China is the most populous nation in the world with 1.31 billion people. Mandarin Chinese is the mother tongue of roughly 917 million people, making it the most widely spoken first language in the world.
Chinese has also become one of the most valuable languages in the world. Anyone who knows how to speak and write the language has a clear edge. Here are top five reasons to learn Chinese now!
1. Boost your brain power!
Did you know that learning Chinese utilizes areas of the brain that other languages do not? Learning Chinese takes intensive brain power. It’s an intense training of the mind that enhances memory and cognition.
English speakers use the left temporal lobe but Mandarin speakers use both! In addition to using both sides of your temporal lobe, bilingual people are said to be better at prioritizing and multitasking than monolingual people. Learning a second language also develops critical and creative thinking skills.
Learning Chinese characters is one of the most brain stimulating activities according to studies.
2. It’s impressive skill
Chinese people have an impression that non-Chinese find it challenging to learn Chinese so majority don’t speak the language. If a non-Chinese person is able to converse (or has the intent to learn) in Chinese, it’s usually an impressive feat.
Knowing Chinese helps a lot in business and making connections, because the Chinese value their language very much so being able to confidently communicate with them opens doors to hospitality.
Knowing how to speak Chinese makes “Guanxi” easier. Guanxi represents the idea of establishing a strong human relationship in personal, business and governmental environments in China. It means building “connections,” “relationships” and “network.”
3. Chinese skills can make you an attractive hire
Chinese skills are rare. The Western business world lacks people who can speak both Chinese and English. For this reason, there is a huge demand for professionals who can speak fluent Chinese and this can offer very lucrative wages.
Through learning Chinese, you can transform yourself from a mid-level employee into somebody who is critical to the success of a project in China, thereby making yourself a very attractive hire.
You might also be looking at the HSK Certificate which is a certificate you can take to show your Chinese proficiency. If you pass the HSK 4 or 5 then you can apply to Chinese universities to study in Chinese, and there are also a lot of scholarships. You can also show it to an employer when looking for a job.
This is an example of an HSK 4 Certification.
4. Chinese is good for business
Mark Zuckerberg is wowing audiences across the world with his Chinese skills. So why would a man already highly successful learn to speak Mandarin and then deliver a 30-minute presentation in a language he is just getting to grips with?
Well, he could just be learning the language to communicate with the in-laws as his wife is Chinese, or this is part of a business strategy to move Facebook into China then truly become Global.
Mark Zuckerberg delivering a 20-minute all Chinese speech in 2014 at Tsinghua University. Sources say he started learning Mandarin and presumably basic Simplified Chinese in 2010 by 1 hour of self study every morning, and eventually spent 2 hours in the morning with a tutor.
5. Learning Chinese is easier than you think
You do not have to worry about verbs! There are no verbs, no plurals, no tenses, no subject-verb agreement, and no conjugations. There are over 80,000 Chinese characters but generally, only 3,500 are used in conversation. In fact, it could be regarded as a more logical language.
Learning Chinese is really entertaining! Also, this language is totally different than others, has different signs so it is very developing for us to learn.
Chinese characters are not that intimidating to learn.
How to learn Chinese?
Check out some of the most popular Chinese programs below. You can often get a free trial class
1 on 1 Online Chinese Classes Popular Free Trial Class Available
Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU)
1 on 1 Online Chinese Classes
Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU)
Online Group General Graded Chinese Classes (HSK1) 20% Discount
Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU)
Online Group General Graded Chinese Classes (HSK1)
Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU)
Contemporary China and Chinese Culture Online Course
Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU)
Contemporary China and Chinese Culture Online Course
Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU)
- 2024 Top 17 World-class Chinese Universities for International Students - March 25, 2024
- Our Principles - March 4, 2024
- Admissions Deadlines Are Coming – Increase in Prices & AI Assistant - January 26, 2024