Learning Mandarin

As we all know, or at least we should know, learning foreign languages today is not a hobby, it is a necessity. The foreign languages play an important role, and sometimes they can even be decisive in the decision of an employer. However, as there are hundreds of languages spoken in the world, you might have some difficulties in choosing the language that will really open your horizons.  With the rising China as one of the most important economic and political countries in the world, lots of people and especially Occidentals from Europe and America are interested about learning Mandarin.

The Mandarin language is in fact the official language of China and Taiwan. In China, more than 100 dialects and languages are used, and they are so different that a citizen of Beijing won’t understand the language of a Tibetan inhabitant. However, for political, commercial and economic relationships, the Mandarin language is used.

If you want to learn Chinese, you will be able to open new horizons, but you will also develop your intellect. Learning Chinese will allow you to understand the language that is spoken mostly in the world. Contrary to the general belief, it is not the English language that is the most spoken language in the world; it is the Chinese one, as it is used by one billion and three hundred million people currently. Although for the commercial international relationships, English is the preferred language, the large number of Chinese companies operating on the international market imposed the Mandarin language, so learning Mandarin will allow you to understand those people, making communication a lot easier.

However, the Chinese language is totally different from what we are used to. while the Greek language has 30 characters, and all the alphabets used in Europe and America, including the English one are based on this Greek Alphabet, the Chinese language have more than 500 characters, and you will have to understand all of them if you want to know how to learn Mandarin. It seems like this language is easier assimilated by the people speaking Cyrillic languages, such as Russians, and the people from some Eastern European countries using this alphabet, but for English and Germanic languages speakers, the Chinese characters are hardly assimilated.

If you want to speak Mandarin, you will need patience and determination. It takes about six months to learn the alphabet, and you will need about a year for learning Mandarin words, and the basic language used commonly. Only after this period, you will be able to learn the advanced economical and political language.

While speaking Mandarin is hard, it is challenging, and it is perhaps the language that develops the intellect the most. If you are able to speak Mandarin, you will not only have access to the most widely used language in the world, but you will also be able to understand the profound culture and traditions of this country.  It is one of the most fascinating cultures in the world, and also one of the oldest. Moreover, if you learn how to speak Mandarin, you will be highly appreciated by Chinese people, as they have the ultimate respect for a foreigner that is able to speak their language.