While catching up with Joyce, Cheryl was also reminded of her schooling days and opened up about how Mandarin had always been tricky for her.
“Thinking back, I didn’t pay much attention in class, I was always sleeping during Chinese lessons. So when I returned to Singapore and entered showbiz, reading Chinese scripts became really tough,” she said.
Cheryl revealed that growing up, she only spoke English and Cantonese at home. Reading scripts became a real challenge because there were many characters she couldn’t read, which made it difficult to fully grasp her lines.
She continued: “My scripts were completely covered in pinyin. I spent a huge amount of time improving my Chinese.”
Cheryl watched plenty of Chinese dramas and listened to lots of songs, and gradually, through hard work and perseverance, she was able to naturally improve her Chinese.
“After competing in pageants, I’ve tried many things in my career. From learning martial arts in Hong Kong to returning to Singapore for my first dramas in English and Chinese, and hosting live shows for the first time, I see all of these experiences as part of the learning process that has helped me grow in many ways,” she added.
Cheryl later met up with her Chinese teachers at Shanghai Singapore International School, a private institution where she studied for seven years.
Her teachers recalled her as shy and quiet, with Mr. Yan, her Grade 11 teacher, sharing a memory of her: “You sat at the back with [a classmate, Jenny], and you were chatting and doing makeup during class. Now I understand why you eventually became an actress — you had potential.”
Cheryl admitted that she regretted not paying attention in class and often spent time talking or sleeping.
She confessed: “Because when I first entered showbiz, my Chinese wasn’t very strong.”
Her teachers still remembered her as obedient and proactive, despite the challenges she faced in class.
All’s well that ends well, we suppose, ‘cos look who’s now landing leading roles in Chinese local dramas?