Is Taiwanese and Mandarin the Same Language

A lot of the people living today did not have access to the internet in their childhood. For some, even libraries weren’t something common. And therefore, they had no way of gathering information that wasn’t being taught in the course books. Many people grew up learning math theorems that they were never going to use in their lives but not knowing about the people of their neighboring countries. There is a flaw in most of our course books and that is not teaching us about things that matter the most: cultures. Sure, some countries offer students the chance to study vernaculars. But without the background information and understanding of a culture, vernaculars fail to gain the attention of students. This is why most people forget the language lessons from college as soon as they pass the course.

But even if you didn’t have access to the internet in the past, you do now. And that’s why it is not a good enough excuse to present when you don’t know about the world’s most famous cultures. The world cannot survive if humans don’t decide to live in harmony and true peace can only be achieved if we try to understand each other. Another reason why we should study cultures is because they will help us develop a better understanding of ourselves too. No culture in this world is without foreign influence. All the traditions and cultures in this world have been influenced by people of other countries. Our influence on each other is the secret behind the beauty in cultures.

Today, it has become more important to learn about different cultures because we know better than to do offend someone. If we don’t know about someone’s values, we cannot respect them. And if we don’t respect other cultures, we can’t expect them to respect us. Every nation and group in this world want to be respected and not to be isolated on the basis of their believes and values. But that wish can never come true if we are separated by racist ideas. Stereotypes are not something new, but today we have the chance to educate each other and destroy those false ideas that have kept people separated all these centuries. Sure, it is not an easy job to bring together people but if we start by educating ourselves about different cultures, things can become a lot simpler after that.

Facts About Mandarin:

With over a billion speakers in the world, Mandarin Chinese is the most spoken language in the world. China has a rich history dating back thousands of years but a lot of people prefer not to learn about it because of their stereotypical beliefs. In truth, there is more to the country than its communist policies. China is also one of the strongest economic powers in the world. Everything in its culture from cuisine to clothes is fascinating and bound to make everyone fall in love with the country.

The most fascinating part of the Chinese culture is the language of its people. Although it is not the only language in the country, it is definitely the most famous one. It is spoken in most parts of China and its variations are spoken in other states too. Although many people think of Mandarin as a very difficult tongue to learn, it has a fairly simple grammar. There are four tones of Mandarin and there are plenty of similar sounding words that mean completely different things. The language has no alphabet. The things you see on the internet are actually symbols, or Chinese characters to be precise. Since they are shapes and not actually words, some researchers think that learning Chinese sharpens the brain.

Due to China’s popularity in the world, the number of Mandarin students is increasing every day. People from all over the world go to China for jobs, businesses, and study. You can’t do much in the country unless you know the language and that’s why many people learn Mandarin before establishing their lives in China.

Is Taiwanese and Mandarin the Same Language?

Not knowing enough about cultures make people afraid to ask questions lest they offend someone. But there are questions borne out of simple confusions that are harmless and should be asked without hesitation. Many people think that Taiwanese and Mandarin are the same language. They wouldn’t be wrong if they only mean Mandarin because it is spoken in Taiwan and is the official language there. But when it comes to Taiwanese Mandarin and Chinese Mandarin, the two are a bit different. The Mandarin spoken in Taiwan is a variant of the one spoken in China. The differences between the two include the writing systems, grammar, and vocabulary.

The pronunciation of the two is also quite different. The tone of Taiwanese Mandarin has changed under the influence of other languages that are spoken in Taiwan. Taiwanese Hokkien and Taiwanese Hakka are the most famous native languages of Taiwan that have influenced Mandarin over the years. They are regularly spoken by the locals. But the natives also understand Mandarin and that’s why it has still remained the official language of the country.

The culture of both China and Taiwan are quite interesting and should be studied by everyone interested in the studies of traditions. But the languages of the two countries are also pretty fascinating and deserve separate attention. The two vernaculars, that are similar, and yet different are often talked about by linguists and there is no reason why language enthusiast shouldn’t study them either.