It has been almost five years since my last post. My older daughter is now 22, a recent graduate of UNC–Chapel Hill, while my younger one is 19 and a rising sophomore at Johns Hopkins University.

Over the next few posts, I hope to share with fellow parents some “updated” lessons I’ve learned over the past two decades of raising my bilingual children—what has worked, what has changed, and why the effort continues to be worth it.

Current Chinese proficiency and usage
Both daughters still converse with me primarily in Chinese—about 80–90% of the time for my older daughter, and 90–100% for my younger one. Our text messages are about 90% in Chinese. They visit their grandparents in Taiwan every 12–18 months, keeping their language and cultural connections alive.

Toward the end of her freshman year, I noticed that my younger daughter’s Chinese was a bit rusty. Her solution? She rewatched some of her favorite Chinese TV dramas from earlier years. Afterwards, her fluency bounced back—a reminder that consistent exposure, even through media, can make a difference.

Here’s a video my daughters made in the summer of 2024, right after my younger daughter graduated from high school:

How being fluent in Chinese can shape one’s lives
Being bilingual in English and Chinese can lead to opportunities—academic, professional, and personal. To keep this post focused, I’ll share one recent example from my younger daughter’s encounters this past summer.

1. Professional Opportunities in Taiwan
This summer, my younger daughter participated in an intensive five-day medical device innovation program at an advanced laparoscopic (including Da Vinci robotics) training center in Taiwan. It was almost like a crash MBA course, with about 15 hours of work a day. She also had the chance to learn and practice basic laparoscopic skills.

The program brought together physicians, engineers, and business professionals from Taiwan and across Asia. While the instruction was in English, she had countless informal conversations in Chinese—building rapport with staff, exchanging ideas with Taiwanese participants, and expanding her professional network.

As a result, she was able to network with venture capital professionals in Taiwan—an opportunity directly connected to her bilingual skills and healthcare VC involvement in college.

2. Cultural Bonding with Peers
While in Taiwan, she met up with a few Taiwanese international students from her college for a KTV night. They were pleasantly surprised that she knew most of their chosen songs and had watched many of the same Chinese TV shows they grew up with. That shared cultural knowledge instantly deepened their connection.

3. Medical Shadowing Invitations
A friend of mine, a plastic surgeon in Taiwan, treated my daughter (and me!) with some laser work—removing a few spots for her and plenty of sun spots for me. He also offered her the chance to shadow him in the operating room if she’s interested in the future. This, too, was made possible because she could communicate effortlessly and build trust in Chinese.

4. Teaching Chinese Online
Finally, my younger daughter has been teaching Chinese to a few grade school students online this summer, earning some extra spending money. I overheard a couple of her lessons—she’s engaging, patient, and effective. Seeing her pass on the language to the next generation is deeply rewarding.

Takeaway

If one is proficient in Chinese and willing to use it, it’s not just a language skill—it’s a bridge. It opens professional doors, enriches friendships, deepens cultural understanding, and even creates income opportunities.