Love The Language, But...

As a Westerner in China, there is one question I am asked more than any other:  How can I improve my English? The question is asked almost suspiciously, as if I know the silver bullet to English studies, and if I would just reveal the secret I will transform their broken phrases to something that Bronte or Dickens might approve of.  Many are crestfallen when I echo the words that must have been repeated to them dozens of times before: practice, practice, and more practice.

Now, as China grows in the mind’s eye in the United States, I know more and more Americans who are beginning to study Chinese.  Friends, family, and classmates are all beginning their studies.  The Washington Post this past weekend even had a front page story on the new push for Chinese language classes in America.  Unfortunately, sometimes I get the impression that students beginning to study Chinese think of it as a silver bullet of a different kind, that somehow their roads will be paved with gold if they know Chinese.  They hear of the riches to be made in the world’s biggest market, and so they begin to study Chinese, thinking that it will guarantee success in their careers.  But I worry that it is a little naive to expect knowledge of language to carry them into professional success.

I am hesitant to be wet blanket on language studies.  I truly believe that the study of Chinese, as with any other language, is intrinsically valuable.  And I enjoy my time studying Chinese.  It is a fascinating, frustrating language.  My countless hours creating flashcards and fumbling with the tones was the closest I ever came to learning to play a musical instrument.  My first successful conversation with a fruit vendor in Shanghai yielded confidence as well as bananas.  Additionally, beyond its intrinsic value, Chinese provides the ability to delve far deeper into Chinese culture, society, and history.  But if it is not coupled with a skill set, it is unlikely to provide much professional success.

The problem with this thinking simple:  With the exception of English teachers abroad, all careers require a knowledge and skill base beyond that of language (and I think many English teachers abroad could use some additional training as well).  My knowledge of English does not qualify me to do much of anything in America. It is naive to expect that knowledge of Chinese will qualify you in China. 

The second problem is that the Chinese have been studying English for far longer than Americans have been studying Chinese.  A native speaker will always speak better Chinese than someone who picks it up later in life.  If their English is better than your Chinese, and all else is equal, than your added value to a company is nominal (especially considering that they can pay a Chinese person far less than an American).

This is not to say that Chinese will not be highly useful in one’s career.  But it must be paired with another skill.  Knowledge of business, law, shipping, logistics, or just about anything else will benefit from knowledge of Chinese.  Knowledge of Chinese is a great foundation.  But professional training, education, and ability are the marketable skills one brings to the world’s biggest market, and will ultimately dictate success or failure.  Therefore, as Chairman Mao said, 好好学习，天天向上！

Comments

[Patrick Searle]

Hi Ben

Got referred here via Law blog, Im a 21 yearold undergraduate studying chinese. And its all too true what you say, too many people thinking chinese is the magic word for a fantastic job.
Currently do you live in china?
Patrick

[Shawn in Tokyo]

You are right, learning Chinese is not the magic bullet--learning Japanese is!

Just kidding. ;-)

All of what you say rings true with my experience as well.

[wen @ BJ]

all i know is that my Friends are start laughing for foreigners who didn't speak Chinese and working with Chinese.
no offense.

[Matthew Chester]

I would say that although I strongly agree with the sentiment that the learning Chinese is not a silver bullet for career growth, it does seem that some companies especially in sectors such as marketing and PR will hire foreigners based on the mere fact that they know Chinese. I'm not sure if this has to do with the feeling that they have a better understanding of how to deal with international/foreign companies or just that companies believe that they are more creative than more qualified Chinese people. In addition, I believe that my Chinese will never be at the same level as a Chinese person, therefore I have to commit myself for a lifetime. As you said, everyday a little bit. As for China's English ability, they definitely have studied for a longer period, but I'm sometimes not sure that means actually longer in terms of time. People will tell me I've studied since I was in high school and now I'm 40, but that often means I studied in junior high school and high school for 5-6 years, college for a few years, then stopped once I started working.