Over the past few decades, China has grown to become an economic superpower, and it’s now unrivaled in terms of manufacturing capability, innovation and efficiency. Just think about it. If you’re reading this article on a laptop, tablet or smartphone, the chances are it’s been made in China, or at least has some parts or components that have been manufactured there.
So why is that interesting? Well, it highlights the importance of having a deeper understanding of the world’s next number one economy. The Chinese culture and languages, especially if you’re planning to do business there, will be especially useful to learn so that you can develop true relationships and better manage your providers, clients and employees.
It’s not all about hard work and business though.Learning Mandarin opens up a lot of opportunities for you, which can greatly enrich your world perspective. If you’re simply looking to travel, or perhaps have friends whose families are from Mandarin speaking parts of China, then it can be particularly appealing to have a decent understanding of Mandarin.If you can speak the local language, you can enjoy the culture more deeply and everything else that China and the Chinese people have to offer.
A note on Mandarin, before we proceed: it is now the official language in mainland China and Taiwan R.O.C. Hong Kong schools have already started switching curricula from Cantonese (which is the most common dialect in the city) to Mandarin, since sovereignty returned to China in 1997.
#1 – You Can Enjoy the Food Better
Have you ever experienced ordering at an authentic Chinese restaurant, but could only point to the pictures when you order? Chances are, you’re not getting the best dining experience. Sure, pictures can speak a thousand words, but you can probably do better than the usual dumpling or noodle fare, particularly if there are dozens or more items listed on the menu without pictures.
If only you had a better grasp of the language, you could enjoy a wider variety of the cuisine. Besides, most of what the western world knows about “Chinese” food isn’t even authentic and is most likely to have been adjusted to a more western palate.
Knowing the language and culture helps you spot more authentic offerings based on word-of-mouth referrals or real user reviews. Of course, in this regard, knowing the language helps a lot.And even if you’re fonder of cooking than dining out, knowing the language can help you get started on preparing authentic Chinese food yourself.
Sure, there are always English translations on Chinese recipe sites, but you can get better information when you’re reading the real thing.
#2 Watch All the Kung Fu Movies You Love
Most of today’s generation probably considers Ip Man to be the definitive Chinese martial art series on film. True enough, martial arts films like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Hero have done well to expose Chinese films to the western market.
However, the best films in Chinese cinema don’t necessarily have to be about martial arts. In fact, cinema in the mainland can be a goldmine of cultural commentary across the different genres, of course martial arts included. Learning Mandarin will enable you to better appreciate watching a whole new world of cinema.
Then again, if you’re truly a fan of action-packed Kung Fu movies, it would be great to be actually watching the action scenes instead of having to read the subtitles all the time. And even with Mandarin to English translations or subtitles, watching films in their original language is a much more enriching experience.Wouldn’t that be a better way to watch Donnie Yen or Bruce Lee fight scenes?
#3 – Expand Your Social Network
Facebook is the most popular social network today, recording at least 1.6 billion active users, which is almost a quarter of the world’s population. However, that’s not the entire story. After Facebook (and its subsidiary apps, such as WhatsApp and Messenger), it’s the Chinese social networks that dominate the numbers game.
Tencent QQ counts 850 million active users, and it’s only one of the many huge social networks in China. QZone (also owned by the same company) boasts 640 million active users, while Baidu Tieba and Sina Weibo count 300 million and 222 million, respectively.
The growth of local social networks is fueled by the fact that major social networks like Facebook are banned from within the so-called “great firewall of China.” This has led to the rise of these alternatives, which are viable platforms in themselves. In fact, Chinese social networks have experimented with e-commerce, digital payments and even taxi-hailing long before Facebook launched its latest Messenger bots initiative.
So if you want to expand your social base beyond Facebook, Twitter and the other usual suspects, you can learn Mandarin and get to know more people from Chinese-speaking countries.
#4 – Get Better Deals on e-Commerce Sites
Just like social networking, e-commerce in China is a whole new playing field. While Amazon is the world’s biggest e-commerce platform, mainland Internet users don’t exactly turn to Amazon for digital purchases. Instead, companies like Alibaba and Taobao are the go-to services when it comes to buying products online in this area.
What’s great with Chinese e-commerce services, apart from the gigantic offer of good available, is that suppliers usually sell manufactured goods for significantly lower prices than elsewhere. Just be vigilant for potentially counterfeit materials, which are, unfortunately, also common on these e-commerce sites.
Learning Mandarin can help you watch out for and even negotiate thebest deals, especially the ones that feature user reviews.
#5 – Explore Your Artistic Side
Learning Mandarin also means you should think about learning the written language, which is shared with Cantonese and other dialects. Writing Chinese calligraphy is a big art form, and it is often described as being energy in motion with a life unto itself.
What is especially interesting about the written Chinese language is the phonetic or semantic meaning of each character, rather than words. This means that there is an interesting background and meaning behind each stroke and each symbol. These often refer to nature, or how people commune with nature, as in the example of characters for “tree” or “mountain,” for instance.
Learning Chinese calligraphy takes years of practice, and you can greatly develop your skills in control and balance, since practitioners of this art highly value how you accomplish each stroke. Of course, it will take a lot of effort to master this art, but it can be an exciting endeavor. It can also be a big accomplishment, given that not everyone can take up such an art.
Conclusion
Learning a new language enables you to gain new perspectives, as it opens up your world to new cultures, new people, and new opportunities. With the rise of China as an economic superpower, it helps to know Mandarin, as it is fast becoming a de facto standard for business communication when you’re dealing with suppliers and vendors in this country.
More than offering a sense of accomplishment, learning Mandarin can be practical and fun. It’s not just the rapidly rising business environment in China that you can take advantage of. Beyond business, of course, a new language can help you get deeper into what a different country or culture can offer, which can be a pleasurable experience if you love the arts and if you love connecting with people.