My Chinese Audio Diary

xuéxí学习Zhōngwén中文bànnián半年hòu后，wǒ我háishi还是bùtài不太gǎn敢kāikǒu开口。

After studying Chinese for six months, I still felt nervous about speaking.

lǎoshī老师jiànyì建议wǒ我měi每tiān天yòng用Zhōngwén中文lù录yī一duàn段rìjì日记。

My teacher suggested recording a diary entry in Chinese every day.

dì第yī一tiān天，wǒ我zhǐ只shuō说le了zìjǐ自己de的míngzi名字hé和dāngtiān当天de的tiānqì天气。

On the first day, I only said my name and described the weather.

suīrán虽然zhǐyǒu只有yī一fēnzhōng分钟，wǒ我què却zhòng重lù录le了wǔ五cì次。

Although it was only a minute long, I recorded it again five times.

hòulái后来，wǒ我juédìng决定xiān先bǎ把xiǎng想shuō说de的sān三gè个cí词xiě写xiàlai下来。

Later, I decided to write down three words I wanted to use before recording.

zhèyàng这样，wàngjì忘记zěnme怎么shuō说de的shíhou时候，wǒ我yě也bù不huì会mǎshàng马上tíngxià停下lái来。

That way, I would not stop immediately when I forgot how to say something.

wǒ我yǒu有shí时jièshào介绍wǔfàn午饭，yǒu有shí时jiǎng讲shàngbān上班lùshang路上yùdào遇到de的rén人。

Sometimes I describe my lunch, and sometimes I talk about people I meet on my way to work.

lù录wán完yǐhòu以后，wǒ我tīng听yī一biàn遍，zhǐ只gǎi改yī一gè个zuì最míngxiǎn明显de的wèntí问题。

After recording, I listen once and correct only the most obvious problem.

rúguǒ如果měi每gè个cuòwù错误dōu都yào要gǎi改，wǒ我kěnéng可能hěn很kuài快jiù就bù不xiǎng想lù录le了。

If I tried to correct every mistake, I might soon lose the desire to record.

yī一gè个yuè月yǐhòu以后，wǒ我yòu又tīng听le了dì第yī一tiān天de的rìjì日记。

A month later, I listened to the first day's entry again.

wǒ我fāxiàn发现zìjǐ自己xiànzài现在shuō说de得gèng更kuài快，yě也gèng更zìran自然。

I found that I now spoke more quickly and naturally.

zhèxiē这些xiǎo小lùyīn录音ràng让wǒ我zhīdao知道，jìnbù进步bùyīdìng不一定měi每tiān天dōu都néng能gǎnjué感觉dào到。

These little recordings showed me that progress is not always something you can feel every day.