Over the last few years, professionals living and working in China have borne witness to an ongoing debate – whether or not foreign expatriates need to learn the Chinese language in order to not just work effectively in China, but to also understand the country, people, and culture.
To a certain extent, it’s quite reasonable for expatriates to ask whether or not they need to learn the Chinese language. While learning Chinese will undoubtedly aid in communication throughout one’s life and career in China, it certainly doesn’t come easy.
It’s also worth noting that in addition to the difficulties of the language, especially when transitioning from other languages such as English, there is also a significant time commitment involved.
When it comes to the basics, which can include difficult tones and rote character memorization, progress can be slow when it comes to developing a solid foundation. So, in the midst of all these potential difficulties, why would expatriates want to sink so much of their time into the Chinese language?
One key reason is that the China we know today is vastly different from the China that existed at the turn of the century. There are fewer expatriate positions available due to the ongoing development of the Chinese economy, which has resulted in an increase in the number of Chinese talent with experience in international markets and the ability to communicate fluently in other languages, especially English.
Based on my own experience, foreign expatriates wanting to work in China can no longer expect to pick and choose their assignments. Instead, they must be willing to compete for a decreasing number of potential positions, which may also being them into competition with local Chinese talent. This then increases the need for expatriates to adapt and improve their communication skills.
I recently discussed this issue in my latest vlog on China, specifically what I’ve learned from my own experience working in China and with Chinese companies for over ten years. While I don’t feel it is any way a mandatory requirement to learn Chinese in order to work in China, I feel that would-be-expatriates will be making key sacrifices by not being able to communicate in Chinese, namely control, efficiency, and career development. Take a look at the below video to find out more.
All in all, there are many reasons why a foreign expatriate might consider studying the Chinese language. In addition to supporting one’s own work and career, the language can open new doors of possibilities to understanding China, its culture, and its people.
In the end, in an era where the competition, as well as team members, are speaking multiple languages and sporting comparable skills and experiences, not speaking Chinese, not to mention reading and writing, makes one stand out, and not in a good way.
I won’t pretend that the growing need to learn Chinese will effect all fields and professionals equally, but it seems likely that the Chinese language will become an increasingly important consideration for expatriates looking to make or continue their careers and lives in China.
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Despite China continuing to grow in power and influence, I worry that many people have yet to fully accept this reality. One area where this reluctance shows through is how uncomfortable many Westerners continue to feel when trying to pronounce or learn Chinese names. Feeling uncomfortable on its own can readily be forgiven – it is an unwillingness to try that really bothers me. Some are embarrassed when trying to pronounce unfamiliar words. Others insist that Chinese names are too hard to pronounce. It is therefore no surprise that one of the more common phrases one hears among those new to China is “do you have an English name?”
To many, learning how to pronounce a name may seem wholly unimportant in the grand scheme of things. However, it can easily relate to our own attitudes and prejudices, which will directly affect each of us as we continue to learn and grow. I’d therefore like to help you, the reader, understand why I feel learning Chinese names is so important, and will not only help develop closer relationships with our Chinese friends, partners, and coworkers, but also prepare us for China’s greater prominence in the global economy.
1) You’re in their country
I always feel that when visiting someone else’s country it’s best to learn a little of their language, if only how to pronounce basic words, questions, and names. Of course, you can always choose not to if you prefer, but many Asian countries, including China, focus a lot more on respect than their Western counterparts. Currently, in China it’s a common practice for visiting Westerners to take the easy path and rely solely on English names. But at the same time, making the effort to learn Chinese names and basic phrases will send a clear message to the Chinese, that you are serious about engaging with them and their country. And if that’s not enough, think about this – how would you feel if a Chinese person visited your country, and after you courteously introduced yourself, they flatly refused to use your native name and suggested you adopt a Chinese one instead? Therefore, while learning Chinese names may be difficult at first, it’s a simple way to show respect and interest, which can only lead to a better experience for all.
2) Don’t isolate yourself with an expat mentality
Photo by Fifaliana on Pixabay
While I believe learning Chinese names, phrases, and greetings is ideal for Westerners visiting China, it is even more important for those planning a lengthier stay. In a previous article I wrote about the dangers of succumbing to an expat mindset, and refusing to learn basic Chinese can tie into this, only serving to further isolate you. Refusing (or even unconsciously avoiding) to learn Chinese names and language not only will make it harder for you to integrate into life in China, it may even prevent you from working effectively (assuming you work at least part of the time in China). Even worse, I have seen many Westerners develop a pronounced apathy and even hostility toward the Chinese people in general due to this type of isolation. For hundreds of years Chinese immigrants (and those from many countries) have relocated to Western countries, integrated themselves into the countries, and learned the local language. Is it really too much to ask for us to at least learn to pronounce Chinese names?
3) A name is a very personal thing
I touched briefly on racism and hostility above, and the sad truth of the matter is that the Chinese people have long suffered at the hands of other countries, most notably Western nations and Japan. My home country of the United States is particularly guilty in this respect, with Chinese (and Asians in general) still subjected to regular bigotry. A recent example of this occurred when unidentified persons tore the nametags off the doors of Chinese students at Columbia University in early 2017. While their exact motives were never confirmed, it was clear that their intent was to directly attack Chinese students, as nearby name tags of non-Chinese students remained untouched. Names are a very personal thing to the Chinese. Chinese parents choose names for their children with care, with the chosen words (characters, in fact) representing their hopes and dreams for who their children will become. I encourage you to watch this video created by the Chinese students involved affected by the incident – it may give you one more reason to learn how to pronounce and understand Chinese names.
