Mandarin! The language of the future?
Mandarin is set to be the 'language of the future' (second only to French) according to the BBC. The British Council has stated that a lack of Mandarin tutors has held the UK back in recent years, and that a new centre will be set up in London in 2015 to increase the number of Mandarin teachers available. The number of students learning Mandarin in the UK could double by 2019! At present only 1% of the UK's population are able to speak Mandarin fluently! From September it will be compulsory for Primary schools to teach one language to its pupils - Mandarin will be an option!
The rise of Mandarin as a chosen language is due largely to China's growing economy. This brings huge opportunities to Britain, and it's vital that our children learn to speak the language in order to be able to trade in the global market, and to develop their own successful companies in the future.
It's not just business-minded people who want to learn Mandarin either. A lot of young adults choose to learn Mandarin in order to communicate more effectively with their families. Some may have learned the language in their youth, then moved away from their homes and forgotten most of it. Similarly, we see engaged couples who wish to learn Mandarin so that they can speak to their in-laws in their native tongue. However, the largest traffic for Mandarin through our site is for adult learners. This is most likely to be adults who didn't have to opportunity to learn the language when they were younger, and now find they need (or want) it, to either grow their business, communicate more widely, or simply learn a new (and impressive) skill.
So, if you (or your children) want to learn Mandarin, what is it going to cost you? The average cost for an absolute beginner is just £22 per hour long lesson. If you wish to learn at GCSE level, the cost rises to around £26.00 per hour. Interestingly, the rate drops vastly if you wish to continue past GCSE level. The going rate for an adult/casual learner is just £19.67 per hour!
We have plenty of Mandarin tutors on our books, ready and waiting to teach this popular choice all around the country.
People of all ages are already starting to learn Mandarin, and the trend shows no signs of slowing!
Know nothing about Mandarin? Here's a bit to get you started:
Hello: nǐ hǎo
How are you?: nǐ hǎo ma
My name is....: wǒ jiào.....
Goodbye: bàibài
Perhaps the most important phrase you need to learn:
Do you speak English: nǐ huì shuō yīngyǔ ma?
You can find our Mandarin tutors here: www.firsttutors.com/uk/languages
And watch a video of one of our very own Mandarin tutors here: