I’m 59 years old and have been learning Mandarin for one year. I already speak passable French and a little of both Italian and Georgian. I’m also a musician and am led to believe the same part of the brain is employed for both these activities. The avoidance of Alzheimer’s is one of my main drivers 🧠😂🤣
The best reason to learn Chinese, is the human joy and love it can create! What i mean by this is, if I as a White British guy strike up a conversation with a Chinese person in Mandarin, i cant tell you (once weve move passed the shock stage) the joy and love that they emit. In the flash of an eye, via the sheer realisation Ive clearly spent years learning and perfecting their native tongue, it feels like we have a massive bond. Their barriers come down, and instantly you have an amazing rapport. Ive made so many lovely Chinese friends that have immigrated to the UK and I consider it like a secret friend making power. It honestly gives me so much Joy, Love and Warmth!
White people's reaction to Chinese speak English is quite different than Chinese people's reaction to white people speak Chinese. Not trying to be racistic, just telling to truth.
@@mytube785 Yes you are correct, but it is a question of expectations rather than racism in my opinion. If you are Chinese mainland, you have to learn English for the mandatory part of Gaokao, you also have most likely received pressure from your parents, and consider it vital for your future job prospects. Your peers all do it, and many before you have done it. Such numbers come abroad to study english, as do people from other countries, that the experience for A British person meeting a Chinese that may speak english is no longer novel. Whereas for my self, it has been a somewhat lonely experience learning Chinese, my society isnt set up for it, my peers don't do it, and there isn't a long history of people doing it before me. So for better or worse , I am still in a minority. I don't say its fair, many Chinese have much better english than me, but don't get the same positive reinforcement that I do. Its definately a different reaction. Unless a Chinese person has utterly perfect english, it may go unnoticed. All I can say is Im blessed, and hugely grateful, and thankful everyday, that if I do use Chinese I am met with love and warmth and shock and enthuasism. It is the most motivating, and life affirming thing. It really is!
I'm Spanish and I'm an English teacher. I've just (literally) started learning Mandarin as a hobby to see where it leads me. It's a really challenging language, so musical and different! I think you're right, when you learn another language one of the most fascinating experience is that you are able to use words that encode concepts that do not exist in your own language. It gives you a different understanding of the world. There is always something lost in translation!
I am a Chinse from Taiwan living in California. Due to the proximity to Mexico, I tried to learn Spanish. Not that easy... :-). Verb conjugation is the most challenge for me.
@@justinhan286 Are you from the family that fled from China to Taiwan with their tails between their legs in 1949? Taiwanese no longer call ourselves Chinese, except those disgusting Chinese refugees who massacred Taiwanese and stole our money during the White Terror and then they fled to their next host, usually the states. If you are one of them, maybe your grandpa can tell you how much money he stole from Taiwanese and raped how many underage Taiwanese girls.
1.mandarine is one of the biggest languages isn the world 2.deeper understanding of the rich chinese culture 3.speak mandarine opens the door for potential opportunities 4.learing a challenging language tranis your brain and keeps it active 5.learning a language can help you be a better communicator As a native mandarine speaker, I am honored to feel the motivation that you wanna learn mandarine. From the reasons that you give, I can infer that you have a excellent learning skill(I don't know if this is correct in english grammer and so do this sentence).Btw I still wanna say that don't put too much time in improving writing skill because 我也忘记了某些汉字的写法，如果不是因为为了应付学校的考试，我觉的可能现在就差不多只能说中文或者用中文打字，而不知道如何写中文，and what I said just now is a good test for tou to test your mandrine reading skill.
