In a CBS MoneyWatch report, Chris van Someren, chief executive of London-based search firm Ascentator, says demand for executive positions by American and multinational companies in China has risen 35 percent from the previous year, echoing similar figures from other recruiting firms. And while knowing Chinese is a distinct advantage for getting these jobs, what most companies, Chinese and otherwise, seem to be looking for are people with the proper cultural sensitivities. While you might not need to learn Chinese for job assignments, yet being able to speak some Chinese with your business associates, customers and/or vendors, will give you lots of extra credit with the Chinese counter party.
Although Chinese is a harder language than English to learn, it is not impossible. Utilizing combination of online free resources and a native speaker private tutor/teacher will make you a formidable Chinese speaker. Learn Chinese Online with a highly reputable program will shorten your learning time frame and reduce the frustration you might have. Here are some online resources:
http://www.languageguide.org/mandarin/
www.chinesepod.com
http://www.fsi-language-courses.org/Content.php?page=Chinese
The U.S. State Department’s Foreign Service Institute rates Mandarin a “Category III” language, meaning it is one of the most difficult languages to learn for a native English speaker. The institute specifies that Mandarin competence requires 88 weeks of study, or 2,200 class hours. If you can dedicate 2 years with weekly 6 hours of learning (2-3 class hours), you will be fluent in Chinese.
