Tobias, a 35-year-old Belgian musician, has become popular on social media for his excellent grasp of the Shanghai dialect. He has been sharing his everyday experiences, which he 1 in Shanghai dialect, on video-sharing and lifestyle 2 Douyin and Xiaohongshu, winning thousands of followers and millions of 3
In the videos, he speaks. 4 Shanghai dialect, which many non-locals believe is as difficult to learn and 5 as a foreign language. He talks about walking on the city's streets, enjoying the food and music, and 6 his daily life in the city. Tobias started shooting and 7 these short videos for his own practice purposes. He didn't expect so many people would be watching them, following him and sending him 8 and encouragement.
Tobias did not bury his nose in textbooks or 9 intensive study to learn Shanghainese. He said his learning 10 involved getting immersed (沉浸) in a language environment, having a positive attitude, and speaking 11 "without being afraid to make mistakes" He was not thinking too much when he started learning the Shanghai dialect — it was just for 12 .
Tobias said he did not expect he would 13 the promotion of the Shanghai dialect, but it would be an 14 and pleasure if his posts encouraged his followers to learn and pass on the dialect. "I believe a dialect is the heart of a local 15 " said the musician.
