The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is today. - Chinese Proverb
There is no doubt that we have more Chinese people who speak English than Nigerians who speak Chinese.
Learning the Chinese language is an excellent idea for anyone interested in learning the language. It has its benefits for business, personal, and social reasons. Mandarin Chinese is not one of the easiest languages to understand, though it is the most widely spoken native language.
Learning and understanding the Chinese language can only be an added advantage for a Nigerian, especially for business purposes.
What makes Mandarin Chinese challenging to learn?
According to some studies, it will take English speakers 88 weeks and 2,200 hours of active learning to reach native/bilingual Chinese proficiency. Chinese is one of the five languages which is most challenging to learn for native English speakers.
The writing system that is not easy is what has made Mandarin Chinese extremely difficult for English speakers.
Thousands of special characters in the language that an interested person must learn also make it difficult. However, constant practice, dedication, and the right teacher or school will make learning the language easy.
According to Akoka, Olufemi Shuaib, a professor at the University of Lagos, China-Nigeria economic relations are booming by the day. It will help Nigerians who understand the Chinese language to relate to and communicate more effectively with the Chinese while doing business.
Statistically, over fourteen thousand Nigerians in the last three years have learnt how to speak the Chinese Mandarin language in Lagos.
A good number of people in Nigeria are increasingly interested in learning to speak and write in China’s official language, Mandarin. That said, several classes and language training for all levels are available to everyone in Nigeria.
Is Chinese Worth Learning?
Chinese writing, vocabulary, pronunciation, and tones are enough to turn even some of the most enthusiastic learners away. Additionally, the older you are, the more resistant you’ll be to learning new skills, and Chinese is hardly an easy language to learn.
Learning a new language enhances listening skills and memory in an individual. Research has also proven that learning Chinese exercises your brain more than any other language. The Chinese language can be complicated in the beginning. However, its benefits make it worthwhile.
There are plenty of reasons Nigerians and people globally are now learning Chinese. Language and culture are linked, so the more you understand Chinese Mandarin, the more you gain an understanding of the areas where they speak it in China.
If learning the language is not worthwhile, more and more parents of children in primary and secondary schools, undergraduates, graduates, governments, school operators, business owners and other Nigerians will not be increasingly approaching the institutes around them to learn the language
Asides from the language being famous for being the most natively spoken in the world, with nearly a billion speakers, Mandarin is one of the languages that will aid your communication with most Chinese people you come across and one of the six official languages of the United Nations.
By working on improving your ability to speak Chinese, you’ll be able to distinguish new sounds in a foreign language more easily. Learning the language can help you give your brain a workout while training your memory.
It will also help increase your chances of employment, especially if you find yourself in that environment or an environment that deals with Chinese people.
Since China is one of the largest countries for economic powers, it would be silly not to learn Mandarin Chinese as a Nigerian, especially as someone in the business environment.
Having Chinese on your CV in Nigeria will be pleasing to employers, even at a conversational or intermediate level. Many businesses in Nigeria are looking for employees who know how to speak Chinese and other foreign languages. It will make all the difference in getting an interview or a job offer.
Of course, it will be easier to communicate in China if you speak the language and something takes you there.
Pros Of Studying the Chinese Language
Learning how to speak and write the Chinese language comes with its unique pecks.
There are several ways to learn Chinese in Nigeria. Students can learn it at the primary, secondary or university level. Additionally, other interested people and adults can hire the services of a language tutor or enrol at a language school near them to teach Chinese Mandarin.
Studying Chinese has several advantages that we shall be discussing below.
Travel: Learning the language will be beneficial to people who enjoy travelling. If you ever find yourself in China or may be surrounded by Chinese-speaking people, you will be able to interact and be social. You don’t have to be a fluent speaker; even a little knowledge can go a long way.
Over one billion people speak Mandarin, so learning it will instantly open communication abilities to over one billion people.
Competitive Advantage In The Business World: Speaking mandarin will help when you are running your business internationally and when dealing with Chinese people for business transactions. When communication is done fluently in Chinese, you can fully understand their thoughts and demands.
Stronger Relationship With Chinese Partners, Friends And Co-workers: Many businesses have Chinese partners, so speaking Chinese will give you an upper hand when you have partners, friends and co-workers who speak Chinese.
Beyond the relationships you can form in real life, you can use your Chinese speaking skills for online transactions.
Enjoy Chinese Movies And Tv-Series: Chinese entertainment is accelerating rapidly. A lot of Nigerians enjoy watching Chinese movies and Tv series. If you enjoy watching Chinese movies, you should understand the language as translations may not always make sense.
Improves your brain function: It is no news that learning a new language has its health benefits. Learning Chinese Mandarin may not be easy. However, it is a good exercise for your brain and memory.
Job Opportunities: Learning a new international foreign language statistically increases every Nigerian chance of getting a job. A language like Chinese opens several job opportunities. The be able to communicate with over one billion people has value in the job marketplace. Several companies globally are also striving to tap into the Chinese market.
While studying Chinese in Nigeria, you’ll cover all aspects of the language; Chinese grammar, conjugations, spelling, Chinese characters, transcription, Pinyin, speaking, phonetics, etc.
Cons Of Studying The Chinese Language.
As much as there are many advantages to studying Chinese, there are also some disadvantages encountered while learning the language. Chinese is one of the most challenging and time-consuming languages to understand, especially if the language you speak is unrelated to Chinese.
Asides from speaking the language, writing Chinese is highly complex. Students have to learn at least 2000 characters to be able to write. It means you will have to dedicate more time than usual to practising Chinese.
Chinese is a tonal language, which means that if you do not get the proper intonation while speaking, you are going off-tone, which means what you are saying is not comprehensive.
Learning Chinese requires a lot of dedication because, unlike many languages, they do not have alphabets but characters made up of smaller components. You have to take time to learn and master these components.
Idioms are paramount while learning the Chinese language. They may be hard to remember and easy to forget. These idioms come up more in normal Chinese conversation than in English, making them paramount to learning.
Best Places To Study Chinese In Nigeria
Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Akwa (UNIZIK)
If you want to study Chinese at the university level, you can apply to UNIZIK. The Department of Chinese Studies is the newest and youngest department in the Faculty of Arts. Its Department started in 2014 after approval from the National Universities Commission (NUC).
Students can also take advantage of the University’s exchange program agreements and study at some of the best Chinese universities, even on scholarship. At the end of the program, students will have a BA in Chinese Studies.
University Of Lagos (UNILAG)
University of Lagos (UNILAG) offers Chinese Studies as one of their courses under Arts. The programme is in the Department of Linguistics, African and Asian Studies (LAAS). It will take a student four years to study Chinese in UNILAG.
The university admitted its first students to study Chinese in the 2013/2014 sessions.
Kaduna State University (KASU)
Chinese Studies is under the Faculty of Arts & Humanities at Kaduna State University. The language is under the Faculty of Arts & Humanities. It takes four years to bag a degree in the language.
Federal Polytechnic Oko, Anambra State
Students in Nigeria can also study Chinese at the Federal Polytechnic Oko, Anambra State. They have collaborated with the Confucius Institute of the Chinese Government.
You can also read up:
What You Need To Know Before Learning The Chinese Language In Nigeria
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