I say don't believe Kevin Nadolny. Most likely he's lying. But even if he is fluent, that doesn't mean you can be fluent too. He's probably smarter than you. So don't bother.
Chinese, a waste of time
A demotivator,
I think you are a little quick to suggest that Mr. Nadolny is a liar.
Perhaps you are unaware that at least one big company was considering Chinese classes for its engineers, and possibly other staff, not so long ago. It's not a matter of being smart in languages like Japanese or Chinese-it's endurance.
If Mr. Nadolny got hired for his Chinese skills over someone who was simply an engineer, I'd say that he made a good choice to use his free time to learn a skill.
I think you are a little quick to suggest that Mr. Nadolny is a liar.
Perhaps you are unaware that at least one big company was considering Chinese classes for its engineers, and possibly other staff, not so long ago. It's not a matter of being smart in languages like Japanese or Chinese-it's endurance.
If Mr. Nadolny got hired for his Chinese skills over someone who was simply an engineer, I'd say that he made a good choice to use his free time to learn a skill.
Well, chances are it's not even a good job. Why strive for some fancy job when you can settle into an easy job that requires the minimum effort possible?
I couldn't agree more with 'a demotivator'. For losers, learning Chinese is indeed a complete waste of time. Why bother trying when you'll never succeed? The logic is plain and simple! Obviously, 'a demotivator' has been there before, and now he's back to save all the losers from repeating his same stupid mistake.
Fortunately, I'm not a loser and I didn't even consider if it would be a waste of time when I decided to learn English as a second language. Now, I'm nearly fluent in English and I feel so lucky to be able to speak and understand another language beside my native language Mandarin.
So, if, and only if, you're a loser, just listen to someone who speaks from experience - learning Mandarin, or any other 'difficult' languages is absolutely a total waste of time, and don't even bother to try.
Fortunately, I'm not a loser and I didn't even consider if it would be a waste of time when I decided to learn English as a second language. Now, I'm nearly fluent in English and I feel so lucky to be able to speak and understand another language beside my native language Mandarin.
So, if, and only if, you're a loser, just listen to someone who speaks from experience - learning Mandarin, or any other 'difficult' languages is absolutely a total waste of time, and don't even bother to try.
We're all losers deep down, whether we admit it or not. We all lose, in some way or another, why tempt destiny?
Absolutely! A lunatic in a mental hospital knows for sure that everybody in this world is crazy.
Stop that, you guys are really on99. Don't write on9 stuff when you don't have nothing better to write.
Well, this time demotivator is right.
For example, a Westerner (an American) can study Spanish, French, German and Chinese, for example.
He knows that he is going to study one foreign language 3 or 4 years. In this time, he can study Spanish or French with a medium level. If he study hard even a high level.
In the same time, his level of Chinese probably sucks. So, it is more frustrating in comparison with another European language.
For example, a Westerner (an American) can study Spanish, French, German and Chinese, for example.
He knows that he is going to study one foreign language 3 or 4 years. In this time, he can study Spanish or French with a medium level. If he study hard even a high level.
In the same time, his level of Chinese probably sucks. So, it is more frustrating in comparison with another European language.
Sorry for coming across as a bit harsh on my last post, but I hate the negative attitudes. Chinese has become a part of my life. What started off as a hobby led me to studying in China and finding my wife. While she's Japanese we still speak Chinese everyday together. We're working on English and Japanese but learning languages just takes some time, exposure, and perseverance.
I've studied with a lot of people and a lot of them don't do very well in learning Chinese. Learning the language is tough and you have go back to child like levels of communication for a few years before you can hold decent conversations. If you are successful then learning Chinese will open up many doors. (therefore not a waste of time)
As for my job here in Japan, I might have gotten it without the Chinese. They actually seem to like it that my wife is Japanese, I'm a native English speaker, and had a good job experience in the US. But when I told them that I speak Chinese, they were taken aback.
I'm not native fluent. I can't go take an engineering class in China without problems. But I can give a presentation and carry on political discussions in Chinese. I can read novels and stories with enough time, but can't sit back and relax to read them.
Also I learned most of my Chinese in three years. With a good teacher and program you can learn the language quickly. Then spending time in China was a definite advantage and finding non-western friends there forced me to speak Chinese all the time.
