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Why should people study Chinese?
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Many people feel a personal need to develop fluency in at least one language outside of their native tongue, while other people need fulfill university requirements or upgrade their business skills. In any case, Chinese language study offers several unique advantages by allowing the individual to:Expand linguistic awareness in ways not available to those who study phonetic languages. Develop an understanding of a high-context culture in which words aren't everything. Because Chinese is a tonal language, a speaker cannot express as much unique meaning through inflections and emphasis on particular words. Learners of Chinese will developattention to metaphor, sound associations, and other subtle ways of expressing individual meaning. Gain an ¡¡ãeye¡¡À for words. China prides itself in beautiful calligraphy. Many scientists have pointed up the therapeutic nature of visual arts. Why not combine communication and soothing practice of writing elegant Chinese characters? The market value of Chinese fluency cannot be understated. China is growing from a manufacturing powerhouse into a world-class stage of development. Still, relatively few people outside of China have learned to read and write the language, while more than 90% of Chinese natives maintain functional literacy. At this point, fluency in Chinese comes with a key advantage as China drives toward the postmodern world. Only with hesitation do people speak of influencing the Chinese nation and people. Fluency would add a little confidence to a person wishing to interact and make a contribution. |
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