Fewer university students are studying Mandarin • Hacker News Board

Re: Fewer university students are studying Mandarin

#31

Post by slyall » Sat, Aug 26, 2023, 1:25 AM UTC

jimbob45 wrote: post #13

jamesaurichs wrote: post #11

There is 0 reason to learn mandarin if you're doing it for travel/business reasons In Taiwan street signs do mostly have English translations. A lot of citizens speak English, especially night market vendors. You'll also have a lot of native English speakers in Taipei due to expatriation from US and Canada. In Singapore signs officially are in English. And it's one of the four official languages, which means most peo…

Do you have an explanation for China’s low tourism? Is it just latent fears of COVID?

Shortages of Flights, Geopolitical tensions, Perception that society/government is unfriendly to foreigners.

Also starting from zero since covid restrictions.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinas-latest-problem-people-do...

Re: Fewer university students are studying Mandarin

#32

Post by throwaway1777 » Sat, Aug 26, 2023, 1:27 AM UTC

samcheng wrote: post #29

jimbob45 wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you have an explanation for China’s low tourism? Is it just latent fears of COVID?

I doubt it's about COVID now. The government has really ruined China's "brand" internationally. 1. You need an onerous-to-obtain visa to visit. There is no visa exemption. 2. Banking is a total pain for a foreigner. Many places only accept Alipay or Wechat, which require a Chinese bank account. Cash doesn't work well either, because the largest denomination is tiny. 3. Many US-China flights were canceled in the pande…

Perfect list. Sums it up completely

Re: Fewer university students are studying Mandarin

#33

Post by yieldcrv » Sat, Aug 26, 2023, 1:28 AM UTC

jamesaurichs wrote: post #11

There is 0 reason to learn mandarin if you're doing it for travel/business reasons In Taiwan street signs do mostly have English translations. A lot of citizens speak English, especially night market vendors. You'll also have a lot of native English speakers in Taipei due to expatriation from US and Canada. In Singapore signs officially are in English. And it's one of the four official languages, which means most peo…

For trade and speculation, understanding Mandarin speaking communities is a huge opportunity

Thats what I feel like anyway

Lots of English speaking opportunities too, but I wanna know what people think and how in their native language, I want access

Re: Fewer university students are studying Mandarin

#34

Post by orangepurple » Sat, Aug 26, 2023, 1:34 AM UTC

jimbob45 wrote: post #13

jamesaurichs wrote: post #11

There is 0 reason to learn mandarin if you're doing it for travel/business reasons In Taiwan street signs do mostly have English translations. A lot of citizens speak English, especially night market vendors. You'll also have a lot of native English speakers in Taipei due to expatriation from US and Canada. In Singapore signs officially are in English. And it's one of the four official languages, which means most peo…

Do you have an explanation for China’s low tourism? Is it just latent fears of COVID?

China is fully prepared to go to war today. They have these restrictions in place to reduce complications when the war is declared.

Re: Fewer university students are studying Mandarin

#35

Post by LeifCarrotson » Sat, Aug 26, 2023, 1:36 AM UTC

jamesaurichs wrote: post #24

jimbob45 wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you have an explanation for China’s low tourism? Is it just latent fears of COVID?

Here are some conjectures: 1.) There is a very high dislike of China across the world. Large majorities in most of the 19 countries surveyed have negative views of China https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2022/06/29/negative-views... 2.) No business need to travel there. Foreign investment is down 90% this year. Literally no US/europe presence in the trade fairs in China the summer. 3.) Flights are super expensive, b…

I traveled to Shanghai in 2018 for business. Attitudes were mixed, but mostly impressed by the pace of development. Flights were cheap for the amount of fuel required ($1200). The (Japanese) OEM I was subcontracting for wanted to install and train the operators using the same equipment in their US final assembly plants as in the Chinese factories where the subassemblies were made. I studied the FSI Mandarin course enough to catch a few basic phrases and read a little pinyin, and I set up Alipay on arrival with a small amount of help from my host. The only shortcoming from a travel perspective was that I ran out of my (TSA-approved) travel-size deodorant and could not find Western deodorant in any of the shops.

