While English speakers may currently be the most advantageous in the spheres of international communication, limiting oneself to monolingualism can cause an individual to be completely unaware of many passing opportunities. Bilingualism has many advantages, particularly having the ability to use widely spoken language. For this reason, Mandarin is likely to be the most important second language an English speaker can choose for its myriad of advantages in the areas of business, culture, and practical applications. The paper below will outline the ways in which the knowledge of Mandarin can advance the position of an individual’s understanding of business, culture, and language learning more so than a number of other languages.
With the numerous developments in the global economy, especially in technological industries, the landscape of business is becoming more and more international in recent years. China has emerged as a powerhouse within a number of industries but is especially prevalent in the creation of hardware, machinery, and software worldwide. As such, Mandarin has become much more frequently utilized within the sphere of business. This presents an opportunity for Mandarin speakers to have more engagement and influence in the development, production, and sales of new technology. First, the ability to understand the language allows a fuller and more adapted involvement within industries that are situated across the world. As China is currently the second biggest global economy, the knowledge of Mandarin allows for a direct line of communication with firms that have come from or operate in China (Nalesnik, 2021). Knowing Mandarin also can improve the sales and investment of your business or project, largely irrelevant to the industry or sphere of work that you are participating in. Second, direct conversation between Chinese markets and investors is key in ensuring the cohesive economic growth of your product or company. China provides an enormous middle class and a large body of investors that are more likely to experiment with their projects investments than firms and individuals from smaller nations. Third, the existence of truly cutting-edge firms that exist solely within one country or only hire employees from certain national backgrounds is unlikely in the future of technological development. As such, while English and Mandarin-speaking firms are usually the industry leaders, knowing both can significantly increase an individual’s ability to not only benefit their own economic growth but possibly that of their company or the development within the industry.
Mandarin’s usefulness is not only restricted to use in business or more modern endeavors but also as a gateway to older and more cultural aspects of the country. Chinese culture is the oldest in the world with an extensive history of over five thousand years. Though an individual may learn of the many historical events through English sources they may lose authenticity, access to original texts, and a deeper understanding of certain literature, arts, and other media. While some may not find this to be a drawback, individuals that are deeply interested in the cultural backgrounds and histories of both countries and languages will find their access to Chinese culture through English sources lacking. Additionally, the understanding of a culture that differs so much from more Indo-European cultures can assist the language learner in becoming familiar with customs, traditions, social norms, philosophies, and beliefs. Chinese has the advantage of an incredibly long and rich history, which many other languages do not possess. The ability to understand original sources is also a tremendous benefit to individuals studying history. The knowledge of Mandarin will allow an individual to avoid researching language or culture peculiarities that English speakers may be stumped by. Chinese culture cannot be exhausted within an individual’s lifetime, which can allow a language learner to continuously stay curious and investigative regarding the culture and history of the country.
From a more practical aspect, outside of English, Mandarin is likely to be one of the most resource-filled languages in the modern world. First, as the most populated country in the world, Chinese provides one of the largest bodies of native speakers of Mandarin. Unlike some languages with smaller populations, Mandarin speakers can often be found outside of China. This is largely a result of the increased emigration rates of highly populated countries such as China. This provides a language learner with easy access to general language practice but especially the option to improve their ability with oral Mandarin. The continued expansion of the digital age also provides language learners with resources through the internet and software. The body of available material is especially large for Mandarin. Numerous resources are very important for languages that can have complex and unfamiliar scripts and grammar systems for English speakers. Thereby, Mandarin contains an enormous library of digital content and resources, which are often free and easy to access. The combination of a multitude of native speakers and the variety of resources and modes of learning make Mandarin a superior option as a secondary language.
Despite the many advantages Mandarin presents, there are also drawbacks to the selection of it as a second language. The first and most obvious is the citation of it as being incredibly difficult for English native speakers. This is often attributed to the extensive vocabulary, unfamiliar writing system, specific pronunciation, and grammar. However, while these factors may pose tremendous difficulties for beginner learners, it is largely an effect of unfamiliarity with the language. Indo-European languages such as French or German may be more accessible to English speakers due to the use of the Latin alphabet. Despite this, they still have entirely different grammar structures and vocabularies that English speakers will have to familiarize themselves with. As such, Mandarin is not a more difficult language but one that English speakers will require more time to familiarize themselves with. The multiple practical, cultural, and economic advantages of Mandarin are worth the additional time the language learning process may need.
A second opposition argument that is often expressed is the negative connotations associated with the Chinese government and the controversies surrounding the country. Opinions propagated by non-Chinese politicians, the media, and individuals often place China in a negative light. Sometimes these accusations are warranted, such as in the case of human rights abuses or environmental damages. However, often they are not as evidenced by anti-Asian sentiments due to the Covid-19 pandemic and other incidences of anti-Chinese ideologies and stereotyping. This may reflect on the number of people that pursue the learning of Mandarin, as they may feel unmotivated to speak to Chinese individuals or travel to China to use their Mandarin skills.
However, it is essential to recognize that a language, culture, and the people of a country can and usually exist outside their governments. Essentially, attributing issues that are caused by the Chinese government to the Chinese people, culture, or language is nonsensical and damaging. China is an incredibly diverse nation that can be united by certain factors, but divided by others. Some of these may include social or political beliefs. Robin Lakoff, a linguist, describes the ways in which the use of languages can be used to demean and ‘other’ what some nations perceive as their enemies (Muller, 2016). It is a pattern that has occurred during conflict-tense times as well as those that were not, but worked to utilize the lack of a mutual language to maintain a divide between groups. As such, it is essential to know Mandarin in order to understand the true trends of politics and social components of modern Chinese societies. The ability to have direct communication using Mandarin is likely to not only impact the language learner, but also those that they may communicate with later.
Mandarin provides a number of new and unexplored avenues within the business for individuals who learn it. It also allows a learner to engage with one of the oldest and richest cultures and histories in the world. The language has the largest body of native speakers globally and a continuously growing variety of resources. While it may be cited as difficult or inherently connected to the fundamentals of government that many individuals disagree with, its value cannot be limited by such factors. As such, the advantages of learning Mandarin outshine the drawbacks and the benefits of other languages. Though the language may be unfamiliar to English speakers initially, the uniqueness can drive learners’ motivation to further engage with uncovering an alternative grammar structure, written script, and phonetics through the lens of both modern and ancient Chinese culture.
Works Cited
Muller, Gilbert H. The New World Reader. 5th ed., Cengage Learning, 2016.
Nalesnik, Daniel. “The Benefits of Learning Chinese for Business.” European Business Review, 2021, Web.