WHY YOU NEED TO LEARN MANDARIN AS A PROFESSIONAL

The idea of learning Mandarin as a professional is great.

Mandarin is the most spoken language globally, and it’s also the language of business, tourism, and education.

But, while the idea is great, you might wonder how the Chinese language will help your company.

We’ve done our research, and we’ve come up with four examples of when you’ll use your new language skills to help your company.

Keep reading to find out more.

IN A WORK MEETING

You will use your Mandarin language skills during a work meeting. Whether you’re an engineer or work in the manufacturing industry, you will most likely work with someone who speaks Mandarin.

While they may not primarily speak to your company in Mandarin, being able to converse with them in their primary language will make them feel comfortable. It will also make the Mandarin speaker feel heard because they may not be fluent in the language your company employees speak.

Knowing Mandarin will show managers and coworkers that you’re taking education into your own hands, which helps the company during meetings.

GROWING YOUR EMPLOYEE BASE

Chinese language skills are scarce in some companies, even for companies that do a lot of business with China. With Mandarin being needed in a business, knowing the language can make you an attractive employee.

hrough learning Mandarin, you can transform yourself from a low-value employee to someone who is critical to the company’s success.

Say goodbye to your small title and hello to a new, shiny one. With you getting a promotion, it will allow for your company to grow and fill your position.

You could also suggest holding lunch and learn sessions in your company to teach other employees Mandarin. Once you’re comfortable with the language, why not share your knowledge?

DURING A WORK TRIP

After a couple of promotions and showing your capability at work, your manager may send you on a work trip to China to meet a client face-to-face. This is a perfect example of why you need to learn Mandarin.

TWith more than 1.3 billion people in China, there are more than 77,469,000 companies in the country. This means there’s a lot of Mandarin-speaking business people.

Knowing Mandarin when you land in China will help you discuss business with the client and ease your travel experience. You’ll be able to speak with people in the airport, tell your cab driver what hotel you’re staying at, and order your favorite Chinese dinner.

Since you know the language of the country you’re traveling to, your manager will see you as the perfect employee for the trip. You will not be lost in translation.

TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENTS OR CONVERSATIONS

Have you ever been in the office when someone said, “Can anyone read/speak Mandarin… I have a client who can’t speak [insert your first language], and I don’t speak theirs. I need help.”

This is where you can raise your hand and head over to help your co-worker. Since you know Mandarin, you’re able to be the translator in the middle of a non-conversational conversation.

In addition to being able to help in that vocal exchange, your skills are also valuable when it comes to documents, client reports, and research. Since you can read and write Mandarin, you can help translate any written documentation and send out exchanges in Mandarin.

TIME TO BOOK YOUR STUDY ABROAD EXPERIENCE

Now that you know how Mandarin will be used in the workplace, it’s time to decide where you’re going to study it.

Keats School in Kunming, China, has been teaching business professionals Mandarin since 2004. There are eight different study abroad options, and each is customizable to what you need to learn.

To learn more about Keats or to apply online, visit our website.