There are currently 845
million people with Mandarin as their first language, making it
the most spoken language in the world. It is the most spoken of
around 12 Chinese languages.
As China becomes increasingly prominent within the global
economy, Mandarin is increasing in importance accross the world.
Chinese (most often Cantonese and Mandarin) accounts for more and
more internet traffic. In 2000 this stood at 5%. This figure has
now risen to 20%.
According to recent studies, 38% of UK firms are interested in
people who can speak Cantonese or Mandarin, in order to build
business links with China.
Why not have a go at a Mandarin challenge
on MYLO for some fun ideas about how Mandarin can be used in
creative work situations?