Why Learn Mandarin Chinese

My original reason for learning Mandarin Chinese was to find a job!

Over the years I have been constantly asked why I studied Mandarin Chinese. When I was in university in the mid-1990s there was something called the "Asian Economic Miracle", which of course came to an abrupt end during the 1997 financial crisis. Anyways, I wanted to learn a language that was very useful yet a challenge to learn. So, I picked Mandarin. My reasons for learning Chinese were mostly economic: I wanted to learn a language which would help me find a job after finishing my university studies. While this is one of the biggest reasons for learning to speak Mandarin Chinese, there are several other reason why people might want to study the language.

Learning Mandarin Chinese is a wonderful way to make new friends

Firstly, learning languages is a wonderful way to make new friends, Mandarin included. Over the years I have made friends with many nice people with whom I would not have been able to communicate without a translator had I not taken the time to study Mandarin. Through these friendships I have found truly enriching life experiences that I may not have experienced had I not learned Mandarin.

Learning Mandarin Chinese will help you during your travels

Secondly, if you travel to China, Taiwan or Singapore learning Mandarin can truly enrich your traveling experience. You will be able to talk with local people and learn more about their lives, their culture, and the general history and background of their local areas. Practically speaking, the ability to read and or at least recognize the Chinese characters for place and street names can make map reading and touring around cities, town and the country side much more convenient. Also, knowing Mandarin is a wonderful way to get to know Chinese people living not just in Asia but in the Chinese diaspora all over the world.

Learning Mandarin Chinese is a great way to meet new friends

Thirdly, learning to read and type mandarin is is a great way to make new friends and business contacts on Chinese and Taiwanese social networking sites. Currently, China has well over 200,000 Internet users and this number is growing rapidly.

Learning Mandarin Chinese is also a wonderful way to learn and understand ancient Chinese culture

Fourthly, learning to speak, understand and read Mandarin is a wonderful way to increase your ability to learn about ancient Eastern / Asian culture, history and philosophies, such as Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. While it is very hard to read the ancient texts as they're written in a different kind of Mandarin called "gu-wen" or ancient text, knowing the meanings behind the characters will provide you great insight into your learning.

Further your learning:

• study-languages.info: Learn Mandarin Chinese audio CD courses, electronic translators, phrase books and Chinese-to-English and English to-Chinese dictionaries
• freechineseblog.com: Free video tutorials for learning Mandarin Chines