MODULE 1
OVERVIEW OF MANDARIN LANGUAGE
LESSON 1: WHY STUDY MANDARIN LANGUAGE
Learning Objectives:
After studying the lesson, you should be able to:
a. Analyze the reason why to study mandarin language
b. Identify the reasons to study mandarin language
EXPLORE: READ AND UNDERSTAND
WHY YOU SHOULD STUDY MANDARIN?
Learning Chinese offers many benefits to personal and professional growth not least gaining a better
understanding of one of the richest cultures in the world. Millions of people travel to China to see the shrines,
walk The Great Wall of China and indulge in the wonderful food markets in cities such as Beijng.
THE FOLLOWING ARE THE TEN REASONS TO LEARN MANDARIN.
1. China is the most widely spoken language in the world.
Chinese is the most widely spoken language in the world with approximately 1,197,000,000
people speaking Chinese which is equivalent to 14% of the global population according to
infoplease.com.
2. Several countries speak mandarin.
Mandarin is spoken in countries such as Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand,
Brunei, Phillipines and Mongolia, so if you do business in these countries then it would be beneficial to
converse in their language.
3. Rich history and culture.
Chinese history and culture is one the richest and certainly the oldest in the world. China is
renowned for producing beautiful novels, short stories, poetry and more recently excellence in film.
Reading great Chinese biographies and watching short films about the history of China provides a
greater understanding of the language.
4. Make friends with different cultures.
China has the biggest population in the world with approximately 1.28 billion people so learning
the language gives you access to communicate with many people and connect on a deeper level.
5. Good for business.
Mark Zuckerberg is wowing audiences across the world with his new Chinese Skills, especially
those important business executives in China. In fact, there are many top CEO’s that speak Chinese as a
second language.
6. Learning Mandarin is easier than you think.
You do not have to worry about verbs! There are no verbs, no plurals, no tenses, no subject-verb
agreement, and no conjugations. There are over 80,000 Chinese characters but generally only 3,500 are
used in conversation. In fact, it could be regarded as a more logical language.
7. Improve your artistic skills
Chinese symbols and characters require a steady hand. The written words are actually
iconographic characters rather than letters. These symbols and characters are created using ‘strokes’ like
painting.
8. Improve your brain power
We know we need to keep are brains well-oiled and studies have shown that Mandarin speakers
use both sides of their brains. This will certainly keep brains motoring.
9. Travel to beautiful countries knowing you can communicate
If you can speak Mandarin “the world is your oyster” as you travel across Southeast Asia you
will have the confidence to speak with the locals in Chinese, you might even be invited into their homes
for home cooked food experiencing real Chinese life. Travelling around the world is always more
enriching when you make friends with local people.
10. Eat great food
Sizzling food markets across China offer some unique dishes not found anywhere else. Chinese
cuisine is a joy to behold so the language will acquaint you with the types of food not found in our local
Chinese take away.
