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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3 Reasons to Learn Italian

The Italian language is widely believed to be the most beautiful language in the world. It is known to be a language of fluidity, respect and simplicity. Though there are not many instances that require you to speak Italian, unless you live in Italy or you plan to live there or marry into an Italian family, learning the language is still worth the time.

However, the decision to learn the language is more because of passion and the admiration felt towards the Italian language. But even so, there are really compelling reasons to take up the language and learn its intricacies.

· Career and Business

Italy is one of the largest economies in the world. Many companies are looking for people who can speak both English and Italian languages. More than 1000 American firms have branches or offices in Italy such as Citibank, IBM, Motorola, Hewlett Packard and General Electric. Furthermore, more than 7000 U.S. businesses have dealings with Italy. There are also countless Italian companies that hold business in the U.S. So if you are an entrepreneur, you can further your business in Italy if you know how to speak their tongue. Besides, many Italian businessmen have little or no skill in speaking English. Even though they may have someone working for them who speaks English, it would be to your advantage if you know Italian since you can deal with the owner directly.
Career wise, Italy has lots of opportunities to offer. Italy is very well known for their fashion, culinary arts, furniture design, interior design, graphic design, machine tool production, electromechanical machinery, space engineering, shipbuilding and robotics among others. If you know how to speak Italian, you have an edge over others who don't. You have better chances of building a career in one of these Italian industries.
· Italian Culture, Arts and Literature

Italian heritage is rich and significant in world history. The Roman Empire and Renaissance are two of the most important and influential times in the history of the world. Italy has produced many of the most popular art treasures and revered artists- Michelangelo, Botticelli, Da Vinci, Giotto and the list goes on. About 60% of the world's art treasures are in Italy. To fully fathom the context of Italy's art, you need to know Italian.
Italian literature is also vast and impressive. Petrarch, Dante, Machiavelli and Boccaccio are just a few of the famed Italian thinkers and writers. Italian literature encompasses opera, film, humanism, science, political ideas, design, fashion and cuisine. To fully understand and appreciate these treasures, knowing the language in which they were created is necessary.
· Travel

Traveling to Italy is an experience like no other. The rich history, culture and landscapes are awe-inspiring. Knowing the tongue the locals speak lets you experience Italy in a more fulfilling way. Besides, many Italians do not speak English fluently, so your stay will be easier and more enjoyable if you can converse with them in Italian.
There are many more reasons why you should learn Italian. So why not start on your lessons today so you can experience how beautiful this language really is.

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 Italian, 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://learnincredibleitalian.com/.

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3 Reasons to Learn French

French is one of the Romance languages from the Indo-European language family. It is closely associated with Spanish and Italian. About 110 million native speakers are found in France as well as parts of Switzerland, Belgium, Canada and Monaco. In other parts of the world, around 190 million people use French as a second language. Additionally, an estimated 200 million people study French as a foreign language. In fact, it ranks as the second most studied foreign language, second only to English.

There are many reasons why French is learnt. Some say that it is the most beautiful language they know. This may be more because of the rich culture of France than the language itself. The following are three reasons why you should learn French.

1. French is a widely used language all over the world.

Aside from France, French is an official language in Canada, Madagascar, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, Rwanda, Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Mauritius, and Seychelles among many others. Moreover, it is one of the official working languages in the United Nations, NATO, UNESCO, European Community, International Red Cross and other international organizations and entities.

All these mean that career and business opportunities are better when you know how to speak French. You will be more globally competitive if you know at least two languages. In international job listings, for instance, many positions require the ability to speak French. In addition, numerous French companies have offices in the U.S. Canada, also a French speaking country, has good trading relations with the U.S. Knowing how to speak the language puts you in an advantageous position.

2. Travel to France will be more fun when you know French.

France is one of the favorite tourist destinations in the entire world. Its castles, beaches, museums (think Louvre!), architecture, awesome landscapes, popular cuisine, wine, shopping and a whole lot more, are more than enough to keep tourists and vacationers of all ages entertained and occupied.

However, knowing how to speak French makes a lot of difference in the way you experience the country. The French people are not really the friendliest or the most helpful or the most tolerant bunch on earth. There are few French who can speak English fluently, so speaking English will not be of great help when you are in France. The French are also very critical of non-French speaking visitors. They do not take kindly to language mistakes by foreigners. So if you speak French and have a little understanding of their culture, French people will treat you more kindly and with more respect. You can avoid being treated rudely during your travel.

3. Knowing French allows you to appreciate French art, literature, cinema, music and dance.

French is the language of culture. Knowing how to speak French will help you understand the numerous great art, literature and music pieces.

French is not the easiest language to learn, which may be what makes it so appealing. When you have learnt French, you will have a sense of great accomplishment; you will have more confidence in the pursuit of your career; and can maintain poise when conversing with French-speaking persons.

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 French, 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.learnfantasticfrench.com/.

View the original article here