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I don't even know if this is a compliment to Singapore's English competency or a jab that we just come across as a Chinese speaker who was very good at English...lol
Not a jab! I was just unfamiliar with the Singaporean accent. It has obviously been influenced by Chinese, but that is not a bad thing.
Chinese is too difficult as a second language for most people.
Japanese, Koreans and Vietnamese have some advantage in terms of vocabulary, but for all other non-ethnic Chinese it is way more difficult than English and alike.
Chinese is too difficult as a second language for most people.
Japanese, Koreans and Vietnamese have some advantage in terms of vocabulary, but for all other non-ethnic Chinese it is way more difficult than English and alike.
You wish. The truth is it's simply too useless as a second language for most people.
Most people that are fluent in Chinese as a second language have spent years in Chinese speaking societies or have Chinese spouses or friends. Learners who don't use Chinese oftenly usually forget what they learnt easily.
Some foreigners master speaking and listening, but can't read and write Chinese.
Increasingly, the tourism industry in different countries need Chinese speaking staff, like in the past it needed Japanese speaking staff when many Japanese toured overseas. A large hotel or airline usually have some staff that are fluent in English and other staff that are fluent in Chinese. Those staff fluent in both English and Chinese have a higher chance to be promoted.
In some countries' schools, learning a second or third language in addition to English is mandatory or encouraged. Chinese, Japanese and Korean are the top three most popular Asian languages in these countries. Universities around the world also like multilingual applicants.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bettafish
Chinese is too difficult as a second language for most people.
Japanese, Koreans and Vietnamese have some advantage in terms of vocabulary, but for all other non-ethnic Chinese it is way more difficult than English and alike.
You wish. The truth is it's simply too useless as a second language for most people.
Usefulness and difficult level are orthogonal concepts, so you what you said is totally irrelevant.
But I know you are a self-loathing Taiwanese, so I just consider it fart.
Most people that are fluent in Chinese as a second language have spent years in Chinese speaking societies or have Chinese spouses or friends. Learners who don't use Chinese oftenly usually forget what they learnt easily.
Some foreigners master speaking and listening, but can't read and write Chinese.
Increasingly, the tourism industry in different countries need Chinese speaking staff, like in the past it needed Japanese speaking staff when many Japanese toured overseas. A large hotel or airline usually have some staff that are fluent in English and other staff that are fluent in Chinese. Those staff fluent in both English and Chinese have a higher chance to be promoted.
In some countries' schools, learning a second or third language in addition to English is mandatory or encouraged. Chinese, Japanese and Korean are the top three most popular Asian languages in these countries. Universities around the world also like multilingual applicants.
My mother traveled to Myanmar and Vietnam with some friends. She said many people there can speak some Chinese (in the tourist sites at least.) I also heard Thailand has many people speaking some Chinese too.
So the tourism industry does have an impact already.
Nowadays many foreign nationals were born and grew up in China. Needless to say they speak perfect Chinese. However, I suspect their reading and writing capabilities are still significantly behind educated Chinese, on average. In my own experience, a lot of things were learned from family members not teachers.
My mother traveled to Myanmar and Vietnam with some friends. She said many people there can speak some Chinese (in the tourist sites at least.) I also heard Thailand has many people speaking some Chinese too.
So the tourism industry does have an impact already.
Nowadays many foreign nationals were born and grew up in China. Needless to say they speak perfect Chinese. However, I suspect their reading and writing capabilities are still significantly behind educated Chinese, on average. In my own experience, a lot of things were learned from family members not teachers.
If you’re talking about overseas Chinese, then it’s largely a generational thing. Unless the migrants have close ties to their homeland, there’s a good chance that within a generation or two, those language skills will be lost.
If you’re talking about overseas Chinese, then it’s largely a generational thing. Unless the migrants have close ties to their homeland, there’s a good chance that within a generation or two, those language skills will be lost.
No I was talking about children of expats in China.
Usefulness and difficult level are orthogonal concepts, so you what you said is totally irrelevant.
But I know you are a self-loathing Taiwanese, so I just consider it fart.
If Chinese was actually a relevant language people would learn it regardless of its difficulty.
Not being brainswashed by the pathetic Chinese expansionism and superiority complex driven by complete lack of confidence and self-awareness =/= self-loathe.
If Chinese was actually a relevant language people would learn it regardless of its difficulty.
Not being brainswashed by the pathetic Chinese expansionism and superiority complex driven by complete lack of confidence and self-awareness =/= self-loathe.
oh the title of the thread is "will", so we are not talking about the current situation at all.
I just showed one factor that may be a barrier, considering the "future".
The self-loathing Taiwanese is also super-sensitive, LOL He won't miss any chance to degrade his own culture, even if it is irrelevant.
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