Step Into China

by: Kevin Young

No other language is spoken as widely around the globe than Chinese. Conservatively speaking, one of every five people worldwide speaks Chinese. Beyond the fact that there are more people speaking Chinese than any other language; it is one of six official languages of the United Nations. Chinese is both used in formal meetings as well as for documentation. With China emerging as a major economic superpower in the last part of the century, Chinese language has begun to make its foray into the developed countries of the West. Claiming an international audience, Chinese is fast becoming one of most popular languages of exchange even on the web.

Chinese language stereotype

One stereotype that the West held about China was that the official language of China is Cantonese. There was a legitimate ground for such misunderstanding. Those earliest Chinese who migrated to other countries were primarily from the Southern coastal provinces like Guangdong (formally known to the West as Canton) where Cantonese was the widely spoken dialect.

After the Great Wars, Asia caught the world’s attention for their economic achievements. Of the Four Asian Tigers, three were Chinese based communities- Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore, the other one being the South Korea. Chinese martial arts and culture gained centre stage popularity in the West through Hong Kong and Hollywood based movies like those starring renowned martial artist and cultural icon Bruce Lee.

Mainland China did not expose itself to world until the 1980’s. After a decade-long political turmoil that led to the introduction of reformative policies for a more Western and market-orientated economic system by former statesman Deng Xiaoping in 1979 that China and its culture gradually gained currency among international communities. Mandarin language study and Chinese culture education plays an important role in enabling people to have a correct understanding.

Dialects

“Putonghua”, more commonly Mandarin Chinese is the largest spoken form of Chinese in the Sinitic language family. Cantonese, Wu, Min are other varieties that are widely spoken. Your understanding of this c classification will be helpful in choosing a suitable study abroad Chinese language course. Let’s take a look at the predominant dialects.

Mandarin – was initially referred to as “GuanHua”(官话), or “official standard language” in Chinese. It is the most widely used spoken language, covering the most of northern and southwestern China. 70% of the Chinese people speak Mandarin. Developed from the northern Mandarin, the standard Mandarin or Putonghua used today literally translates into Commonly Used Language. Mandarin Chinese courses are the most popular language programs.

Wu- A type of Chinese that is spoken in provinces of eastern China, like Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai. Marked by its soft, gentle and mild tones the Shanghainese, or Shanghai language is a prominent dialect of this variety.

Min – Another major Chinese variety that is widely spoken by overseas Chinese, especially in the Southeast Asian nations of Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines. In China, this language is spoken more in the Southeastern provinces of Fujian and Taiwan. Linguistically speaking, Min is different from other Chinese dialects that have their origin in central China.

Cantonese – Was the best known Chinese dialect in the world for a long time. It was also mistakenly deemed as the official language of China.

Today it is the commonest spoken language for non residential Chinese around the world. In Hong Kong and Macau, two former western colonies it the spoken tongue of the majority. In the wake of the Communist era when China was shutting its door to the world, Hong Kong and Macau became the main windows for the outside world to understand China.

Xiang – Primarily used in Hunan, a central province in China it is a dialect that has been significantly influenced by Mandarin Chinese and losing its uniqueness. The former Chinese chairman Mao Zedong was from Hunan and had a very strong Xiang accent.

Hakka – It is mainly spoken by Hakka people in different regions of Southern China. Together with Cantonese and Min, Hakka is another common Chinese variety among migrant Chinese communities.

As a potential student interested in studying abroad in China, you will come across dialects like; Gan in Jiangxi, Huihua in Anhui, Jin in Shanxi and Pinghua in parts of Guangxi.

It is true that there are more Chinese dialects than we think, because with every main Chinese type there are many other sub-dialects. It will be wise to choose a good place to start your Chinese learning if the thought of study abroad in China has ever come to you mind.

It is true that across China you can find Mandarin schools and universities that provide Chinese language programs, but it does not mean you can just choose randomly from any of them. Language learning environment plays a critical role in the proper acquisition of any particular language and it is no different for Chinese language learning either. Your language prowess will only increase with practicing classroom teaching in real life situations.

