On Learning a Second Language

Learning a second language is the hardest thing I have ever done.  It's a fascinating and oh so frustrating series of twists and turns.
On Monday I was congratulating myself for explaining to my Chinese teacher that I needed to leave class early because I had a new student coming the next day and I needed to get things ready for him.  I was speaking some Chinglish, but for the most part my words were Chinese sprinkled with the occasional English word.  Today I walked into class and while going over my mistakes on a test I teared up and almost walked out.  There was no way I was ever going to be able to get this right.  Luckily my teacher saw the tears welling in my eyes and we quickly put the test away and worked on writing Chinese characters the whole class (deep sigh of relief...characters don't require you to speak).  By the end of the lesson I was laughing again and no longer wanted to burn my Chinese book so I think all is well now.  Then I'm back to thinking my Chinese isn't too bad when I'm having simple conversations with taxi drivers or helping a first-year (a foreigner who just moved here) communicate.  And then the next day you are practicing saying "shopping mall" with your Chinese teacher and accidentally say something like "to get laid."  Oh Chinese...
Needless to say these frustrations have given me a great deal of perspective on people learning a second language.  Every single one of my students is learning at least two languages.  Some of them are learning three.  My first year I would chuckle when they said he when they meant she or vice versa.  Now after having said I instead of she or you multiple times when speaking Chinese, I no longer laugh.  I just gently correct them and we move on.  No worries.  They'll get it eventually.  Hopefully I will too.