Why Learning Chinese Is a Smart Business Move - Top 10 Reasons

[self-taught-mba]

This is an article I of been working on for awhile but have not published. I will be publishing it shortly, however of course I wanted to put it here first.

It is not for everyone but other places we've had discussions about business people learning Chinese. Besides, rather than always try to compete for customers with other schools I think part of my job is to cultivate people's interest in learning Chinese and grow the market not just fight for a peice of it. Feel free to repost it or link to it

I am working on more articles including another "Why learn Chinese?" type article for a more general audience.

Article below as posted on my Why Learn Chinese? subdomain.

Why Learning Chinese is a Smart Business Move

By Matthew Worley

Top 10 Reasons

Like most Westerners, just a few years ago you might not have been thinking very much about China. However, these days China is all over the news. You, like more and more people, may be wondering, “Should I be learning Chinese?” The answer is a resounding "Yes". The following are the top 10 reasons why learning Chinese is a smart business move for the young professional or career-minded person.

1. Because the world is changing

You've heard it before. Globalization. Outsourcing. Opening of free trade. The US, while still important, must now share the stage with other countries, primarily China. With China's admittance to the WTO, a large trade balance in its favor, and its booming economy, the need to interact with China is apparent.

2. Because everyone else is doing it

OK, so not everyone else is learning Chinese. But did you know that Chinese is the fastest-growing language studied in the US? Enrollment in college Chinese language courses is at an all-time high. Recently a bipartisan bill was introduced in Congress to provide Chinese language classes even for high school students. Other countries are even more advanced in this regard.

3. To stay competitive

In a few short years, these myriads of workers fresh out of college will be hitting the work force with Chinese speaking skills. By learning Chinese now, you set yourself apart as a proactive person. Not only will you position yourself to compete with the new entrants, you can also take advantage of increased opportunities that arise as trade with China grows.

4. Global supply chains

But your company has its factories in the US, you say. But will it always have? What about the subcomponents or raw materials? Even US-based manufacturing firms are discovering that to maintain competitive cost structures, they often must deal with global supply chains and sourcing. Of course, the largest provider of the subcomponents and raw materials is China.

5. Manufacturing

China has 1.3 billion people, a workforce that is good at labor-intensive jobs, and lower costs. Enough said. But these factories often have foreign management, consultants, accountants, etc. And these factories also have to deal with the other end of the global supply chain. By learning Chinese, you can help provide the links between these factories and American companies.

6. Because the Chinese market is the largest consumer market in the world

It's not just about manufacturing and outsourcing any more. Today, Western companies are looking at the Chinese economy as potentially the most profitable market in the world. According to the Department of Commerce, more than 16,000 American companies sell products in China. The China of today is not the China of yesterday. In China, urban teenagers are seen walking with an MP3 player in one hand and a cell phone in the other, just as in America. The Chinese are hungry for consumer goods -- foreign goods to boot. Western companies need professionals with Chinese speaking skills to build links with Chinese companies, form partnerships with Chinese companies, and market, brand, and sell products to the Chinese.

7. Because your career may depend on it

So we already know that a) outsourcing to China is growing and B) there are already many young professionals in the pipeline learning Chinese. Suppose you are a manager having to make the unfortunate decision about whose job to cut: what are you going to do? Are you going to cut the person with the keys to potentially the most lucrative market in the world, the one who showed foresight and proactivity by going to learn how to speak Chinese to begin with? No, I don't think so. That person is too valuable. Learning Chinese can only help your career and give you more options.

8. Because 2 billion people speak Chinese

That's right, 2 billion! Talk about having access to a greater social and professional network! Can you think of one other activity that could possibly open up more doors than learning Chinese?

9. Beijing 2008 Olympics

The Turin Olympics just closed. The next day headlines touted China's preparation for 2008. China’s government realizes (as do most of the people in the know) that this is the “coming-of-age party” for China. Beijing 2008 is not only symbolic of China's emergence onto the world stage of economic power but also pragmatic, as it helps Beijing showcase its flourishing economy and to deepen ties with Western companies. By learning Chinese, you can be ready for this historic event and take part in it.

10. Because it’s not as hard as you think

That's right. Learning to speak Chinese is not as hard as you think. Unfortunately, many Chinese schools and Chinese learning materials have given students the opposite impression. However, modern technology can aid in the learning process dramatically. Furthermore, most professionals will find that learning to speak Chinese will be enough without learning to write Chinese characters (which is what really takes up the most time). In the modern age, the computer can help you type anyway. At our Chinese language school, we follow an approach that focuses only on the most necessary communications and practical applications. The Chinese language has a surprisingly straightforward set of rules regarding speaking and grammar. With the correct approach people can find themselves speaking Chinese within a short period of time. So by learning Chinese you can take part in an activity that has huge benefits for your career and your résumé but takes less time than getting a second degree or learning other skills.

