Home Forums Common Questions Do I need to speak Chinese in order to live in China?

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    Keymaster
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    You’ll pick up the basics really quickly. So don’t fret too much over language before coming over.

    admin
    Keymaster
    Post count: 75

    Do you all speak Mandarin now? Lol, I guess I’m asking, how much do you need to know in order to get around, live, etc.? And I guess also, how many of you that haven’t left yet are learning Mandarin or already know it…?

    admin
    Keymaster
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    Of the teachers, I probably know the most Mandarin and I know very little. I have enough to order food, do some shopping, and tell a taxi driver where my home is.

    admin
    Keymaster
    Post count: 75

    I learned everything here in China, so don’t stress over becoming a master linguist before coming. You will learn the necessities quickly. Of course if you are fluent your life here will be so easy. But the required language level is quite low.

    admin
    Keymaster
    Post count: 75

    Needing to speak Chinese in order to live in China is a good question. In short the answer is no, but why? First, you do not need to speak Chinese in order to teach in China. The classroom environment is often preferred to be 100% English only. For the most part when in the classroom the students (or parents of the students) prefer that you do not use Chinese.

    However, we encourage our teachers to learn some Chinese if they are interested in doing so. It is quite useful in everyday life. There will be many opportunities to practice Chinese in the cities where we teach. It is also seen by many as a missed opportunity if you go to a country for an extended amount of time and do not learn at least a basic amount of the language.

    A little also goes a long way. If you try to use the language and communicate to the best of your ability, not only will your language skills grow but also the locals are must more likely to include you, invite you to cool things, etc.

    We will be able to help you with find lessons and resources for learning quickly. To start, one popular study site is http://www.chinesepod.com. Depending on the interest of teachers, some locations also set up Chinese lesson groups for the teachers.

    MEF also offers free online group lessons as teachers prepare their documents. Usually we will email out an invitation or a sign up sheet. Just let us know if you would like to join the free lessons.

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