As one of the world’s fastest growing economies, China is becoming a critical player in global business and a major cultural influence. In Transylvania’s newest language program, students can develop Chinese conversational skills and practice reading and writing in the language, while learning more about the enchanting, enduring culture and its people.
Transylvania does not currently offer a major or minor in Chinese language. However, a minor in Asian studies is under development.
Why study Chinese?
China is the second largest economy in the world.
China is one of the largest trading partners of the United States.
Many U.S. companies do business in China and have long-term investments there. Business leaders are looking for people who can speak Chinese and operate successfully in a Chinese cultural context.
One-fifth of the planet speaks Chinese. Mandarin Chinese is the mother tongue of over 873 million people. It is spoken by over 1 billion people around the world, making it the most widely spoken first language in the world.
In addition to the People’s Republic of China and Taiwan, Mandarin Chinese is also spoken in the important and influential Chinese communities of Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, the Philippines, and Mongolia.
Really, why not?
A large number of the key terms of Mandarin Chinese (such as the terms for state, health, science, party, inflation, and even literature) have been formed as translations of English concepts.
The basic word order of Chinese is subject–verb–object, exactly as in English.
Chinese has a relatively uncomplicated grammar. Unlike French, German, Spanish, or English, Chinese has:
- No subject/verb agreement
- No plurals
- No verb conjugations
- No verb tenses