Should I learn Chinese at university?

Chinese has become a hot topic lately with the dawn of China-maxxing across Tiktok and Instagram.

Naturally, those who have never even considered China are curious if they're missing out on something.

Generally, I've heard a lot of people say language degrees are a waste of time and money. The consensus being, why pay to learn a language when you can do it online for much cheaper with AI?

However, others say that Chinese is the language of the future and knowng it well will guarantee your success.


I studied Chinese as my major at University, so I have some authority on this matter.

Honestly, after I graduated I was terribly confused about what I wanted to do. My Chinese was ok, but not at the level where I could reliably do translating work and be paid for it.

Getting a job just because I spoke decent Chinese was not a likely prospect…

But, back to the question, should you learn Chinese?

Absolutely, but make sure you have an application for it.

Everyone I know who learnt Chinese and became successful, applied it with a practical skill.

Examples include) Logistics, shipping, business tours, consulting, sourcing etc…

Remember, China is the factory of the world, yet there are many factories and companies that cannot bridge the gap to the West due to cultural and linguisitic challenges.

This is where a Chinese speaker or China hand "中国通“ like you would come in.

Your Chinese may never be better than a native speaker，BUT, you can tap into your strengths, that is being a bridge between your country and China.

This is a unique and highly sought after skill, even with the advance of AI. Because nothing will ever replace human connections and trust-building.


Once you've learnt Chinese to a proficient level, use it with a solid business skill and you’ll be unstoppable.

I am fluent in Chinese, but this is simply a tool in my career.

It helps me promote this language school, make content in Chinese and most importantly it enables me to negotiate with factories in Chinese on behalf of my clients.

But honestly, I don’t think you need a degree to become fluent in Chinese😂 so if you're considering studying it at University, perhaps save the debt for something else!