Ever considered learning a new language to further your career or academics? Got spare time and a love for languages? Well, considering the current economic standings of China, Chinese will soon become the language of the trading world. And this is why it is fast becoming almost mandatory to learn Chinese. Besides this, there are also several other benefits of learning Chinese that we’ll discuss in detail below. We’ll also share a list of institutes that are offering Chinese language courses in Pakistan.
Advantages of Learning Chinese
While the outlook of the future world is reason enough to learn Chinese in Pakistan, here are some associated benefits of mastering the centuries-old language:
Most Spoken Language in the World
Chinese, particularly Mandarin, is the most spoken language in the world, with over 1.4 billion speakers. This means that one in every six people in the world speaks Chinese, and while the odds may seem unbelievable, the fact remains that Mandarin is the official language of not just China, but also Singapore and Taiwan. A large number of Mandarin speakers are also found in Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, Mongolia, and Brunei.
Opens Up Business and Employment Opportunities
China’s booming economy and the fact that every home in Pakistan sports Chinese products goes to show just how essential it is for Pakistani businesses to have strong ties with their Chinese counterparts. The benefits of learning Chinese do not just extend to those involved in the trading of goods. Learning Chinese, especially in Pakistan, can also open up a world of employment opportunities for our youth. With the CPEC underway, it is expected that around 40,000 Chinese interpreters will be needed in the coming years, and knowing the Chinese language will certainly make you a top pick for these job opportunities.
Some of the possible career options after learning a new language are:
- Language teacher
- Language interpreter
- Language translator
- Tour guide
- Content writer
Learning Chinese Isn’t as Hard as Portrayed
If you conduct a general survey of people interested in learning a new language, most would tell you that they stay away from Chinese due to its complicated script. However, learning the Chinese language in Pakistan, or anywhere else in the world, is actually quite easy. Chinese is a tonal language containing 80,000 characters, but only about 3,000 to 4,000 characters actually need to be learned to become a fluent Chinese speaker.
There are also no verbs, no plurals, no tenses, and no subject-verb agreement concerns. Thus, Chinese is free from the issues that plague English Grammar, with different tones of your voice communicating different meanings of the same word. This also means that you have to memorise fewer words from the Chinese vocabulary to claim fluency in the language.
Communication Becomes Easier When Travelling
If you love to travel the world, then one of the advantages of learning Chinese is that you will find it easier to communicate during your travels, especially if you are travelling through South-East Asia, where Chinese speakers are in abundance. This benefits not just business travellers, but also those who want to travel and study abroad. China offers scholarships and exchange student programmes that can be well worth the experience, and you can make the most of these opportunities if you speak their native tongue.
Considering the Pak-China Relations and the CPEC
While the above-given benefits of learning Chinese stand true for almost all individuals aiming to learn a new language, the impact of learning Chinese can be felt all the more in Pakistan because Pakistan has always enjoyed good and friendly terms with China. The recent trade pacts and the CPEC project have made it even more crucial for Pakistanis to learn Chinese since they will be working and trading with Chinese speakers for the foreseeable future.
Where to Learn Chinese as a Second Language
If you want to learn Chinese in Pakistan, then ideally, you should devote 15 to 20 hours a week to studying the language, and complete Level 5 of Mandarin to attempt the HSK exam. However, a key question for many learners might be with regards to where to learn Chinese from.
While several private institutes are offering Chinese language courses, the Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (TEVTA) has allocated around 50 institutes in 23 districts in Punjab for this very purpose. Aside from that, the University of Central Punjab and NED University of Engineering and Technology also offer Mandarin courses, while China Study Centres have also been established in around 20 universities across the country.
Officially, there are four main Confucius Institutes in Pakistan; National University of Modern Languages (NUML) in Islamabad, Punjab University in Lahore, Agriculture University in Faisalabad, and the University of Karachi in Karachi. However, Chinese is also being taught as a secondary language in many schools in Pakistan, with the aim to educate the youth and make them fluent in the tongue from a young age so they can aim for a brighter future in a world where China dominates the global industry.
On the whole, considering the economic stability of China, there are plenty of benefits of learning Chinese in Pakistan and elsewhere in the world, as the language can open new doors of opportunities for business, travel, and academics.
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