There are so many languages worldwide that any polyglot-beginner has a huge choice. But some languages have always been more popular than others. Why is that so? Everything’s very simple: language, as a commodity, may be widespread and demanded if the country speaking it is a highly developed state with numerous job prospects, with excellent travel opportunities, and with a booming economy. If you speak the language of such a country, then you can trade with its representatives, can work as a translator or tutor there, and may surely travel with more comfort.
Though English has for a long time been regarded as a lingua franca, other languages are gradually gaining force and popularity. The Spanish language, for instance, has quickly expanded its outreach due to the quick growth of Spanish-speaking population in the USA, Latin America, and worldwide. The same may be said about China. The country with a booming economy, the provider of goods from textiles to computers to the entire world, and the second largest population in the world – all that is about China. So, knowing the Chinese language, you are guaranteed a number of advantages. Why learn Chinese? Is it as hard as people say? Has that become easier with online Chinese classes? Let’s find out.
Challenge Yourself with Something Fundamentally Different
No matter what they say, Chinese is not that hard to master. Just imagine: unlike European languages (English included), the Chinese language does not have any tenses, cases, and genders, while its grammar rules are pretty straightforward. Hence, a language learner will hardly experience any difficulty with mastering the basic Chinese, while getting to a more advanced level may definitely require some additional effort.
The major issue with Chinese studies is that the word meaning depends on the tone with which it is said. That may be an unusual language specificity that a speaker of English may find challenging; however, if you are committed enough and train with a native speaker, you will cope with the hurdle quickly.
Another barrier to learners is the Chinese system of characters entirely different from any Cyrillic or Latin alphabet typical for most Western languages. But let’s look at that not as a barrier, but as a new opportunity – Chinese calligraphy is an ancient form of art, so you receive a unique chance to embrace some unusual skill. That’s very healthy for the brain, by the way!
Acquire a Competitive Job
With the Chinese economy on the rise and trade volume surpassing trillions of US dollars, a person knowing Chinese will never be poor! You can select among a variety of high-paying, prestigious jobs requiring the knowledge of Chinese and be sure that learning this language will always be a high-return investment. To date, Chinese is in the list of world’s five top demanded languages in the professional sphere, so no matter whether you are a marketer or an artist. With Chinese, you will always earn more.
Get a Unique Cultural Insight
Asian cultures still remain perplexing, intriguing, and highly attractive for the Westerners. So, there is hardly any person in the Western world who would not wish to visit China one day to get in touch with its unique local culture, its people, and traditions. The Chinese culture is over five millennia old, so you’ll always find much to admire in terms of architecture, visual art, dance, theater, and poetry. There is a number of cultural festivals held in China, and they may also be a great opportunity to get acquainted with Chinese cultural riches.
Advance Your Travel Opportunities
Those who speak Chinese well have a much broader spectrum of travel opportunities. Not that you cannot visit China if you don’t know Chinese, but with the basic language skills, your travel may become much more convenient and rewarding. As anywhere else, the locals like it when travelers speak their language, so even a tourist with a humble command of Chinese will receive a heartier welcome than a tourist who does not try to speak it.
If you know English well and want to combine travel with studies in China, there’s always a great option to apply for a teaching position there. English is immensely popular here, so you will always find a vacancy to come and study Chinese in return for your English classes. Moreover, Chinese makes it simpler to travel across Malaysia, Taiwan, and Singapore, as well as many other Asian countries with large Chinese-speaking populations. Thus, coming to this region, you will never get lost or abandoned in case you know a couple of words and phrases.
As you can see, learning Chinese is fascinating, easy, and highly rewarding. With numerous online platforms like Preply, studying Chinese becomes as simple as never before, so take your chance, find your tutor, and start the challenge today!
