Is Chinese taking over as the universal language?

Is Mandarin becoming the universal language over English? Maybe not yet, but much of the world does speak Mandarin, especially considering that China's population is already one-sixth of the world. That does not include all the Chinese diaspora all over the world!

This article tells us that Lao villagers may not have much money, but education is a priority. What is more important is that, to the average Lao parent, learning Mandarin is more important than learning English. Considering what a great influence China has on Lao economy, what Lao parents are doing is probably wise. After all, China is a huge market both domestically and internationally.

A Malaysian businessman in Vietnam told me that he sent his children to a Taiwanese international school and gave them extra lessons in English. He felt that English and Mandarin (or Chinese) were essential to their ability to succeed in life. Today, his son is studying in America and his daughter has just completed her time in Europe. She is also learning French.

Every parent wants the best education for his children. In today's fast-changing and fast-moving global economy, it looks likely that Chinese is catching up with English as the universal language of the business world. Thousands in China attend classes to learn English. Chinese students are all over the world in the quest to get ahead.

In South Korea alone, there are 80,000 students from China studying there. A Chinese pastor living in Seoul commented that sometimes he thought he was in China, rather than in South Korea. All around him he would hear Chinese being spoken.

While knowing one language is good, being bilingual or even multilingual is even better. Effective communication is a fact of life. We all want to avoid misunderstandings. Being able to communicate in another language helps cut down the risk of miscommunication. Knowing Chinese will help you communicate with much of the world! Why not start learning Chinese today?

You can find many different packages to learn Mandarin here.

Have fun learning Chinese!

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Go ahead and laugh. I'll get fluent soon!

Taken hostage by the English language
My Filipino friend living in Costa Rica has encountered many funny instances of getting words with similar sounds mixed up. While he has written more about his own journey of learning Spanish and having to use this newly learned language to preach the Gospel and speak publicly about his work, this piece is about a Spanish-speaker learning English. I had such a good laugh reading his post.

I've been there and done that, though not in Spanish. I've had so many Cambodian friends laugh at me because I've mispronounced a word. These young people, many of them my students, would laugh out loud in my face. Thankfully, I had many other slightly older young people who patiently corrected me till I got fluent. Learning a language takes a lot of hard work and humility, maybe even humiliation, depending on how you look at it. However, the more effort and practice you put in, the better you get at it. The rewards of being able to communicate freely in another language are immeasurable.

Summer in the northern hemisphere is just around the corner. Many will start planning summer holidays soon. Some may even visit another country or visit a place that has a completely different culture from your own e.g. visiting Chinatown in San Francisco, or Little Italy in New York City. Why not immerse yourself in the experience by learning some words or phrases of that people group before you go? You'll make new friends a lot faster and endear yourself to a new culture.

Plan your summer holiday well! Learn a language to get the most out of your holiday experience!

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When words fail, use your body

Body language must be the most effective means of communication when language fails. Kim Ji Woon speaks no English. The Hollywood actors and actresses he chose for his movie speak no Korean. Hire an interpreter would be the obvious choice. But "lost in translation" was the result. How did they manage to make the movie?

When the other side can't understand what you're saying, show them.

It was so effective that the above comment was expressed!

"Don't tell me you love me, show me!" Common expression that women say to their husbands or boyfriends. This could not be more true in this case. But what was being shown was not love. It was a work directive. Effective? Yes! Was everyone happy? Yes! What more can you ask for?

I'm not advocating that we all stop talking and start gesticulating instead. Language is necessary most of the time. But when you just can't get your message across, try using your body or drawing a picture. After all, a picture paints a thousand words.

Happy communicating!

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Is English spoken in Australia?

Sydney and Melbourne are multi-cultural cities. A short visit to these two cities have made me realise how much the cities have changed in demographics. Eight years ago when I visited, I heard a lot of English spoken except in Chinatown. Today, I hear so many languages spoken than English. Practically everyone is bilingual. Every kind of food is available anywhere and everywhere. You have so many choices: Chinese, Greek, Italian, Vietnamese, Middle-Eastern, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Hungarian, Australian, Indian, ... the list goes on and on. So spoiled for choice.

There seem to be more languages spoken than English. As I'm on the bus or walking on the street, I hear Indian languages, European languages, Asian languages, ... very little English. So why does the non-English world want to learn English? Is it really a universal language spoken everywhere? Maybe.

While the non-English-speaking world is learning English, then the English-speaking world should be learning other languages. Since mastering a language takes time and a lot of effort, both worlds should learn other languages. That way we can all meet half-way when it comes to communication. After all, "the only language that everyone speaks around the world is bad English." (Bennie Mostert) What is key is communication. Remember, body language counts a lot too!

Have fun communicating! Learn a new language today!

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Singaporeans' Heart Language - Uniquely Singaporean

My Singaporean Chinese friend has lived in China for 10 years. She was educated in English, spoke Cantonese at home, and studied Mandarin in school as a second language. We converse with each other in English, with some Mandarin and Cantonese thrown in, when we can't find a good-enough word in English to describe what we want to say.

After 10 years in a foreign land, her heart language has changed. She said she's more comfortable talking to God in Chinese, which is closer to her heart language, than in English, which was her heart language before!

Strangely enough, the first time we met, we spoke to each other in Mandarin. We were complete strangers thrown together to share a room at a conference because the organiser had mixed up my room assignment. I assumed she was from Mainland China. She didn't know what to make of me. When I said I was from Singapore, she replied, "Oh, I'm from Singapore too!" Then, we immediately switched to speaking English!

Why would we suddenly switch to speaking English when we were perfectly fine conversing in Mandarin? I don't think either of us has an answer. Having grown up in Singapore, I guess we are just used to using English or "Singlish" daily. Maybe our real heart language is not English, but "Singlish"!

For me, I talk to God in whatever language that first comes to my mind. Sometimes, I start in English and end up in Mandarin, or Indonesian. Some days I wonder if I can ever talk solely in 1 language for an extended period of time. I have too many languages in my head. I use whatever word comes to mind, especially when I know the listener understands that language too. Perhaps it makes my life more colourful, but it could drive other people crazy. I have too many friends who communicate in sentences made up of words from different languages. We don't even realise what we're doing. It's just natural for us. Thankfully, we all understand each other perfectly well.

So, what is my heart language? I don't know anymore. I'm happy to communicate in any language that you and I understand. Most importantly, my God understands what I'm trying to say.

Enrich your life today! Learn a new language!

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What's your "heart language"?

Language is a funny thing. We use it to communicate, whether orally or in written form. We learn language from the day we are born, by hearing the sounds made by those around us - parents, siblings, grandparents, caregivers, etc. As we grow older, we learn to use the language properly, or even learn a new language in school. Even the hearing impaired have their own language, called Sign Language.

As much as we use language to communicate head to head, what speaks to the inner depths of our beings is the "heart language", the language we spoke at home, not the language we use with the outside world for business.

Speak to the heart is an excellent explanation of how excited one can get over a language. This is where the key to touching a life lies. "Heart language" is not "language of the heart". By the latter, we mean "love" and "affection". The former is a complete language that makes us alive when we hear it spoken, even by perfect strangers.

What's my heart language? I don't know anymore. It used to be English, my first language. But now that I can speak 4 other languages, any one of those makes my heart come alive too! English is just the language I'm most fluent in, I guess.

Whether you speak only 1 language or multiple languages, you will always find satisfaction in learning a new language. Let's go multi-lingual today!

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