Reasons for Studying Chinese

If you're considering taking a Mandarin Chinese course, learning a little Chinese online or traveling to China to study abroad, here are a few good reasons for studying Chinese:

- Mandarin Chinese, the official language of mainland China, is spoken by over 900 million people. It is the language with the most speakers in the world and over 20% of the people on the planet can speak it.

- Business in China is booming. China is currently the fastest growing economy in the world and one of the few countries that weathered the global recession and economic crisis that began in 2008. Speaking Mandarin is one way to take advantage of the growing opportunities to sell to, buy from and collaborate with people in China.

- Chinese is the number one language used on the internet today. If your business, school or personal interests involve the web, you'll want to know Mandarin.

- You'll be able to appreciate the vast culture and history of China when you understand the language.

- Travel will be easier, and not just in China. As China opens up to tourism more and more, the opportunities to see world-famous sights like the Great Wall of China, the Forbidden City, the Three Gorges and the pandas of Chengdu will be greatly enhanced when you know a little Mandarin. In addition, Chinatowns exist all over the U.S. and around the world, so no matter where you go, a little Chinese language may come in handy.