The Most Popular Foreign Languages to Learn in China

Chinese has become one of the most popular foreign languages to learn in many Asian and European countries. China’s economic strength and the “charisma” of Chinese culture have stimulated a lot of people’s interest in exploring more about the Chinese language. While many foreigners are showing their passion for Chinese learning, it would be also interesting to find out what foreign languages Chinese people would want to learn the most. Let’s take this opportunity to have a look at five most popular foreign languages among young people in China.

1. English

English is indisputably the most popular foreign language in China. Young people in China are well aware of the importance of acquiring a decent knowledge of the English language and what they can benefit from it in terms of job-hunting. Moreover, English is the most widely spoken language in the world, which means it’s necessary to master English if you would like to get acquainted with foreign cultures and communicate with people from different cultural backgrounds.

2. Japanese

Many Chinese people are “attracted” to Japanese because Japan and Japanese culture are usually associated with courtesy and elegance. Meanwhile, Japan is a popular tourist destination among Chinese people thanks to its magnificent traditional architecture and shopping opportunities. Having a good knowledge of Japanese would enable Chinese tourists to have a more enjoyable experience when travelling in Japan. More importantly, close economic cooperation between China and Japan provides people who understand Japanese with excellent job opportunities.

3. Korean

Many Chinese girls are passionate about learning Korean and some of them are crazy about Korean singers and actors. Korean TV dramas are extremely popular in China owing to their sentimental plots, which many Chinese girls find mesmerizing. Consiquently, they choose to study Korean in order to better understand the “essence” of Korean TV dramas. In addition, being able to speak Korean would also allow them to make friends with Korean people and gain a deeper understanding of Korean culture.

4. French

A large number of young people in China are interested in studying French because it is considered the most beautiful language in the world. At the same time, France is often regarded as the “symbol of romance”. Another factor that makes French a popular foreign language for Chinese people to learn is related to the high-quality luxury products and cosmetics produced in France. Owning some clothes or accessories of famous French brands is what most Chinese girls look forward to.

5. German

Chinese people would like to study German because of the job opportunities and career development. Among European countries, Germany is one of China’s most important trading partners. Many Germany companies have opened branches and set up manufacturing plants in China in the past ten years. On top of that, many Chinese students choose to go to Germany or France to pursue higher education, which is another reason why German has become a popular foreign language in China.

We hope this post will be useful. To find out more interesting posts about life in Chinese and Chinese language, check out one of our blog posts Popular Jobs Among Expats in China