Chinese Mandarin has emerged as the must-have language in Europe & USA

[laman12345]

TIME MAGAZINE

If you want to get ahead, learn Mandarin. In Europe and the USA, in many Asian countries, Mandarin has emerged as the new must-have language

Cover Story: Get Ahead, Learn Mandarin - TIME


Over 50% European students learning Chinese Mandarin now. (Updated May, 2012)

 

[itaskol]

I lived in germany for a very long time. a lot of german student begin to study chinese. but most of them can only speak some words. and very easy to forget.
chinese is in fact too difficult for europeans to learn

 

[Korean]

Over 50% European students learning Chinese Mandarin now. (Updated May, 2012)

And most will not get proficient as it is next to impossible for non-tonal language speakers to learn tonal system correctly past the age 10. This tone problem not only affects pronounce, but listening too.

In addition, learning Simplified Chinese characters is hard for westerners.

The only way the Westerners could learn Mandarin is by living in China at a young age, or hire a Mandarin nanny like some rich American families are doing. Learning it at school? forget it.

 

[oct605032048]

And most will not get proficient as it is next to impossible for non-tonal language speakers to learn tonal system correctly past the age 10. This tone problem not only affects pronounce, but listening too.

In addition, learning Simplified Chinese characters is hard for westerners.

There is no need to be worried about that.

The Kings and Lords of your ancestries handled it well. Anyone can learn Chinese if works hard if such a nation like Korean could do...

 

[itaskol]

The only way the Westerners could learn Mandarin is by living in China at a young age, or hire a Mandarin nanny like some rich American families are doing. Learning it at school? forget it.

to this point I can agree with you.

 

[Korean]

There is no need to be worried about that.

The Kings and Lords of your ancestries handled it well.

They did not speak a word of whichever languages was in fashion in China(Except for Mongolian); they communicated by writing on a piece of paper(Called the written conversation) and passing it back and forth, as the written form was stable for hundreds of years.

So if you are suggesting "texting" as the way of conversation with a Chinese person, forget it.

 

[oct605032048]

They did not speak a word of whichever languages was in fashion in China; they communicated by writing on a piece of paper(Called the written conversation) and passing it back and forth, as the written form was stable for hundreds of years.

So if you are suggesting "texting" as the way of conversation with a Chinese person, forget it.

It seems I've overestimated your intelligence and ability...Poor people...

 

[itaskol]

Anyone can learn Chinese if works hard if such a nation like Korean could do...

I know a German university professor， He learned chinese over 10 years. but yet he has problem with pronunciation， and can not read chinese at all.
the westerners should begin to learn chinese at their young age.

 

[Korean]

the westerners should begin to learn chinese at their young age.

And what's the incentive?

Learning English is useful because you can use it everywhere in academics and in business, even in China.
Learning Mandarin is of limited use because you can use it only in China.

So if you are a business manager, sure do try to learn Mandarin, because you maybe assigned to China one day. But for everyone else, don't bother.

 

[Fanling Monk]

And most will not get proficient as it is next to impossible for non-tonal language speakers to learn tonal system correctly past the age 10. This tone problem not only affects pronounce, but listening too.

In addition, learning Simplified Chinese characters is hard for westerners.

The only way the Westerners could learn Mandarin is by living in China at a young age, or hire a Mandarin nanny like some rich American families are doing. Learning it at school? forget it.

English is considered one of a hardest language to learn because of its many grammatical forms. That said. Mandarin, in the opinions of many English speakers, is relative easy to learn because there's no set grammar rules and can be adjusted accordingly. It only carries 4 tones so it's easy to memorize and Cantonese is harder for it's 6 tones. Of course every body knows the difficult part of learning Chinese is the writing which unarguably is the hardest to command.

 

[Korean]

English is considered one of a hardest language to learn because of its many grammatical forms.

English is a relatively easy language. At least you don't have the tone problem that plague Sinitic languages.

That said. Mandarin, in the opinions of many English speakers, is relative easy to learn because there's no set grammar rules and can be adjusted accordingly.

What good is that when you cannot listen and speak in correct tone? And the labor of learning thousands of characters?

It only carries 4 tones so it's easy to memorize

It maybe easy for you, but hard for us. Indo-European and Altaic language speaking ethnic groups do not carry the "tone" gene, so we hear the sound at "a lower resolution" and cannot easily distinguish tones. You will hear this same complaints from foreigners trying to learn Mandarin over and over.

 

[darkhero]

For some reason, I think it is not good thing for China

 

[Solomon2]

Of course every body knows the difficult part of learning Chinese is the writing which unarguably is the hardest to command.

My German-language teacher was Chinese. She could read, speak, and write in German but could not write in Chinese!

The only way the Westerners could learn Mandarin is by living in China at a young age, or hire a Mandarin nanny like some rich American families are doing. Learning it at school? forget it.

It can be tough for an American to learn Chinese from Chinese because the teacher may want to practice his English on students instead.

The one American I met who really knew Chinese went to school in China from age 5-10. (He was also a murderous opponent in ping-pong, something else he learned while in China.)

 

[3Idiots]

Mandarine is easy ... just scribble something, here and there: