It’s been 3 years since we experienced the global lockdown. During the challenging period when almost every economic activity slowly came to a halt, there was one activity/hobby that garnered a huge following worldwide — Learning a new language.
In a recent official report released by Duolingo, it is revealed that five of the fast-growing languages among learners are Asian, including Mandarin Chinese. There has been an increased interest towards East Asian languages in general due to many cultural and economic factors.
Having said that, the ability to speak and write Mandarin is a highly sought-after skill in the government and non-government sectors in Malaysia. For instance, most employers in the international business field prefer to hire candidates who are effectively multilingual due to consistent economic partnerships with other Chinese-speaking countries.
Continue reading as we enlighten you on the benefits of mastering Mandarin and how you can effectively and flexibly learn Mandarin according to your pace!
Say Ni Hao to Global Communication- Go The Distance With Mandarin
One of the most direct ways we can see the relevance of mastering a new language is how practical and resourceful the language can be, especially when it comes to one’s career and personal development.
We have compiled three amazing examples that showcase how these non-native speakers master Mandarin from scratch and excel in their respective fields.
Former Australian Prime Minister – Kevin Rudd
You’ll be surprised to learn that Mr Rudd majored in Chinese language and Chinese history at the Australian National University. In between, he even travelled to Taiwan for a study trip. After graduation, he later took on roles as a junior diplomat at different Australian embassies, including in Beijing.
His fluency in Mandarin Chinese proved to be a strong advantage as a budding politician in the late 90s. For instance, his understanding of Chinese culture made him a key person in terms of promoting and reforming the teaching of Asian languages in Australia. He later went on to become the Prime Minister of Australia in 2007.
Until this day, you can also find many interview excerpts of him conversing in fluent Mandarin, be it to a group of Chinese Australian community or to Chinese journalists. Mr Kevin Rudd is currently the Australian ambassador to the United States. Having said that, if you are interested to be a politician or even a diplomat one day, you should certainly consider taking Mandarin as a second language.
Source: BBC News
All-rounder Malaysian artiste- Shila Amzah
Shila became a household name after winning the Asian Wave in Shanghai and she continued to make waves when she participated in another singing contest- I Am A Singer (我是歌手) Season 2. Her singing clips especially her rendition of Miss You Tonight (想你的夜)originally sung by Guan Zhe has garnered close to 8 million views on Youtube.
Shila previously revealed that she did not speak a word of Mandarin when she initially started working in China. After realising how frustrating it was to not be able to communicate with her fans and staff, she began taking Mandarin lessons to master the language.
She made history by becoming the first Malay singer to make a name in the Mandopop market. Not only that, she also successfully launched her Mandarin album in which she self-penned some of them through collaborations with other Mandarin artists. Fondly known as 茜拉 by her Chinese-speaking fans, Shila has a massive fanbase on Weibo, having around 2.5 million followers.
Olympic Badminton Champion – Viktor Axelsen
Viktor Axelsen is certainly no stranger to local and international badminton fans. He has continuously displayed consistent performances especially when he clinched the All England Open and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics gold medal.
Apart from his badminton skills, Axelsen who hails from Denmark is also famously known for his passion to master Mandarin. He reportedly started taking Mandarin lessons from a tutor who gave him the famous Chinese name: 安塞龙 (An Sai Long), incorporating bits of his surname and “the luck factor”, which means calm competitive dragon.
He mentioned that he was initially keen to learn Mandarin as many badminton competitions were held in China. Later on, he also received coaching from a Chinese coach and they could communicate better due to his increased Mandarin fluency.
Currently based in Penang? Explore these Mandarin learning places in Seberang Perai.
Discovering Your Motivation to Learn Mandarin And Start Now
Let’s be honest.
Learning Mandarin as a second or third language could sound a bit ambitious when you have absolutely no clue on what to expect. In fact, it is not an easy language to be mastered by the Chinese themselves if they do not have a solid foundation.
This is especially true with all the pinyin, character recognition and overall cultural understanding which includes Chinese history and so forth. However, like Shila and Viktor, it is important to identify the “why” behind your language learning intention and take practical actions to master it.
