Interview With TISLP Alum Barrett Ratzlaff, Part I

Earlier this year, AC Study Abroad sat down twice with Barrett Ratzlaff, now a three-time Taiwan Intensive Summer Language Program (TISLP) participant and alum (Summers of 2020, 2021, and 2022). We spoke about cultural differences, learning Mandarin Chinese on TISLP, Super Smash Bros, and incorporating foreign languages into one’s career.

Each experience was different for Barrett, beginning online in 2020 with few expectations of how the summer would proceed, to continuing to improve his Mandarin Chinese in a then-familiar online format in 2021, to finally having the opportunity to travel to Taiwan and experience full immersion in the language and culture in Summer 2022. We were eager to hear what Barrett had to say about his expectations before the program began and what he was looking forward to experiencing in Taiwan.  

The following contains excerpts from the first of two meetings this year with Barrett; we first caught up with him in May. Part II of the interview will feature Barrett’s reflections on his summer experience in Taiwan in 2022.  

When we first met, he was very excited to finally have the chance to travel to Taiwan after two consecutive summers of online study in Mandarin Chinese. We began our dialogue by revisiting the roots of his language-learning journey with European languages as a child before transitioning to Mandarin Chinese as an adult. It all began with a friendly monster who speaks foreign languages.  

(This interview has been edited for length and clarity)  

Taiwan, Summer 2022

AC: Who is Muzzy?

BARRETT: You don’t know Muzzy? Well, Muzzy is a green monster and it's this DVD series. My mom had these German Muzzy DVD’s that taught kids basic language stuff and I always loved Muzzy. From then on, I really wanted to learn languages.  

In middle school I did Latin for a while and then I learned, halfway through, that nobody actually speaks Latin. So, I picked up French. I started learning French in high school and I thought it was really cool how Latin translated to French pretty easily because they were derived from each other. 

I did French for a while and then I did Russian for one year in high school. The big thing was I was looking to do something super different from what I knew.  

AC: So, you eventually landed on Chinese…

BARRETT: Yes. Chinese was super interesting to me because the [Chinese] character was the word… and that's it. Just memorize the characters and you're good. You don't have to worry about combining sounds. It's just like, here’s the picture - that's what it means. And it looked completely different from any Western alphabet that I was used to. So, in my last year of high school I spent 30 minutes or so a day on my phone, looking at apps and using a Duolingo knockoff. [One app allowed users to] put in your mother language and then the language you want to learn, and they pair you up with people who have the inverse situation.

AC: On that note, let’s pivot to a question about language learning in the U.S. It’s no secret that with regard to second language acquisition, we lag behind a lot of the developed world. I think I read somewhere today that we only have 20% of students in schools learning foreign languages. So, you obviously are an exception. You're part of the minority here. Why do you think it's important for Americans to learn foreign languages? 

BARRETT: I mean, I can only really speak to why I picked it. I think the reason why people choose not to do something is [because] the benefit to them just isn't made clear. You know what I mean? I tried to major in math, but the reward wasn't really tangible. To me it was like, what's the reward here? Oh, I get to learn more math. Well, what's the reward if I learn a language? Oh, I get to speak to more people. That's super tangible, right? And I think the reason why such a large number of people don't study a foreign language is because the benefit isn't super clearly communicated. 

AC: What do you think about when it comes to meeting people through your language skills? What kind of experiences are you hoping to gain in Taiwan this summer on TISLP?

BARRETT: I found during college that something that has really brought me a lot of joy was the sense of community. And it's really corny, but common interests have brought me a lot of joy, no matter what the common interests are. I think that the things I like are universal enough that I would expect people in Taiwan to like them, too. I’m just hoping I can make some friends who share the same interests and hobbies as me. I think if I immerse myself in communities that have the same ideas and/or [interests] as me, I’ll be able to specialize my vocabulary a little bit, and that's super useful, especially for things that I care about. 

AC: What are some of the things you are interested in trying in Taiwan? 

BARRETT: Uh, so there’s this game called Super Smash Bros…

AC: We know it well…

BARRETT: Yeah. I'm really interested in seeing what they've got over there. Like if they have any tournaments or stuff because I organize tournaments at my campus. I'd really love to see what the scene is like because one of the topics du jour is comparing lists of which characters of the game that different people think are the best. For example, people could put a Japanese list up against an American list and it would look completely different. I'm super interested to see what Taiwanese people think about the game - to see how different it is from how my friends and I think about it. 

AC: On the topic of how people from other places might see the same issue from different viewpoints, what is something you’ve observed on TISLP – even in an online format – that is very different in Taiwanese culture than it is in American culture? 

BARRETT: I think learning the language has made me take compliments differently because people take praise differently in Chinese than we do in the U.S. People who speak Chinese as their mother language are generally more modest. What Americans would see as rejecting a compliment is a typical response [in Chinese], such as saying ‘It wasn't really all that big a deal’ and then even almost [deprecating] yourself and maximizing what others did and being considerate of the group at large. It’s different from America. In America, people say ‘Oh, thanks, I felt like I worked really hard’ and stuff like that.  

People give me weird looks now because of the way that I take compliments from my friends in English, where people are like, ‘You know, I really liked that tournament you did!’ and I’ll say, ‘Well, everybody did a really good job working on it.’ and they respond with, ‘No, you did that!’ and I’ll be like, ‘I don't really know…’

AC: It is funny how learning a foreign language can affect how you behave in your native language. Obviously, this is something you enjoy as you are now enrolled in TISLP for the third straight year. What has you coming back to an American Councils program for another summer? 

BARRETT: I want to make my Chinese an asset and not just a hobby that I like to do. That’s really important to me. So improved Chinese is something that I can use to market myself as a good potential employee. TISLP helps with that, but it also makes the process fun, which is really important for me.

AC: What plans or ideas do you have about integrating Mandarin Chinese into your career in the future?

BARRETT: I've told a lot of people that as long as I'm using it, I'll be fine. But you know, I'd be lying if I would just take any job. I have applied to a few legal assistant jobs that needed an on-hand person who can translate. My campus job right now is with the International Office helping out international students. So, I've looked at work on other campuses that help students with immigration status and stuff like that. I figured I'd probably be able to speak a little bit [in Chinese] if I did that. I like to think I’m open to a lot of things.

AC: As someone who has participated in this program twice already, what kind of advice do you have on language learning? What would you say to students who are interested in going on TISLP before they start the program? 

BARRETT: Trust the process is my advice. I remember when I first did TISLP, the process was super different from how it was in the U.S. You know, the first few weeks were really jarring because we had all this stuff that I wasn't familiar with, that I was supposed to do before class. It really gave me more agency, which is something I wasn’t used to. Getting used to that sooner rather than later is super important. So, trusting the process is huge. I would also say try and make as many friends as possible. Not only does that make you feel good, but I think it's also helpful down the line. Those are my two: trust the process and make friends.

AC: And one final question – it’s very important – which Super Smash Bros character is the best?  

BARRETT: I play ultimate so I don't think that there's a best character, because there are just so many. I really like Steve, but I don't think he's the best. I think… Pikachu is the best.  

After talking a bit more about Super Smash Bros off-script, we parted ways with Barrett, planning on reconnecting once he had returned to the U.S. from his summer experience on TISLP. Stay tuned for Part II, where we discuss TISLP’s first in-country experience since Summer 2019! 

Program: Taiwan Intensive Summer and Semester Language Programs

Terms: Summers 2020, 2021, and 2022