Minds Abroad(http://www.mindsabroad.com/) in Kunming is the perfect place for you to study Mandarin Chinese abroad. Study Mandarin in China with Minds Abroad that offers you quality Chinese language lessons and a good language environment for Chinese immersion. In Southwest China, Kunming falls in the Mandarin speaking belt. The Kunming local lingo, though not completely identical with Putonghua is close enough for you to practice what you have learned in the classroom. Kunming also has the soundest weather around the year. Enjoying a temperate climate around the year Kunming does not have scorching summers or freezing winters like the rest of the Chinese mainland. This is where Kunming scores over all the other Mandarin dialect speaking regions. Kunming is often called the “City of Eternal Spring”. Kunming is also home to 26 diverse ethnic groups of China. You can not only enjoy your study but you can also enrich your experience by exploring different cultures through weekend trips to 5 neighboring countries that we offer.

by: Ray Ritchey

Parents in the olden days had their children learn another language for a variety of reasons. These days, our world is fast becoming connected everywhere. We can now meet and connect with anyone, anywhere. The newest turn of technology presses the reason why we should have children learn another language, such as Chinese (or more languages even if conditions permit).

There are a lot of languages out there that may interest parents. Chinese is one the languages that have the most increase in the number of learners in the US. Most parents say the reason why kids should learn Chinese is mostly for future economic advantage, or for more personal reasons.

Why Learn Chinese?

Flexibility in future occupation. China is currently the second largest economy in the world. It is doing the groundwork to be the top economy, soon enough. Biggest factories in the world are now in China. The country that produces most products is also China. Conversely, the biggest export market right now in the US is China. Maybe when your child becomes of age to have a business or job, your child may have an opportunity to deal with economic leaders in China. Speaking Chinese for business transactions will definitely prove to be a handy skill.

Diplomacy in future leadership. Who knows, maybe your child will become a government leader. It is a big plus for leaders to know a variety of languages. Dealing with markets and Chinese leaders in the future are good reasons why people should learn Chinese.

Educational reasons. Chinese culture is one of the oldest cultures in the world. It is over 5000 years old. Learning the Chinese language helps your child learn more about the Chinese culture. Learning a language gives a better understanding of the world from looking at how words are derived.

In the US, schools are offering language courses for students to be well-prepared for future opportunities. Chinese is one of the top languages enrolled in. If your child is already learning Chinese at this age, your child will be able to get top marks in language courses in school.

The SAT II also has a Chinese Proficiency Test, it will be a big plus if your child already knows one of the languages being tested before entering university.

Improved mental ability. Studies show that kids who are fluent in two or more languages, usually are more skilled in looking for different ways to solve problems. Since Chinese is a language that sounds way different from English, being proficient in both languages will trigger more mental associations whenever one word or phrase is thought over. Who knew learning Chinese can make people smarter?

Sensitivity to different cultures. Kids who know other languages are better able to identify with children of other races and cultures, but more especially so when the person comes from the country that the child knows the language of. Making friends with people of other cultures helps make children aware of respecting diversity. They are also able to communicate with other children and this opens their eyes to the situation of children with different backgrounds.

Likewise, there are a lot of Chinese communities around the world that your child may need to interact with in the future. Knowing Chinese will be a big advantage.

Net effectiveness. What language is most used in the internet today? English? No. Mandarin Chinese is the most used language in the internet today. The net is the vital part of the present and future. It will pay well if your child knows how to communicate in Chinese online.

Family reasons. If you, your spouse’s or your child has Chinese background, knowing how to speak Chinese connects your child to relatives in a highly emotional manner, compared to relatives speaking a different language. Also, if you have Chinese background, letting your child know the language of your ancestry instills love and pride for the culture. It is harder to love a culture (or a family member) when you don’t understand each other, only because of language reasons.

These days, learning Chinese is not as complex as it used to be. There are books, books with audio guides, videos, songs, software and other easily accessible learn Chinese materials and will truly help a lot in learning to speak Chinese. With this in mind, there is another reason as to why learn Chinese – because you can.

by: John Abraham

Learning Mandarin can be a enjoyable and can be a very beneficial skill. Learning Chinese language is utmost imortant in this modern world. The Mandarin Chinese is the most spoken language in the world.

It is very important to learn chinese because it will give extra options for the imployment in various induatries including manufacturing as well as in teaching, translation, interpreting, and the growing travel industry. As there are a lot of chinese communities in the westren countries, the employers are giving additional priority to chinese people . With Asian economies growing radically, learning Chinese significantly improves your chances of victory in job markets dealing with these economies. More over, learning chinese is more fun too.

Even if your just a casual traveler, learning it can also be beneficial since a large amount of the sign boards and instructions in China are logically written in Chinese, though the appearance of English signs is increasing. Studying Chinese to order food or communicate with locals, as well as talking with taxi drivers will enhance the experience of your travels significantly, if travel is your primary goal .

