2012 Language Recap and 2013 goals

Tweet 2012 has come and gone. It seems like just yesterday that I was talking about how amazing 2012 was going to be. While things didn't exactly go as planned (do they ever?), I've decided to do a quick recap of what this year was actually like for me as a Chinese language student/ teacher, in as short a list as possible.

Highlights from 2012：

1. Failed the TOCFL level 5 fluency exam
2. Passed 4000 unique characters on Skritter
3. Read all 47 Initial D comic books inside of a single month period
4. Taught my first semester of Chinese with MyLanguage360
5. Attended my first ACTFL conference
6. MC'd 《華語之夜》(A Night of Chinese) in Chinese
7. MC'd 第十一屆台灣華語文教學會年會的晚宴 in Chinese (and in front of 300+ Chinese teachers and scholars)
8. Got told my Chinese academic writing style is "cute."
9. Wrote a 10 page Chinese report (single-spaced) in a single afternoon (and got a good grade on it!)
10. Read Ender's game in Chinese for pure enjoyment (meaning I didn't look things up)
11. Scored "Advanced-High" on the ACTFL OPI exam
12. Got engaged (not language related but way to awesome to keep of any 2012 list!)

So that's what 12 months of hard work condensed into a highlight reel. I learned a lot this past year, and grew as both a teacher and a student. 

Here is what is in store for 2013:

1. Rock the Hacking Chinese Chinese character challenge (be sure to join us if you haven't already)
2. Increase personal/ public accountability for all my language learning related goals 
3. Pass the TOCFL level 5 fluency exam 
4. Write my research proposal 
5. Start my master's research project
6. Find an internship teaching at an American university
7. Read a Chinese newspaper
8. Pass 5000 unique characters on Skritter (890 to go)

There are a million other things that I would like to put on this list, but if last year taught me anything, it is that I need to first increase my personal/ public accountability. Once I do that some super focused goals with start showing up.

Stay tuned! 

祝福大家新年快樂，有美好的2013年！

高健