Benefits of studying Mandarin

[Sp0cK]

I've started to gain interest in Mandarin when I crossed the south of china start of this year. I visited a friend in Nanning and got a little taste of the student life at the Guangxi University and could easily see myself living and studying there.

Although before making such a big decision I have to be realistic and see the benefits of mastering this language after 2+ years of hard study. Apart from a good experience and being able to order chinese food properly back home I would like to see if there's possible trade / job opportunities.

As being a 24 dutchman living in Australia doing unwanted jobs and looking for a challenge, how can I set myself this goal. Once I can see the pros of the language I'm sure it would make it heaps easier to set my mind to it.

What is your experience?

[muyongshi]

see the benefits of mastering this language after 2+ years of hard study.

If you can do this...well then I guess you'll be able to do anything you want with it really.

I'm not trying to be sarcastic, but I think just on this statement alone you may want to reevaluate the situation. Not saying there isn't opportunity, but most likely not in that amount of time.

[skylee]

But he is "Sp0cK" ...

[muyongshi]

我的天skylee！ I don't know how I missed that!!!!

[heifeng]

yes, but even Spock is half human...

[self-taught-mba]

Why Learn Chinese? How learning Chinese can help your career.

Article by yours truly.

Outdated. The market here is huge and China will rule the world. There are so many more opportunities if you can speak some Chinese.

[Sp0cK]

Example: I've been living in Perth australia for the passed few months, and already met dozens of chinese/taiwanese which speak amazing english with mandarin as mother tongue - My point is, even if I spend a lifetime learning... why would I? A chinese person would rather do business with a local who lives overseas. For trust/safety reasons. Just by using common sense I can't see this working, unless someone experienced otherwise I'd love to hear it for a motivation boost...

[heifeng]

ummm. I consider the ability to watch soap operas from all around the world (Phillipines, Russia, India, Korea, Japan) dubbed in Chinese as a benefit. I mean sure you can watch novellas in Spanish, but there seems so much MORE to veg out to if you can understand Chinese:mrgreen:

[renzhe]

My point is, even if I spend a lifetime learning... why would I?

The truth is, unless you're planning to move to China, or have Chinese in-laws, you don't really have to learn Chinese. It will hardly have much monetary value, and mastering it in two years would be record-worthy. 5 years of intensive study is more like it.

Many of us learn because we are interested in the language, the culture, and the people. Most of us have different reasons for doing so. Without a strong interest, Chinese is exceedingly difficult to learn and probably not worth it. There are far easier things that will increase your monetary value much more than learning Chinese.

[muyongshi]

5 years of intensive study is more like it.

Damn what is it with you people! I don't believe anyone has ever achieved native like proficiency in 5 years. It takes natives usually around 15 years. I personally don't see how I or anyone could do much better. Notice I am claiming that "mastering" the language is equal to "native like proficiency". When I speak like a native in terms of vocab, recall, and the such I may have the audacity to say I've mastered it.

You want to master the language, in my opinion you better be willing to spend a lifetime learning.

[roddy]

But in two years you can be good enough to mark yourself out from the general crowd of non-Chinese speakers. Sure, you're not going to be writing any novels - you might not even be reading them - but you could be given a phone and told to get in touch with a Chinese client, sent to China for a business meeting, asked to track down some info on the Chinese Internet.

As for the OP, you seem to have set yourself a goal and are now looking for reasons to achieve it, which is perhaps the wrong way round. If you aren't sure what you want to do now, two years of Chinese study could well leave you as someone who isn't sure what they want to do, but can say so in Chinese.

[Sp0cK]

I'd love to live there, study there and enjoy chinese culture. BUT studying a language for 5+ years sounds a bit painful! Sounds like you can become a doctor with the same amount of study material :-)

[muyongshi]

Roddy has described accurately what to expect after 2 years.

The reasons for my posts being the way they are is that your reasons and motivations have to be your own. We can't give you a reason.

If you see yourself being able to invest 2 years studying Chinese, I don't think you need to justify it by saying this is WHY. If your interested and just want to expand you knowledge, that's good enough. Just don't get too high of expectations of "all the doors that will be open to you" after 2 years. It's not realistic. If you are really interested in the language in general and the nation, you won't regret spending 2 years of your life here, even if you don't ever seem to use it in your professional life.

My 0.02 euros

[Guest realmayo]

but even Spock is half human...

:clap

[Sp0cK]

I quite like the idea of that roddy - Surely my way of thinking will change over time once I'm there.

As with everything a man has to create a certain mindset in order to achieve it's goals

[jbradfor]

I'd love to live there, study there and enjoy chinese culture. BUT studying a language for 5+ years sounds a bit painful! Sounds like you can become a doctor with the same amount of study material :-)

Don't let the 5+ years scare you. You did this to yourself by in the OP saying "mastering". I think some people interpreted "mastering" as "having the understanding of a well-educated native speaker".

If all you want to do is live there, study there, and enjoy Chinese culture, 2 years should be plenty. I took two years in University in the US, then 3 months living in Taiwan, and after that I could spend a weekend at my roommate's house speaking nothing but Chinese to him and his family without any problems. And I'm pretty stupid when it comes to languages, if I can do it, most anyone can.

[Sp0cK]

I'd be more than happy if I could achieve that jbradfor

Slowly I'm doing the pimsleur lessons on my mp3... so I don't look like a complete numb nut once I decide going back to china

[muyongshi]

I'd be more than happy if I could achieve that

Hmmm... Then there is no point in continuing talking. 2 years in country you have nothing to worry about. Go for it!

[renzhe]

Damn what is it with you people! I don't believe anyone has ever achieved native like proficiency in 5 years.

Of course you won't achieve native-like proficiency in 5 years, but 5 years should be enough to get to a point where you can do most things you need using Chinese. 5 years of bloody work and loads of exposure.

The rest depends on what you mean by "mastering" a language. You won't be writing discourses on Tang dynasty poems, but you might be able to handle a business dinner, and that's all that some people are interested in.

[HashiriKata]

Damn what is it with you people! I don't believe anyone has ever achieved native like proficiency in 5 years. It takes natives usually around 15 years. I personally don't see how I or anyone could do much better. Notice I am claiming that "mastering" the language is equal to "native like proficiency".

No, you don't have to achieve native like proficiency to make it functional. It's how you use what you've got that is more important. Here's a brief story of me and my Chinese, if it can be a kind of inspiration for anyone who wants it: I live & work in the UK and I started learning Chinese here with a part-time course lasting for one academic year (=7 months). Afterwards, I've been keeping it up by teaching myself while doing my job, unrelated to Chinese. I started teaching Chinese as a professional and writing reviews of Chinese textbooks from the 3rd year onwards and my main income now is from my Chinese related-side. I don't think I'll ever finish with learning Chinese and I don't even think that my Chinese is anything to boast about, it's just that I always make sure that it's up to whatever I choose to do with it, with just a bit extra to spare.

So I must say that with 2 years studying of Chinese in China, you may be able to do something practical with your Chinese if you've got the right kind of motivation and other supporting skills. I very often wish I could be in a better environment than where I am for learning and speaking Chinese, or even with a Chinese-speaking partner to practise speaking Chinese with, I however don't really believe these conditions would make or break the deal. "Always keep it going" is what I would advocate