by: Kevin Young
Think about this: One of every five people in the world speaks Chinese. Apart from native speakers, Chinese is fast catching up to become one the most important international languages for business interactions and trading. In recent years, internet access has greatly increased in China. A report released by China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) indicates that by the end of 2008 there were more than 298 million internet users of who 279 million had a broadband access1. If this pace continues, within the next ten years Chinese will become the largest common language on the internet. The effort multinational organizations take in releasing web pages in Chinese emphasizes the importance of the Chinese market. In a country like China with a population of more than 1.3 million and an average annual GDP growth rate of above 10% it is a promising market.
To learn Chinese is the wisest and most lucrative investment you can make for your career. Proficiency in any language, in this case with Chinese will make for easier communication with your Chinese counterparts in any setting, thereby eliminating misunderstanding and avoiding unnecessary lapses. Whether you are interested in international business or the government, learning Chinese will surely improve your career prospects. To be able to speak one of the most difficult languages in the world is also a qualification that you can use for tangible career benefits.
Learning Mandarin Chinese is like a journey. Aiming towards your destination, you are always going to enjoy the scenery along the way. To learn a language, you must try to put yourself into the particular cultural setting. This is ever truer when it comes to Chinese culture. Your interaction won’t be effective unless you understand the idea behind such a cultural setting. A good approach will add new perspectives to your usual way of going ahead with your learning.
If you get a chance to study abroad in China the most invaluable part of your experience would be your chance to practice words, phrases and sentences you learned in the classroom with native speakers in an indigenous setting. You will know more about Chinese thoughts, approaches ways of life. This difference in cultural mores will make sense only when you experience them first hand.
If you hold a single culture perspective you shall run the risk of falling prey to the gaps that are often a part of cross-cultural communication. You background of being part of a Mandarin Chinese course as well as the Chinese culture education at large will be particularly appealing to businesses that are involved in international interactions. With worldwide collaborations in vogue between different countries, there will be good opportunities for you to find decent jobs both in China and your home country.
Minds Abroad(http://www.mindsabroad.com) is a Chinese language program at Kunming in China, aiming at offering top quality Chinese language tutorials for a wide student base. With an informed cultural awareness, Minds Abroad designs it’s program in a way that people from different cultural and educational backgrounds can learn Mandarin in the most effective and proficient way. Keeping up with the dynamics of the cultural exchange programs for international students, Minds Abroad knows how to get the best for its clients and students.
