No matter where someone is from, language is an important part of life. Whether people are reading it, writing, hearing or speaking, language is all around them. And most of the time, they can understand it.

But learning new languages poses a challenge. People trying to learn a new language can read about it in textbooks, or practice while doing homework. However, there’s not always an opportunity to practice orally.

Hui Xu, a volunteer for the Confucius Institute at the U. Nebraska-Lincoln, started the Chinese Conversation Corner last spring. This biweekly event gives students and faculty members a chance to practice their Chinese verbal skills outside of the classroom. Members of the community who either speak, are learning or beginning to learn Chinese also attend the Conversation Corner.

Tamar Harrington, an attendee of a recent Conversation Corner, said meetings are more informal than a class. Instead, it’s just a conversation, and attendees have to find a way to participate and learn in any way they can, he said. Harrington is now working for a company in China and said Chinese conversations outside of class helped him maintain fluency.

“It’s really hard to develop fluency in any language simply from attending a class,” Harrington said. “You need to speak it with other people on a regular basis.”

Xu agrees, as she knows that learning a new language can be intimidating. Chinese is her first language and English is her second. Xu said that language takes a lot of practice and can quickly be forgotten without it.

“I really have the sympathy for those people who are learning a foreign language,” Xu said.

There are many things that make the Chinese language difficult to learn. For instance, Chinese uses characters as opposed to the Roman or Latin alphabet. This means that you can’t “sound out” the pronunciation of a Chinese character like you would an English word.

Plus, grammar and the tense-usage differ as well. Even though Chinese is the main language at the Corners, explanations about the language are in English.

The Conversation Corner also gives students an opportunity to meet new people. Since many people are there to learn a new language, or help others, it gives students a chance to get to know someone from the Chinese culture.

Language is a gateway to culture. Xu said some expressions and humor don’t necessarily translate into other languages. Sometimes, misunderstandings can be interpreted as rude.

Harrington also said when he practiced Chinese with his friends in Lincoln, they would explain some Chinese expressions and the meaning behind them.

But Xu stressed that even though the language seems difficult, the atmosphere at the Conversation Corner is all about learning. Even if it’s nerve-wracking, making an effort will make learning a new language a little easier.

“Nobody will be there to judge you,” Xu said. “We’re just trying to help you.”