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Why Learn Chinese?

Chinese is the official language of China, about 1.2 billion people (or approximately 16% of the world's population) speak a variety of Chinese as their first language, making it the number one most spoken language in the world. Also, the Chinese economy is one of the most powerful in the world, which means that there are many markets and jobs available for people who speak the language. Now, learning Chinese doesn’t necessarily mean that there will only be job opportunities in China, although having the opportunity to live in this beautiful country might be something out of a fairytale. Learning Chinese can open many doors for you all around the world. As it was mentioned previously, the Chinese economy is powerful and there are many companies in the world closing deals with Chinese companies, or looking to do business with them. This means that the market for translators is wide open and you can become a translator for English-Chinese if you choose to learn the language. Besides, if you are looking for a career in business Chinese is extremely helpful within that realm and in many companies, it will make your resume stand out from others, it will give you a huge advantage.   

Choosing your Chinese Teacher in Chicago

When looking to hire a language teacher you have to assess a multitude of factors before you make your choice. There is an abundance of Chinese teachers available in Chicago, Illinois, but with so many to choose from it is important that you look at each of the profiles carefully. You want to find the best teacher for you. One of the most important parts about choosing a language tutor is to make sure that they know how to teach the language for the level you’re at. You must find someone that can teach at your level or your goals, whether that is beginner, intermediate, or advanced levels, and if you are looking to learn specifically writing, reading, speaking, or everything. Once you have determined what it is you need, then you can go through your options to filter out those private tutors who don’t meet your needs. You should also look for teachers that have experience teaching someone of your skillset and age. Languages are taught differently to kids and adults, so make sure that your prospective tutor can teach you. Lastly, you should try to find a teacher that understands your goals. For you to truly be successful during your lessons, your tutor must know exactly what you hope to accomplish and how they are going to help get you there. You can choose to take a free lesson with most instructors here on Superprof. Use that free trial to make sure they fit your needs.

Cost of Chinese Lessons in Chicago

The average cost of language lessons in Chicago is between $20 and $50 per hour. The price can go up or down depending on the location of your classes, the experience of your teacher, and your level of Chinese (beginner, intermediate, advanced). Language classes will be slightly more expensive in downtown Chicago and a little cheaper as you get out into the suburbs like Park Ridge or Western Springs. Private classes generally can take place at the student’s home, the teacher’s home, or the local library. With each of these locations there might be a variance in price, make sure to ask prospective teachers about the locations where the classes can be completed. The next thing that alters the price of a private language lesson is the experience of your tutor. 

The years of experience and whether they are native speakers or not will be a factor in the pricing. Additionally, any certifications and formal education of the teacher will increase the price of the language lessons. Your language level will also be one of the factors that change the rates of the lessons. If you’re already at an intermediate or advanced level but wish to continue forging your skills, you probably won’t need a good, experienced teacher, just someone to talk to and that is capable of catching and fixing your mistakes. But, if you’re starting, you need someone experienced, and this will most likely cost you more. Overall there are a lot of factors that go into the price of a Chinese private lesson in Chicago, so make sure to clearly define your goals and your expectations and look through a couple of profiles before choosing the right tutor for you. 

Benefits and Challenges of Learning Chinese

There are many benefits, as was mentioned above, to learning Chinese. It’s a language that is highly useful in today’s job market. If you know Chinese you can easily find a job as a translator and continue to grow from there. Companies nowadays look for people who speak Chinese because making business with China is now a priority to many businesses. So, having Chinese listed as one of your skills in your resume will give you a huge advantage, even in places where the language is not even part of the required or bonus skills. People will see that you know the language and immediately see value in you. As much as learning Chinese can help you a lot in the job market, you need to take into account that learning this language comes with many challenges. For starters, Chinese is the combination of hundreds of different languages. Even though the writing is the same across the country, there are many different dialects across different regions. Most people learn Mandarin, which includes Standard Chinese, Pekingese, Sichuanese, but there are many others like Wu that include Shanghainese, Suzhounese, and Wenzhounese, and so on. Another big challenge is that the writing system is complicated. In Chinese, there are more than 50,000 characters, of which an educated person is supposed to know about 8,000.