Chinese has never been my strong point. I have especially not been doing very well with Chinese vocabulary quizzes, and other things like that. I knew that I needed to improve, somehow. In my two artifacts, the realization and the improvement of a skill helps to realize where my work should be put. My first artifact, was the Ni Hao 1 Lesson 4 Vocabulary and Grammar Quiz retaken version. My second artifact is the 8th Grade Chinese Lesson 4 Test Answer Sheet. In these artifacts, it was proven to me what work needed to be done, and how it was done. I went and asked other people for help, and it paid off in both exams. This is why this year in Chinese, I grew in Inquiry.

My first artifact is the Ni Hao 1 Lesson 4 Vocabulary and Grammar Quiz original version. The time came for me to take the Ni Hao 1 Lesson 4 Vocabulary and Grammar Quiz. For this quiz, we had to know what teacher was in pinyin (laoshi), what she was in pinyin and character form (ta and 她), who in pinyin and character form (shei and 谁), I in character form (我), and am in character form (是). The character form of Chinese writing is the traditional way of writing Chinese, and Chinese pinyin is a more modern way of writing chinese. Somehow, I felt that I wasn’t ready for it. I felt like I had done something wrong while studying. What could I have done wrong? I wasn’t sure. So, I took one final look at my vocab words, and put them away so the test could begin. I blanked on the quiz. I had no idea what I could have done wrong. My parents got word of my quiz, and suggested seeing my teacher. I had no idea why I had never done this before. Of course that was the answer! She knew the material, and what was going to be on the quiz. So, I went to see the teacher, Ms. Wang, and she helped me prepare for a retake. When it was time to retake the quiz, I felt ready this time. In the end, I improved the score from a near zero, to a 91%. That was when my growth in inquiry was just developing.

My second artifact is the 8th Grade Lesson 4 Test Answer Sheet. The time had come to study for our next Chinese test. We were expected to know words like teacher in pinyin and character form (laoshi and 老师), year of age in pinyin and character form (sui and 岁), and How many in pinyin and character form (ji and 几). We were given a packet to help us study this material, but somehow, I felt like I needed to do more before I could truly be ready. That was when I had the idea of getting a student tutor. In the middle school, we are allowed to get help from a student tutor with assignments, exams, or anything academic. So, I went and signed for a student tutor to help me. During study hall, I met with the tutor. His name was Zack Vogt-Lowell. During the period, he helped me remember how to write the characters and remember all the Chinese pinyin as well. When the time for the test came, I was nervous, but I was also ready for it, and I knew it. I took the test and got an 80% on it. That was when I was certain of this year’s growth in Inquiry.

Chinese was never an easy subject for me. I tried doing what I could to maintain a good grade in the class though. I had tried many things, none of which seemed to work right. That was when I had turned to other people for help. Thanks to the help of others, I was able to continue to maintain my grade in Chinese. A good education in the Chinese language could be very useful. Many jobs these days are in China. Many goods are sold to countries from China, and the ability to speak and write Chinese would be very useful in conducting business with China. If it hadn’t been for me turning to other people for help, I would by lacking in this knowledge. This is why this year in Chinese, I grew in inquiry.