This article can be found at http://whylearnchinese.1MonthChinese.com

More chinese learning articles

About the Author

Matt Worley is the principal of the 1-Month Mandarin™ program at the Chinese Language Institute of Beijing, a private Chinese language school in China. He holds an MBA and a Masters of Accounting Science and is self-taught in Chinese. 1-Month Mandarin™ is specially designed to help young professionals learn Chinese quickly by prioritizing learning and utilizing computer-assisted language learning. Please visit: http://www.1MonthChinese.com

This article may be republished so long as links are active and attribution is given.

[self-taught-mba]

Feedback greatly appreciated, but I think I am publishing this one as is. However, I am writing another one and ideas are welcome and may be added as to why one might learn Chinese.

If you know good methods/places to publish online can you tell me or pm me?

Thanks,

[self-taught-mba]

no body is going to learn chinese for this reason.

Maybe not just for that reason but it's one more. But I do know some people that have planned to go to China for ever and a day and 2008 kind of pushed them that last step. I really think 2008 is of sig. importance for BJ and China

[geraldc]

I don't know of anyone who's actually learnt Chinese for business reasons. Interpreters are cheap and plentiful, and there's always someone who speaks English (to some extent anyway).

Anyone here made their fortune from their knowledge of Chinese?

[gougou]

Interpreters are cheap and plentiful, and there's always someone who speaks English (to some extent anyway).

:nono

Don't let anybody outside these forums know!

[johnmck]

The amount of work required to learn Chinese to a level you can use in business is huge. I think that if one wanted to use one's time to make money then one would certainly make more money concentrating one's efforts elsewhere. (English is of course a different kettle of fish)

[wushijiao]

I think for businesspeople, one reason to learn Chinese, even to a limited degree of proficiency, is that learning Chinese will help reduce the amount of culture shock, and give a person a sixth sense for sensing the mood at meetings and things like that. In my opinion, of the Westerners I’ve seen who have had to deal with Chinese staff, the Westerners who have been able to speak some Chinese have generally had fewer conflicts, and generally get over culture shock faster. I also think that showing a Chinese counterpart that you are making an effort to learn their language demonstrates to them a strong signal of respect, and helps neutralize the invisible and subtle power that the native speaker of English has in conducting business in his/her native language. That’s just my subjective opinion.

The amount of work required to learn Chinese to a level you can use in business is huge.

I have to say that I agree with that.

[carlo]

Obviously as far as making money is concerned knowing Chinese is neither a necessary nor a sufficient condition, in some cases though it may be useful for something else. It's an added skill, like knowing about hedge funds or global consumer management; neither of these by itself are going to make you rich, but some people have built successful businesses because they had just the right type of background and were in the right place at the right time.

I was reading the other day in the FT about an American guy who studied medicine in Japan (in Japanese) and founded a biotechnology start-up with offices in Japan, China and the US that tries to combine the competitive advantages of these three countries for reducing the cost of developing and testing new medicines. That may be an example where a language/culture background are actually helpful in finding investors etc in more than one country.

[johnmck]

the Westerners who have been able to speak some Chinese have generally had fewer conflicts, and generally get over culture shock faster.

I wouldn't think that it was learning chinese that helped the westerners understand chinese culture. People who decide to spend significant amounts of time learning Chinese clearly already have an interest in Chinese culture and custom. I would guess that most people who decide to learn chinese will do so because they want to experience the culture shock.

[BFC_Peter]

Of the people who I've met at evening classes there are four popular reasons for learning Chinese: -

1) to prepare for a holiday (

9. Beijing 2008 Olympics

- doesn't seem such a crock to me)

2) to help with a new business venture (

I don't know of anyone who's actually learnt Chinese for business reasons

- I know plenty of people, not everyone is living in China where help is very cheap)

3) it's a challenge/of great interest - this seems to apply particularly to elderly people who now have more time on their hands

4) to enable them to communicate with family members - these being either overseas Chinese who can't speak it very well or people who have married someone who is Chinese

Of course, not everyone keeps up the learning but my current class includes people in all four categories.

I don't agree with your point 10 but, if like you I was trying to encourage more people to learn then I'd say the same thing!!