Studying Chinese is one step to joining the ranks of the businesses elite oriented toward the growing China market. Chinese is one of the eminent languages of the world. Learning Chinese is, as it is all over the western world, part of a world-class education

We will have lots of professional ways to learn chinese language wherein it takes more investment and time. So its important to vary your wealth to insure that you augment your language learning experience. Chinese is most toughest language for most of the english speaking people.

Choose the greatest method to learn the chinese language, otherwise it complex to grasp the same. Much importance should be given to the accent and pronunciations while learning Chinese

Chinese tutors are not mush expensive as you think. So you want to be careful not to end up paying more money than is required. Learning Chinese will take extra time and it is an evolving process. While you can’t learn the language overnight, you can discover resources that may give you an edge time wise and simply the amount of effort you exert .

A crucial challenge to consider is that of vocabulary. Having used countless books and courses to learn to read Chinese I found some including the Pimsleur Method to be of benefit . The most valuable ones were those who made sure to present new vocabulary first. In the case of Mandarin, the most time will likely be spent on the script. Then a story using this new vocabulary in conjunction with formerly learned vocabulary was presented. In terms of audio only programs, a array of excellent courses are existing.

by: John Abraham

So, you have decided to learn to speak Chinese to advance your career or to get more from your travels. Do you feel fear of learning a second language that is really prospect? If you are like me, you probably have nightmares about endless, mind-numbing lists of vocabulary and grammar rules.

A well structured course programme on “learn to speak Chinese” will form a solution for every one to fulfill their ambition. Any language to learn will not take longer time and also you can not learn to speak Chinese in short duration of time.

In order to choose a top rated Chinese course pack you must see the quality intensiveness about the course. Let’s take a look at what you should avoid and what you should look for when going on this new, mind-expanding and enriching adventure.

Chinese course outline should not contain the following:

1. Just 5 minutes learning course to speak in Chinese .

2. If course material is containing repeated lists of grammer rules and vocabulary lists with poor quality of presentation.

3. When finally you have arrived with a huge vocabulary but course has different direction from real conversations .

You must want if the following present in the intensive Chinese language pack:

1. If the pack is full of fun and fast way of learning to speak Chinese. You want a course that will focus on building speaking confidence, while facilitating a natural accent.

2. To boost the individual confidence to participate in real conversations

3. Though the beginner’s pack should be capable to grab the attention of advanced student. If the pack is full of fundamental aspects for a lengthy chapters becomes boring .

4. If the pack starts with the basic greetings like saying hello and receiving complements with ease and grace will be more receiptable to the students . Imagine how impressed business partners or traveling companions will be with your new skill!.

5. A course that offers constant Chinese language support and encouragement.

6. The teaching aids and other relevant methods to keep things interesting and fun.

7.An emphasis on using actual conversational phrases, rather than the memorization of lists of words. This is the best way of developing a feel for the language and immersing yourself in it. This kind of course offers a much higher success rate.

8.The well structured course modules built out of research for over a period of years will make students to learn the language in a quicker way .

9. Native speakers of Chinese can teach proper accent while interacting with them should form the part of pak.

Whether you need this second language because you are about to travel to a Chinese speaking country, or because you have a Chinese speaking partner, or want to study Chinese and need better resources to make your learning easier, or simply because you love Chinese literature and film, and want to immerse yourself more fully in the language – whatever the reason, you will soon be ready to impress native speakers if you begin to learn to speak Chinese the easy, fun way today.

by: Wang Liguang

In the business world needless to say, speaking and listening are the most important skills in order to share your idea.

Let me put my concept straight if you know what you want to converse and you know lots of Chinese words, then you can easily create sentences in Chinese!

Well that’s what you will be getting from this website

Free learning more with sound at http://www.easy2chinese.com

You might be asking yourself this question How can I read and learn Chinese without knowing any Chinese’s letter? My answer is “You can start by reading PIN YIN language. PIN YIN is the language which is used by people who learn Chinese around the world.

My piece of advice is First of all, you should know about 3 things in Chinese. They are Grammar, Alphabet, and Vowel and Pitch Tone .

Somehow, if you’re bored out of your brain with the Grammar, you can just pass the step and get straight to the conversations. By clicking the sound buttons which will show you every word, you can try memorizing them all. This way is the easiest and most enjoyable way to learn Chinese. And at any certain time in the future where you feel that you want to learn it profoundly, you can come back to the Beginning. Make your own choice of learning! learning Mandarin Chinese free at http://www.easy2chinese.com

by: Kah Joon Liow

Are you learning Chinese?

