jutheblog

I recently ordered the book “Listen and Learn First Chinese Words” online for our son. It is an interactive book designed for children to listen to and learn Mandarin Chinese words spoken by a native speaker. Since I do not speak Mandarin, I wanted a book where you can press the pictures and hear the words read aloud.

I speak Teochew Chinese (Cháozhōu), which is more familiar to Southeast Asian people. There are significant Teochew-speaking communities outside of China, especially in countries like Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam, established through historical migration and trade.

It is a bit awkward when people assume I speak Mandarin when I say I speak Chinese, only to correct them that it is Teochew, a different Chinese dialect. I often feel like it brings a sense of confusion and even disappointment. (Maybe it is a bit of a deep-rooted trauma from childhood, where I was forced to go to Chinese Saturday class. And I never really committed to learning it correctly.)

Before our son was born, I struggled with whether to teach him Teochew. I questioned the “usefulness” of the language and worried it might confuse him more than help. Growing up in Germany, my family and I did not have a Teochew community. We spoke our language only to each other, and when I met other Chinese people in school or university, they mostly spoke Mandarin.

My first real encounter with Teochew happened during my internship in Singapore, where there is a vast Teochew-speaking community. It was the first time I could finally use the language and communicate with people beyond my family.

If you are bilingual, you will understand the sudden connection that comes when speaking the same language—the change in tone, warmth, and a more relaxed atmosphere.

Fast forward to now, since our son was born, I have been talking to him in Teochew. Regardless of how fluent he becomes or the perceived “usefulness” in his life, it is a part of him. I want to provide him with the tool, whether he chooses to use it someday is entirely up to him.