Author Description

.... To Imagine A Languagemeans To Imagine A Form Of Life.--ludwig Wittgenstein(philosophical Investigation, 1953)whatever Specific Goal Motivated People Who Study Chinese Atfirst Eventually Dissolves Into The Larger Chinese World, And Thatworld-its Loves And Joys, Its Stings And Frustrations, In Any Case Itsincapability Of Being Boring-takes Over.this Is A Fascinating, Insightful Collection Of Essays By Some Of The World's Most Renowned China Experts, Who Share Personal Recollections Of Their Time In China-often Beginning In The 1970s, When Foreigners Were Just Beginning To Navigate The Linguistic And Cultural Terrain Of That Country-and Reflect On What Learning Chinese Has Meant To Them In Their Careers And Lives. These Ten Native English Speakers Share Rare And, At Times, Humorous And Intimate Moments, Of How Learning And Speaking Chinese Has Removed Barriers, Built Rapport, Opened Doors And Sometimes Led Them Down Entirely Unexpected Roads That Have Changed The Course Of Their Lives.this Book Collects Essays From Native Speakers Of English Who Studied Chinese, Learned It Unusually Well, And Then Used It In Very Successful Careers In Journalism, Business, Government Work, And Academe. Many Essays Show That Answers To The Question Of What Difference Is Made? Can Have A Charming Unpredictability. The Ten Essays Converge On Some Important Points: That Speaking Chinese Leads Much More Quickly To Deeper Trust With Chinese People Than Can Be Had Through Speaking English Or By Using Translation; That Thinking Inside The Chinese Language In Some Ways Offers Different Ways To Understand The World. This Book Is Unique In The Language-teaching Field. It Can Also Be An Eye-opener For A General Reader Who Believes That Learning A Second Language Is A Simple Matter Of Switching Codes And Does Not Realize How Life-changing The Embrace Of A Different Language Can Be.-----------given China's Growing Impact On The World, All Countries Need To Better Understand Chinese Thinking, An