As for those considering learning Chinese, don't let demotivators influence you in whether to learn it. I listen to people I look up to, not the other way around.
I've studied with a lot of people and a lot of them don't do very well in learning Chinese. Learning the language is tough and you have go back to child like levels of communication for a few years before you can hold decent conversations. If you are successful then learning Chinese will open up many doors. (therefore not a waste of time)
As for my job here in Japan, I might have gotten it without the Chinese. They actually seem to like it that my wife is Japanese, I'm a native English speaker, and had a good job experience in the US. But when I told them that I speak Chinese, they were taken aback.
I'm not native fluent. I can't go take an engineering class in China without problems. But I can give a presentation and carry on political discussions in Chinese. I can read novels and stories with enough time, but can't sit back and relax to read them.
Also I learned most of my Chinese in three years. With a good teacher and program you can learn the language quickly. Then spending time in China was a definite advantage and finding non-western friends there forced me to speak Chinese all the time.
As for those considering learning Chinese, don't let demotivators influence you in whether to learn it. I listen to people I look up to, not the other way around.
<<Chinese has become a part of my life. What started off as a hobby led me to studying in China and finding my wife.>>
Aha! Exactly. That sums it all up. The only Westerners who become fluent in Chinese are those for whom it "becomes part of their life" and who speak it to their wives.
This confirms my hypothesis that it is impossible to get a good level of Chinese without an obscene obsession.
Aha! Exactly. That sums it all up. The only Westerners who become fluent in Chinese are those for whom it "becomes part of their life" and who speak it to their wives.
This confirms my hypothesis that it is impossible to get a good level of Chinese without an obscene obsession.
>>a demotivator
你就是一个白痴。凭你的智商， 我很难跟你解析。 <<
我笑了. 香港人有云, 傻B是沒有路可以抓的 (傻B的行徑是無法預測的)
>>Chinese has become a part of my life. What started off as a hobby led me to studying in China and finding my wife.<<
Good luck with your studies, gentleman! I'm glad to see someone learning Chinese for some truly meaningful and encouraging reasons.
你就是一个白痴。凭你的智商， 我很难跟你解析。 <<
我笑了. 香港人有云, 傻B是沒有路可以抓的 (傻B的行徑是無法預測的)
>>Chinese has become a part of my life. What started off as a hobby led me to studying in China and finding my wife.<<
Good luck with your studies, gentleman! I'm glad to see someone learning Chinese for some truly meaningful and encouraging reasons.
As far as I know, some westerners who're fluent (not proficient) in Mandarin might usually reach a high position in multinational corporations, even if you were down to your luck, at least you could find a job at educational institutions which train office staff in foreign languages skills, you would probably enjoy your life of high salary and low price in mainland China.
<<This confirms my hypothesis that it is impossible to get a good level of Chinese without an obscene obsession.>>
Thanks for the compliment demotivator. If my hobby is an "obscene obsession" then I must be doing well.
By the way my wife also speaks great Chinese, but she's not a native speaker. We also have a ton of friends who can speak great Chinese. Our wedding had Japanese and Americans with about ten or so people who could speak awesome Chinese (out of 38)
Xie, your English is awesome! Congratulations and thanks for the kind words.
Cheers
Thanks for the compliment demotivator. If my hobby is an "obscene obsession" then I must be doing well.
By the way my wife also speaks great Chinese, but she's not a native speaker. We also have a ton of friends who can speak great Chinese. Our wedding had Japanese and Americans with about ten or so people who could speak awesome Chinese (out of 38)
Xie, your English is awesome! Congratulations and thanks for the kind words.
Cheers
I have been studying for about 15 months on my own (albeit with a tutor)with Chinese Made Easier textbooks. I have lived as a teacher in China for 12 months. I am now at a low intermediate level. Though I can't have very deep conversations at all, and I can't read smack, I now have friends that only speak Chinese. I'm thinking it will take 2 more years before I really start to get fluent. Spanish was way easier to learn. Way. Easier. I probably learned the same amount of Spanish in about 3 or 4 months. But Chinese blows my mind so much more, baby! Ayayayayeeeeee!