat together, which is also important in Somalia. Learning a language really is more than words: it’s a learning a culture.”
Mohammed is ready to explore the world
As the course has gone on, it has became more than a challenge to keep his mind active and distracted. “The course has enriched my life and my perspective has expanded. I’ve met inspirational classmates and I have got to be myself again.”
The interest in Mandarin hasn’t stopped there. He the joined the Introduction to Teaching Modern Languages course at BAES. He’d seen the power of teaching a language and how it connected a diverse group of people through a shared experience of another culture.
Education, he has found, is a bridge to understanding cultures—to understanding people. Next, he wants to go to China, to further challenge himself and to continue engaging and exploring the world.
Mohammed’s Mandarin journey goes on…
Foreign Languages – get a new perspective on the world | Birmingham Adult Education Service
