What is Chinese all about, and why should I learn it?
Quick Facts About Chinese:
- Chinese is spoken by approximately 1 out of every 4 people on earth (over 1.3 billion people)
- Chinese is one of the 6 working languages of the United Nations
- Chinese uses tones, so how you say a word can change its meaning
- The United States government lists Chinese as a "Critical Language" that we should learn
- Chinese is one of the most difficult languages to speak in the world
- There are thousands upon thousands of Chinese characters to learn
- Some dialects of Chinese are so different that speakers of each one can't understand each other
- Chinese characters have been found written on "Oracle Bones" that are 3,300 years old
- In the 1950's, Mainland China introduced less complicated Simplified Characters
- Chinese culture is the oldest continuous, homogenous major culture in the world
Top 10 Reasons to Learn Chinese:
1. Learning Chinese creates the opportunity for a well-paying, rewarding career, and a brighter future.
2. There are more honors students in China than kids in America.
3. If you are "1 in a million" in China, there are 1,300 people just like you.
4. China will soon become the largest English speaking (as a 2nd language) country in the world.
5. Nearly 25% of the world's population speaks Chinese.
6. Chinese is the 3rd most spoken language in the United States (after English and Spanish).
7. Chinese culture and language is is one of the richest and oldest in the world.
8. Children learning Chinese before they turn 12 years old can speak it without an accent.
9. Chinese has tones, so you are using both sides of your brain. Speaking English or Spanish only uses 1/2 your brain!
10. Chinese is mentally stimulating and fun. It makes you smarter!
- Chinese is spoken by approximately 1 out of every 4 people on earth (over 1.3 billion people)
- Chinese is one of the 6 working languages of the United Nations
- Chinese uses tones, so how you say a word can change its meaning
- The United States government lists Chinese as a "Critical Language" that we should learn
- Chinese is one of the most difficult languages to speak in the world
- There are thousands upon thousands of Chinese characters to learn
- Some dialects of Chinese are so different that speakers of each one can't understand each other
- Chinese characters have been found written on "Oracle Bones" that are 3,300 years old
- In the 1950's, Mainland China introduced less complicated Simplified Characters
- Chinese culture is the oldest continuous, homogenous major culture in the world
Top 10 Reasons to Learn Chinese:
1. Learning Chinese creates the opportunity for a well-paying, rewarding career, and a brighter future.
2. There are more honors students in China than kids in America.
3. If you are "1 in a million" in China, there are 1,300 people just like you.
4. China will soon become the largest English speaking (as a 2nd language) country in the world.
5. Nearly 25% of the world's population speaks Chinese.
6. Chinese is the 3rd most spoken language in the United States (after English and Spanish).
7. Chinese culture and language is is one of the richest and oldest in the world.
8. Children learning Chinese before they turn 12 years old can speak it without an accent.
9. Chinese has tones, so you are using both sides of your brain. Speaking English or Spanish only uses 1/2 your brain!
10. Chinese is mentally stimulating and fun. It makes you smarter!