After growing up in China and later emigrating to the USA, I found that many people did not know how to pronounce my Chinese name. The mispronunciation of my name has caused multiple embarrassments and miscommunication throughout my education. I even had to go so far as to begin writing my first name as “Ray”, as opposed to “Rui”, which is how it is spelled in Chinese Pinyin. Despite greater convenience this has never felt entirely conformable, as no one should have to give up their own name. – Rui Lin, Sino-US Trade Policy Specialist
4) We need to ditch Anglocentrism
Another reason we face a problem with Westerners being reluctant to learn Chinese names and use them in everyday conversations, is the rampant Anglocentralism which has persisted during and after the Western colonial era. Begun by Britain, and later joined by the United States, European countries, Russia, and Japan, the common view was that developing nations were somehow lesser, or not worthy (especially when their citizens were not Caucasian). In the time since, these citizens of developing nations and regions (e.g., China, Africa, South, and Latin America) have had to take on the burden of learning the languages of Western countries (namely English), while their Western counterparts have for the large part shown no interest in reciprocating. However, many developing countries, China in particular, are now set to take on a greater role, in terms of power and influence, on the global stage. Continuing to be ruled by outdated mindsets can only hurt those who hold them, as developing countries have no need to wait for Western mindsets to catch up. Focusing more on the importance of names to the Chinese is a simple way to start reversing the damages caused by Anglocentrism.
5) Preparing for Chinese companies going global
Photo by Ambreen Hasan on Unsplash
To build upon the previous point, China continues to develop, which includes many Chinese companies and workers traveling to and being based overseas. As their presence and power continues to grow, it is very likely that less and less leeway will be given to Western companies and employees who want to work with them but refuse to learn their language and culture. As an example, several years ago I observed that Tencent, the Chinese powerhouse behind WeChat, had placed job ads online for several US locations. For every single Manager or Assistant Manager position, Chinese language proficiency was required for regular communication with the head office. In addition, Chinese firms I have worked for in the past also mainly spoke Chinese in the office, and Chinese was essential while for communication with senior managers. So Chinese language proficiency may be all but required for many of us in the near future. Starting with learning Chinese names is a relatively easy first step, and may make it easier to learn more of the Chinese language, which can only lead to more opportunities.
Final Thoughts
I’ve presented several reasons above why I feel many Westerners should make a greater effort to learn Chinese names. And while these reasons certainly tie-in to the need for learning the Chinese language in general, the core issue is simpler than that to me. The biggest problem I see is not that other Westerners are not learning Chinese, but that their mindset prevents them from recognizing the need to learn about the Chinese language and culture.
Too many of us are still blind to the fact that China is challenging and/or surpassing Western countries in many areas, including economics, science, and technology. In the end, China will continue on no matter what we do. Whether or not we are individually prepared will directly depend on the mindset we adopt towards China and the Chinese people. Will we view them as equals and endeavor to treat them as such, or will we continue to ignore them as an unimportant country and culture? The choice is yours.
Additional Reading: For those of you interested in learning how to pronounce Chinese names, you can find some basic pronunciation guides in my previous article on Chinese Pinyin.
Thanks for reading!
Do you have any additional questions about names in China? Do you have any personal experiences you would like to share? Please feel free to post your thoughts in the comments section. You can also send a send a message directly to the author on social media.
Picture this: you have just arrived in China and are excited to try out the Chinese you have learned. You pop into a local corner store and ask something simple: “这是多少钱?” (zhè shì duō shao qián; how much is this?). But to your dismay, the clerk merely stares at you blankly, before asking in halting English, “Can I help you?” So what happened? Was your pronunciation off? Did you use the wrong tones? Did you completely waste your time studying Chinese only to fail epically on your very first attempt? In fact, it may be none of these things.
This perplexing phenomenon has been experienced by many of my non-Chinese friends who live and work in China, who have also attained a fairly high mastery of the Chinese language. We have all experienced this type of reaction from Chinese locals in our daily lives, and have all been unsure about what, on certain occasions, made our spoken Chinese completely incomprehensible. After discussing the issue with a number of Chinese friends and colleagues, a possible answer emerged: according to certain Chinese people, many locals simply accept as fact that the Chinese language is more or less “impossible” to learn for non-Chinese, and therefore fail to comprehend when a foreigner actually speak understandable Chinese. In short, they expect foreigners to be unable to speak Chinese.
While I’m sure this is not the case every time a Chinese person cannot understand a foreigner speaking Chinese, it explains many of my own experiences, and also raises another interesting question: how much does the same thing happen to foreign visitors to China? How often do we unconsciously make a decision about a situation before we actually experience it? How often do we judge Chinese people before actually letting their words and actions speak for themselves? How often do we pass judgement before making any effort to understand Chinese culture or history? How often are our negative experiences in China the result of the influence of negative media coverage, or the negative stories of other foreigners?
My suggestion: anyone who truly wants to enjoy a positive experience in China should try to really listen and observe as much as possible, and try to do so in an unbiased manner. If we shut out those voices (e.g., our friends, parents, coworkers, politicians, the media) that are constantly trying to tell us what China is like, and simply try and experience China for what it really is, we may surprise ourselves, and discover a China we never knew existed.
Thanks for reading!
Do you have any comments or questions on communicating effectively in China? Do you have any stories you can share in which you overcame your assumptions when communicating with the Chinese people? Please feel free to post your thoughts in the comments section below.
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