Identity Influencing Language ft. Jeanne Chang | RYM Podcast EP29

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Usually we talk about this the other way around: you learn the language, and somewhere in there you feel more connected to who you are. Jeanne Chang's story runs in reverse. She decided she was Taiwanese first, and the Mandarin came after — because in her mind, being Taiwanese involved a checklist of things you had to be able to do to prove you're Taiwanese.

This is Part 2 of our conversation with Jeanne, creator of the bilingual parenting blog Mama & Baby Learn Mandarin. In Part 1 we got into how she's been learning Mandarin alongside her own kids for the past 8+ years. This time, Crystal Hsia — our Real You Mandarin: Self-Expression partner teacher — and I dig into the part underneath all of that: identity.

Identity First, Language Second

Jeanne was born in the U.S., sent back to Taiwan about a month later, and raised there by her grandparents until she was five. That stretch is the foundation of her sense of identity. She came back to the U.S. for kindergarten without any English, into a house where both parents worked and nobody else was home — a hard landing after an early childhood surrounded by aunts and cousins and grandparents.

But those formative years created a lasting impact, and her Taiwanese identity stuck. She still says she's going home when she flies to Taiwan, and in the episode we get into why the difference between 回 and 去 in Mandarin quietly says everything about where someone thinks they belong.

Her regret is that Taiwanese was the only piece she came away with. Mandarin wasn't part of the deal, and she's spent her adult years and a lot of her time, energy, and money closing that gap — for herself and for her kids.

What Kids Are Actually Up Against

The part of this episode that will hit hardest for parents is Jeanne's honesty about her own kids. Her son asked her to stop speaking Chinese to him at school pickup because it embarrassed him... in California, at a school full of other Chinese kids — many of whom are second-generation Chinese and cannot speak Mandarin themselves.

That's 同儕壓力 / 同侪压力 / tóng chái yā lì / peer pressure doing exactly what it's always done. Her daughter's experience went the other way entirely, largely influenced by having a positive peer influence around Chinese language.

That same daughter announced at age 9 her desire to become a Chinese teacher when she grows up. She has a real sense of 企圖心 / 企图心 / qì tú xīn / ambition, and we could all learn something from how sure that kid is about who she is.

One Day of Chinese School

Jeanne shared how she went to Chinese School for exactly one day. It was a free 試聽課 / 试听课 / shì tīng kè / trial class where she and her brother sat down, the teacher immediately went into teaching Chinese characters (Jeanne still remembers it was 女, by the way), and that was the end of it.

She also tells a story about going to a market back in Taiwan and being told by the auntie behind the stall that she didn't seem Taiwanese and didn't talk like one — and the surprising reaction she got from the auntie when she switched into Taiwanese. If you've ever had your belonging assessed by a stranger in about four seconds, you'll want to hear this one in the episode directly.

Key Vocab From This Episode

同儕壓力 / 同侪压力 | tóng chái yā lì (peer pressure)

企圖心 / 企图心 | qì tú xīn (ambition / ambitious)

試聽課 / 试听课 | shì tīng kè (trial class)

Want to Talk With Your Own Kids in Mandarin?

Real You Mandarin: Self-Expression is built for American-born Chinese (ABCs), American-born Taiwanese (ABTs), and advanced Mandarin learners who want to express their real selves in Mandarin. For other aspiring bilingual parents out there, the course includes a full module dedicated to Parenting and navigating this space of passing down the language to your children.

Not sure if it's for you yet? Try a free lesson from the course first to see if the format is right for you, and learn more at realyoumandarin.com.

Get the Full Transcript

Want the full transcript of this episode in Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Pinyin, and English with key vocab highlighted? Download the EP1 transcript for free here. If you find it useful, check out our Podcast Transcript Membership to unlock all episode transcripts.

You can find Jeanne's blog at Mama & Baby Learn Mandarin, and follow her on IG at @mamababymandarin.

If you liked this episode, come hang out with us on Instagram and TikTok at @realyoumandarin where we post clips from every episode plus other Mandarin learning content. And if you haven't already, subscribe to the podcast on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts so you don't miss the next one.