5 Things That Change Once You Learn Chinese
A language is a window to another world. With so many people using Chinese language, learning Chinese will let you go into the new world. Below are 5 things that change once you learn Chinese.
1. You Can Function
From restaurants to tickets to taxis, you’ve got life handled. It was no small feat and it got rid of so much stress. Who needs that yoga class when you can just order your favorite comfort food, hop in a taxi home, and chill out with a magazine/book/movie/TV? Relax, you’ve earned it.
2. You Can Function Online
We all know why this needs its own category. Your life in China can often revolve around your phone and your laptop. Speaking Chinese or, in this case reading, makes that constant interaction all the more easy. Even just setting up accounts, paying bills, and wasting less time looking for the “English” button. You’ll also be surprised by how you’ll need your VPN less and less. Sure, for some things there’s no way around it. But, once you start being able to type and read characters, you’ll find most everything you need (read: every TV show you want to pirate) on sites you didn’t even know existed.
3. You Can Find New Ways to Immerse Yourself
If and when you start to feel stuck in a rut, there are some outlets that allow you to break that may not be off-limits to elementary proficiency Mandarin speakers, but the more language you know, the better your experience will be. Take volunteering, for example. You don’t need to speak a word of Chinese to sign up, but it might be all the more rewarding if you could make a connection in the community you’re serving. When conversation can flow, you can learn even more. Let someone teach you a new skill or use yours to help someone else learn.
4. You Have the Keys to the Middle Kingdom
Now you can get off the road less traveled by, let alone the beaten path. Seek new areas of your city, your province, the country to explore and make new friends while you’re there. Even if you’re on the beaten path, it’ll pay off to be able to ask someone where they love to go and be able to understand their response, follow their directions, and find something new. Or maybe a new office BFF might be in your future.
5. You Can Talk Yourself Out of It
This one’s a biggie because frankly, there’s a lot of things you can and should probably be talking your way out of. Let’s start with the smallest of small things: paying too much for stuff. Will that 300rmb extra on a custom made leather jacket break the bank in the long run? No, probably not. But, it will feel good to save it? Absolutely. As for those dreaded, seemingly inevitable “China Days”, you’ll be able to just shrug them off.
Now, there is a lot of Chinese to learn, too much for almost anyone. After all, it has been 5000 years in the making. Not to mention that the linguistic bumps in the road are huge, many, and various. But, with perks like this waiting for you, I don’t think you’ll be able to talk yourself out of starting or continuing (even if you try to do it in Chinese!).
Written by Ivan Chao, Marketing Assistant at That’s Mandarin Chinese Language School. Founded in 2005, TM has campuses in Beijing, Shanghai Chengde and Online. We specialize in individual and small group Chinese language teaching and we apply our unique methodologies in each class. We work hard to design courses that are entertaining and to teach them in such a way that you learn Mandarin faster and retain it longer. Our campuses are located in each city’s downtown, allowing ample opportunity for trips, excursions and cultural activities. Our schools also offer weekly cultural events which focus on fun, learning, and being social.
