Learning Chinese to be Globally Competitive

There is only one language in the whole world that is spoken by more than one billion people, a fifth of the current world population. This language is Mandarin, touted as a future contender as the top business language of the 21st century, hence the need for learning Chinese. So far, aside from the People’s Republic of China, only the United Nations use Mandarin as an official language (aside from the other five languages: Arabic, English, French, Russian and Spanish).

Why Learning Chinese is Important

Thirty years from now, if projections stay true, Mandarin would probably be spoken by half of the world population. This is a rather hasty estimate, but with the way things are going, Western families concerned with their children’s economic future are seriously considering having them learn China and Taiwan’s national language. It is also the Chinese language that is spoken in peninsular Southeast Asia and Singapore.

At present, there are more people whose native language is English who speak European languages than those who speak Mandarin. Now China is on its way to becoming an economic giant not just in the East but globally as well. The Chinese presence online is just a herald of things to come. The need for Mandarin speakers is increasing as we move on towards the 21st century. Here are some of the most important reasons why this is actually a good move on their part.

China on Top of the World

China is now a major competitor in the world stage and if Western countries do not affect change in their own approach to commerce, predictions that are based on current outcomes just might come true. China is now an importnat player given its exponential economic growth. More and more Western economies are building ties with this country. China’s one billion-strong workforce has made it the center of manufacturing in Asia. The lower cost of labor has brought in foreign investments to the country.

In order to strengthen these ties, a full immersion with this very rich culture is required. And in interacting and doing business, a common language must be spoken. Since the factories are in China, the foreign managers are learning to speak the workers’ native tongue. And since it is only to be expected that more work opportunities, even for professionals, can be expected to boom on Chinese soil, having the ability to speak Mandarin is a huge advantage for anyone eager for an edge in the job market.

A One Billion Strong Consumer Economy

In a few years’ time, it is expected that China, with its stable economic rise, will also give rise to the biggest consumer market the world has ever seen. If there are a billion workers sweating it out on the factories, there are also a billion consumers with the money to spend on consumer products. This may not be the situation yet, but there is no reason to expect a turnaround. And in order to reach a billion possible buyers, the marketing campaign must be in their native language. More importantly, a productive interaction between foreign businesses and local distributors would only be possible if the same language is spoken as well. If you have a product that you’d want to market to one billion people, would it not be better for the marketing campaign if you understand their culture and speak their native tongue?