Very often, people will have their own reasons for learning a new or foreign language, but some languages ​​have additional benefits or advantages in today’s world. Mandarin Chinese is one of them.

There are many reasons why Chinese is one of the second most important languages ​​that people from any country can learn, but here are just ten.

1) Almost a quarter of the world’s population speaks Chinese.

This in itself may not be an overwhelming reason to learn the language, but when you consider that there are over 1.3 billion people in China itself, not to mention the millions in other parts of Singapore, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, America. and Europe that also speak Chinese. , it is obvious that the language is spreading and growing all over the world. Being able to speak the language then will obviously open up billions of new friends, clients or potential partners than you had before.

2) China has had the fastest growing major economy in the world for the last quarter century.

From a business perspective, China is the place to do business. Its economy has been growing steadily (until very recently) at just under 10% per year. This puts China on the path of becoming one of the greatest economic powers on the world stage in just a few years and most likely the largest economy in the world. Just as people learned English to enter US commerce, Chinese will soon become one of the world’s leading commercial languages. Why wait?

3) One of the main US trading partners.

Imports and exports flow like water between China and the United States. It is primarily American imports that have driven the Chinese economy so strongly in recent decades, and yet the newfound wealth is allowing the Chinese middle classes to indulge in Western luxuries. This open trade between the two countries has made many companies very successful. Learning Chinese will give any business an edge over the competition in this market.

4) Defined advantage in job competitionLearning any language is an advantage when looking for a job. Employers like bilingual people. In addition to showing dedication, it also gives them additional language available within the workforce. Chinese is probably the biggest advantage of all. Any business that is involved in overseas trade or communication will reward Chinese-speaking applicants above all else. As noted above, Sino-US and Sino-European trade is huge and companies are crying out for people who can talk to locals. Learn Chinese now and multiply your job prospects.

5) Excellent option for applying to college.

Mandarin Chinese is rapidly overtaking German, French, and Portuguese to be one of the most widely studied languages ​​in the United States and Europe. Schools that once taught exclusively French or Spanish now offer Chinese as an alternative or replacement and children are being educated to speak Chinese. Why is this? In addition to the obvious business and employment opportunities provided to language learners, Mandarin students are also viewed favorably when they are considered for college application. Like employers, universities see the dedication it takes to learn Chinese and the opportunities it offers later on.

Learn Chinese today and get ahead of the rest of the crowd.

6) mentally challenging

It has been scientifically proven that learning a language is good for the brain. It keeps the brain young and healthy and can improve learning in other subjects, even seemingly unrelated subjects like math. Bilingual students have been shown to perform better on their SATs than non-bilingual students. This also applies to older people – language learners have been shown to be less susceptible to Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia and can keep their brains sharper for much longer. This effect is even greater for Chinese: the fact that Chinese is so different from English in sound, tone and writing means that learning it is even more mentally stimulating than other languages. Learn Chinese and keep learning for a long time.

7) Chinese culture is one of the oldest in the world.

Chinese culture is ancient. They invented gunpowder and paper, and they discovered America even before Columbus was born. Its history and culture is immense and colorful, diverse and fascinating, and learning the language will give you an insight into this history and culture that you would never otherwise have. If you’re interested in Chinese medicine, Chinese opera or theater, or even Chinese Kung-Fu movies, then learning the language can give you that extra appreciation.

8) It has never been easier

Possibly not the best reason to learn a language, but definitely the best time. Since the introduction of Simplified Chinese to unify the different dialects and form a national language, the Chinese language has been more accessible than ever. This was made even easier with the wide introduction by the government of Pinyin, a transliterated version of Mandarin script into Roman letters. This means that anyone can speak and read Pinyin in days and then progress to the more difficult script later on. Of course, there are now also a multitude of great courses available to help you learn Mandarin Chinese. These range from little free vocabulary websites to huge software booths that can teach you everything there is to know about a language … for a price. However, if you really want to learn Chinese and want to reap the rewards that Mandarin Chinese will bring you, it is definitely worth both the time and money.

9) World affairs

Sure this is related to some of the reasons above, but it’s just as important in its own right. China is playing an increasingly important role in world affairs today, not only economically, but also politically and environmentally. China is becoming a superpower, but it has a lot to work on before its environmental and human rights policies are globally acceptable. These topics will become more and more important as China grows, and if you have an interest in these topics, learning the language could certainly put you in a good position to change some of them.

10) Similar languages

Learning Chinese can give you a solid foundation for learning other languages, especially Japanese. Japanese and Chinese writing are almost identical, and although being able to read the writing does not mean that you will be able to speak Japanese, it will certainly provide you with a good foundation for learning.