Chances are, you’ve already searched the internet for information that’ll help you learn Chinese. And what do you find? Lots of sites offering free information on learning Chinese.

I did an online search recently and realized that with all the information out there, it can be pretty confusing for a person who’s just beginning to learn Chinese to figure out what’s useful and what’s not.

Where should you start? Which are the sites that offer you, the beginning Chinese learner, practical advice and Chinese phrases you can use immediately?

I decided to put together a select list of useful, free online resources to jump start your learning of Chinese and help you get better results in less time.

Learn Chinese Resource #1:

**How to Learn Chinese with More Fun and in Less Time in Five Easy Steps

This step-by-step guide does two things: it gives you proven tips on how to approach the study of Chinese for better and faster results plus the 80% of listening, speaking, writing and reading basics you need to know when you’re at the beginning stage of learning Chinese. Sign up for this 5-part mini-course at

http://www.living-chinese-symbols.com/learning-chinese

Learn Chinese Resource #2:

**Chinese Pod

Free, daily Chinese conversational audio mp3 lessons (called podcasts) based on real situations (ordering food, renting an apartment, talking about yourself etc.) you can download, listen and review on the go to start speaking Mandarin right away. Start with their New User Guide. Visit Chinese Pod at http://www.living-chinese-symbols.com/chinese-pod

Learn Chinese Resource#3

**Five Beginner Steps to Learning Chinese Faster

Real experiences of an American learning Chinese in China. This funny and useful “5 Beginner Steps to Learning Chinese Faster” free email course doesn’t teach you Chinese but describes a beginner’s strategy for how to get out into a real Chinese-speaking environment and learn it for yourself.

Sign up at http://www.living-chinese-symbols.com/master-chinese-faster

Learn Chinese Resource #4:

**BBC Real Chinese

For those who plan to travel to China, learn useful Chinese phrases (note: no Chinese characters, only in pinyin, the Romanized script) for introducing yourself, getting around, shopping, booking a hotel in China etc. in this interesting ten-part, online beginner’s Mandarin course in slideshow format with text, images and audio followed by a one-minute video shot in China and cultural notes. Learn BBC Real Chinese athttp://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/chinese/real_chinese/index.shtml

Learn Chinese Resource #5:

**Chinese Forums

Find like-minded, motivated Chinese learners to discuss topics related to learning Chinese and Chinese culture. Chinese-forums.com is an online community of people with an interest in learning Chinese language and culture. When you’re just starting to learn Chinese, keeping yourself motivated is vital for getting results. This is where you’ll find other motivated Chinese learners of all skill levels to exchange tips and information whether it’s about overcoming difficulties in learning Chinese Mandarin or sharing your favorite Chinese movie or travel destination in China. Visit

http://www.chinese-forums.com.

Learn Chinese Resource #6:

**CRI Radio

A great site to read and listen to radio broadcasts in English and Chinese about China and life in China – China news, culture, sports, travel, entertainment etc. CRI Radio can be found at http://en.chinabroadcast.cn.

Learn Chinese Resource #7:

**Chinese Fonts

If you’re not reading Chinese characters properly on your computer, like the chinese words for “learn Chinese” 学中文 follow the link to find out how to display and type Chinese fonts on your Windows or Mac computer: http://www.living-chinese-symbols.com/chinese-fonts.html

There you have it — seven free online resources for learning Chinese faster.

If there’s any “secret” to learning Chinese faster and with better results, it’s this: learn a little, use a lot!

Don’t be afraid of making mistakes, or fret about getting the pronunciation right.

Start by speaking Mandarin with Chinese friends whenever you can. There’ll be lots of slip-ups along the way, but you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how much you can accomplish in a short time!

by: Kah Joon Liow

“I want to learn Chinese but just give me the basics!”

That’s what this Chinese pronunciation guide is all about. It’s all that you need to know about the pinyin system of Chinese pronunciation to get by.

The 80% that’s important. (Spend 20% of time to learn the 80% that’s important.)

To speak Mandarin, the first thing is to learn Chinese pronunciation of words using the system known as pinyin.

Pinyin is the Romanized Chinese phonetic system and is the most effective aid to learn Chinese pronunciation today. (Romanized means using English alphabets.) Pinyin was invented in the 1950’s so that anyone, especially English speaking people, could learn Chinese pronunciation easily.

