I have been in Taipei for two years but honestly I never got serious about learning Mandarin. In my defense, my super crazy work load prohibited me from giving justice to any formal training of this daunting language. Day to day work did not require me to know this language at all as employees were expected to know good English in American company where I worked. It was always convenient enough that only thing I had to really learn was to slow down during conversations to allow English-Mandarin translations in the background. Chinese maybe optional today but 10 years from now I am pretty sure that tables will be turned. If you want a coveted job in the market then you will be expected to know Chinese as these jobs will now be listed by Chinese companies.
Don't believe it? Well, China trip that we took few weeks ago was a big eye opener. The mere scale and pace of the city, including infrastructure, technology and international presence was simply overwhelming. It is really hard to fathom how strong China has become behind their closed doors and hence you have to see it with your own eyes to believe it. World-class metro, high speed trains, city bus, twelve lane roads, overpasses, skyscrapers, Olympic park, numerous malls for luxury brands, international hotels, cosmopolitan restaurants and beautiful historical and tourist spots that seemed so successful in attracting the global mass for trade and tourism. This country is growing at a very fast pace and very consistently for last decade. 9.6% GDP was recorded in the first six months of 2011 while USA was around 1%, if the trend continues then guess which side of the table will be heavier? Neighboring countries such as Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia etc with significant Mandarin speaking population are also growing at a much faster pace than any country in Europe or USA.
In next decade, Mandarin will not be an optional language in my opinion in the world of business
Don't believe it? Well, China trip that we took few weeks ago was a big eye opener. The mere scale and pace of the city, including infrastructure, technology and international presence was simply overwhelming. It is really hard to fathom how strong China has become behind their closed doors and hence you have to see it with your own eyes to believe it. World-class metro, high speed trains, city bus, twelve lane roads, overpasses, skyscrapers, Olympic park, numerous malls for luxury brands, international hotels, cosmopolitan restaurants and beautiful historical and tourist spots that seemed so successful in attracting the global mass for trade and tourism. This country is growing at a very fast pace and very consistently for last decade. 9.6% GDP was recorded in the first six months of 2011 while USA was around 1%, if the trend continues then guess which side of the table will be heavier? Neighboring countries such as Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia etc with significant Mandarin speaking population are also growing at a much faster pace than any country in Europe or USA.
In next decade, Mandarin will not be an optional language in my opinion in the world of business
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