Speak Easy
Business Traveller Middle East|May - June 2017

With a business trip to Shanghai coming up, Elizabeth Day tests out free language learning apps to see how easy it is to master Mandarin

Elizabeth Day
Speak Easy

Mandarin Chinese is the world’s fastest-growing language. By 2050, it will be spoken by a majority of the global population and is increasingly essential for business travellers. And yet, for most of us, the closest we ever get to speaking it is when we order a chicken chow mein with a side order of crispy aromatic duck.

For years, the prospect of learning Mandarin, with its unfamiliar characters and baffling array of pronunciations, has simply been too daunting for most Westerners. We tend to rely on that lazy failsafe: the ready ability of educated foreigners to speak excellent English.

It’s also because, until relatively recently, there was a dearth of user-friendly apps for learning it. DuoLingo (duolingo.com), one of the most comprehensive language apps, which offers 68 different courses and has 150 million registered users, still hasn’t developed a Chinese course for English speakers because it’s too complicated to achieve this (although a Klingon course is currently in the incubation phase).

Still, with the prospect of a work trip to Shanghai approaching, I was keen to find out whether there were any other ways of learning the rudiments of Mandarin online. My first port of call was Pinyinpal (pinyinpal. com), which was developed by Chinese-American philanthropist Adeline Mah. Mah and her husband, Bob, are Scrabble obsessives and had been playing the online version, Words With Friends, for years.

Pinyinpal uses the same principles: it’s a two person game where the aim is to play words with the highest score. What makes it unique is that it transposes Mandarin characters into the Latin alphabet, so you’re being taught how to pronounce each word as you play.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة May - June 2017 من Business Traveller Middle East.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة May - June 2017 من Business Traveller Middle East.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من BUSINESS TRAVELLER MIDDLE EAST مشاهدة الكل
Onwards and upwards
Business Traveller Middle East

Onwards and upwards

In an exclusive interview with Ian Fairservice for Business Traveller, His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and CEO and Founder of the Emirates Group, provides insight into the current and future state of travel and Emirates’ pivotal role in getting the industry back on track

time-read
5 mins  |
July - August 2021
Cleaning up the crisis
Business Traveller Middle East

Cleaning up the crisis

How hotels have risen to the challenge of keeping guests safe during the pandemic

time-read
10 mins  |
May - June 2021
The Great Vegas Meetings Magic Act
Business Traveller Middle East

The Great Vegas Meetings Magic Act

The city is working hard to conjure up events and make millions of visitors reappear

time-read
9 mins  |
May - June 2021
TAKES OFF
Business Traveller Middle East

TAKES OFF

Corporations are seeking new travel solutions that put safety and convenience first

time-read
5 mins  |
May - June 2021
TEE TIME IN TOKYO
Business Traveller Middle East

TEE TIME IN TOKYO

The Tokyo Olympics may be delayed, but the golf courses around Japan’s capital aren’t slowing down

time-read
5 mins  |
May - June 2021
KEYS TO THE KINGDOM
Business Traveller Middle East

KEYS TO THE KINGDOM

New and upcoming hotels to check out when you next visit Saudi Arabia

time-read
10+ mins  |
May - June 2021
QATAR CALLING
Business Traveller Middle East

QATAR CALLING

A swathe of hotels are opening in the Gulf State in the run-up to the 2022 FIFA World Cup

time-read
10 mins  |
March 2021
MEMPHIS CON BRIO
Business Traveller Middle East

MEMPHIS CON BRIO

Music and history flood through the heart and soul of this quintessential American river town

time-read
6 mins  |
March 2021
Sofitel Mumbai BKC
Business Traveller Middle East

Sofitel Mumbai BKC

BACKGROUND Sofitel Mumbai BKC is one of Accor’s most prominent addresses in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The French hospitality group’s other hotels in the city are operated under the Novotel and ibis brands.

time-read
3 mins  |
March 2021
Taking Scotland in Stride
Business Traveller Middle East

Taking Scotland in Stride

A walk through the Highlands and Borders is the best way to touch this country’s history and nature

time-read
5 mins  |
March 2021