3 Reasons to Learn Mandarin

Mandarin is one of the major dialects in China with over seventy percent of the population speaking the tongue. Across the globe, Mandarin is the most spoken language, with over one billion people communicating using this language. Apart from China, some of the countries where a considerable part of the population knows how to speak the language include Taiwan, Singapore, Mongolia, Thailand, the Philippines, Cambodia, Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia and South Africa. Indeed Mandarin is becoming one of the most influential and important international languages.

If this is not enough of a reason to convince you to learn Mandarin, then the following might change your mind.

· Commerce and business

The Chinese economy is growing steadily at a relatively rapid pace. There are plenty of businesses and job opportunities in China. Likewise, many nations throughout the world have established good trading and working relations with China. For instance the U.S. has, for some time now, been importing Chinese goods which are much more affordable. It has also been outsourcing services from China and establishing businesses in China. In other words, the Chinese economy is becoming a woken giant.

If you want to succeed in dealing with Chinese business counterparts or work for an international company with offices in Asia, knowing Mandarin is one of the best steps you can take. Mandarin is the business language, hence, knowing how to communicate in Mandarin will not only let you convey your ideas properly, but also help you get the confidence of your Mandarin-speaking colleagues. Learning how to speak Mandarin gives you the edge to take on numerous commercial and financial opportunities.

· Sharpens the mind

It has been proven in many scientific studies that knowing more than one language is beneficial to the intelligence as it stimulates the brain and improves comprehension and learning skills. It has been demonstrated time and again that people who are bilingual do better in standardized tests than individuals who only speak a single language. Furthermore, the development of dementia, like Alzheimer's disease, is slow or not present at all in persons who study different languages; more so when learning Mandarin. Some say that Mandarin is a difficult and complex language with its thousands of characters, tones that give different meanings to the same words and different rules in grammar. However, this complexity may just be the reason why the brain is honed to its optimum capability.

· Beneficial to future generations

If you do not want to do it for yourself, then do it for your children or grandchildren. With the population of Mandarin-speaking people continuously ballooning and the Chinese economy and power constantly growing in strength, knowing Mandarin is more important now more than ever. You would want to prepare your children for the future. When you know Mandarin, you can teach them the language, hence, giving them the advantage of knowing a language that might just be the next most language of the world.

There are many more benefits from learning Mandarin. These should be enough reasons to overcome any reluctance in tackling the language. You may find it hard at first, but that is only in the initial stages. Besides, Mandarin is not really difficult, it is just different.

Daniel C Howard is a language teacher living in Asia. He has over a decade of experience teaching all ages a variety of subjects. For free info and lessons on Mandarin Chinese, please visit his blog here.

You can also sign up for a newsletter full of free language tips from Daniel's many hours in a class. And as a bonus, stay updated on all the new information on http://www.learnmagnificentmandarin.com/.

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7 Tips for Improving Your Mandarin Chinese While in a Language Immersion Program

7 Steps to Mastering Mandarin Chinese in a Language Immersion Program
Studying Chinese in an immersion program can be an amazing time and can take your Chinese abilities to whole new levels of proficiency. Here are some steps that we've figured out from studying and living in Chinese speaking countries for several years. There is a lot you can do that just show up to class to help your Chinese. Being immersed in a Mandarin Chinese speaking environment presents a million different ways to make studying and learning Chinese easy, fun and productive. Equally important, the door of opportunity awaits you. Master Mandarin Chinese with these methods below and watch as new opportunities begin to pop up all around you. Without further ado, why don't you get out and try....

1. Getting a Language Partner
The most common and super effective thing to do. While in an environment with so many Chinese speakers eager to help you learn Chinese and learn your native language, finding a language partner is easy and smart! A language partner is just a friend whom you swap languages with in a meeting every week (or day/whenever you set up the time). They teach you more Chinese, while in turn you spend some time teaching them some of your native tongue. Language exchanges are a great way to help you get over your fear of speaking and also meet a new friend!

2. Read EVERYTHING
With a national language of Mandarin Chinese, no wonder all the signage is written in it! Take advantage of being in the environment that is covered in Chinese characters like a pizza is in cheese. Read the signs as you drive by on the bus. Read the menus searching for new characters and unique cuisine names even after you've already ordered. Pay attention to all of the safety labels and signs posted to get a feel of how to warn others of dangers in Chinese. Signage is a great way to improve you Chinese and its EVERYWHERE! Read it out loud or just to yourself, but make use of it while you can!

3. Dare to Speak
A big fear for most people when learning a new language is actually speaking it. When this fear starts to build in you, the best thing to do to conquer it is the same as any other fear: TAKE ACTION. Start speaking more to your teachers and answer more questions. Don't be shy on the street and try to work through your newly learned vocabulary and grammar to explain what it is you need. You will be amazed when your Chinese starts flowing out more and more naturally when you are sincerely trying to communicate something rather than just thinking of the words themselves. The best part is, you almost never will be met with someone laughing at you because you've already shown bravery and confidence in talking with them. People in general are very friendly and open; don't be scared and head out for a conversation with a stranger today!

