I see a debate going on between Chinese and English educated Chinese here. Since I have NBTD, I'll post a long confession here.

I'm an English educated guy and a pretty white banana , yes, I'm not scared to admit that. Ok, I used to be like some of you English educated people here during my school years (just last year actually), I thought that English will continue to be the dominant language in the world and blah blah blah with all that. At least, I always hoped things stayed that way for my sake, as I only know very basic chinese and can't converse properly. Fast forward a few months, and I'm out of school.

It was then that the realities of life in Malaysia hit me right in the face. Among them, the statement by a minister (I can't remember who), said that employers should drop mandarin as a requirement for hiring workers. Btw, as a banana, although I obviously stand much to gain if implemented, I opposed that statement on principle that the minister was clearly only interested in helping a *certain group of people*, and surely he did not have people like me in mind. But that's not the point, after discussing with a few people working for various recruitment agencies, coupled with some research, I learnt that employment opportunities in the private sector are far greater if one can speak mandarin, so the minister is right in that sense (that Mandarin is becoming a necessity in the private sector).

Secondly, I've been living in PJ my whole life, and all my friends are like me. English is more than sufficient for surviving in Klang Valley, with a smattering of cantonese to get by. Ever since leaving school, I've ventured beyond Klang Valley into other parts of Malaysia for a variety of reasons, only to experience a huge culture shock. Yes, I came into contact with other Chinese dudes my age who could barely speak any English. Bleh..... I soon realized that I was an extreme minority outside PJ. And as of now, in my college, all my friends speak mandarin among themselves, and its awkward for me to ask them to translate all the time. So it got pretty lonely at times as a result. No one likes being marginalized from their own kind.

Ok, as of that point, which was about half a year ago, I decided to overcome my fear of Mandarin and start learning it myself. At first I wondered if it was ever possible for me to be a fluent mandarin speaker, but as I learn, I realize that slowly, the "machine gun fire" of my friends begin to make sense, albeit bits and pieces here and there. Well, I started to attend some classes and by now I can recognize easily more than 100 characters. Well, I don't suppose I can ever catch up with those who have been learning chinese their whole lives, but if I can pass off as a mandarin speaker, that's an achievement by itself.

Well, so the truth is mandarin is gaining importance in Malaysia. Anecdotal experience suggests that Malaysian Chinese are sending their children to Chinese schools rather than national schools. This by itself shows that mandarin is gaining prominence in Malaysia. So, whether English will lose out to Mandarin or not, our local situation matters most. Besides, it will not change things much as both languages are set to remain the two most influential languages globally in the foreseeable future.

All in all, learning Mandarin will undoubtedly benefit you guys, for those of you who can't speak Chinese. Put aside that prejudice which probably stems out of fear. I don't know exactly what we fear, it could be that we fear what we do not understand. However, don't get me wrong as I'm not discounting the importance of English. English will remain an important language for many years to come as well. What I'm proposing is that if we can master both languages like the Singaporeans do, the world will be there for our taking. Go start learning! It's never too late.

This post has been edited by Havoc Knightmare: Dec 30 2006, 02:29 AM

Very true. You can't improve a language unless you speak it regularly. Of course, your friends must correct you if you speak wrongly, or else it will be of no use.

Btw, shamnemesis, your sig should read "In the Kingdom of the Blind , the One Eyed man is the king".

This post has been edited by Havoc Knightmare: Dec 30 2006, 03:35 AM

Hmm.. if you expect a short course to turn your friend into Shakespeare overnight that's a bit too much.

Myb dts hs wy of drwng attntn 2 his pnt...? sorry bad in net lingo ^-^