Mandarin is “too hard”
to learn, right? Despite this widely-held belief, millions of people are
studying Mandarin Chinese as a second language.
But if it’s so hard,
why bother to learn Mandarin?
Is
Mandarin Difficult?
There is no doubt that
written Chinese is difficult to learn – even for the Chinese! But the spoken
language is a different kettle of fish.
In many ways, Mandarin
Chinese is much easier to learn than European languages. Here are some features
which make Mandarin easy:
•
no subject/verb agreement
•
no plurals
•
no conjugations
•
no tenses
•
simple numbering system which is applied to dates and time
expressions
•
simple conditional sentences
•
simple prepositions
•
Why
Learn Mandarin?
So Mandarin is easy,
but why learn it? The number one reason is that Mandarin Chinese is the most
widely-spoken language in the world. Learn to speak Mandarin and you can speak
with millions of people around the world. More reasons:
•
Business - Business people who speak Mandarin have a
huge advantage in tapping into the Chinese market. It is much easier to develop
all-important relationships if you can speak Mandarin.
•
Travel - China and Taiwan offer exciting travel
opportunities. Getting around is much easier if you can speak Mandarin.
•
Culture - With thousands of years of
history, Chinese culture is endlessly fascinating. Whether your
interests are in history, architecture, music, or cuisine, a knowledge of
Mandarin will enrich your understanding of Chinese culture.
Chinese
Characters
The Chinese
writing system is quite a challenge, but this is another reason to learn
it! Despite its difficulty, learning to read and write Chinese will
give you a lifetime of intellectual stimulation. The real beauty of the
language is revealed in the writing. There are thousands of Chinese characters,
but they are not randomly constructed. There is a system to their design, and
understanding that system makes it much easier to learn new characters.
So take the challenge
and learn Mandarin Chinese! It is your ticket to a lifetime of reward.
Learn Mandarin Chinese
•
The Four Tones
•
The Sounds of Mandarin
•
Mandarin Greetings
Reading And Writing
Chinese
•
PinYin Romanization
•
Computer Input for Writing Chinese
•
Introduction to Chinese Characters
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