It goes without saying that traveling to Asia is one of the surest ways to improve your fluency in Chinese. It is possible to get experience talking in Chinese to native speakers over the internet, or in your city, but nothing approaches "total immersion" like a trip to China or Taiwan. In Asia language learners are constantly provided with opportunities to exercise their language skills. Not only that, but they are constantly immersed in an atmosphere of spoken Chinese.
Traveling to Asia is also a great way to get in touch with the real reasons that you're learning Chinese. There are amazing opportunities for foreigners in Asia, and when you've arrived and are willing to learn Chinese you can make connections and friendships that can be of great benefit later on. The best way to learn Chinese is to dive headfirst into speaking, and the best way to use Chinese is to dive headfirst into the culture and geography of the Chinese speaking world.
Most people believe that a trip to Asia for the purpose of learning Chinese is financially unfeasible, but it can be cheaper than you'd ever imagine. There are programs and opportunities that can enable you to achieve your dreams, and maybe even come out with more money than you had initially.
The first option is to travel to China or Taiwan in order to become a full time student, studying Chinese at a prominent university. This is a great opportunity not only to be taught by a native speaker with solid experience, but to form friendships within a community of people who are as serious as you are about attaining fluency in Mandarin Chinese. Tuition for foreigners at universities in Asia can be much cheaper than in the western world, and many universities offer lucrative scholarships for foreigners that can offset the initial cost. You can apply for a student visa which will allow you live in the country for an extended period of time.
If you don't have the money for university, you can teach English. English teaching allows you to make almost twice what the average Chinese person earns in a month, so you can live comfortably on your salary and even pay for tuition at a university or a private Chinese class. Historically, salaries have been higher in Taiwan than in China, but this may be changing as China hires more and more English teachers.
Most people make some sort of compromise between learning Chinese and teaching English. There is no reason that you can't do both. In both countries it is illegal to work without a specific work visa, but many people teach English "under the table" while going to University. Private lessons can sometimes be even more profitable for English teachers than a contract position with a language school.
If you're considering a vacation or long term trip to Asia to learn Chinese, you can find a tremendous wealth of information on the internet to help you work out the specifics. Rest assured that traveling to Asia and pursuing your language learning goals is more feasible than most people think. So why isn't everyone doing it? Most people just haven't thought of it, and many of those who have are afraid or tied to commitments at home. Just go for it, and take a trip to Asia to make money and increase your fluency in Chinese.
Justin White lives in Jhubei Taiwan, and frantically works at learning Chinese.
Want to learn Chinese (or another language) quickly? Don't make the common mistakes that keep people struggling. Learn to avoid the pitfalls, and go to Learn Chinese Fast for tips, tricks and strategies to improve the speed with which you learn Chinese, and decrease the amount of time it takes you to reach fluency.
This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.
No comments:
Post a Comment