Susan Lee asked:


Many people faced with the task of how to learn mandarin fly into a absolute panic. The symbols look so strange to none Chinese speakers, and the words sound nothing like the languages we may be accustomed to. But there are shortcuts to learning Chinese that will have even the most rookie student speaking this unique language in no time.

You can overcome the first issue – those strange-looking but beautiful symbols by separating speaking Chinese from the act of reading it. Admittedly Mandarin doesn’t use the Roman alphabet, or technically, any alphabet at all. Those symbols are called characters, and there are a lot of them. But fortunately, many English speakers learn to speak beginner Chinese without learning Chinese symbols, because Mandarin can be written in a Western alphabet called Pinyin. This greatly helps people like you not speaking Chinese with how to learn the Chinese language faster!

The second stumbling block – the sound of Mandarin words themselves can be explained by realizing that Mandarin is very dependent on pitch and tone. For example, the sound “ma” said in a high-pitched tone could mean “mother” in a different tone, it could mean “horse.” Thus, it’s very important that learners concerned with how to learn Chinese approach this mysterious language in a way that allows them to hear the words and phrases pronounced. Rocket Mandarin is a excellent language learning program for this reason; it will help you learn the Mandarin language in the quickest and most effective way and you could learn to speak basic Mandarin within 8-weeks.

When deciding how to learn Chinese, you must know which type of Chinese you need to study. There are quite a few variations of Chinese; whether these are dialects of a single language, or related but separate languages like Thai and Korean, for instance, is difficult to say. Two of the most commonly used variants of Chinese are Mandarin (the standard language of both the People’s Republic of China and Taiwan), and Cantonese (more commonly spoken in Hong Kong). But each language variant is totally unique from the others, and a Cantonese speaker cannot be understood by a someone who speaks only Mandarin.  

In addition to practicing with a good audio-based program such as Rocket Chinese, it helps a lot to befriend a native speaker to chat with. This is true when learning any new language, but it’s a very important factor in how to learn Chinese. Have you ever heard someone say an unfamiliar name on the phone, and failed to understand what they were trying to say to you? This is because you can’t see the movements of their mouth as they say the words. With so many Chinese words dependent upon tone and the slightest variation of pronunciation, it helps so much to have a native Chinese speaker to watch as well as hear.

You say you don’t know any native Chinese speakers? I’ll bet you do! Is there a Chinese restaurant nearby? If its proprietors speak the variant of Chinese you want to study, make them your new best friends, because they’ll definitely will help you on how to learn Chinese! Is there a Chinese community in your area? In all likelihood, there will be Chinese people there. Look on the Internet for forums and meet-ups featuring Chinese language and culture. And as a last plan, you can learn a great deal from viewing Chinese movies.

Practice at least 30 minutes a day! You’ll never sound like a native Chinese speaker, but before you know it, you’ll be able to speak conversational Chinese with ease. And your friends will never know that only a few weeks ago, you had no idea how to converse Chinese!  Finally pay a visit to www.ecpod.com and you can make a lot of Chinese friends to test your Mandarin.

 

John Mierzwa asked:


Las Vegas is truly a melting pot city, with people living, working and visiting here from all corners of the globe. While walking on the strip or watching the Bellagio fountains, it is common to hear Spanish, English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese, German, and any number of other languages within any given 5-minute period. This always vibrant mix of people and languages keeps Las Vegas an interesting, dynamic place.

Outside of the strip, the dramatic increase in Spanish speakers especially has led to language barriers in all facets of life and business. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal; nearly 90% of Nevadans favor making English the national language. Now, we may debate the merits of that idea, but the reality is that just by decree everyone is not going to instantly speak better English. It will take a concerted effort.

Every one of the Spanish speakers I have talked to very much wants to speak better English and is willing to work at it. Whatever their reasons for wanting to learn English – work, family, friends, travel, legal status – but the fact is, many of the options for learning do not quite meet their wants and/or needs. The classes are too long, too expensive, too far, too difficult, they don’t feel they have enough time, etc… Of course many English speakers here want to learn Spanish as well, for many of the same reasons – and maybe they haven’t yet for the same reasons/excuses.

The benefits of learning more than one language – especially in business – are numerous. Whether between clients, staff, supervisors, or vendors; miscommunication can lead to poor customer service, unhappy employees, and lost profits. This fact helps point out that in today’s business world; language training is a necessity, not a luxury.

One of the realities of why so many Spanish speakers have remained in limbo, not yet fully committed to improving their English skills, may be the fact that we still do not have a national policy regarding the legal status of the minimum 12 million illegal immigrants here in the U.S. Once Congress and the President agree on a rational policy to document these people and bring them into the legal world, changes may begin to occur more rapidly. One requirement for legality certain to be included is to demonstrate proficiency in the English language. Suddenly, there will be a right-now incentive to learn English.

Obviously nothing will be resolved in this area until after we elect a new President later this year. Both candidates have expressed interest in helping resolve our untenable illegal immigrant issues. A marked increase in the need for English training should be a by-product of any proposed solutions.

laqu6444a asked:


If you are planning to visit any foreign country, one important thing you should have, along with a passport, air tickets, and an international credit/debit card, is a functional knowledge of English. No other language is as widespread as English. In terms of the number of speakers, the Chinese Mandarin is the most popular language in the world. However, it is rarely spoken or written outside the People’s Republic of China. On the other hand, the number of English speakers has steadily been increasing all over the world. In the UK, the USA, Canada, Australia, and a host of Commonwealth countries, English is the first-choice language.

 

English is also widely used and well understood in many other countries including India, South Africa, Singapore, Hong Kong, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and many former British colonies. Even in the countries where it does not have great *********** such as the Middle East, Latin America, and Eastern Europe, you can get things done if you have a working knowledge of English. It was reported recently that even the Chinese government had incorporated English education in the curriculum to pluck the benefits of outsourcing. All these indicate the necessity to learn the language.

 

Reasons For The Global Dominance Of English

 

English is the official language of correspondence in most countries by default when it comes to communication among other countries. French, Arabic, and Spanish are also used for this purpose, but none comes close to English. In addition, English is usually the official language for international business conferences, meetings and symposiums of the scientific and academic communities, film and art festivals, trade shows, and international summits. Moreover, English is by far the most popular language over the internet and other forms of electronic communication.

 

There are two reasons for its omnipresence on our planet and three, if you could add the widespread popularity of the internet as well. The first is the colonization agenda of the British empire in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. During the course of the three centuries, the British Empire had expanded to large swathes of land all over the world. It was often remarked that the sun never set in the British Empire. In the process, the British rulers and missionaries established educational institutions in their colonies and laid a foundation for English teaching.

 

When the power and reach of the British Empire diminished, in came the USA as a global superpower. The dominance of the USA, not just the political dominance, but the cultural dominance as well, catalyzed the spread of the English language. Pop music, Hollywood movies, and pulp fiction became available in almost every country. In all these cultural aspects, English was, and still is, the default medium of communication.

 

The recent phenomena such as the spread of the internet and the growth of the outsourcing industry also provided momentum to the rise in popularity of English.

 

Therefore, if you plan to visit another country, you must have a basic knowledge of English. Even if you do not, it is always beneficial to learn to speak, read, and write English.