My motivation to keep going on learning mandarin is, that my boyfriend of 5 years is chinese. His parents don't speek german (my native language) well, and I was tired of my bf always translating. So now I learn actively for 1 year now
I'm trying to learn Mandarin for free and its being a challenge mainly on speaking. When I learned English it was easy to find people online available to talk to you and that's for free, but with mandarim I can't find any if u can tell me how do you practice this I'll be really grateful
@@dhuzi3389 really? I don't mind actually I I think it's great thank you very much but my mandarim it's very basic so I cant speak to much, but I'll be thankful
你好! As a native turkish speaker I decided to get rid of my prejudices and learn Chinese and I can say that I really enjoy! And thank you very much for the Chinese search and rescue teams who came to my country in this difficult situation my country is in. Turkish people are grateful to you, we wont forget it, 谢谢🤍
as a Chinese native, I'm learning German and Japanese, and the more important part of learning a language I think is to eliminate bias and stereotypes. Regardless of the politics and ideology(this word should be buried in the 20th century), Mandarin is definitely worth devoting yourself
As a native mandarin speaker and yes my adopted family will tell me that when I speak English, I have less self confidence, but when I speak Chinese I am more louder talking and sounds more confident. It definitely shows different personalities when I speaks between these two languages. Nevertheless, I am self learning Spanish language, so by watching your video it really gives me the motivation to continue. 感谢分享！我们共同努力加油！
You are so right! I‘m so happy to see that more and more people started to be interested in our language and culture. Good luck with your learning! 加油！
your smile is so sweet, as a newbie in learning English from China, although your speed of speaking is a little bit fast for me, I cannot stop staring at your smile all the time when I try to catch up with you. Thank you so much about the tips and skills about language learning,
I love this video of yours 💯 And I couldn’t agree more with you 👌🏽 I’m a native Spanish speaker, and since I’ve learned English and been studying Chinese by myself I have a deeper understanding of even my own mother tongue! It’s fascinating how every language gives you a whole new perspective of things 😁
@@IzzySealey Awesome! 😃 I’ve also got a list of languages to learn. I’m on my way to become a polyglot 📚🤓 Already began with Italian and Greek just to break my routine a little.
I'm learning korean. I started when the pandemic started and that for me was luck. I worked on my korean and studied my butt off everyday and J improved soooooo much. But when my Highschool starts next year, I stopped because I had so much to study already. I really wnat to start over. I'm really interested in Korean, Japanese and Chinese. And even though these tips are for chinese, gives me a lot of motivation
Yea keep work on your Korean, it’s honestly the easiest out of the three. n she’s right in the video, a lot of chinese r bilingual n I’d highly doubt the job prospect by being English speaking n learning Chinese today XD
Thank you for your video. As a Chinese student who is about to pursue a Master's degree in Chinese International Education, I have learned more about how foreigners view Chinese
Hi Lzz, I'm 30 years old and have been studying Mandarin part-time since University. In my early 20's I obtained a scholarship to study Chinese at one of the world's best Chinese language institutions - ICLP. I'm now around the HSK lvl 6 level - although my writing is still not great (a common story). I originally was going to work at my country's embassy in Beijing in early 2020, but because of the pandemic the opportunity fell through. I would say that now due to China's covid lockdowns, it has been very hard to get a job using Chinese in your local country that would be willing to send you to a Chinese-speaking country, which is really critical to keep the practice up. Something you might find interesting is that as a 'white guy' learning Chinese, it can be hard to actually practice Chinese with Chinese speakers, because many either will want to take that opportunity to practice their English, or if they are native to an English-speaking country, ( like Kiwi-Chinese, British/Chinese) a lot of the time their is a feeling they want to avoid me, or avoid speaking the language with me. One reason i think is that there is a sense that they've spent their whole lives trying to fit in an English-speaking country, and by replying in Chinese to me their is a feeling of 'projection of an identity' they have actively tried to avoid their whole life going on. On the other hand, when I was in Taiwan, sometimes i felt other 'white people' who made no attempt to speak Chinese were in some ways more...this is a tricky word..."appealing"? This might sound crazy, but i think it is because it forces the Chinese speaker to "prove themselves" by using an international language, there is a heightened prestige to that dynamic, a heightened exoticism, than say conversing with a foreigner who's Chinese will often sound weird and elementary and very un-mysterious. I totally do not regret learning Chinese, but i definitely feel my life has in some ways become more isolated because of it. If we think about dating and British/Chinese or Kiwi/Chinese, think some Chinese speakers will feel that me trying to speak or practice Chinese with them could also be a sign of me 'fetishizing' a part of their identity that once again many have been feeling distant to most of their childhood, and because there are people who DO do that type of Asian fetishization, I will avoid bringing up using the language even if i knew very early on they speak Chinese. The bizarre conclusion is that save from many Chinese speakers being very complimentary on my mandarin, Chinese citizens end up wanting to use English with me, and British-Chinese dont want to be 'othered' by using Chinese! Alas, the only group left to practice with is older 阿姨 in the park~!
Well I disagreed with u a little, the Chinese people that I know they were very happy to be able to communicate with me at least a little in their native language that they didn't hear (except from their family and friends) for a long time so I guess when people hear u speaking then native language in a country that is not their they feel in home. About people on their native country speaking to you English that's very true, as u probably can notice I'm not a native English speaker but everyone in my country feel pressured to speak English and when we saw a foreign we want to show then that we know their language to make then feel comfortable
@@AnaLaura-lufinha Many international students and migrants are happy and surprised to see you converse in their native language, but for me most of the time they will reply to what i said to them in Chinese with English, because most of the time they have very few native friends because "all their friends are Chinese" and want to practice their English. The challenge is normally these moments are brief, and even when I have gone to the local universities Chinese students club, people are friendly but not necessarily willing to let you join in their friends group. even in my country, NZ, many Chinese do not need to worry about "making local friends" they can just join local Wechat's Chinese groups - and do every activity with other Chinese. The one noticeable group who seem to actively go out of their way to embrace local culture are Chinese women who have broken up with their Chinese bf and do not like the traditions and pressure of Chinese culture and are looking to escape that.
