Have you ever thought about learning Chinese? You've probably heard that it's one of the toughest languages to learn, but its structure is actually a lot easier than you'd think. And, the benefits of knowing this language far outweigh any beginners' struggles!
First of all, Chinese is not one language. When people say ‘Chinese,’ they may be referring to one of many dialects. The two main dialects that are used are Mandarin and Cantonese, but there are a few others less commonly spoken.
It’s not as hard as you think
The grammar in Chinese is fairly straightforward (especially when compared to English). The basic sentence structure goes like this: subject, verb, object. In addition, you won’t need to figure out verb tenses since there is no verb conjugation in Chinese!
While a lot of people talk about how difficult the language is to learn, they are usually talking about the challenges of the writing system. In languages like English and Spanish, a phonetic system is used. On the other hand, Chinese languages use pictograms. While this may be hard to get used to at first, it’s really the trickiest part of the language. So once you get past this, learning the language is not as difficult as you may think.
It will open up your world!
Business and career opportunities when you speak more than one language. This is the perfect way to set your child (or yourself!) apart when employers and sifting through job applications. There is no shortage of people to speak with— Mandarin Chinese is the most natively spoken language throughout the globe!
Right now, about one fifth of the world’s entire population speaks Mandarin! People who speak Mandarin are found on every continent. Whether your goal is to connect for business, educational or social reasons, learning Mandarin is the perfect way to expand your network and social connections.
Where to start?
With so many language-learning options available with today's technology, it can be hard to figure out where to start. If you're teaching your child or at the beginning stages of learning Chinese yourself, a great place to start is with children's books. The stories are simple, captivating, and beautifully illustrated. You may forget that you're learning as you get absorbed in these stories!