Sip a cup of coffee with the beautiful French chanson,enjoying the peaceful view of the Champs Elysees.For some,this is what they imagine the life in France to be.Indeed,speaking fluent French is not regarded a symbol of elegance just these days.Because of the great achievement of Louis XIV,French was once the most welcomed language in the area of diplomacy in Europe.During the same period,China was in Qing dynasty,ruled by KangXi,with whose achievement China topped the list of GDP in those years and provide the world with countless amazing works of art.Besides,as world changes,China has been developing into a country that no one can ignore.It’s quite sure that mastering Chinese may open a door for one who hope for a better tomorrow.Considering the pros and cons,which language should we study?
Difficulty,always the priority
First of all,when one is about to learn a new language,the difficulty of that language is always the primary aspect he is to concern.As we all know,French and Chinese are in totally different language systems.Being a part of the Indo-European languages,it’s easier for students whose mother language is in the same system,such as German,English,Spanish and so forth.On the contrary,a Japanese or Korean may find it much more difficult to learn French than Chinese.
Speaking of Chinese,the four tones of it may become the biggest barrier to a foreigner.Actually,according to some students who already handle some skills of this language,using the tones is not as fearsome as many people think.Besides,because of the various kinds of accent in China,people could always get what you mean even you have chosen a not so correct tone.
When it comes to grammar,an English speaker may quite enjoy the study of Chinese---both of their grammar structure is straightforward and easy to pick up.As for French,apart from the complex grammar,you also need to struggle to familiarize with something like the conjugations of verbs, genders and agreements.
Where I can use them
Next,let us look at where we can use these two languages.
Owning to some historic reasons,French people had carried their language to Canada and many countries in Africa,including Congo,Morocco,Albania and so on.There are also some people living in countries next to France take French as their first language,such phenomenon can be seen in Belgium and Swiss.
By contrast,Chinese has not spread to as many countries as French did.Mainland of China and Taiwan are two areas which treat Mandarin as the official language,while in HongKong,you can use Mandarin as well as Cantonese.Due to waves of immigrant,there are many Chinese speaker in Malaysia and Singapore as well,which means you can also communicate in Chinese there without barriers.
Which one is more useful
How useful of study the two languages,Chinese or French?
Well,as one of the most widely spoken languages in Africa,French is definitely a better option for people who plan to start a career in that continent.In addition,if your job has something to do with natural resources like mining industry,which Africa abounds in,there is no doubt that study French is more promising.
Because of the Open Policy started in the early 1980s,China has experienced a fast development for more than 30 years.With a GDP of 67.67 trillion RMB in 2015,China is the second largest economy body all over the world,only second to US.As lots of western countries are facing a critical economic situation,China may become another opportunity for a business success.
The glamour of Chinese and French
Finally,how about the glamour of these languages?
For centuries,French is considered to be a very beautiful language,sounding harmonious and melodic.Despite a number of people who harbor the idea that French has been over praised,the magic of this language itself is still working on many,attracting over 120 million students and 500,000 teachers around the world.
China,as a old and yet young country,is gaining more and more popularity these days.Being a developing country,there are still many people can’t speak any English,thus mastering Chinese is a key to the mysterious history and colorful life of its people.Because of globalization,Chinese elements have reached almost every corner of the world.For some youngsters,study Mandarin is not only about career or future,but merely a very cool thing to do.Don’t you want to speak as Jacky Chen does,or discover those unknown spots on the map all by yourself?Admit it or not,it’s true that sometimes watching China from a different angle can give you a special experience.Forget about the boring description in a museum.Only by talking to some local people in China can you know how thousands of years of history has gone into Chinese daily life and discover the real beauty of this wonderful land.Study Chinese may offer you this opportunity!
