It’s always a huge plus if you know how to speak more than one language. You’re not only able to communicate with people from different places and cultures, but you also get to have the upper hand in work or school. Fluency in another language, particularly Mandarin, is a valuable skill that could get you to better places.
China is a big country with a deep and detailed history. Believe it or not, their lingua franca, Mandarin, is the second most spoken language in the world, next to English. It’s not difficult to encounter a Mandarin speaker, no matter which continent you visit. Thus, it might be to your advantage to study the language. Doing so can open up a lot of doors for you. Keep reading to learn more:
Builds Bridges In Business
It’s no secret that China is one of the world’s top economic players. The country is also a major manufacturing and export network. Nearly every industry has a Chinese team or a connection to Chinese business partners. Consequently, if you’re fluent in Mandarin, you could help your company form a partnership with other organizations and grow your business.
However, learning another language is challenging for most people, especially if you only know how to speak one. Thankfully, you can easily access lessons online or in a language school. Most of them can even accommodate the schedules of full-time workers and students. For example, Yi Mandarin is an excellent option for those who prefer intimate classroom environments to enhance their focus on language learning.
Learning Mandarin in a school will also allow you to meet like-minded people who may have the same career path as you. Keep in mind that having more credible connections and partners in the industry is one way to keep your business afloat or start a new one with less effort.
Provide A Chance To Study Or Work Abroad
Many students dream of studying abroad for either their undergraduate or post-graduate degrees. Though, as anyone who’s applied to universities knows, the competition is fierce. School admins take grades into account, but they also consider a student’s extracurriculars and other abilities, including foreign language fluency.
Many countries like Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia have good schools that cater to Mandarin Chinese speakers. Some may also provide advanced classes for their students to grasp the language they’re learning thoroughly. If you know some basic Mandarin, you may have a better chance of enrolling in one of these schools.
Additionally, being fluent in Mandarin will open your doors to working in China or other countries requiring Mandarin speakers. It’s worth noting that when you get accepted for a job overseas, you’ll have less difficulty learning the language when everyone speaks the same.
Widens Your Career Options
Most incoming college students may already have a career in mind. Meanwhile, others choose to test the waters in different fields that interest them. If you’re a student unsure of what to do after graduation, learning another language enhances career prospects, especially if it’s one spoken worldwide. Take the chance to learn Mandarin if your university offers in-depth lessons or find a nearby school you can attend after your morning classes.
Once you graduate, you can include your level of Mandarin fluency on your resume. HR staff will see it and are more likely to consider you for a position. Even if you graduated with a degree unrelated to the Mandarin language, you’d at least have other choices in case your application gets rejected. Some examples of occupations that benefit from Mandarin include:
- Mandarin Chinese teacher
- Translator
- Marketing Specialist
There are more job options out there that suit someone fluent in Mandarin. You only need to widen your perspective and go beyond your degree.
Expands Your Business
As mentioned in the first point, China has a fast-growing economy. Because of this, many companies find ways to penetrate the Chinese market to make an authentic profit. If you know how to speak Mandarin, you’ll have a slightly easier time doing this than other businesses without fluent Mandarin speakers.
When you learn to speak a language, you’ll also know the culture of the people who speak it. So, aside from widening your Mandarin vocabulary and improving your communication skills, you better understand Chinese etiquette. Understanding Chinese social and business norms is advantageous for companies trying to establish permanent operations in China and other Mandarin-speaking countries. Thus, learning Mandarin is a beneficial business investment.
Improves Your Reading Skills
Not all people who learn Mandarin also learn Chinese calligraphy. But if you ever get the chance to, why not try it? Practicing how to write Chinese characters correctly helps you understand the origins of the words while training your brain to recognize them. You’ll have an easier time communicating with other Mandarin speakers if you can talk, read, and write the language.
Learning a language like Mandarin doesn’t only involve verbal communication but visual communication, too. Most careers and college majors require lots of reading, even if you don’t realize it. Good reading speed and comprehension are necessary to understand instructions. Like your other skills, they help you perform your tasks well for work or school.
Final Thoughts
Mandarin is a viable language to learn if you want to boost your success in your career or studies. It’s tricky to get the hang of the tones and the writing system, but with discipline and plenty of practice, you’ll soon become a conversational speaker and eventually fully fluent.
