[center][h1]Zheng Zǐhán[/h1][/center] 
Below, you'll find the character that I've made for a theoretical roleplaying game set in a university ESL program. This doubles as coursework for EDUC2720.

[indent][hider=Zheng Zǐhán][center][h2][u] Zheng Zǐhán [/u][/h2]
[img]https://image1.masterfile.com/getImage/NjExNi0wNzA4NjE3MWVuLjAwMDAwMDAw=AO27d4/6116-07086171en_Masterfile.jpg[/img][/center]
[b][center] It's good to work hard, but you need to 'work smart' too. [/center][/b]
[hr][hr]
[center][h3][b] 19 | Male | Suzhou, China | Toronto, Canada | University Student [/b] [/h3][/center]

[h3][u]P E R S O N A L I T Y            [/u][/h3]
[indent]❖ Motivated
❖ Friendly
❖ Funny
❖ Anxious
❖ Daydreamer[/indent] 

[h3][u]L A N G U A G E S            [/u][/h3]
Zǐhán is fluent in Mandarin and was an avid reader growing up, though he prefers gaming to books. He also speaks a little bit of Shanghainese, as it is fairly common in the region (Suzhou is very close to Shanghai and there are many cultural and historical ties). He knows some Japanese words and phrases due to an interest in anime and its similarities to his first language. 

He learned English from first grade in school growing up and was also enrolled in weekend and after-school programs, like many other children of his generation. While he has a fairly strong reading skills and a reasonable vocabulary, the profound grammatical differences between Mandarin Chinese and English can often prove problematic for him. He can read better than he can write and can speak better than he can often understand spoken English. All in all, he can get by in the language, but doesn't feel fluent and sometimes feels lost when asked to write academically at a high level in English. It can be a source of anxiety.

[h3][u]C H A R A C T E R    A P P E A R A N C E            [/u][/h3]
Most people would consider Zǐhán fairly unremarkable. He's somewhat good looking but doesn't really stand out. Black hair, deep brown eyes, and about 175 cm in height. Unlike some of his peers, who dress in flashy or fashionable clothes and others who just toss on whatever was on the floor as they rush off to classes, he just dresses like an everyman. He has thought of exploring a more flamboyant style, but this has become increasingly discouraged in his homeland as of late, and he doesn't feel strongly enough about it to want to rock the boat.

[h3][u]B A C K G R O U N D            [/u][/h3]
Zǐhán grew up on the fourteenth story of a fairly exclusive apartment complex not far from the TaiHu (Lake Tai) waterfront in Suzhou. His parents are not rich, but they're fairly well off, and currently own two other units, which they use as rental properties. He has a sister, also named Zǐhán (though it is spelt with different characters in Chinese and has a slightly different, though related, meaning). She is considerably younger than him and was born after the abolishment of the one-child policy. Sometimes, because he shares a name with his sister and since his name is more common as a girls' name (though not uncommon as a boys' name), he's received a bit of teasing. He pretends it bothers him less than it really does.

In school, despite being identified as a very intelligent student, Zǐhán was not an especially high achiever, and was censured more than once for his inability to sit still in class and follow routines. In particular, he struggled with mathematics, not doing well with the rote repetition favoured in its teaching. A doctor would later diagnose him with a mild form of ADHD, but this was not widely shared due to the stigma attached in many circles. He nonetheless had their support and developed his own management strategies. Fortunately, Zǐhán was generally a good test-taker and had a strong memory, so school wasn't as bad for him as it might've been for some with learning differences.  

While his marks in high school weren't bad, they weren't good enough to get him into a top tier university either in the business administration program that his parents had wanted for him. As a result and also because his parents thought that it would be good for him to experience some of the world, he found himself applying to schools in Canada. He was accepted into U of T, joining a large cohort of fellow Chinese students there. He finds it comforting to be able to speak his home language and gradually acclimate to an English-speaking environment, though he also feels anxious that he's using it as a crutch and not acclimating quickly and thoroughly enough.

[h3][u]M O T I V A T I O N            [/u][/h3]
Zǐhán wants to prove to his parents and what he feels are his naysayers that he's still the same smart kid he was identified as when he was young. He wants to live independently, experience what he can of Canada while he's here, and learn skills that will serve him well upon his return home. He's hesitant to look for anything romantic, as he doesn't necessarily intend to stay and it represents a potential complication. At the end of the day, he wants the things that most people want: a stable income, people who care about him, and interests that engage him.

[h3][u]I N V E N T O R Y            [/u][/h3]
Zǐhán carries his cellphone with him everywhere, and his laptop is often in a satchel. He drives a 2013 Mercedes CLV and tries not to carry too much cash in his wallet. He also has a little good luck charm that his sister made for him before he left. He misses her more than he's ever likely to admit and fears that he'll be a stranger when he comes back home.

[h3][u]S T R E N G T H S  &  S K I L L S           [/u][/h3]
[indent]❖ Multilingualism
❖ Sense of Humour
❖ Memory
❖ Cross-Cultural Perspective
❖ Work Ethic [/indent]

[h3][u]W E A K N E S S E S  &  S T R U G G L E S            [/u][/h3]
[indent]❖ English Grammar
❖ Anxiety
❖ Focus
❖ Self-regulation (especially when it comes to gaming)
❖ Lacking cultural context in Canada sometimes [/indent]

[h3][u]M I S C E L L A N E O U S            [/u][/h3]
Zǐhán's favourite games are Valorant and League of Legends. He knows that it's a bit stereotypical, but those are communities that he feels comfortable in and challenges that he enjoys.[/hider][/indent]