Welcome to our first issue of the Language Exepress!

This also means that seven months ago, when I went from Beijing to the UK, my experience of studying in China was over. Although my life in Exeter has been nothing to complain about, I can't help but miss the life I used to have in China, especially going out with my Chinese friends and eating all kinds of mouth-watering Chinese food. However, when I was in the early stages of my return to the UK, missing the life that I had in China was not the reason that upset me. The thing that I am most afraid of is losing the language-Chinese that I have learnt in the past few months. During the last period of time in China, I have been spending time with my really good Chinese friends and communicate happily with them in Chinese every single day. For me, this kind of opportunity is valuable, and I’m living it. When I first arrived in China, I was always overwhelmed with the bewilderment, but in this short period of time, I begin to feel more comfortable, and not pretending anymore. I became more spontaneous to speak with others, I learned how to use the idioms in a natural way, and I'm not afraid to talk with people anymore. These acquired skills might disappear in the UK, right? Another worry is that when I am back in Exeter there will be an oral exam, how am I supposed to maintain the Chinese that I have learnt throughout the whole summer? First of all, I am fortunate enough that my friends are happy to give me a call every week to chat in Chinese. This has had a big impact on my speaking level, because, surprisingly, it is really easy to forget some of the simple words that I have learnt, so it's important to keep in touch with my Chinese friends. Besides, after school starts, it is easier to maintain our Chinese level, because we have six hours of classes per week plus homework, so we use Chinese for a longer period of time. Also, I have found some new Chinese friends and by meeting them often, I can practice with them. For the language, the life that I have in the UK is certainly not comparable to China, but if you work and practice hard, mastering the language will not be challenging. We're supposed to believe in it – Go for it!