If you are currently working or in the midst of job-seeking, do you intend to work in a multinational company where you are constantly in contact with Chinese-speaking clients and employers? For instance, you need to start honing your oral communication skills, especially in terms of your vocabulary and listening skills to sound more confident during meetings.
On the other hand, you could also be an aspiring diplomat or translator who wants to work for an international organization like United Nations (UN) in the future. Since Mandarin is one of the official languages of the UN, you might want to tackle and improve your spoken and written language comprehension for Mandarin or even sit for a language proficiency test like the Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (汉语水平考试).
Now that you have reviewed your motivation, you might want to start looking for real Mandarin classes. There’s no harm in learning Mandarin on your own, but the journey could be lonely if you are a beginner and clueless about how to learn Mandarin effectively.
Start by looking for a Mandarin tutor that you can be comfortable with. We strongly recommend you to commit to a face-to-face or online Mandarin lesson where you get to practice your Mandarin listening, speaking, reading and even writing skills regularly.
Learn more about the experience of taking Mandarin lessons in Kuala Lumpur.
Photo by Davi Mendes on Unsplash
Where Can I Take Mandarin Tutoring Near Johor Bahru?
Private Mandarin tutoring is a huge deal in all parts of Malaysia, given the increasing interest and demand for the language in education and also the job market.
For those of you who are based in Johor Bahru, you might want to check out the nearest and most convenient place to start learning Mandarin.
Fret not, we got you covered with these 3 recommendations.
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Johor Bahru Edu Mandarin
Johor Bahru Edu Mandarin is a language learning centre that offers various Mandarin learning packages for various Mandarin learners with different levels of proficiency (beginner, intermediate, and advanced learners).
Located in Sunway Iskandar and Mount Austin, students can opt for physical Mandarin lessons or online lessons here. For students above 12 years old, they will be taught according to the Great Wall Chinese syllabus (Communicative Chinese Series) which covers basic vocabulary and also conversational phrases for everyday life.
Once the students are comfortable moving to higher levels after completing the 6 levels of The Great Wall Chinese Syllabus, they will take their Mandarin lessons following the New Practical Chinese Reader (新实用汉语课本)materials.
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Big Mandarin
Our second recommendation is Big Mandarin. It has two physical locations at Eco Botanic and Mount Austin as well as online lesson options.
You can find lessons for children, absolute beginners and those who are preparing for the HSK examination. Parents who intend to send their kids to a Chinese medium primary school can certainly consider the children learning lessons here.
The syllabus adopted by Big Mandarin caters to a diverse learning community including IGCSE. The aim of incorporating different syllabus is to enable every student to master Mandarin comprehensively regardless of their educational background and age.
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Kunkwan International Mandarin Training Centre
At Kunkwan, the Mandarin classes are generally divided into two main groups, Children (From 7-12 years old) and Adults (From 13 years and above).
For beginners, they will be trained in terms of their listening and speaking skills to activate their language comprehension. Once they have passed the level, they will take on basic character recognition and extensive reading.
Located at Taman Desa Terbau, Kunkwan also offers Chinese cultural lessons such as calligraphy classes (书法) and Chinese martial arts lessons.
Image by freestockcenter on Freepik
Enjoy Flexible One To One Mandarin lessons With Superprof
We know what some of you might be thinking now.
You might be more comfortable taking one-to-one Mandarin lessons from a private Mandarin tutor as a beginner.
Introducing to you a globally recognized learning platform — Superprof!
You can count on Superprof to match you with the most suitable Mandarin teacher for your Mandarin lessons!
At Superprof, you can experience a borderless and student-friendly learning experience. In other words, you can opt for online lessons and even choose a tutor that is not from your city.
This means you don’t have to worry about your Mandarin lessons even if you are currently not in Johor Bahru. You could move to a new state, be in another place for a holiday, and still find Mandarin tutors in Melaka and learn Mandarin effectively in Ipoh.
Whether it’s face-to-face lessons or online lessons, you can easily choose a desired Superprof tutor according to your preferences in terms of years of experience, qualification, hourly rates and even teaching methodology.
With Superprof, your goal to be a Mandarin language master can come true!
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