I wanna try learning mandarin to be able to explore new languages and and their culture as well, and I have to admit i low-key want to impress people by learning Chinese, but that's just a part of my goal, I wanna learn Chinese so that I can befriend other people who speak Chinese aswell!! I will start learning pinyin tomorrow Wish me luck! and Goodluck to other who are also trying to learn mandarin!!
Absolutely correct about how the only way to someone’s heart is with their mother tongue! I learned the Faroese language many years ago when I lived on the islands. I would have never been able to truly connect with and understand the people there if I hadn’t put them first at ease by meeting them on their home turf if you will! Thank you for this video, I’m going to write my list for Mandarin now. I’ve been procrastinating for too long and you’ve inspired me! 😊
I am glad you are re-connecting your other part of your history, well done. I am doing the same plus finding my roots about my heritage having direct associations with important people in history which is strange and surprising.
I knew 4 languages, Hindi, Punjabi,Urdu,English and I really wanted to learn something different, but soon I signed up for duolingo and chose Chinese as my learning language, and It’s the perfect language for me to learn! I love the culture, pronunciation, and characters. although it has been quiet hard picking up the different tones because of the languages I already know, I really believe that I will master Mandarin Chinese 😊
I knew just 2 languages portuguese and English but I wanted to try something more difficult and decide to learn chinese (I also love the culture there) and have being a challenge, I wish someday I'll be able to speak as many languages as you
@@IzzySealey You are so welcome Izzy, Thank You so much for Your efforts in studying Your medical course, i suffered a serious injury to my arm around christmas time several years ago, and when i was treated so quickly and efficiently at the hospital, it made me realise You people are holding the world together. We'd have nothing without you. Thank You so much again
I am a native Chinese speaker who studying English now,I got 6 points in the ielts test so I can do basic communication fluently.I want to find a native English speaker who want to study Chinese and we can help each other.
Love all of your videos and tips for learning Chinese! This is so motivating i'm smiling :) Currently preparing for HSK 3, quite challenging but it's so interesting and rewarding to notice how much more I can read and understand over time!
There is a lot of great modern music in Mandarin. So the best reason to learn it is, to have an even greater appreciation of this music. It's a wonderful experience. To truly learn another language, one has to understand the spirit of that language. Each language has its own spirit. Thus, there is personality change in using another language. And then, learning Mandarin is a good idea in order to enhance spiritual perspective in life.
Thank you, Dr. Izzy sealed for sharing the experience of re taking a language which is part of your heritage ( ? ) I will try to introduce this to my kids. Best wishes :)
Thank you for this video ^^ im a fellow med student (though i study laboratory medicine and diagnostics so a slightly different field) and i also started learning mandarin chinese. It is fascinating
I started learning chinese, because it helps me to reduce stress. Maybe it is, because I started watching C-Drama one day before my examination 😅 but I really enjoy it. And I learn more about the language and myself. 🥰
Thank you so much for the motivation Izzy because the last days i was super frustrated and i was about to give up learning chinese but not for now fortunatly
I'm 36 and I am learning English right now, just like you guys learning Chinese, to see the world in a whole new way, New language New life😀, by the way I'm Chinese and live in China,
I'm chinese native, and I started to learn english before a month ago. Your video give me more power and a easy way to learn english. Because I am formiliar with the mandarin and I can understand what you say. The video give me a english environment, Thank you.
Thanks for this video! Firstly, It helps me to understand that goal of learning languages not always about going to the uni or working abroad! I thought that I have to have a specific reason for learning language, but It isn't. Secondly, I'm really grateful for motivation that you gave me through this video💘 I started learning Chinese yesterday and I'm so excited to continue🙃 Btw English isn't my native language and I'm happy that I can almost understand what you said))
I mean for me u need to have reason or goal, without it u will loose interest in learning this language. It doesnt have to be job or uni purpose, but u need to figure out smth
One thing that people often don’t realise is that Mandarin is often not Chinese people’s native language, but rather an artificial language that has become their lingua franca. Especially so for people in Southern China, Mandarin is a language learnt once they hit school age. Akin to a Quechua speaker learning Spanish in Peru.