Most of the letters in pinyin have the same sounds as letters of the alphabet – with only a few exceptions. It’s really a very practical system that reduces the time it takes to learn Chinese words.

Can you imagine an English speaker trying to pronounce Chinese characters without pinyin?

First, “The Four Tones” of Chinese pronunciation

Chinese is a tonal language. This means each Chinese character is a syllable with a fixed tone. A different tone is a different Chinese character and hence a different meaning. To learn Chinese, you’ll have to learn Chinese characters individually.

Chinese pronunciation involves four tones, each indicated by a tone mark. The tone marks are placed over the vowels. (If the letter “i” has a tone mark over it, the dot is removed.”

First Tone: a high, level tone represented by “-“ as in mā 妈 “mother”

Second Tone: a rising, questioning tone represented by “/” as in má 麻 “to have pins and needles”

Third Tone: a drawling tone falling then rising represented by “v” as in mǎ 马 “horse”

Fourth Tone: a sharp falling tone represented by “\” as in mà 骂 “to scold”

Each syllable is written as a combination of consonants and vowels, plus the tone mark. Some syllables don’t start with consonants. And the only consonants that come after vowels are are the nasal “n” or “ng”.

(From here on, I’m just going to use 1, 2 3, 4 to represent the four tones in Chinese pronunciation.)

You can see the importance of getting the tones right when you learn Chinese pronunciation to avoid misunderstandings and comic situations.

A friend of mine just learnt the Chinese words for “secretary” “mi4 shu1” and instead said “mystery book” “mi2 shu1”. I bet you’ve heard stories like that of people.

It will take some time to get the tones right because they’re not “natural” to English speakers. Do your best when to pick up the tones when you learn Chinese, but don’t be deterred. Eventually you’ll get it. But just so you know, you don’t have to be perfect.

I have American friends living in Shanghai who get by fine with a flat tone. Of course, breakdowns in communication arise now and then, but the Chinese people can see you’re a foreigner learning the Chinese language (i.e. their language) and they’ll try hard to make sense of what you say.

So, they’re doing all the “hard work”!

Want to learn Chinese? Get more 80/20 rules and tips to help you learn Chinese athttp://www.living-chinese-symbols.com/learn-chinese.html

by: David Snape

Recently, a trend has developed in high schools and communities around the United States. Many people want to or are now learning the Chinese language. This could be a good turn of events, but it can also be problematic. This is particularly so for those who know nothing about Chinese culture, history and the state of affairs in China today.

In mainland China they no longer use the traditional Chinese characters that go hand in hand with Chinese history. For some reason, the Chinese Communist Party decided to alter the Chinese language and thereby change the vehicle for written communication.

Traditional Chinese characters evolved naturally over a period of time from pictographs or small drawings. By contrast the simplified Chinese created by the Chinese Communist Party has watered many of the traditional characters down to the point that they no longer are rooted in more ancient traditions.

Here is an example. The traditional Chinese character for the word ‘love’ contains a picture of a heart in it. This makes sense because love is closely associated to the heart. Not so in simplified Chinese. There is no heart in the word ‘love’ in simplified Chinese. One may ponder how you can love without a heart.

Just as this example shows, in many ways the Chinese Communist Party has removed the heart of the entire language, distorting and altering it into a water downed version of its former self. In Taiwan, however, they still use traditional characters.

So if your community or children’s school is planning to teach Chinese, you may wish to ensure that you are getting the traditional variety. It more fully encompasses the rich history of China and the Chinese people. By contrast, those who teach our children simplified Chinese are from mainland China and unfortunately, they will also be passing on the values and ideas of the Chinese Communist Party. Whether they do so on purpose or automatically as a result of growing up in that environment, the end result is the same. Only you can decide if you want the influence of the Chinese Communist Party imparted to your children.

Be sure to insist that our children are taught traditional Chinese and not the simplified version. This way the richness of traditional Chinese culture can be more fully enjoyed and appreciated. There will be a more solid foundation to understand the more ancient Chinese traditions.

by: Kah Joon Liow

In the modern Chinese writing system, each character is a form of its own, representing a particular sound and at least one meaning.

In other words, each Chinese symbol is a unity of form, sound and meaning.

To learn Chinese writing, you need to know each Chinese symbol or character individually.

You will need a vocabulary of at least 3,000 characters to understand 90% of what you read.
A vocabulary of 4-5,000 characters allows you to understand almost everything written in Chinese in the modern context.

