6 ms·

If US attracts talent and they are all speak English, what reason you think that China cannot attract talent who are going to speak Chinese?

inputcoffee 10y ago
There are a few reasons: 1. You are usually effective and comfortable in the language you were educated in. 2. If you want to do business with a person in another language, you usually both default to English because it is usually second language if it is not their first. I mean look at your own situation. I assume that you are fairly well educated (on Hacker News, decent grammar, and asked a good question). Suppose you had to leave the US, where would you go? Your top choices might be other English speaking countries (Ireland, Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand). Your next set of choices would be places you could do business in English (Berlin perhaps). Globally, a lot more educated people know English than Chinese. Its not impossible but it is a far larger barrier to entry than, say, blocking youTube.
- rconti 10y ago
  After Ireland, Canada, UK, Australia, NZ, I'd probably go for Scandinavian countries and Iceland. They have smaller native-speaking populations, a high level of exposure to English, and great foreign language training. Then I'd probably go for countries like Latvia, Romania, etc. I'd consider Germany and France to be third-tier in that sense because they have large native-speaking populations and a greater expectation that people know their language.
- inputcoffee 10y ago
  Ugh! Too late to edit this now but I meant to say Mandarin, not "Chinese." Mea Culpa.
- stevesun21 10y ago
  I agreed with you about English vs Mandarin from education perspect and business trade perspect. What I am saying is that China attracts talent who live in China and why don't communicate with others in Mandarin? Learn Mandarin isn't a binary choose for these talents who live in China -- they can still learn stuffs in English and do business with other people around world in English. From my experience that learn English is not only about helping me to communicate with others, but also, help me to learn a different mindset and culture.
ashwinaj 10y ago
Whether we like it or not, English is the defacto "business" language. Most (if not all) places in the world conduct business in their native languages(s) and English. So why would I want to learn Mandarin, which I've been told is super hard to learn and is for most purposes, useless elsewhere in the world?
zhemao 10y ago
Because the talent the US attracts started learning English before they came to the US. English is the lingua franca of global communication and is taught in almost every country. The same cannot be said of Chinese.
jimmywanger 10y ago
Because up until very recently, very few people outside of China that were not ethnic Han spoke Chinese. The concept of "Chinese" is fairly inaccurate anyways. I'd like to flatter myself that my mandarin is ok (I won't starve and I generally can make myself understood) but I can't understand most Cantonese. Cantonese is classified as a dialect of Mandarin, but it's really not mutually intelligible.
clifanatic 10y ago
> speak Chinese Have you ever tried to pronounce anything in Chinese? It's impossible. Even the Chinese just make it up as they go along.
- sctb 10y ago
  We've already asked you not to post like this. We ban accounts that refuse to comment civilly and substantively. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
  - clifanatic 10y ago
    Jesus Christ, Scrooge, it was a joke. And not even remotely contrary to any of those guidelines.
    - dang 10y ago
      I'm sure you thought it was very funny but as the person who has to deal with the messes such comments provoke in large internet communities, I read the guidelines differently. Please err on the side of posting civilly and substantively when commenting here.
1_2__3 10y ago
Because most of the world speaks English... Did you not understand that about the comment you're replying to?
solidsnack9000 10y ago
Following the Second World War, but even before, there was massive world-wide investment in instruction in English; and it has worked its way into the infrastructure. Air traffic control is in English -- and in feet and knots -- all over the world, for example. Centuries ago, the same thing happened with Chinese; and that is why a Chinese can visit Tokyo and find their way around the train station without knowing any Japanese. Maybe it can happen with Chinese again. Many Asian people learn a little Chinese; and more western people learn it now, too.

inputcoffee 10y ago

There are a few reasons: 1. You are usually effective and comfortable in the language you were educated in. 2. If you want to do business with a person in another language, you usually both default to English because it is usually second language if it is not their first. I mean look at your own situation. I assume that you are fairly well educated (on Hacker News, decent grammar, and asked a good question). Suppose you had to leave the US, where would you go? Your top choices might be other English speaking countries (Ireland, Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand). Your next set of choices would be places you could do business in English (Berlin perhaps). Globally, a lot more educated people know English than Chinese. Its not impossible but it is a far larger barrier to entry than, say, blocking youTube.

rconti 10y ago
After Ireland, Canada, UK, Australia, NZ, I'd probably go for Scandinavian countries and Iceland. They have smaller native-speaking populations, a high level of exposure to English, and great foreign language training. Then I'd probably go for countries like Latvia, Romania, etc. I'd consider Germany and France to be third-tier in that sense because they have large native-speaking populations and a greater expectation that people know their language.
inputcoffee 10y ago
Ugh! Too late to edit this now but I meant to say Mandarin, not "Chinese." Mea Culpa.
stevesun21 10y ago
I agreed with you about English vs Mandarin from education perspect and business trade perspect. What I am saying is that China attracts talent who live in China and why don't communicate with others in Mandarin? Learn Mandarin isn't a binary choose for these talents who live in China -- they can still learn stuffs in English and do business with other people around world in English. From my experience that learn English is not only about helping me to communicate with others, but also, help me to learn a different mindset and culture.

ashwinaj 10y ago

Whether we like it or not, English is the defacto "business" language. Most (if not all) places in the world conduct business in their native languages(s) and English. So why would I want to learn Mandarin, which I've been told is super hard to learn and is for most purposes, useless elsewhere in the world?

zhemao 10y ago

Because the talent the US attracts started learning English before they came to the US. English is the lingua franca of global communication and is taught in almost every country. The same cannot be said of Chinese.

jimmywanger 10y ago

Because up until very recently, very few people outside of China that were not ethnic Han spoke Chinese. The concept of "Chinese" is fairly inaccurate anyways. I'd like to flatter myself that my mandarin is ok (I won't starve and I generally can make myself understood) but I can't understand most Cantonese. Cantonese is classified as a dialect of Mandarin, but it's really not mutually intelligible.

clifanatic 10y ago

> speak Chinese Have you ever tried to pronounce anything in Chinese? It's impossible. Even the Chinese just make it up as they go along.

sctb 10y ago
We've already asked you not to post like this. We ban accounts that refuse to comment civilly and substantively. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
- clifanatic 10y ago
  Jesus Christ, Scrooge, it was a joke. And not even remotely contrary to any of those guidelines.
  - dang 10y ago
    I'm sure you thought it was very funny but as the person who has to deal with the messes such comments provoke in large internet communities, I read the guidelines differently. Please err on the side of posting civilly and substantively when commenting here.

1_2__3 10y ago

Because most of the world speaks English... Did you not understand that about the comment you're replying to?

solidsnack9000 10y ago

Following the Second World War, but even before, there was massive world-wide investment in instruction in English; and it has worked its way into the infrastructure. Air traffic control is in English -- and in feet and knots -- all over the world, for example. Centuries ago, the same thing happened with Chinese; and that is why a Chinese can visit Tokyo and find their way around the train station without knowing any Japanese. Maybe it can happen with Chinese again. Many Asian people learn a little Chinese; and more western people learn it now, too.