Previously, I blogged about two Asian Singers Shila Amzah and G.E.M. I had the impression that both can speak at least 3 languages fluently. As I follow the event, “I Am A Singer”, a current popular singing competition which both singers are at now, I learn that Shila is not fluent in her Mandarin.

She did win second place after the first sing-off, wonderful for someone who is unknown to the audience. When she does speak up in Mandarin, she demonstrates good intonation and diction. She speaks with the help of an interpreter. In the following video, you will see what I mean.

She may not speak the language well but she won the hearts of Chinese fans just by being able to sing Mandarin songs well. Goes to show, language itself does not communicate the message, the way the language is projected out to your audience wins the day. However, her second performance is not that enjoyable for me. It loses connection and I can’t feel the emotion in the song. And as I listen more and more of her, I get a feeling that she needs help with breathing techniques. G.E.M. has so much control, she can do nothing wrong with a song.

Well I applaud both singers for their courage nonetheless. Standing up in front of audience that you can’t even see because all the lights will be shining down at you takes lots of guts and courage. Being young also helps. If you make mistakes at a young age, it is easy to pick yourself up, dust off all the dirt off your body and then move on.

Shila Amzah demonstrates to us that learning a new language doesn’t have to begin when you are young. It may be slower for adults but as we know it, if we are able to entertain our hearts and minds with a new language, acquiring a new language is easier than we think. Shila Amzah only needs to learn how to sing Mandarin songs to show just how easy it is to assimilate and immerse in a different culture and language.