I have been in Shanghai, China for about 3 months now taking Chinese classes on a weekly basis. Being new in town, I've met a lot of different people and I realized that the same question always arises: "Why are you learning Chinese and why did you come to China?"First of all, Chinese is the most spoken language in the world. China not only has the highest ranking population in the world (1.3billion) but in almost every large city you go to, especially in Asia, you can always find a Chinese community. Having the most spoken language in the world in your linguistic baggage can only be a huge bonus for you in the future.
Furthermore, we have to realize that China is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. With a GDP growth of almost 10% every year, China is today the 2nd largest economy in the world after the United States. What we can conclude from this is that China's influence on the world's economy will be more and more distinct. Due to the current economical crisis, Chinese companies are investing more and more all around the world. It is a great bonus to understand and speak the Chinese Language in order to do business with China.
This also works the other way around. Since, China has open its doors to the world's market, more and more foreigners have been coming to China to do Business with the Chinese. It's true; China is a large market with huge potential. However, how can you expect to do Business with local people if you can't speak their language? Understanding and speaking Chinese can make a huge difference when negotiating and doing business with Chinese people.
Learning Chinese in China seems to be the most logical plan.
Not only are you completely immersed in the language everyday but the experience also allows you to understand and discover Chinese Culture. Knowing someone's culture is essential as we all have different rules and approaches on how to do business. Not respecting certain rules while doing business with someone from another country can give a bad image of you and can jeopardize negotiations. On the other hand, respecting another person's customs will often impress thus giving you a better image and better chances of concluding negotiations.
Also note that learning Chinese and coming to China can enhance your resume. If you speak proper Chinese by the end of your stay, this shows that you can reach your goals and that you are a motivated and quick learner. Staying in China and learning the language shows your future employers that you are someone with a good capacity of adaptation and that you are open minded as learning a peoples language is also learning about the peoples culture.
Finally, it is important if you decide to learn Chinese to also have your own motivations. The clearer your own goals are, the more motivated you will be to reach them. Having a more specific reason to learn will keep you more motivated during the long and sometimes difficult path of learning Chinese.
For instance my goals are as followed:
- Being Singaporean of Chinese decent has always made me curious about the Chinese culture and Chinese Language.
- I have lived most of my life in Asia and I expect in the future to work and live here. Therefore, being able to talk and understand basic and business Chinese will be very useful for me not only in a working environment but also in everyday life situations.
- As a Business student, I have always been attracted by the fast growing economy of China.
In my case, I have decided to concentrate my focus on learning Basic and Business Chinese as well as learning more about Chinese culture. Therefore, I am not learning how to write characters.
However for certain people with other goals, learning how to write characters or learning about Chinese literature, history, art etc... could be more relevant.
