Bear in mind that the Chinese written language is the heritage of all Chinese everywhere, regardless of nationality. It is still widely used in Malaysia and Singapore, despite the pervasiveness of English and 'Westernization'. 
How different is Mandarin? - All fear English Domination *Rawr*
- Thread starter Elta
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Ah but you see, I can't exactly speak Malay (not fluently at least), nor fluent, spontaneous English. And my Mandarin is of 'peasant' quality - very basic day-to-day, no hard to understand characters.It's also a recipe for getting a good job in a lot of countries, with 3 languages. You lucky jerk
And I only know written English and Malay - can't read Chinese much, except for Chinese-translated manga.
I think KD and Dann speak better Mandarin than me... after all, they do get to use Mandarin in their daily lives.
I only get to listen to one section of news report in Mandarin, and close to zero chance of speaking.
So while I know how to read and write Mandarin (i.e. proper phrases and terms for Mandarin instead of for Cantonese), I probably cannot speak them as well as KD and Dann... I should try to practice more, but there're so many other things to do...
@KD:
Do you speak "Singlish" like those in the show "I Not Stupid"?
I've met some vendors from Singapore... while the show is extravagating, they do indeed have some very strange way of speaking English...
I only get to listen to one section of news report in Mandarin, and close to zero chance of speaking.
So while I know how to read and write Mandarin (i.e. proper phrases and terms for Mandarin instead of for Cantonese), I probably cannot speak them as well as KD and Dann... I should try to practice more, but there're so many other things to do...
@KD:
Do you speak "Singlish" like those in the show "I Not Stupid"?
I've met some vendors from Singapore... while the show is extravagating, they do indeed have some very strange way of speaking English...
Bluemofia
F=ma
The Koreans switched to an Alphabet system and it worked fine. 99% literacy rate.
The main reason for switching, is that it would be much easier to learn.
I've read some reports before that learning Chinese is a good exercise for the brain - IIRC it's saying Chinese students do better in geometry than American students.
But the Koreans still use Chinese characters in their writing (in the south anyway. I think the Kim feudalism only allowed hangul) much like the Japanese do.
GenMarshall
Sin'dorei ISB Capt & Ghost Agent
I would be interested in seeing that learning Chinese or Japanese (or any such East Asian text) is good for the brainI've read some reports before that learning Chinese is a good exercise for the brain - IIRC it's saying Chinese students do better in geometry than American students.
.
Bluemofia
F=ma
I basically fail at Chinese writing. I do better than most American students in Math and Science.I've read some reports before that learning Chinese is a good exercise for the brain - IIRC it's saying Chinese students do better in geometry than American students.
So is eating with chopsticks. (which I switch off with forks and knives based on what food I eat)
Not really. I tend to speak a more 'proper' form of English. Though I can of course understand it.@KD:
Do you speak "Singlish" like those in the show "I Not Stupid"?
I've met some vendors from Singapore... while the show is extravagating, they do indeed have some very strange way of speaking English...
colontos
King
Very little. Hanja, as they call it, is only used in very formal writing like newspapers and textbooks, and it's really only there to explicate things, like we use Latin sometimes in science books for example. The use of hanja in Korea is not at all comparable to the use of kanji in Japan. Most Koreans only know a few hundred Chinese characters or less.
Dann
Green bug
Re: identity issue
It's a major thing with most members of the Chinese diaspora, and particularly so with the Nanyang (Southeast Asian) community. As a whole we have assimilated enough comfortably into the host counties to function seamlessly both politically and socially, and yet our cultural independence is so strong we have remained a distinct subculture even after multiple generations. Economically too there exists a strangely coherent network across the area that encompasses the area and has links to businesses within both the ROC and the PRC. It is very easy for a 'huaqiao' from say, Indonesia to do business with another from say, Laos. And all because they shared the same ancestral homeland and can read the same boxy characters.
Meanwhile the locals of some neighboring countries here don't even trade with each other that much.
But this is a both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand sure it opens up a lot of doors to us, but on the other hand we can never identify 100% with either side. I for example am as different from a native Filipino as I am from a 'real' Chinese (i.e. native of China), in terms of outlook, habits, behavior and such.
