Picture this: as you learn Chinese for the first time, which is a complex language to begin with and especially difficult for native English speakers, your usual struggles are compounded by the fact that the person sitting next to you already speaks this language. Fluently. While you struggle to form basic sentence constructions and remember simple vocabulary—“cat,” “dog,” “Mommy,” “umbrella”—your Chinese friend debates your teacher, in Chinese, on everything from globalization to stock options. Exaggeration? Actually, not really. While, to quote Dr. Peter Merrill, Head of the Language Department, this predicament “certainly is intimidating,” the scenario affords true beginners a highly beneficial environment to learn the language. According to Dr. Merrill, these “heritage speakers,” who are students who speak the language at home but cannot write it, speak a different dialect or grew up in an Asian country, virtually always raise the level of conversation and help other students learn. The attitude of non-heritage speakers dictates the benefits of such an environment: students can relish their authentically Chinese environment, or they can complain about the inherent grading disparity. Grading disparity? In Winter Term, only oral examinations determined the grades for Mr. Yan’s Chinese 220 classes, and other classes place high stock in such exams. In all cases, heritage speakers’ language backgrounds are advantages. Fluency and experience can only assist one’s grade average. Heritage speakers create an environment that intimidates and frustrates the hard-working beginner who constantly has his or her grades topped by a fluent peer. But most parties should claim responsibility for any negative vibes in the language classroom. The beginner must learn to eschew competition for true learning: Dr. Merrill states, “a level playing field is tough to achieve and the range of fluency in college is even more diverse.” Beginners only belittle themselves by setting hubris-filled standards. Who can expect to outperform a heritage speaker after only several months in a high-school classroom? The grading scale is based on improvement and no language department caps the number of honors grades awarded. In addition, the emphasis on oral exams merely reflects the Chinese Department’s perspective: oral communication is arguably the most valuable aspect of learning a language. Beginners should appreciate the language benefits of studying alongside gifted speakers. Conversely, heritage speakers should not shy away from a challenge. While it is tempting to fail a placement exam and take four years of low-level Chinese filled with honors grades, the heritage speaker only sacrifices his or her ability to undertake something more challenging. Coasting through low-level courses undermines the entire principle of attending Andover. While the grading systems are unfair, remedies are being suggested. According to Mr. Conley, Head of the Chinese Department, a customized curriculum already exists “for heritage speakers who want to focus exclusively on writing for a term in order to catch up to an advanced course,” but personalization can only extend so far, even in a department as extensive as our Chinese Department. Dr. Merrill mentioned how the same assignments can be issued different grading rubrics for different students to help “level the playing field.” In advanced Russian courses, for example, Dr. Merrill gives a similar assignment to different level Russian classes, like an essay on a trip to the beach, but grades differently based on expected levels of vocabulary, grammar structures and general language comprehension. Yet the range of heritage speakers “is huge” according to Dr. Merrill. Ultimately, the Language Department can only pander so much to individual needs. The primary focus of all language courses should be to teach the language skills necessary to understand a culture and communicate in today’s global environment. To best accomplish these goals, beginners should value the close proximity of advanced speakers. Not only will this engender an environment more conducive to learning, but it better prepares the beginners for the college level, where the diversity of language skills is even greater. Furthermore, heritage speakers should not understate their language proficiency for the selfish reasons of high marks and an easy workload.
