{"id":2829,"date":"2016-09-05T14:07:53","date_gmt":"2016-09-05T06:07:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.spacious.hk\/en\/blog\/?p=2829"},"modified":"2023-11-08T15:33:38","modified_gmt":"2023-11-08T07:33:38","slug":"8-reasons-why-you-should-learn-mandarin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.spacious.hk\/en\/blog\/8-reasons-why-you-should-learn-mandarin","title":{"rendered":"8 Reasons Why You Should Learn Mandarin"},"content":{"rendered":"

Do you want to learn Chinese while living in Hong Kong? Why? Which answer(s) below, best describe you?<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. You\u2019re interested in learning Chinese culture. \u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. You want to be able to communicate effectively in Hong Kong.<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. You\u2019re interested in connecting with over 1.3 billion people in the world.<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. You want people to think you\u2019re smarter than Marc Zuckerburg.<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. You want to learn an international language good for business.<\/span><\/li>\n
  6. You\u2019re interested in learning a language that will increase your brain-power.<\/span><\/li>\n
  7. You want to be able to watch old Shaw Brothers movies without using subtitles. <\/span><\/li>\n
  8. You want to impress your Chinese girlfriend or boyfriend. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    How many answers did you select? One? Several? All? Regardless of your intention, when you\u2019ve decided to learn Chinese, you\u2019ve begun a journey with one of the world\u2019s most powerful languages. <\/span><\/p>\n

    Hong Kong is one of the world\u2019s most cosmopolitan and urbane cities. Although the majority of the people in Hong Kong speak Cantonese, a Chinese dialect, Mandarin is becoming more popular in the city and as it becomes more ubiquitous, it\u2019s a great time for you to learn! <\/span><\/p>\n

    Let\u2019s take a look at some reasons why you may want to invest in learning Mandarin while living in Hong Kong. <\/span><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. It\u2019s Easier Than You Think <\/b>\u2014 One thing that has prevented most language learners from attempting to learn Mandarin<\/span> is the level<\/span><\/a> of difficulty. The mixture of tones, confusing grammar, and Chinese characters can intimidate anyone who is new to the language. However, once you learn the foundation of the language, how things work and fit together, it\u2019s a matter of<\/span> memory and practice<\/span><\/a>. In addition to great language learning<\/span> centers in<\/span><\/a> Hong Kong, there is no shortage of online training material, software, apps and books to assist you with your journey. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
        \n
      1. Hong Kong\u2019s Youth Have An Appreciation For Mandarin <\/b>– The young people in Hong Kong are moving towards English and Mandarin for business and education. Although the Hong Kong youth still have an<\/span> appreciation for Cantonese<\/span><\/a> and traditional culture, they understand the practical reasons to learn Mandarin. If you\u2019re a foreigner who has who is new to the city and has children, consider enrolling your child in a school that teaches Mandarin. The majority of primary schools in Hong Kong teach children using Mandarin and the next generation of Hong Kongers will more than likely speak Mandarin as their primary language. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
          \n
        1. It\u2019s The Second Most Popular Language In Hong Kong<\/b> \u2014 While Cantonese is the foundation of Hong Kong\u2019s culture, the city has been embraced Mandarin as the<\/span> new lingua franca<\/span><\/a>. One of the main reasons Hong Kongers have learned the language is to conduct business with<\/span> mainland Chinese<\/span><\/a> who are vital to Hong Kong\u2019s tourism. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
            \n
          1. Increase Brain Power<\/b> \u2014 Learning to read and write, the base number of Chinese characters<\/span> improves<\/span><\/a> memory and brain development. Other studies have noted that learning Mandarin has<\/span> cognitive benefits<\/span><\/a>, especially valuable for young students whose brains are still developing. Adults benefit as well! When you learn a tonal language, you\u2019re exercising different parts of your brain, helping you think differently. This also is one of the reasons why many Asian students excel at math, the Chinese language teaches mathematical concepts inherently. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
              \n
            1. You Can Have 1 Billion Friends<\/b> – Okay, well you may not make a billion friends, but you can communicate using one of the<\/span> most widely<\/span><\/a> spoken languages on earth. Although English is still a common language, there is a strong possibility that<\/span> Mandarin may<\/span><\/a> surpass it as the most common language in the world. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                \n
              1. Business <\/b>\u2014 You don\u2019t have to be Mark Zuckerberg to realize how valuable Mandarin is when it<\/span> comes to business<\/span><\/a>. China has one of strongest economies in the world and many foreigners who live in Hong Kong realize how valuable the language is. Chinese counterparts and business associates will definitely be impressed by your attempt to embrace their culture. Making an attempt at learning the language will help create better work relationship and tear down cultural barriers. In addition, Mandarin is handy in Hong Kong as more employers want workers who speak the language.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                If you do any<\/span> work in the government<\/span><\/a>, you\u2019ll find Mandarin extremely useful as well. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

                  \n
                1. Chinese Culture<\/b> \u2014 One of the most attractive aspects of learning Mandarin is gaining access to the Chinese culture. The culture is over 5,000 years old and learning the language provides you with the opportunity<\/span> to learn poetry, literature, and art. <\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
                    \n
                  1. Popularity <\/b>\u2014 It\u2019s not only the Americans who are learning Mandarin. Other countries such as Australia have implemented Mandarin into their national curriculum. Countries in Europe are learning the language as well. In Hong Kong, you\u2019re bound to make new acquaintances and meet with other foreigners who may not speak any English and use Mandarin as a second language.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                    Hong Kong is an amazing city, arming yourself with the correct linguistic tools will help make your stay in the city not only enjoyable, but rewarding. In a city that is finance conscientious, learning Mandarin may be one of the safest investments you can make. <\/span><\/p>\n

                    Places To Learn Mandarin in Hong Kong<\/b><\/p>\n

                    Mandarin House<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

                    Hong Kong Language School <\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

                    Hong Kong Mandarin School<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                    Do you want to learn Chinese while living in Hong Kong? Why? Which answer(s) below, best describe you? You\u2019re interested in learning Chinese culture. \u00a0 You want to be able to communicate effectively in Hong Kong. You\u2019re interested in connecting with over 1.3 billion people in the world. You want people to think you\u2019re smarter than Marc Zuckerburg. You want […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2830,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2829","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-hong-kong-living"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.spacious.hk\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2829","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.spacious.hk\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.spacious.hk\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.spacious.hk\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.spacious.hk\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2829"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.spacious.hk\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2829\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.spacious.hk\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2830"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.spacious.hk\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2829"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.spacious.hk\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2829"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.spacious.hk\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2829"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}