On the one hand, it's staggering to me how rapid the pace of change against China has been. On the other hand, it was also staggering how rapidly they were modernizing and building in 2018.

Re: Fewer university students are studying Mandarin

#36

Post by andsoitis » Sat, Aug 26, 2023, 1:37 AM UTC

samcheng wrote: post #29

jimbob45 wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you have an explanation for China’s low tourism? Is it just latent fears of COVID?

I doubt it's about COVID now. The government has really ruined China's "brand" internationally. 1. You need an onerous-to-obtain visa to visit. There is no visa exemption. 2. Banking is a total pain for a foreigner. Many places only accept Alipay or Wechat, which require a Chinese bank account. Cash doesn't work well either, because the largest denomination is tiny. 3. Many US-China flights were canceled in the pande…

> 5. Many US employers ban their employees from bringing company equipment (laptops) into China for fear of corporate espionage.

Even Hong Kong, these days.

Re: Fewer university students are studying Mandarin

#37

Post by soligern » Sat, Aug 26, 2023, 1:38 AM UTC

fn-mote wrote: post #9

I can't understand this impulse. It seems blindingly clear to me that the international influence of China is rising and will continue to rise, and the need for Mandarin-English bilingual work will continue to skyrocket. If you do not believe that China is going to be an even more massive world power in the coming decades, then I guess I understand the drop in interest. I just cannot fathom how that could happen, tho…

I think the general feeling is that even if China continues to rise, “we” don’t really want anything to do with them. Alternatives will be found and China will at the very least be a soft enemy that espouses something we don’t want to be, very much like the Soviet Union and the Cold War.

Re: Fewer university students are studying Mandarin

#38

Post by tjpnz » Sat, Aug 26, 2023, 1:40 AM UTC

jimbob45 wrote: post #13

jamesaurichs wrote: post #11

There is 0 reason to learn mandarin if you're doing it for travel/business reasons In Taiwan street signs do mostly have English translations. A lot of citizens speak English, especially night market vendors. You'll also have a lot of native English speakers in Taipei due to expatriation from US and Canada. In Singapore signs officially are in English. And it's one of the four official languages, which means most peo…

Do you have an explanation for China’s low tourism? Is it just latent fears of COVID?

Why would I want to travel somewhere where the government thinks I, as a person from "the west", am the literal embodiment of satan?

On a more personal note I've had a family member recently return from living in China. Harassment from local law enforcement had a large part to play.

Re: Fewer university students are studying Mandarin

#39

Post by VerminOctopus1 » Sat, Aug 26, 2023, 1:40 AM UTC

jamesaurichs wrote: post #11

There is 0 reason to learn mandarin if you're doing it for travel/business reasons In Taiwan street signs do mostly have English translations. A lot of citizens speak English, especially night market vendors. You'll also have a lot of native English speakers in Taipei due to expatriation from US and Canada. In Singapore signs officially are in English. And it's one of the four official languages, which means most peo…

I can’t help but think that if you’re doing business in China from abroad, it’s good to know Mandarin. Seems like a weird take to claim there’s zero value in it.

Re: Fewer university students are studying Mandarin

#40

Post by rtpg » Sat, Aug 26, 2023, 1:40 AM UTC

jamesaurichs wrote: post #11

There is 0 reason to learn mandarin if you're doing it for travel/business reasons In Taiwan street signs do mostly have English translations. A lot of citizens speak English, especially night market vendors. You'll also have a lot of native English speakers in Taipei due to expatriation from US and Canada. In Singapore signs officially are in English. And it's one of the four official languages, which means most peo…

Even in places as English friendly as the Netherlands or Germany, working with locals is going to be smoother with a grasp of native tongues of the people you’re interacting with.

And if you’re actually interested in riding the ranks as a career it’s a must that you can be able to work in the language comfortable for your superiors (in some places that’ll be English, of course…)

It’s possible to not have it, but every successful outsider I’ve seen in foreign countries learn the local language even if it’s “unnecessary”