Tag Search for `Chinese`

What will be the New World Language?

Some commentators argue that a shift is currently occurring in the way we talk. English, the dominant language for centuries - by virtue of Britain's colonial reach - is slipping from its top-of-the-chart position. True, it is still the most widely-spoken tongue (as in, number of countries that hold it as a national language), but Chinese has been the most spoken for a while now (when you take into account the number of people actually speaking it), and Spanish is second. English is third by ... Read More »

Communication Breakdown: or, Why You Should Learn A Few Words Before Going Abroad

After a cramped but enjoyable overnight train journey from Hong Kong, my friend and I exited the train and found ourselves in the centre of the Centre Kingdom: Beijing. We were on the first leg of our Chinese adventure, and our spirits couldn't have been higher.

First things first, we needed to book a ticket for the next leg of our journey, from Beijing to Guilin. The ticket booking system in China is wonderfully arcane, and requires a significant amount of pre-planning to navigate su... Read More »

Why learn Chinese?

Mandarin is the national language of China and Chinese is the most widely spoken language in the world. By learning Mandarin you will be able to speak with more people than any other language- including English.

Mandarin is comparatively spoken by fewer non-Chinese than most European languages spoken by non-natives of their respective countries. That means there is a greater demand ... Read More »

Should we be ditching French for Mandarin?

For years French has been the most popular foreign language taught in schools. French tutors have also proved exceptionally popular, and not just amongst the school-age population. Older people looking to work or retire abroad are also keen to employ a tutor.

France is our nearest truly foreign neighbour and in times past the two countries' languages were hea... Read More »