I started Mandarin to challenge myself as an ex-student - i missed learning so much! But ugh it's hard lol i want to keep up tho 🥺 thank you for your video! Def helped motivate me 🥰
Beyond these 5 reasons, there is always a personal reason why someone learns a foreign language, and the personal reason may be the biggest motivation factor for one to learn and continue learning and using the language. It'd be beneficial to keep refreshing and sharpening this personal reason and need.
You’re amazing, Izzy! The way you think about learning a new language is very profound! I think you will definitely have a very prosperous future with such a good(kind) heart and open mind! Would love to help if you have anything doubt about Mandarin study! ❤
Hi, Izzy came across your vlogs. So impressed with your language journey I also love learning mandarin but still struggling mostly with the reading and typing part. Recently been procrastinating my bad 哈哈。 Trying to regain my motivation best of luck 我们一起 加油！
the quote about planting now is a great one! Your content is so aesthetically pleasing! Whose channels were helpful to teach you how to launch such a great channel?
Any lovely people who may know, where did Mandarin originate from? I would love to dig further beneath the surface in understanding the history behind Chinese Languages. Technical aspects like these I find really fascinating.
I have a strong inkling that I've met you before, I could be wrong, but I was a medical student from Australia and I did a placement at Addenbrookes ophthalmology unit a few years ago. You definitely remind me of a medical student I met in theatre. Anyway, I guess I wanted to comment because if I'm correct then it sure is a small world. Regardless, all the best for this channel and your career as a doctor!
Ahh yes I remember, it was lovely meeting you back then!! 😊 I’m impressed you remember me as it’s been so long haha 😂 Hope you’re doing really well, would be cool to catch up on a zoom call - drop me an insta dm / email if you’re down!
I wonder how me, a Chinese American, can change the mindsets and culture of an entire China. I love your Nelson quote, cuz it motivates me to continue learning Chinese. I want to speak to the people of China
You are a fresher for Chinese culture,my mean where are speaking to another one in Mandarin during your travel,you are most likely talking with a inhabitant from main continent culture background,do you know how to deal with during communication?
Chinese is also widely spoken in Hong Kong and Malaysia : ) The main language in Hong Kong is Cantonese. However, a lot of the people in Hong Kong have learnt Mandarin. The Chinese speaking people in Malaysia are the ones who are descendants of early Chinese immigrants who immigrated to Malaysia from the mainland a long time ago. I am a Turkish origin but first learnt English then Chinese and now I am in the process of learning Spanish. Chinese grammar is extremely easy. However saying the right thing is the challenge as Chinese is a tonal language that has four distinct tones. People who are good at singing or play a musical instrument have a much easier time learning Mandarin Chinese. Cheers..! 😊😊
As an Oversea Chinese who grew up only speaking Cantonese and only learning some Mandarin, never thought I would be motivated to continue learning more about Mandarin by a RU-vidr lol. What an inspiring video. Thank you for sharing and interest in our culture! P/S: May I ask do you have any Chinese heritage?
Very nice explanation izzy ! I have now motivation to learn mandarin ! Chinese culture is very interesting back to the medieval period and until now 🤔💭 And also... WILD RURI OHAMA SPOTTED at 0:49 🤣👍🏻
4:04 Agreed. It's also interesting that many complex notions or long proverbs can be expressed very concisely in Mandarin using much less syllables that in other languages. for example, in "有志者，事竟成", which translates into "those who have a strong determination will finally achieve her/his goal", Mandarin uses only 6 syllables and seems quite efficient. Though it may take some time for one to master the language, it's definitely worth learning. Anyway, 加油, 凯琦, 祝你成功!
@@sasino The 成语 seems to me to be a kind of secret code. For example, two people who are in a close relationship can express rich meanings through simple sentences or words, which is their "secret".
It's also like a key or a directory or even a website. Others only need to tell you this website, and you can go to the "cloud" to download data, and this cloud is slowly accumulated by a Chinese person and his family and friends from childhood to adulthood.
