Don't study Chinese?

1 Like

There is one valid point in the video. And it’s a point that Steve has also mentioned in his videos. That is that career wise languages by themselves aren’t really enough as a mainstay skill. Languages are really not these solid hard skills that you list at the top of your cv. What they are is a tremendous soft skill multiplier, with a potential to bring you a lot of opportunities and chances you woudn’t otherwise have, and to give your social competence/soft skills a turbo boost. As Steve also says: “If you’re not a good business man, a language is not gonna change that.”

This one point also ties into the questions of “why we learn languages” and “the future of / utility of language learning”

All the other points are either outright false, misrepresentations or unbelievably closed-minded, cynical and negative.
They are also based on fundamental misunderstandings about language learning in general and the Chinese L. Not least the popular ignorant assumption that the main point of LL is speaking, and that what languages are primarily good for is just somehow mechanically communicating on some level, with people you otherwise wouldn’t be able to communicate at all with.

When I get around to making videos I’ll do that one.

I’ll leave it to iaing LFJ or other Chinese veterans to rip this guy a new one concerning all the other points.

2 Likes

This is obviously a troll video. It is saying inflammatory things just to grab attention without much thought given to it.

I think it is best to ignore such videos.
If you see a dog poop on the road, you don’t give it a second thought or try to argue with it. You just go around it and forget about it :slight_smile:

It is almost an established fact that Chinese is the most important language after English, no matter how you look at it.
it is significant in politics and economics, for the massive number of speakers, and linguistically as well for its unique script with no analogue anywhere.

And I second the opinions that the account privileges of Plautus must be revoked right away.
There has been more than enough offense already.

2 Likes

I am not gong to watch the video but can only say that discovering the Chinese language, history, culture…the Chinese world, almost 50 years ago, has brought me great satisfaction and enjoyment. Two nights ago we had our neighbours, recent immigrants from China, over for dinner, a couple with a young daughter. Great conversation, all in Chinese, the only negative was the awful 53% alcohol wine he brought over and which I had to drink with him. As someone living on this planet, the opportunity discover this culture is a gift and privilege. It need not have anything to do with job opportunities.

1 Like

Obviously. And a successful one at that! It attracted Chinese to comment on the video in defense of their native language. So that’s views + comments from a group that wasn’t even being addressed. lol :slight_smile: