[Suits]

(04-21-2015 03:51 PM)southamerica Wrote:  

Economically speaking, it makes sense to learn Spanish as the OP said. Becoming proficient in Mandarin makes sense, too. But if you learn a language solely for economic reasons, you're likely to fail.

You need a more profound reason to invest your time into studying a foreign language as it is a very time consuming task. Mastering a language is not a sprint. It isn't a marathon either. It is an Ironman Triathlon.

So, if you have an affinity for a particular culture, great. This probably is the best reason to learn a language. Immersing yourself in a culture you love while working on your language skills is the bridge to new business partners, friends, poosy, etc. As it was discussed here on RVF, location is king. Add language skills and the results will be even better.

(04-19-2015 09:54 AM)Cattle Rustler Wrote:  

(04-19-2015 05:37 AM)Suits Wrote:  

Because instead I learned the most spoken language in the world, a language spoken in a country where there are infinite opportunities for me to earn money and a capital city which brings in beautiful women from literally every nation of the world (including N. Korea).

Didn't leave a lot of time for learning Spanish.

You forgot that the Chinese are also learning English in even larger numbers. As a result, learning Chinese for business will be futile.

Learning a language for business will never be futile. The sort of respect that comes from speaking the language of your business partners can't be obtained otherwise. Moreover, you will gain invaluable insight into their culture through the language. I'd at least try to be culturally aware in any situation as there's no time to learn every single language.

Do you think every English student in China will become fluent in English in their lifetime? That's an exaggeration. You need to give more credit to those who are studying Mandarin.

If you purely learning a language for short to mid-length travel excursions, Spanish is the OBVIOUS choice. I'd certain encourage learning Spanish to someone who has a situation to travel just to travel.

Spanish speaking women are much hotter than Chinese speaking women by a large margin. Don't learn Chinese for the women.

If you want to permanently relocate to another country, Chinese is a serious competitor. If you absolutely want to live in a different country and make good money (you gotta be willing to work for it, of course), there are few options better than China.

Learning Chinese won't be as useful a skill for this purpose as having competitive career skills, but if you want to be able to take advantage of all that China has to offer career and lifestyle-wise, you'd better learn it.

You can get by in China without speaking a lick of Chinese -- if you want to function on the same level as a 3 year old.

Good luck with you self-esteem, though.

I considered South America, but English teaching pays poorly, so I ultimately focused on Asia. I might learn Spanish at some point in the next ten years if I have the time and money to travel at my own leisure.