It's a major thing with most members of the Chinese diaspora, and particularly so with the Nanyang (Southeast Asian) community. As a whole we have assimilated enough comfortably into the host counties to function seamlessly both politically and socially, and yet our cultural independence is so strong we have remained a distinct subculture even after multiple generations. Economically too there exists a strangely coherent network across the area that encompasses the area and has links to businesses within both the ROC and the PRC. It is very easy for a 'huaqiao' from say, Indonesia to do business with another from say, Laos. And all because they shared the same ancestral homeland and can read the same boxy characters.
Meanwhile the locals of some neighboring countries here don't even trade with each other that much.But this is a both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand sure it opens up a lot of doors to us, but on the other hand we can never identify 100% with either side. I for example am as different from a native Filipino as I am from a 'real' Chinese (i.e. native of China), in terms of outlook, habits, behavior and such.
Well said, Dann. 
And the only place where this isn't an issue is... Singapore, which is ruled by Chinese. And is the most economically successful entity in the region.
And the only place where this isn't an issue is... Singapore, which is ruled by Chinese. And is the most economically successful entity in the region.
GenMarshall
Sin'dorei ISB Capt & Ghost Agent
Just wondering in relation to the Chinese Language. Right now in my area, there is a steddy stream of Chinese living and working in the two Casinos within my area. If I was in human resources in eather of the two casinos, which Chinese should I know? Cantonese or Mandarin?
Well that depends on what part they're from doesn't it? But Mandarin's a better bet because 1) it's easier (from my own experience learning Chinese) and 2) people from other parts of China often understands Mandarin (again from my own experience)
Dann
Green bug
Singapore is really a splinter colony just like in MoO...And the only place where this isn't an issue is... Singapore, which is ruled by Chinese. And is the most economically successful entity in the region.
Oops I'm sure a lot of Singaporeans want to kill me now.
You don't count because you're Malaysian.
@CG
What taillesskangaru said.
However it is also true that the bulk of the Chinese diaspora community in the US speak Cantonese as their 'home' language...
The bulk of Malaysian Chinese can also speak or at least understand Cantonese.
You must remember that Hong Kong has traditionally served as the Chinese pop culture capital of the Chinese diaspora world. All those HKTB serial dramas and HK movies. 
You must remember that Hong Kong has traditionally served as the Chinese pop culture capital of the Chinese diaspora world.
All those HKTB serial dramas and HK movies.
Dann
Green bug
At one time shows from Taiwan were very popular too (It peaked during the 1970s), but they were mostly in Mandarin. Shows in Min-nan (Hokkien) dialect were kinda thought of as low brow, except for the 'kuah-ah-hi' (Chinese opera thingies).
In Manila at least the majority of the Chinese there speak this dialect (a mutated form of course, liberally mixed with Tagalog ). Cantonese is number two, Mandarin number three.
In Manila at least the majority of the Chinese there speak this dialect (a mutated form of course, liberally mixed with Tagalog
). Cantonese is number two, Mandarin number three.
Due to the nature of of the Chinese immigration (relative brought relative etc, from the same village) into the different lands within Nanyang, different dialect groups dominated in different areas. Hokkiens predominated in Singapore, Phillippines (near to Fujian province), KL. Hakkas in Borneo. Teochew in Thailand. Etc.
Dann
Green bug
Yup. Dialects also evolve wherever the people take root. For instance the Hokkien spoken in mainland Fujian province is slightly different from that in Taiwan, since Taiwanese has some elements of Japanese in it. When I went to Singapore I found that my 'Philippine Hokkien' was mostly unintelligible to a Singaporean Hokkien speaker. 
In comparison, Mandarin seems to be able to still maintain its 'purity' wherever it goes outside China. Why is that? (The situation inside China itself is that places like Szechuan, Hunan etc. speak mutated versions of Mandarin, but they don't call it as such but as Szechuanese, Hunanese etc. as opposed to standard Mandarin = Putonghua.)
In comparison, Mandarin seems to be able to still maintain its 'purity' wherever it goes outside China. Why is that? (The situation inside China itself is that places like Szechuan, Hunan etc. speak mutated versions of Mandarin, but they don't call it as such but as Szechuanese, Hunanese etc. as opposed to standard Mandarin = Putonghua.)