有志者，事竟成 is normally translated as “Where there’s a will, there’s a way,” which is only one more syllable. The point is still valid, but better examples could be given, such as 物極必反, which means that things are bound to turn around after reaching an extreme.
in brief : In this video, a Cambridge University medical student named Izzy, who is also part-time learning Mandarin, shares five reasons why one should consider learning Mandarin Chinese. 1. **It is widely spoken**: Mandarin Chinese has the most native speakers of any language globally, with over a billion people, or 14% of the global population, speaking the language. This not only allows communication with a vast number of people but also fosters a deeper, more meaningful connection as communicating in someone's native language holds a significant impact. 2. **Understanding the rich Chinese culture and history**: Learning Mandarin allows a more profound appreciation of Chinese culture, including art, music, food, TV shows, and more, as the language and culture of a place are deeply intertwined. 3. **Opportunities for travel and business**: China is one of the largest global economies and continues to grow rapidly. Learning Mandarin now could open doors for future opportunities in business, careers, hobbies, and travel as China's influence expands. 4. **It trains your brain**: Mandarin is a challenging language, and learning it can stimulate brain growth and change, thanks to a property of the brain known as neuroplasticity. Studies have shown that learning a language like Mandarin can enhance cognitive function, boost memory, foster creativity, and potentially guard against Alzheimer's disease. 5. **Improving communication and understanding of language**: Learning a different language helps to reshape one's perspective of the world, understanding the different ways of saying things, and empathizing with other language learners. It also allows you to appreciate the different personalities you might exhibit while speaking different languages. Izzy concludes by emphasizing the importance of starting or continuing to learn Mandarin now. Regardless of how old you are, it's never too late to start learning, using a Chinese proverb to illustrate: "The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now." She encourages viewers to take on the rewarding challenge of learning Mandarin and enjoy the progress and opportunities it brings.
Honestly I don't have a main driver to learn Mandarin. I just enjoy learning new characters and phrases, it's like a hobby to me instead of a job that needs to be done. When I'm bored and before going to sleep, I spend my time learning Mandarin, as if it was a game. As someone who has tried learning many other (simpler) languages, Mandarin is by far the most fun to learn to me.
i live in vancouver b.c and i've been bumping into more people speaking mandarin chinese here. it is a very important language to learn and even warren buffet says so too. he made his childeren learn the language because he feels you will have a advantage knowing this language in the future.
I am from hk, I emigre to uk for half an year , I mostly can speak Cantonese,mandarin ,English, now in my free time I am learning French ,it self motivated learning for myself ,I really appreciate that you can also speak mandarin, always exploring, hang in their ,No pain No gain 🎉😊
i am too a Medical Specialist Doctor and an orator since childhood .Deep knowledge of Arabic and persian language has installed in me a quality of twisting tongue and producing all sorts of tones henc i found Chinese language easy to learn for me..But like all specialities guiding and encouragement is key factor for consistency Listening sweet style and practical approach of Laoshi Izzy i have a new mental stimulus to learn Mandrin One thing i would like to add that go on speaking without any hesitation or fear of mistakes and try to find native chinese and talk with them even if they don't understand Mandrin(like many chinese people)and try to teach whatever you know to others Wan sui Laoshi Izzy
恭賀新禧 ! Happy and Prosperous Lunar Chinese New Year ! " 2024 必聽的賀歲金曲 I 南方傳統賀歲 I 罗宾Robin I 18首Non-Stop I Chinese New Year Songs " Every year ; year after year , repeatedly listening to the same New Year music , let mind younger and fresh for every Chinese people !
I'm a native Chinese speaker and stumbled upon your videos regarding Mandarin Chinese recently. I noticed there isn't a video of you speaking only in Mandarin Chinese on your channel. Would like to see that.
My audience is mostly English speaking and English is my native language - but I do include segments speaking Chinese in my video link below and will do more in future videos if you’d like to see it !! :) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-GJUl9pE6SIo.html
I agree, but I will say people should learn Mandarin as a 3rd or. 4th language depends on what you speak and where you live. If you live in Latin America and you already speak Portuguese or Spanish you can add English and then Mandarin, or do the complementary after English (for example Portuguese or Italian if you speak Spanish) . If you live in Asia clearly English first and then Mandarin. The issue with Mandarin is the reading takes significant time to truly master, and clearly English is beginning to be more and more the lingua franca of the internet and that is good because we need one, not because English was the best choice. A beautiful video keep up the good work.
if you master Chinese very well, not only the language but also the culture and thinking logic behind it, it is easy for you to learn Japanese and Korean too.
As an Indian, Japanese was easy, Korean was the easiest But when it comes to Chinese I loose my shit.😅 The most interesting part is my own native language has lot of exact same words to chinese even more to Korean but literally none to Japanese.
@@diezero2483 Yes!! Buddhism is the religious aspect but more than that trade routes like maritime routes and spice routes has deeper history than Buddhism it's self, that includes adaptation of languages even our own Ancestral Dna( since I am from South) has a mix of Han Chinese, along cultural things China plates, chinese net,adaptation of each countries cuisine, languages, clothings it's pretty crazy when you think about it. How far apart India and China stand today but how closely related they are to each other.
