Why Study Chinese?
China is the world’s second largest economy, and one of every five people in the world speaks the Chinese language. As China has become a big player in the world economy, Chinese language skills are in demand like never before.
Students who become proficient in Chinese language can expect to hold an advantage in many job markets. According to Bloomberg, Mandarin Chinese is the most useful business language after English. While this may come as no surprise, many do not realize that China’s economic rise has also brought about new challenges and expectations for other forms of modernization. China will soon require diverse expertise to help create and implement new sociopolitical, environmental, and infrastructure systems.
The Chinese major at UW-Milwaukee is a growing program designed to meet the job demands of a globalized world. Graduates with a fluency in Chinese find jobs in government, teaching, social services, healthcare, business and other industries that do business overseas or domestically with partners or customers that speak Chinese.
Chinese Language can Complement Virtually Any Course of Study
Architecture
China, where high-rises are sometimes built in a matter of weeks, features a unique blend of old and new architectural styles.
Business
China is known as “the world’s factory,” but also boasts growing domestic market fueled by middle class growth.
Communication and Journalism
Ancient, yet modern, homogenous, yet diverse, predominantly urban, yet traditionally rural, nominally socialist, yet economically capitalist, Chinese society is an enigma with interesting stories at every turn.
Education
Many young educators gain unique cultural classroom experience by teaching English in China. Some positions pay quite well. Meanwhile, the number of Chinese language programs Stateside has exploded in recent years.
Engineering
Often times, China attempts to solve its water shortage, population, and transportation issues with massive engineering projects.
Environmental Studies
China’s rapid rise has exacerbated preexisting air pollution, water pollution, and water shortage crises. However, despite being the world’s largest polluter, China is also the world’s leading in green technology.
Health Care
China’s health care system is in need of modernization in terms of equipment, expertise, and policy. China’s One Child Policy has resulted in a rapidly ageing society that will soon tax China’s health care and social welfare systems.
History
China has a rich and unbroken history with written records dating back 4,000 years.
Law
For many years, the fight against corruption in China’s legal system has been a work in progress. Recent reforms, however, are viewed as a significant step towards the “rule of law.”
Philosophy and Religion
From the philosophical beginnings of Daoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism to the more recent emergence of Christian and Muslim communities, China’s religious traditions are rich. Modern politics have influenced each tradition in very interesting ways.
Political Science
From the fall of the Qing Dynasty and the rise of Nationalism to the Chairman Mao era and eventual economic reform, few nations have undergone as much political change in the last century as China. Are there further reforms in China’s near future?
Translation and Interpretation
Organizations from all of the above fields need Chinese language experts to help bridge the language and culture gap.
For a nationwide list of jobs that mention Chinese language as a requisite skills:http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobs/keyword/chinese/