About Be a Bridge

Hey, I’m Nicole!

I’m currently based in Singapore! I named this account “Be a Bridge” after a prophetic word I received in early 2024, saying I’d be a “bridge.” Inspired by this word and my passion for languages, “Be a Bridge” was born!

Languages I currently know/speak

These are languages I’ve either grown up speaking or have studied in school:

• English (Proficient)
• Mandarin Chinese (Upper Intermediate) – My mother tongue.
• Thai (Beginner) – I studied this in my last semester of university after feeling prompted to do missions in Thailand.
• Vietnamese (Beginner) – I did a university overseas programme in Ho Chi Minh where I took some Vietnamese lessons with a freelance teacher there.
• Korean (Beginner) – Studied this in my first semester in uni, but never continued after that. However, I still have all my Korean notes which makes it super easy to pick it up again for fun.

Languages I’m currently learning or want to learn

In order of priority:

1. Thai – TLDR: During a university church camp in mid-2023, I felt a calling to Bangkok, Thailand. That moment sparked my journey of learning Thai and deepening my connection with the city. Now, I work at a design agency where I collaborate closely with a Bangkok client. I took a Thai Level 1 course in university and started a Thai Level 2 course online in late 2024, though I didn’t complete it. Despite the time that has passed, these courses have been helpful as I revisit learning Thai.
2. Vietnamese – I lived in Vietnam for about five months during a school overseas program and fell in love with the country. While Thai is my primary focus for language learning, I also want to learn Vietnamese, as I plan to travel there often. Additionally, I have Vietnamese colleagues, which adds to my motivation. I took an introductory Vietnamese language class with friends, taught by a freelance Vietnamese teacher in Ho Chi Minh, during my university overseas program.
3. Hindi – I’m completely new to Hindi, but my curiosity about India sparked my interest in learning it, as Hindi has the largest number of first-language speakers in the country today. Research and articles suggest that learning more than two languages at once can be challenging, so I’ll begin learning Hindi once I reach Level 4 in Thai.
4. Arabic – I’m new to Arabic, but I’m fascinated by how many countries speak it. I’m particularly interested in Egypt, which is why I want to learn Arabic, especially Egyptian Arabic. Since it’s harder to find resources for Egyptian Arabic, I’ll start by learning Standard Arabic and focus on the Egyptian dialect as I come across resources.
5. Japanese – I’ve always loved Japanese culture and I find the language itself beautiful. I also have friends in Japan, so learning Japanese will be very useful. I attended a Japanese language class when I was about 13. If only I had continued to learn it then :’) Nevertheless, it’s never too late to start again!
   There are plenty of Japanese resources out there, so here are some that I’d like to explore:
6. French – I studied this in polytechnic and won an award for doing well in the cohort. I was once really passionate about continuing to learn French but never got around to doing it.
7. Bengali – To speak to migrant brothers in Singapore.
8. Hokkien – Useful for communicating with elderly.
9. Singapore Sign Language – Because it seems really cool. As a mandatory part of my polytechnic camp, we had to learn a sign language song and I still remember it till today. I’m curious to see how sign language could help me learn other languages as well.