Mark Ensign

Mark Ensign's Chinese language journey began in high school around 2018, when he took a year of Chinese classes. His skills improved significantly during his mission in England, where he served Chinese-speaking and gained valuable opportunities to practice through frequent interactions with native speakers.

After his mission, Mark pursued Chinese studies by enrolling in classes at BYU. Seeking further immersion, Mark participated in a two-and-a-half-month study abroad program in Taiwan through the Chinese Flagship Program. This experience, which combined rigorous coursework with real-world immersion, greatly boosted his proficiency. Additionally, weekly tutoring sessions helped him refine assignments and prepare for presentations. Mark’s motivation to learn Chinese stems from his career goal of working with Taiwan or China in the field of International Relations. This clear, long-term ambition has driven his commitment to mastering the language.

Several tools, strategies, and resources were instrumental to Mark’s success in learning Chinese. He relied heavily on Pleco as his primary dictionary app and used ChatGPT to better understand grammar and sentence structures. Language corpora also helped him observe how words were used authentically across a variety of texts. To improve his speaking skills, Mark enrolled in classes such as a Chinese debate course, which provided structured practice and greater confidence in expressing complex ideas. For listening practice, he developed a layered approach: listening to audio clips multiple times, first trying to understand as much as he can from it, then noting new vocabulary, and finally reviewing with subtitles. To build vocabulary, he regularly listened to Chinese-learning podcasts and read news excerpts, emphasizing the importance of actively applying new vocabulary in speech, even if it meant speaking to himself in Chinese. Based on his experience, Mark advises learners of Chinese to prioritize expanding vocabulary by consistently noting and studying unfamiliar words, creating frequent opportunities to practice speaking, and engaging in extensive reading and listening to develop a natural sense of the language. He also stresses the value of using quality resources like Pleco for definitions and ChatGPT for grammar explanations, as well as participating in regular conversation practice through language exchange programs or dedicated speaking classes.

Mark views mistakes as a vital part of the learning process. He recognizes that making errors is essential for growth and for receiving valuable corrective feedback. Although he sometimes feels a sense of embarrassment when mistakes occur, he focuses on the opportunity they provide to improve. By maintaining an open and proactive attitude toward correction, he has been able to accelerate his language development and build greater confidence over time.

When preparing for the OPI, Mark recommends speaking as much as possible during responses, even if that involves slight deviation from the original topic, as the primary objective is to demonstrate fluency. He suggests avoiding subjects that are less familiar and emphasizes the value of practicing in advance by simulating interview scenarios. He recommends working with a classmate or study partner to conduct mock OPIs, posing challenging questions to develop flexibility and confidence in responding. Mark also highlights the importance of maintaining composure during the interview by keeping in mind that it is simply a test.

Reflecting on his journey, Mark believes that building a strong vocabulary foundation early on and actively seeking opportunities to converse with native speakers were the two most important factors in his success. Even when native speakers weren’t available, speaking to himself in Chinese helped reinforce new skills and maintain steady progress.