Although there are more than 60,000 characters listed in the largest Chinese dictionaries most of them are ancient symbols and no longer in use.

Only a very small proportion of Chinese characters- some 300, perhaps- are simple representations of natural objects; all others are composite signs.

Each sign generally has two components:

a graphic component (which represent a man, woman, tree etc.)
and a phonetic component, which gives some idea of the pronunciation.

Learning Chinese writing is quite different from learning a Western language.

To learn a Western language like English, you need to know a whole series of sounds.

If you take an English word apart, separating it into its many phonetic syllables, it would lose its meaning altogether.

In learn Chinese writing, you first learn the characters and then you learn the word.

Take, for instance, the Chinese word da4 xue2 大学 which means “university”. First you learn da4 “big” and xue2 “school; learn” separately.

Although the meaning of da xue has to do with da and xue, it is not a simple case of da ”big” plus xue ”school”.

It does not mean “big school”.

If you were to take the English word “university” and try to figure out its meaning based on the meanings of the five syllabic components u/ni/ver/sit/ty, you would not understand anything because they mean nothing.

So, the Chinese character forms the basis in learning Chinese writing whereas the word or sentence forms the basis for learning a Western language.

In Chinese writing, the symbol is the unit carrier of meaning whereas in English it is the word which serves the same purpose.
Chinese characters are essentially pictures and they appeal to the eye.

In comparison, Western letters and words are based on sound rather than sight.

by: John Davison

Chinese is a language, or a group of languages, spoken by 1.3 billion people worldwide. If you believe Chinese to be one language, rather than a grouping, it is the single most commonly spoken language on the planet. It is spoken in countries like China, Taiwan Singapore, and Malaysia. If you are interested in learning Chinese, it can be intimidating and challenging. But learning Chinese can also be rewarding, and knowing it can have benefits for your career, and help to improve your travels to Asia.

If you decide to learn the Chinese language, there a number of ways you can go about doing so. As a college student, you can study Mandarin Chinese and earn a degree in it. Earning a college degree in Chinese will provide you with a solid knowledge of formal, or Mandarin, Chinese. You will also be proficient in reading and writing the alphabet, which is a standard alphabet throughout the Chinese-speaking world. If you are established in your career, and find it necessary to learn Chinese for business dealings and /or business-associated travel, you can enroll in an accelerated Chinese language course online, or by purchasing audiotapes that teach quick techniques, which will help you to rapidly learn how to speak basic Mandarin Chinese. Learning to speak Chinese this way is convenient if you need to learn it before an important business trip. There are several learning centers that provide accelerated online programs in Chinese, and many lesson on tape available for purchase.

If you are a student majoring of minoring in Chinese, or if you are a tourist with a desire to travel to Asia, an ideal way to learn the Chinese language is through participation in an immersion program. By doing this, you will not only learn how to speak Chinese, but you will learn about and experience Chinese culture. By studying Chinese in a city like Beijing, where the language is natively spoken, you will become part of the life and culture, and you will find learning to speak the Chinese language is much easier than you thought. Since it is a total immersion into the Chinese world, you will learn all conversational and idiomatic styles of the language. You will interact everyday with people who are native speakers of Chinese, and who can’t or won’t speak English with you. You will be taken on guided tours of the famous landmarks, as well as the everyday places. You will grow to understand and recognize the value of the ancient Chinese culture: the history, the art, the architecture, the food, and the people. You will attend courses in which you will learn the complex Chinese alphabet, how to read it, and how to write it as well. Learning the Chinese language by attending an immersion program is an ideal way to go.

If you are fluent in the Chinese language, not only could it help you if are established in a career, but it could also open doors to new careers for you. For example, you could take a job as a foreign language translator, where you would be responsible for translating websites, training documents, and other important business documents, while helping to bridge the communication gap between two very different cultures. You might also consider a career as a teacher if English as a second language. You have the opportunity to relocate to a Chinese-speaking nation, and teach the English language to Chinese students. Being fluent in Chinese will definitely make your relocation less stressful.

Learning how to speak, read, and write the Chinese language has many advantages. It gives you the potential to enhance you career by working and/or traveling abroad, or you would have opportunities to embark on new careers as a translator or a teacher. If you plan to travel to Asia, learning Chinese will make your journeys less stressful and more enjoyable. Taking the time to learning the Chinese language will open your eyes to a new and often misunderstood culture, and is an achievement that can be personally and professionally fulfilling.