[got_no_jaffas]

i think knowing some chinese really helps with doing business in china, but an appreciation of prostitution & bribery is probably much more useful! all these foriegners who come to china to learn chinese & tai chi & calligraphy, means nothing to chinese businessmen. they want to go to a fancy KTV place & drink chivas regal, gorgeous girls partying with option to take out for the night, all on your expense. not something i see on the blcu curriculum!

there is another aspect to chinese culture that many non-chinese do not really know about & for some who are morally righteous, it may be harder to comprehend than simply knowing your hanzi.

[Language Guy]

This is a great article, thank you! I'll be sure to pass it around.

[atitarev]

self-taught-mba is trying to motivate us and everybody to learn Chinese (that's understandable) but I doubt Chinese Mandarin can become an international language. It will always be a hard language to learn for foreigners. The characters, first of all, will always be the main factor to put off the potential learners (unless they attract them!).

I'm learning Chinese for fun and as a hobby. Probably I won't ever make any money on the knowledge.

Romanised dual language books with comics, lyrics, popular articles, any interesting reading (with both characters and pinyin + translation + grammar/vocab comments) could help to popularise Mandarin. It would be an incredibly real tool to attract people to Chinese. I find those very useful to learn Japanese fast, without bothering to rummage through character dictionaries, search by radicals, count strokes, etc.

[Quest]

self-taught-mba is trying to motivate us and everybody to learn Chinese (that's understandable) but I doubt Chinese Mandarin can become an international language. It will always be a hard language to learn for foreigners. The characters, first of all, will always be the main factor to put off the potential learners (unless they attract them!).

I think it's the country's international status not the difficulty of its language that determines the language's popularity.

[self-taught-mba]

The characters, first of all, will always be the main factor to put off the potential learners (unless they attract them!).

There are a few threads about this. One by me, another by dmoser. I started speaking first then looked to characters--much like Chinese children do. I agree with you: characters seem intimidating. But totally possible to learn to speak Chinese with out them. Look at the other threads for an in depth discussion.

[self-taught-mba]

I think it's the country's international status not the difficulty of its language that determines the language's popularity.

I agree to an extent. A large factor/driver but not the only one. think of French as a counter example. But believe it is a very strong determinant of languages that are studied. I personally believe that the iin'tl status of China is growing quickly (and has been) A lot of this is b/c of economic factors, so I agree and that is why Chinese is thefastest growing language in the US.

[self-taught-mba]

I don't know of anyone who's actually learnt Chinese for business reasons. Interpreters are cheap and plentiful, and there's always someone who speaks English (to some extent anyway).

it shows respect and a willingness to learn. it is often appreciated very much. it has helped open a lot of doors for me. even when i've had t use a fan1 yi4 for details the other party appreciates my speaking.

I am still an outsider but less so.

I like this:

I also think that showing a Chinese counterpart that you are making an effort to learn their language demonstrates to them a strong signal of respect,

[Lu]

I think that speaking the other person's language, even if it's only a few sentences, creates a huge amount of goodwill. Maybe this is not so much the case for English, as everybody is expected to speak that anyway, but for the more difficult (Chinese) or small (Dutch) languages it helps greatly. You are able to directly communicate with 对方, which makes the relationship immidiately closer than it could be by saying things through an interpreter. You don't even have to speak the language perfectly for it to be a great help in business. Like self-thaught says, you can rely on the interpreter for the small print and the details.

[stephanhodges]

Just FYI, in response to:

no body is going to learn chinese for this reason [2008 Olympics].

In my class last year, we had a black businessman (Pres of his company) learning chinese ONLY for the purpose of going to the Olympics in 2008. He wanted to start "early" in order to be able to talk with people, and be comfortable in the country on his own.

[venture160]

I've been studying business Chinese for the past year or so now, using a variety of different textbooks, first starting with the Cheng and Tsui book Open for Business, then using "Close the Deal" now I am almost done with BeiDa's advanced spoken business chinese book. What am I doing with this business CHinese? Well I am interning this summer at a (major) us company, most of the interns there speak pretty decent Chinese, and it appears to me, that as more people back home study Chinese, Chinese qualifications for foreigners finding jobs here will increase. If you speak good enough Chinese to keep up with your Chinese counterparts, you are going to have a much easier time dealing with people, and sometimes get to know your business partners on much deeper levels. I spend everday working in Chinese, mostly on the phone and exchanging emails, but I am out of the offices a few times a week meeting with people, and except for when non-chinese speakers are at my side, the conversations are all in Chinese, its more comfortable for them. Plus, it sends people a great impression if you are on the phone with someone and say in english" hi name is XXX, I'm calling from XXXX, "and then switch right into chinese.