4. Find Local Friends
This one may end up being a product of your previously found language partner. If not, even better! When you're in the immersion country one of the best things you can do to take your Chinese to the next level is find some local friends. Search through your college bulletin boards; join interest groups and clubs, participate in local events, and most importantly put on a smile and introduce yourself to people. Meeting and keeping some close local friends will be beneficial in more ways than you can imagine. Not only will they teach you colloquial phrases and help you learn more of the Chinese language, but they will also help you with any other problems you may have while learning in their country!

5. Don't Ask for the English Version
One thing you need to avoid is cheating yourself. Commonly waiters at restaurants will try to hand you the English version of the menu once they have an idea you may not understand the normal Chinese version. If this happens, refuse it and ask for the regular Mandarin Chinese menu. Many times not only is this a missed opportunity for some reading practice, but a lot of information gets lost in translation many times. This 'English' service may be helpful those only here on vacation, however to master the language you should be pushing your self into it as much as possible. This may come with the consequence of some weird dishes showing up on the table here and again, but hey, all in the name of progress!

6. Do What Your Mom Said Not To, Watch TV!
Obviously this one is to be exercised with caution. A better point is to get out and interact with real people in real time with real conversation. Obviously. However, watching television in Mandarin is really a great way to practice your listening AND reading skills. Most shows have Chinese character subtitles along the bottom, so you can listen to what's being said as well as see it. This is great for association of sound and sight, and will have you recognizing more and more characters with each episode. Find something that interests you and tune in every once and a while. Be careful not to over due it though, watching TV is a great relaxing down time study habit. However it is no match for being engaged and involved in the real Chinese-speaking world outside.

7. Make Every Experience a Learning Experience
The world is your Chinese classroom while you're in the immersion country!. Try and make each day and activity and adventure and learning experience. For instance, when you need some things from the grocery store, grab some new vocabulary from your dictionary you can use at the super market. Or perhaps you've got a cold and need some medicine. Grab some new words and run down to the pharmacy or local clinic to explain what your symptoms are to the doctor. Every time you go out into the world there is an opportunity for you to use new words and ways to communicate your wants and needs. Take full advantage and make studying Chinese in a Chinese speaking nation. Its usually much more fun than just sitting in the classroom!

Remembering all of these tips, the most important thing to remember while in studying in the Chinese immersion program is to have fun. Studying Chinese doesn't have to be cramming new characters into your brain. Living in Taiwan, speaking to the locals, and enjoying your time are simple and excellent ways to ensure you have positive memories and associations with Chinese Learning. Plus, once you are able to understand the language of the world that surrounds you, you will be amazed at how many doors of opportunity begin to open up all around you.

This article was written by Christopher Collins, Program Director for Mandarin Taiwan Study Abroad. For more information visit http://www.mandarintaiwan.com/.

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Bilingualism: The Advantages of Knowing Mandarin Chinese and English

Being bilingual in Mandarin Chinese and English will be able to enable one to expose to the beauty and richness of western and eastern cultures, literature, customs, festivals, history, etc.

Over 1 billion people around the world speak Mandarin Chinese, about one fifth of the global population. China is the most populous nation in the world, with 1.32 billion people.

Chinese Mandarin is becoming one of the fastest growing and popular academic fields of study in the US, UK, Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and many English Speaking countries.

China is one of the world's oldest and richest cultures and is over 5000 years old.

China is the second largest economy in the world. China has become a huge market, business leaders are looking for people who can speak Chinese and operate successfully in the Chinese cultural context.

The wealthy Chinese tend to indulge in branded and luxurious goods from the west. Learning any language is an advantage when looking for a job. Employers like bilingual employee especially in English and Mandarin Chinese.

The Chinese-US and Chinese-European trade are becoming to be a very huge market. Traders or businessmen who are proficient in both Mandarin Chinese and English will definitely enjoy a great advantage.

In this digital age, English is still the widely preferred medium of communication. It is still the dominant language of social media sites, online education networks, websites, etc. The introduction of Chinese words Pinyin enables anyone to learn and read Chinese character easier and faster.

Pinyin is the official system to transcribe the Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet to teach Mandarin Chinese. Nowadays, there are many excellent teaching materials or tools available in the Internet to help anyone to learn the Mandarin Chinese. The medium of teaching is mostly in English with the Chinese Teaching materials.

This is the best time to learn Mandarin Chinese.

With the latest technology and software through Internet, the Chinese language has been more easily accessible than ever before.

Research has shown that learning an additional language is good for the brain.

It also enhances the learning of other subjects.

One study found showed that students who are multilingual are more flexible problem-solvers.

It has been shown that older people who are bilingual are less susceptible to Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia and can keep their brains sharper much longer.

This benefit is even more profound in learning Chinese. The fact that Mandarin Chinese is so different from English in sound, tones and script means that learning it is even more mentally stimulating than other languages.

There is no doubt that speakers of more than one language have nimble brains. Bilingualism enhances attention and cognitive control in kids and adults.

Start learning an additional language today.

The benefits of bilingualism in learning Mandarin Chinese are tremendous, it not only can provide healthy stimulation to the brain but a very useful tool and valuable asset in one's academic studies, career, business opportunities. One can even enjoy the beauty and richness of two different cultures, the English and Chinese cultures.

You are most welcome to visit a very informative and educational website, 'Learn Mandarin the Fun and Easy Way' at http://www.iknowmandarin.com/.

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